Why Xiaomi’s Standard Icons Are Irritating to Users
Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones are famous for their customization, but even it doesn’t always suit users. One of the most common queries is how to change the icon to Xiaomi’s Android, because standard app icons often look too bright, don’t match the style of wallpaper or just get bored over the years of use. Unlike “naked” Android, where most launchers support replacing icons, MIUI traditionally limits such capabilities.
Complicating the problem is that Xiaomi regularly updates the shell, and methods that worked on MIUI 12 may no longer work on MIUI 14 or HyperOS. For example, in older versions you could replace icons through themes, but now this functionality is reduced. In addition, budget models (Redmi Note 10, POCO M4 Pro) often lack the advanced personalization settings available to flagships (Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Mi 11 Pro).
In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to change icons on Xiaomi, from simple (through themes and launchers) to advanced (using ADB and modified APKs). Each method is tested on current versions of MIUI and HyperOS, and takes into account the features of different models from Redmi 9A to Xiaomi 14.
Method 1: Using MIUI themes (the easiest method)
The official way to change icons on Xiaomi is to install one of the themes in the MIUI Themes store. This method does not require root rights and works on all devices, but has limitations: you change all icons at once, not selectively.
How to do this:
- 📱 Open the Themes app (icon with brush on desktop).
- 🔍 In the search bar, type in a query, such as “icon pack” or “minimalism icons".
- 🎨 Choose your favorite theme and click Apply. The system will automatically replace icons, wallpaper and fonts.
- ⚙️ If you want to leave only icons, after applying the theme go to Settings → Display. → System style and manually return standard wallpaper/fonts.
Important: many themes in MIUI Themes are paid (50 to 300 Mi Coins), free options are usually limited to basic icon sets, and note that after the MIUI update, some themes may reset.
Method 2: Installation of a third-party launcher (rootless flexibility)
If you need to change individual icons or use sets from Google Play, the best option is to install an alternative launcher.
- 🚀 Nova Launcher – supports icon packs, gestures, adaptive icons.
- 🎨 Lawnchair – open source, minimalist design.
- ⚡ Apex Launcher – Optimized for weak devices (Redmi) 8A, POCO C31).
- 🔧 Microsoft Launcher – Windows integration, but limited customization.
Instructions for setting up (for example, Nova Launcher):
- Download Nova Launcher from Google Play and install it as the default launcher.
- Press your finger on the desktop → Settings → Style of icons.
- Select the Icon Pack (e.g. Whicons, CandyCons) and apply it.
- To change an individual icon: Press it → Change → Edit → Select a new image from the gallery.
Warning: Some Xiaomi models (such as the Redmi Note 11 with MIUI 13) may miss navigation gestures after installing the launcher. To return them, go to Settings → Display → Full-screen mode and select Gestures manually.
Download APK launcher from the official website|Make a backup of current settings|Disable battery optimization for launcher|Check compatibility with the Android version-->
Method 3: Manually modify icons through "Adaptive icons" (hidden MIUI function)
Few people know, but MIUI has a hidden feature called Adaptive Icons that allows you to change the shape of icons without third-party apps, which works on devices with MIUI 12.5+ and HyperOS, but not on all models (for example, on the POCO X3 Pro it is not, and on Xiaomi 12T it is).
How to turn on:
- Open the Settings → Display.
- Scroll down and find System Style (on some devices it is hidden – tap on Additional).
- Select Adaptive icons and turn on the switch.
- Now press any icon on your desktop → Change → Form and choose one of the options (circle, square, rounded corners, etc.).
Limitations of the method:
- ❌ You can not change the image of the icon itself – only its shape.
- ❌ On some devices (Redmi 10, POCO M4 5G) function.
- ❌ After updating MIUI settings may reset.
How to return standard icons if something goes wrong?
Method 4: Replace icons via ADB (for advanced users)
If you need to completely redefine system icons (such as replacing the Google Play icon or Settings icon), you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires a PC connection and basic command line knowledge, but gives you maximum freedom.
Step-by-step:
- Turn on USB Debugging on your phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (tap 7 times to unlock Developer Mode). Then: Settings → Additional → Developers → Debugging on USB.
- Connect your phone to your PC and open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux).
- Check the connection: Adb devices should show the name of your device.
- Download the icon pack in.apk format (for example, from iconpackstudio.com) and install it on your phone.
- Follow the command to use the icon pack: adb shell cmd overlay enable --user 0 com.icon.pack.name (replace com.icon.pack.name with the real name of the package).
- Reset the device.
Important: This method can cause system applications to crash if the icons in the pack are in the wrong resolution or format.
adb shell pm clear com.miui.home
This will reset the desktop settings, but will return the standard look of the icons.-->
Method 5: Modification of APK system applications (for experienced)
The most radical way is to change the icons directly into the APK-system application files:
- 🔓 Root rights (or unlocked bootloader).
- 💻 Ability to work with APKTool, Smali and decompilation.
- 📦 Backup of firmware (in case of brick).
Instructions:
- Download the system application APK (e.g. Settings) from your phone via Root Explorer or Adb pull.
- Decompile it with APKTool: apktool d settings.apk -o settings_dec
- In the res/drawable folder, find the icon files (usually in.png or.xml format) and replace them with your own.
- Compile. APK back: apktool b settings_dec -o settings_mod.apk
- Sign a modified APK with a Uber-apk signer.
- Install it on your phone via adb install or TWRP.
⚠️ Note: Incorrect modification of the system APK This can lead to bootloop (a looped boot). On HyperOS devices (such as Xiaomi 14), this is especially risky because of the increased security. MIUI Anti-Rollback.
Comparison of methods: which one to choose?
To make it easier for you to determine, we have collected the key pros and cons of each method in the table:
| Method | Difficulty | Need root? | Changes all the icons? | It's running HyperOS? | Risk of failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIUI themes | ⭐ (simple) | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. | ✅ Yes. | ⭐ (low-key) |
| Sideways launcher | ⭐⭐ (middle-of-the-road) | ❌ No. | ❌ No (selectively) | ✅ Yes. | ⭐ (low-key) |
| Adaptive icons | ⭐ (simple) | ❌ No. | ❌ No, only the form) | ✅ Yes, most of them) | ⭐ (low-key) |
| ADB | ⭐⭐⭐ (difficult) | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. | ✅ Yes. | ⭐⭐ (middle-class) |
| Modification of APK | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (difficult) | ✅ Yes. | ✅ Yes. | ❌ No (risky) | ⭐⭐⭐ (high-end) |
For most users, the best choice is a third-party launcher (flexibility) or MIUI themes (simplicity). Methods with ADB and APK modification will suit only those who are willing to risk the stability of the system for a unique design.
💡
On devices with HyperOS (for example, Xiaomi 14) it is better to avoid deep modifications – the new shell has enhanced protection against changes in system files, and even ADB-Teams can work in an unstable manner.