How to change square icons to round on Xiaomi smartphones: 3 proven ways

Are you tired of the standard square icons on your Xiaomi and want to give the interface a fresh look? Round icons look more modern, stylish and better fit into the concept of Material Design. Fortunately, the manufacturer has provided several ways to change the shape of the icons, both through the built-in MIUI settings and using third-party tools.

In this article, we'll look at all the current methods, from official firmware capabilities to alternative launchers, which models support changing the shape of icons out of the box, how to get around the restrictions on older devices, and what to do if after updating MIUI round icons are gone, and also detailed instructions with pictures, warnings about possible bugs and answers to frequent questions.

Why are Xiaomi’s default square icons?

The MIUI branded shell traditionally uses square icons with rounded corners, part of Xiaomi's corporate identity, which is driven by:

• 🎨 Uniformity of design: squares are better combined with the tile structure of the menu and widgets.
• 📱 Optimization for screens: on AMOLED-Square icons take up fewer pixels, saving battery power.
• 🔄 Compatibility: Not all apps are properly displayed in round frames (especially old or Chinese ones).

However, since MIUI 12, the company has been rolling out support for round icons — first on flagship models (Mi 10, Mi 11) and then on mid-range devices — which is now available on most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, but its implementation depends on the firmware version and region.

Method 1: Change the shape of icons through MIUI settings (official method)

The easiest and safest way to do this is to use the built-in MIUI options, which works on devices with MIUI 12.5 and later, but is not available in all regional firmware versions.

1. Open the Settings → Screen.
2. Select the icon style (or icon shape in some versions).
3. In the list of available styles, find the Round or Adaptive Icons option.
4. Apply the changes and restart the launcher (swipe up and hold your finger on the home screen, then select Reboot).

If you don't have Style icons on the menu, your version of MIUI doesn't support changing shapes through settings, in which case you can try updating your firmware or using alternative methods in the following sections.

⚠️ Note: On some devices (for example, Redmi Note 9 Pro with global firmware), round icons may not display correctly - with cropped edges or artifacts. MIUI. Solution: Install an alternative launcher (see Method 3).

Method 2: Use MIUI themes with round icons

If you don't have a direct option in the settings to change the shape of your icons, you can get around that restriction with the themes. Many MIUI themes include round icons in their package. Here's how to do this:

1. Open the Themes app (if not, download it from Google Play).
2. In the search bar, enter the query round icons or round icons.
3. Choose your favorite theme (we recommend Roundify, Adaptive Icons Pack or MIUI Rounded).
4. Click Apply and confirm the change.

Notice that the themes change not only the shape of the icons, but also other interface elements (color schemes, fonts, animations). If you need to keep the current design, but only change the icons, use the theme mix:

• 🎨 Apply the main topic you like.
• 🔄 Then in the theme settings select Set up → Icons and install a package with round icons.
• 🔒 Save the changes.

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If after applying the theme, some icons remained square, clear the launcher cache: Settings → Applications → Application Management → Launcher → Storage → Clear the cache.

⚠️ Attention: Free Themes from MIUI Theme Stores may contain ads or collect data. Check reviews and theme ratings before installing. Use official sources or trusted theme stores such as Mi Theme Editor for security.

Method 3: Install a third-party launcher with support for round icons

If the first two methods didn't work, the most reliable option is to install an alternative launcher, an application that completely replaces the standard MIUI interface, offering advanced customization capabilities, including icon shapes.

• 🌟 Nova Launcher – supports adaptive icons, flexible scale and shape settings.
• 🎨 Lawnchair is a lightweight open source launcher with Adaptive Icons support.
• 🔄 Action Launcher – allows you to change the shape of the icons for each application separately.
• 📱 Hyperion Launcher – Optimized for Xiaomi, saves gestures MIUI.

Instructions for setting up on the example of Nova Launcher:

1. Download and install Nova Launcher from Google Play.
2. When you first start, select Use as default launcher.
3. Press and hold your finger in the free seat of the main screen, then select Settings.
4. Go to the section Appearance → Style of icons.
5. Choose Adaptive (adaptive) or Circle (round).
6. For fine-tuning, click Additional and adjust the Icon Scale and Retreats.

Important: On devices with MIUI 14+, navigation gestures (e.g. swipe up for return) may disappear when using third-party launchers. To return them, go to Settings → System → Gestures → System Navigation and select Navigation Buttons instead of MIUI Gestures.

Problem Solving: Why are no round icons used?

Sometimes, even after all the manipulations, the icons remain square, and let's look at the typical reasons and ways to eliminate them:

If the problem persists, try resetting the launcher settings:

adb shell pm clear com.mi.android.globallauncher

This command will clear the cache and data of the standard MIUI launcher, but will not delete user data. It will require ADB and enabled USB debugging.

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If round icons do not apply to individual apps (like WhatsApp or Telegram), it means that their developers have not added support for Adaptive Icons to the application manifesto.

How do you get the square icons back?

If you don’t like round icons or cause problems with display, you can return to the standard look in a few steps:

1. For MIUI: Go to Settings → Screen → Icon Style and select Square or Default.
2. For design themes: delete the current theme in the Topic app and apply the standard one.
3. For third-party launchers: Open the launcher settings and reset the icon style to Default.

If after changing the shape of the icons on the screen there are empty spaces or grid inconsistencies, reboot the launcher:

• On the main screen, swipe up and hold your finger.
• In the menu that opens, select Home Screen Settings (or Additional).
• Press Reset.

Additional tips for customizing icons on Xiaomi

Changing the shape is just the beginning. To make your Xiaomi interface look unique, use these tips:

• 🎨 Icon Packs: Install Pixel Icon Pack, Delta Icon Pack or CandyCons for uniform design.
• 🔧 Scaling: Nova Launcher can change the size of the icons (optimally — 85-95% standard).
• 🖼️ Hiding Names: In Launcher Settings, Turn Off Icon Signatures for Minimalist View.
• 🌈 Dynamic colours: B MIUI 14 Enable Settings → Screen. → Color palette for automatic adjustment of icons under wallpaper.

For advanced users: If you want to create your own round icons, use the Android Asset Studio service or the Icon Changer app. They allow you to crop standard icons from the template and apply them to any application.

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To make the round icons look harmonious, choose wallpaper with minimalist design or gradient. Avoid uploaded images - they visually "conflict" with simple icon shapes.

FAQ: Frequent questions about round icons on Xiaomi