How to change the style of icons on Xiaomi: 5 working ways for MIUI 14/15

Standard icons on Xiaomi smartphones often look boring or don’t fit into the overall design of the system. Fortunately, MIUI offers several ways to customize them, from built-in themes to manually replacing them through hidden settings. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods of changing the style of icons on Redmi, POCO and Mi devices (including models from 2023-2026).

It's important to understand that customization options depend on the firmware version, for example, MIUI 15 has dynamic icon support, and older versions (before MIUI 12.5) may not have some features, and we'll specify the limitations for each method so you don't waste your time.

If you want to not just reshape icons, but completely transform the interface, check out the Custom Launchers section, where you can get around the limitations of MIUI and install icons from third-party designers (including paid packs from the Play Market).

1. Standard MIUI themes: a quick way to change icons

The easiest way is to use built-in themes, and MIUI has hundreds of free and paid themes, many of which change not only the wallpaper, but also the style of the icons. Here's how it works:

• 📱 Open the Themes app (icon with brush on the home screen).
• 🔍 Enter the search for “icon pack” or “icon icon».
• 🎨 Choose your favorite theme and click Apply.
• ⚙️ In some themes, you can customize icons separately - for this, click Configure → Icons.

The advantage of this is that you don't have to root the device or install additional programs.

• ❌ Limited choice: most themes only change icons for system applications (Calls, Messages, Settings), and third-party applications remain unchanged.
• ❌ Not all themes support dynamic icons (dark/light theme adaptive).
• ❌ Paid themes can cost from 50 to 300 rubles per piece.

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If the icons haven't changed after applying the theme, reboot your smartphone. Sometimes MIUI caches old images.

For models POCO F5, Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and newer topics available with 3D-To find them, select the option "Dynamic" in the filters».

MIUI Themer: Hidden Opportunities for Customization

Few people know, but MIUI has a hidden tool called MIUI Themer that allows you to install custom icons without root, which works on MIUI 12.5-15 firmware, but requires activation via ADB.

Here's the step-by-step instruction:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and enable USB Debugging (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times tap on version, then go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers).
2. Download ADB Tools and unpack the archive.
3. Open the command line in the folder with ADB Enter: adb shell settings put secure sys_ui_theme_enabled 1
4. Reboot the device. After that, a new Themes section will appear in Settings → Screen → Lock screen style.

You can now install.mtz themes (a special format for MIUI) on sites like Mi-Themes.com or Xiaomi-Themes.ru.

• 🔧 Not all.mtz files support icon change – look for themes marked “Full Icon Support».
• 🔄 After updating MIUI The settings may be reset - you will have to repeat the procedure.
• 🚫 On certain devices (e.g, POCO X5 Pro) this method does not work due to manufacturer's limitations.

3. Launchers from third-party developers

If the built-in methods don't work, you can install an alternative launcher, which is a program that completely replaces the standard MIUI interface, including icons, animations and gestures.

• 🎯 Nova Launcher – supports icons from packs (format.png/.webp), Flexible grid and gesture settings.
• 🌈 Hyperion Launcher – Optimized for Xiaomi, has a built-in icon gallery.
• 🔄 Lawnchair – lightweight launcher with support for adaptive icons.
• 📱 POCO Launcher – official launcher from Xiaomi, but with advanced settings (available in Play Market).

To change the icons through the launcher:

1. Install a launcher from Play Market.
2. Download your favorite icon pack (such as Whicons, CandyCons or Delta).
3. Open the launcher settings → Icons → select the installed pack.
4. Apply the changes and restart the launcher (usually a swipe down on the home screen is enough).

Important: Some launchers (like Nova) allow you to change the icons separately for each application. → Change. → Icon.

Nova Launcher|Hyperion Launcher|Standard. MIUI|POCO Launcher|Other-->

If the icons look blurry after installing the launcher, check the pack resolution. The optimal size for Xiaomi is 192×192 px or 256×256 px (for high DPP devices).

4. Manually modifying icons through file manager (for advanced)

This is a good way for those who are willing to dig through system files. On MIUI 14+ devices, icons are stored in.webp format in the /system/media/theme/default/icons/ folder, but you can't replace them without root.

1. Install Root Explorer or any file manager with access to system folders.
2. Download a set of icons in.png format (the size must match the original).
3. Rename your files to match the names of the original icons (e.g. com.android.contacts.png for the contact icon).
4. Copy the files to /data/system/theme/default/icons/ (root required).
5. Clear the launcher cache (Settings → Applications → Launcher → Storage → Clear the cache).

⚠️ Warning: Incorrect replacement of system files can cause a launcher crash or even a bootloop (cyclical reboot). TWRP Or Mi Flash Tool.

An alternative option for non-root devices is to use launchers that allow you to replace icons through ADB. For example, in Nova Launcher you can run a command:

adb shell pm grant com.teslacoilsw.launcher.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS

After that, in the launcher settings, the option of manual replacement of icons will appear.

5.Icon Packs from Play Market: How to Choose and Install

Google Play has thousands of free and paid icon packs, so you don't get confused by the following options:

• 📌 Compatibility with MIUI: Look for packs marked “Optimized for Xiaomi” or «MIUI Support».
• 🎨 Style: Minimalism (e.g. Lines), Skeuomorphism (CandyCons), Pixel Art (Bitcons) or 3D (Whicons).
• 🔄 Adaptability: Does the pack support a dark/light theme and dynamic colors (starting with Android 12).
• 📱 Number of icons: A good pack covers 3,000+ Applications (clarify in the description).

Top.-5 Icon packs for Xiaomi in the 2026 year:

1. Whicons – white icons with shadow, suitable for AMOLED-screen.
2. Delta is a geometric icon with gradients.
3. CandyCons are bright “ice” icons in the style of Material You.
4. Lines Free is a minimalist linear icon.
5. Pix Bit is a retro 8-bit style for pixel art lovers.

To apply the pack:

1. Install a launcher (like Nova).
2. Download icons from the Play Market.
3. Open the launcher settings → Appearance → Style of icons → select the installed pack.

🔹 Read the reviews (especially about compatibility with the MIUI)

🔹 Check out the screenshots with your resolution

🔹 Make sure the pack is updated (last update is no older than 6 months)

🔹 Check if there are icons for your frequently used apps-->

⚠️ Note: Some packs (such as Flux or Virus) may conflict with system icons MIUI, In this case, clear the launcher cache or reinstall the pack.

6. Reset icons to standard: what to do if something went wrong

If after the experiments, the icons began to glit (they are not displayed completely, disappeared or became pixelated), you can return everything back in several ways:

• 🔄 Launcher reset: Settings → Annexes → Launcher → Warehouse → Clear the data. Attention: this will delete all your desktop settings!
• 🎨 Recovery Theme: Open the Topics App → Mine. → Current theme → Drop it.
• 📱 Reinstall the launcher: If you use a third-party launcher (like Nova), remove and install it again.
• 🔧 ADB-Resetting team (if the icons were changed through the MIUI Themer): adb shell settings put secure sys_ui_theme_enabled 0

If the icons are completely gone (the grey squares are displayed), the system launcher cache is likely damaged.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the MIUI Launcher (or POCO Launcher if you use it).
3. Click Warehouse → Clear the cache and Clear the data.
4. Reset the device.

On devices with MIUI 15, the themes may need to be re-activated via ADB after reset (as described in Section 2).

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Before resetting the launcher, take screenshots of the main screen - this will help to quickly restore the location of the icons.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing icons to Xiaomi