How to change the font color on Android Xiaomi Redmi Note: from system fonts to hidden settings

Changing the color of the font on Xiaomi Redmi Note smartphones is a task that at first glance seems simple, but in practice requires knowledge of the hidden features of MIUI. Unlike iOS or “pure” Android, Xiaomi firmware offers several ways to customize text at once, from standard themes to deep customization through the developer.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods for changing the color of the font – from basic (for beginners) to advanced (for those who are ready to dig into system files). Particular attention will be paid to the Redmi Note 10/11/12 models and their specific features in the latest versions of MIUI 14/15. Importantly, some methods require unlocking the bootloader or root rights – we will honestly warn about the risks and offer alternatives.

If you are tired of gray text on the menu or want to highlight notifications in bright color, read on. And if the goal is purely aesthetic (for example, pink font on WhatsApp), we will show you how to do it without harming the system.

1. MIUI Standard Themes: Fast Color Change without Risks

The safest and most obvious way is to use built-in themes. MIUI offers dozens of free themes with unique color schemes that automatically change the shade of the font in system menus, notifications and even some apps.

How it works:

• 🎨 System themes: Change the font color in settings, notification panel and standard applications (Contacts, Messages).
• 📱 Launcher topics: Affects desktop and folder labels.
• 🔍 Partial themes: Some themes only change the color of notifications or keyboards.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to the popular section or for you.
3. Select a theme marked "Color Text" or "Dark/Light with an accent".
4. Click Apply and confirm the changes.

💡

If the color of the font has not changed after applying the theme, restart the smartphone - sometimes MIUI caches the old settings.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ Not all apps support color change through themes (e.g. Telegram or Telegram). VK remain unchanged).
• ❌ Colors in themes are often “tied” to background wallpaper – if the wallpaper is dark, the text can become unreadable.

2. Color setting in MIUI Launcher: Hidden options

Few people know, but the MIUI launcher has hidden text color settings, which works on all Redmi Notes with MIUI 12+ and does not require root rights.

Instructions:

1. Hold your finger on the empty space on the desktop.
2. Select Desktop Settings (or Settings).
3. Go to the Icon and Text Style → Color tags.
4. Choose one of the suggested shades or click the Custom Color to manually adjust.

What's changing:

• 📌 Inscriptions under app icons.
• 📂 File names.
• 🔤 Text in widgets (weather, calendar).

Important nuance: Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and newer MIUI 15 have an option called Adaptive Text Color. If it's on, the system automatically selects a contrasting shade under the wallpaper. To turn it off, go to Settings → Display → Colors and Contrast.

3.Use of launcher applications: complete freedom

If standard methods don’t work, you can install a side launcher with advanced text settings, which is suitable for those who want to change the color of the font in the application menu, folders and even in the search bar.

Top.-3 launcher:

How to customize the color of text in Nova Launcher:

1. Install a launcher from Google Play.
2. Hold your finger on the desktop → Settings.
3. Go to the Appearance. → Color of marks.
4. Select a color from the palette or enter a hex code (e.g. #FF5733 for orange).

Download APK from the official website (not from third-party sources)|

Backup your current desktop settings |

Disable battery optimization for launcher in MIUI| settings

Restart the phone after installation-->

Warning: Some launchers conflict with MIUI Optimization (a built-in Xiaomi feature). If the lags appear after installation, disable optimization in Settings → Special features → MIUI optimization.

4. Editing system files (for advanced)

This method is only suitable for users with unlocked bootloader and root rights, and allows you to change the color of the font at the system file level, including the settings menu and notifications.

What you need:

• 🔓 Unlocked bootloader (instructions for Redmi Note on the official Xiaomi website).
• 🛠️ Root rights (can be obtained through Magisk).
• 📱 System file editor (e.g., Mixplorer or Root Explorer).

Step-by-step:

1. Open Root Explorer and go to /system/framework/framework-res.apk.
2. Copy the file to internal memory and rename it to framework-res.zip.
3. Unclose the file and find the res/values/colors.xml folder.
4. Edit lines with colors (for example, system_text_primary or notification_text_color).
5. Collect the file back to APK, return to /system/framework/ and restart the phone.

💡

Changing system files can lead to a "boot loop" (cyclical reboot).

Example of editing:

<color name="system_text_primary">#FF0000</color> <!-- red text -->


<color name="notification_title_color">#00FF00</color> <!-- Green notification headers -->

Risks of the method:

⚠️ Attention: Incorrect editing framework-res.apk It could cause the system to crash. 11T Pro and newer Xiaomi added DM-Verity protection, which blocks changes to system files. To bypass you will need to disable DM-Verity via Magisk.

5. ADB-commands to change color scheme

If root-rights are not available, but you want to dive deeper into the settings, you can use it. ADB-This method works for all Redmi Notes with MIUI 13+ and does not require unlocking the loader.

What can be changed:

• 🎨 Color of text in the notification panel.
• 📱 Color of highlighting of highlighted text.
• 🔍 Accent color in the system menu.

Instructions:

1. Enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times, then go back to Additional → For Developers).
2. Connect your phone to your PC and open the command line.
3. Enter commands (example to change the color of notifications to blue):

adb shell settings put secure theme_customization_overlay_packages com.android.theme.color.blue


adb shell settings put secure system_accent_color 0xff3d5afe

List of available colors:

To reset the settings, use:

adb shell settings delete secure theme_customization_overlay_packages

⚠️ Note: On some firmware Xiaomi blocks ADB-If the commands are not working, check if the option is on. USB-Debugging (security options) in the developer settings.

6.Castomization applications: root-free and risk-free

If all the previous methods seem complicated, you can use specialized applications that do not change the system font, but allow you to customize the color of text in individual applications or create color notifications.

Best applications:

• 🎨 Substratum + Andromeda: Changes the color of text in the system menu (requires root or Andromeda-Addon).
• 📱 Hex Installer: Installs custom themes without root (not working on all Redmi Note models).
• 🔤 Textra SMS: Allows you to adjust the font color in SMS (alternative to standard messages).

How to use Substratum:

1. Install Substratum and Andromeda from Google Play.
2. Download a theme that supports your model (e.g. Swift Black for MIUI).
3. Open Substratum, select a theme and apply it to SystemUI and Settings.
4. Reboot the phone.

Important: On the Redmi Note 10 Pro and the newer Substratum, you may not work due to MIUI limitations. In this case, try the Hex Installer, but be prepared for some elements to remain unchanged.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing font color