How to change the font on the Xiaomi smartphone: from standard themes to manual patching

The font on Xiaomi is not just a set of characters, but part of the visual perception of the interface. Its size, shape and style affect the ease of reading, speed with menus and even the level of eye fatigue. Owners of devices based on MIUI (including Redmi, POCO and Black Shark) often face system limitations: the standard set of fonts in the settings is minimal, and attempts to install custom options are blocked by MIUI Optimization protection.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to change the font to Xiaomi running Android 12-14 (MIUI 13-15), including official methods through Themes, circumventing restrictions using ADB, as well as the risks of using third-party applications.

1. MIUI Standard Settings: What You Can Change Without Root

Starting with MIUI 12.5, Xiaomi has made it easier to access basic font settings, but the functionality has remained limited.

• 🔤 Change the font size (from "Small" to "Very large»)
• 🎨 Apply bold marking (option "Bold text»)
• 📏 Adjust the display scale (affects the size of all elements)

To open these options, go to: Settings → Display → Text and display size.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ There is no possibility to install custom font (only system options)
• ❌ In some models (for example, POCO F5) The option “Bold text” may not be available
• ❌ Changes apply to the entire interface, including third-party applications

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If after changing the font size, some applications (for example, Telegram or VKontakte) are displayed incorrectly, try resetting the scale settings in Special Features → Font Size

2.Use of MIUI themes: the official method of changing the font

The safest and most recommended method by Xiaomi is to install themes through the Themes app. Many themes include not only wallpaper and icons, but also unique fonts. Here's how it works:

1. Open the Themes app (if not, download from Google Play or AppGallery).
2. In the search bar, enter a request such as “font” or “font”.
3. Select your favorite theme marked “Includes font” (usually this is indicated in the description).
4. Click "Apply" - the font will change automatically.

Pros of the method:

• ✅ Does not require root rights or ADB
• ✅ The fonts are tested for compatibility with MIUI
• ✅ You can return the standard font in one click.

Cons:

• ❌ The choice of fonts is limited to the Xiaomi collection (about 50-100 variants)
• ❌ Some topics are paid (price from 50 to 300 rubles)
• ❌ After updating MIUI font may be dropped

3. Install custom fonts through ADB (without root)

If standard options aren’t enough, you can install any.ttf font via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that works on most Xiaomi devices with MIUI 13-15, but requires care.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools (you can download from the official Android website)
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times press to unlock Developer Settings → set up USB)
• 📁 A font file in.ttf format (e.g. Montserrat or Open Sans)

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Copy the font file to /sdcard/Download/ folder on your phone.
3. Open the command prompt (or Terminal on Mac/Linux) and type:

adb shell


su -c "mount -o rw,remount /system"




su -c "cp /sdcard/Download/yourfont.ttf /system/fonts/"




su -c "chmod 644 /system/fonts/yourfont.ttf"




su -c "mount -o ro,remount /system"




reboot

Important: On devices with MIUI 14+, MIUI Optimization may be activated after the reboot, which will return the standard font. To avoid this, follow the command before rebooting:

adb shell settings put global miui_optimization_disabled 1

Download ADB Tools on PC| Enable USB debugging on Xiaomi| Copy.ttf file in Download| Check free space in /system (minimum 5MB)| Make backup of the current font (adb pull /system/fonts/ command)

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Third-party applications: risks and alternatives

Google Play has dozens of font-change apps (e.g. iFont, FontFix or ZFont 3), but they work with the caveats of Xiaomi:

Why don’t we recommend third-party apps?

• 🔒 Xiaomi is actively blocking changes to system files through the MIUI Optimization.
• 🐞 Unofficial fonts may contain malicious code (especially from unverified sources).
• 🔄 After updating MIUI The font will reset and the application may stop working.

5. Manual editing of system files (for advanced)

This method is suitable for users with unlocked bootloader and root rights. It allows you to replace the system font with any.ttf file, but requires knowledge of the command line and backup.

Steps:

1. Install Magisk and System Font Replacer (available in Magisk Modules repository).
2. Copy the font file in /sdcard/Download/ and rename it in custom_font.ttf.
3. In Magisk Manager, activate the module and restart the device.

Warnings:

⚠️ Note: Incorrectly replacing system fonts may result in bootloop or loss of functionality of some applications (e.g., Google Pay will stop working due to a change in system signature).

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 15 (e.g. Xiaomi 14) Magisk modules may conflict with HyperOS, Xiaomi’s new shell. XDA Developers.

6. Features for different Xiaomi models

The protection algorithms and font change capabilities vary by model and version of MIUI. The following are the key differences:

For example, on the POCO X3 Pro with MIUI 12.5, you can successfully install the font via ADB, while on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra with HyperOS, this method will lead to a reset.

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Before experimenting with fonts on new Xiaomi models (released after 2023), check the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone. If it says HyperOS, use only official themes - other methods can disrupt the system.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing font to Xiaomi