Notifications on Xiaomi’s MIUI 13 smartphones are not just informational messages, but part of the visual style of the interface. Many users want to personalize the appearance of the system, and the color of the notifications plays a key role here. However, not everyone knows that in standard MIUI 13 settings, customization options are limited, and some parameters are hidden in non-obvious menus.
In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can change the color of notifications, from basic theme settings to third-party apps and hidden shell features, how to adapt the appearance of notifications to a dark or light theme, why some colors don’t apply immediately, and what to do if changes don’t persist after a reboot, and we’ll also talk about how to work with notifications on different Xiaomi models (from Redmi Note 11 to Xiaomi 13 Pro) and explain how to bypass the system’s limitations without risking stability.
Why Notification Color Is Important for User Experience
Not only does the color scheme affect aesthetics, but it also affects the user experience. For example, bright blue or green notifications on a dark background can irritate the eyes at night, and too pale shades can go unnoticed. In MIUI 13, Xiaomi developers emphasized the adaptability of the interface, but some settings still require manual adjustments.
Key aspects that should be considered:
- 🎨 Contrast: Light notifications on a white background become unreadable, and dark notifications merge with the light. AMOLED-Screens in Always On Display.
- 🔄 Consistency with theme: If you use a dark theme but the notifications remain light, it violates the integrity of the design.
- 🚀 Prioritization: Some apps (e.g. messengers) allow Assign to have different colors for different types of notifications, which helps to quickly distinguish important messages from secondary messages.
It's important to understand that in MIUI 13, the color of notifications depends on three factors: the system theme, the settings of a particular application, and the global interface settings. Changing one of these can affect the others, so the approach must be comprehensive.
Method 1: Color change through the theme system settings
The easiest way to change the color of notifications is to use the built-in theme settings. In MIUI 13, this is done through the Topic menu, but there are nuances: not all themes support customization of notifications, and some colors can conflict with system accents.
Step-by-step:
- Open the Themes app (the icon with a brush on your desktop).
- Go to the section My topics → Settings of the topic.
- Choose Color or Accent Color (the name may vary depending on the MIUI version).
- Scroll through the list of available colors and select the appropriate one. Note that some shades (e.g. purple or orange) may not be supported in notifications due to system limitations.
- Confirm the changes and wait for the topic to be applied (usually 5-10 seconds).
If the notifications remain the same after the change of color, try:
- 🔄 Reboot your smartphone (sometimes changes only apply after rebooting).
- 📱 Check if a specific app overrides color (e.g. WhatsApp or Telegram may ignore system settings).
- 🔍 Make sure you have the latest version installed. MIUI 13 (some builds have color display bugs).
☑️ Preparation for changing the color of notifications
Important! Some users have noted that after upgrading to MIUI 13.0.5+, the system colors of notifications are reset to standard, which is due to the optimization of the shell for new Xiaomi models (for example, Xiaomi 13T or POCO F5), in which case resetting the theme settings to standard, followed by re-applying.
Method 2: Use of third-party launchers and themes
If the built-in MIUI 13 settings don't work, you can use third-party solutions. Popular launchers like Nova Launcher or Hyperion Launcher allow you to customize not only icons, but also color notification schemes.
The pros and cons of third-party launchers:
| Advantages | Deficiencies |
|---|---|
| 🎨 Wide selection of color schemes | ⚠️ Can conflict with system notifications (e.g. from Mi Home or Mi Fit) |
| 🔧 Flexible Transparency and Animation settings | 🔋 Increased battery consumption (up to 5–7% per hour of active use) |
| 📱 Compatible with most Xiaomi models (including Redmi 10 and XXX) POCO X4 Pro) | 💰 Some themes and features require you to buy a premium version |
Recommended launchers for customizing notifications:
- 🌟 Nova Launcher: Supports color adjustment of notification panels through plugins (e.g. Nova TeslaUnread).
- 🔮 Hyperion Launcher: has built-in presets for MIUI, including adaptive notification colors.
- 🎭 Before Launcher: Allows you to change the color of the background notifications, but requires root rights for full customization.
Before installing the launcher, check its compatibility with your Xiaomi model. for example, on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ Some launchers may not display notifications properly due to features AMOLED-screen with a frequency of 120 Hz.
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If after installing the launcher notifications began to be displayed with a delay, turn off animations in the settings of special features (Settings → Special. features → Delete animations).
Method 3: Manual editing of system files (for advanced users)
For those willing to take drastic measures, there is a way to change the color of notifications through system file editing, which requires an unlocked bootloader and root rights, as well as knowledge of working with an ADB or a file manager with superuser rights (such as Root Explorer).
Warning:
⚠️ Attention! Incorrect editing of system files can result in bootloop ( looped boot) or loss of notification functionality. TWRP Or Mi Flash Tool.
Instructions for experienced users:
- Install Magisk and get root access.
- Download a file manager with root support (such as Mixplorer).
- Cross the path. /system/media/theme/default/ and find the files: notification_panel_bg.9.png notification_panel_bg_light.9.png These files are responsible for the background notifications in dark and light themes, respectively.
- Copy the original files to a backup folder, then replace them with edited ones (you can create your own in Photoshop or use ready-made Xiaomi themes).
- Change the access rights to 644 (rw-r----).
- Reset the device.
To change the color of text and icons, you will need to edit files in /framework/miui/framework.jar using a decompiler (e.g. JADX).This process is more complex and requires Java/Smali knowledge, so we do not recommend it for beginners.
What if the notifications are missing after editing?
Method 4: Set up notifications for individual applications
Some apps (such as Telegram, VK or Gmail) allow you to adjust the color of notifications regardless of system settings, which is convenient if you need to select messages from a particular messenger or email client.
How to adjust the notification color for a particular application:
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Select the app you want (such as WhatsApp).
- Go to Notifications. → Categories of notifications.
- Click on the category (such as Messages or Group Chats).
- Turn on the option to Show notifications and find Color or Style (not all apps support this feature).
- Choose a color from the palette or upload your own image for the notification background.
Examples of applications that support customization of notifications:
- 📧 Gmail: You can change the color of accent elements in notifications through Settings → General settings → Topics.
- 💬 Telegram: Supports changing the color of notifications in Settings → Notifications and sounds → Color of notifications (available in version 9.0)+).
- 🎵 Spotify: allows you to adjust the background color of music playback notifications (only in the premium version).
Limitation: System notifications (such as low battery power or MIUI updates) cannot be changed through application settings.
Problems and Solutions: Why the Color of Notifications Has Not Changed
Even after all the instructions have been followed, the color of the notifications may remain the same.
Frequent problems and their solutions:
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Color resets after rebooting | Conflict with MIUI Optimizer or Energy Saving | Turn off Auto-Optimization in Settings → Battery |
| Notifications are displayed in gray. | Activated Reading or No Distractions | Check the settings → Screen → Reading Mode |
| Color changes only for certain applications | Applications ignore system settings | Set the color separately for each application (see Method 4) |
| Notifications flash different colors | Conflict between theme and launcher | Reset the launcher settings or go back to the standard theme |
If none of these methods worked, try resetting MIUI to factory:
- Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
- Select Reset interface settings (does not delete application data).
- After restarting, re-apply the desired theme.
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Before resetting your settings, export your current theme to a file through Topics → My Themes → Export to quickly restore it later.
Additional tips for customizing notifications
In addition to color, MIUI 13 can also configure other notification options to improve the user experience:
Useful chips:
- 🔔 Adaptive transparency: in screen settings (Settings) → Screen. → Transparency of notifications) you can enable dynamic background adjustment under the wallpaper.
- 🎨 Gradient notifications: Some themes (such as Mi Space or Neon) support gradient colors for the notification bar.
- 🔕 Quiet mode for flowers: in Settings → Sounds and vibrations → Quiet mode can turn off bright colors of notifications at night.
- 📱 Categorization: in MIUI 13 notifications are automatically grouped by priority, and each group can be given a different color.
For owners of smartphones with Always On Display (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra or POCO F4 GT), you can adjust the color of notifications on the locked screen.
- Go to Settings → Lock the screen.
- Choose Always On Display → Style.
- Activate Color Notifications and select the palette.
Please note that the AMOLED-In screens, too bright notification colors can cause pixels to burn out. To avoid this, use dark themes and limit display time. AOD (For example, only 10 seconds after the new notification).