How to change icons on the Xiaomi screen: all ways with step-by-step instructions

Replacing standard icons on Xiaomi smartphones is one of the most popular customizations among MIUI users. Even the basic firmware offers flexible tools for personalizing the desktop, but not everyone knows how to use them. In this article, we will analyze all the available methods, from built-in launcher functions to installing third-party themes and applications.

The MIUI is built around a launcher, a program that manages the display of icons and widgets, depending on the model (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13T, etc.) and the firmware version (MIUI 13/14), some options can be placed in different menus, and we took these nuances into account and prepared universal instructions that will be suitable for most devices of the brand.

If you want to change the icons, and completely transform the look of the phone — at the end of this article you will find a list of proven themes from the official Xiaomi store and tips for working with them. And for those who prefer minimalism, we will tell you how to hide unnecessary icons without removing applications.

1. Change icons through the built-in MIUI launcher

The easiest way to change icons is to use the standard launcher settings, which requires no additional software installation and works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones with MIUI 12 and later.

To get started, follow the following steps:

• 📱 Open Settings → Desktop (or Lock Screen and Desktop on newer versions).
• 🎨 Select Icon Style or Icon Themes (the title may vary).
• 🔄 In the list of available styles, select your favorite. Usually, there are 3-5 built-in options: standard, round, square, etc.
• ✅ Press Apply to make changes effective.

Please note that in some firmware (e.g. MIUI 14 for the global version), the icon style option may be hidden behind the option “Additional settings” or “Personalization”. If you do not find the right section, search by settings (the magnifying icon in the upper right corner).

⚠️ Warning: Embedded icon styles apply to all icons on your desktop.If you only need to change individual icons (like WhatsApp or Instagram), move on to the next section with third-party themes.

Check out the MIUI version (Settings → About the phone)

Update the firmware to the latest version (if available)

Make a backup of the desktop (Settings → Desktop → Backup)

Close all open applications-->

2. Installation of themes from the official Xiaomi store

If you don't have enough built-in styles, you can download full-fledged themes from Xiaomi's store. They change not only icons, but also wallpaper, fonts, animations and even system sounds. Most of themes are free, but there are also premium options (costs from 50 to 300 rubles).

Installation instructions:

1. Open the Themes app (the icon with a brush on your desktop).
2. Go to the Icons or Badges section (in some versions it is called Personalization).
3. Choose your favorite theme and click Apply. The system automatically downloads and installs it.
4. If the theme is paid, click Buy and pay through Mi Account.

Among the most popular themes for icons in 2026:

• 🎨 Minimal UI are minimalist monochrome icons.
• 🌈 Neon Glow are luminous icons with neon effect.
• 🖤 Dark Icons Pack are black icons for AMOLED- screens.
• 🍭 Candy Icons are bright sugar glaze icons.

Important: once the theme is installed, icons may look different for different applications, because not all developers adapt their applications to custom styles, in which case manual replacement of icons (see section 4) will help.

Minimalistic (single-colored)|Bright (gradients, neon)|Dark (for the sake of) AMOLED)|Classic (like in iOS)|Your options-->

3. Use of third-party launchers (Nova, Apex, Lawnchair)

If you want maximum customization, consider installing an alternative launcher.

• 🚀 Nova Launcher is the most flexible, with gesture support and adaptive icons.
• 🔧 Apex Launcher is lightweight and fast, suitable for weak smartphones.
• 🌿 Lawnchair is an open source launcher that mimics the Pixel Launcher.

How to change icons with Nova Launcher:

1. Install Nova Launcher from Google Play.
2. Launch it and select as the default launcher.
3. Press and hold the empty space on the desktop → Settings → Appearance.
4. Select the Icon Style and download your favorite pack from the Play Market (such as Whicons or Fluid Icons).
5. Apply the changes and restart the launcher.

The advantage of third-party launchers is that you can customize each icon separately, for example, in Nova Launcher you can:

• Change the size of the icons (from 70% to 150%).
• Add shadows and effects when pressed.
• Hide the names of the applications.
• Use adaptive icons (automatically adjust to the form).

⚠️ Warning: Some launchers (like Nova Launcher) require a paid version (about 500 rubles) to unlock all features, including adaptive icons. The free version allows you to change style, but with restrictions.

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Before installing a third-party launcher, back up your current desktop settings through Settings → Desktop → Backup. This will help you quickly get everything back if the new launcher doesn’t like it.

4 Manually modifying icons with apps

If you only need to change individual icons (for example, for Telegram or YouTube), you can use specialized applications like Icon Changer or Shortcut Maker. These programs create shortcuts with custom icons, without replacing the original files.

The following steps are taken for Icon Changer:

1. Download Icon Changer from Google Play.
2. Open the app and select Create a shortcut.
3. Find the app you want to change your icon for (e.g. Chrome).
4. Click Select an icon and upload your image (PNG format with transparent background is recommended).
5. Save the label – it will appear on the desktop.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ Shortcuts are not automatically updated (for example, the WhatsApp notification counter will not work).
• ❌ When you delete the original application, the shortcut will stop working.
• ✅ But this method does not require root-rights and works on any smartphone.

For advanced users, there is another option: manually replacing icons through ADB. This method requires a computer connection and command knowledge, but allows you to change system icons without launchers.

5. Hiding Unnecessary Icons Without Removing Applications

If you don’t need to change your icons, but you just want to remove the extra ones from your desktop, MIUI has a built-in concealment feature, which is useful for system applications that can’t be removed (such as Mi Video or Mi Music).

How to hide icons:

1. Press and hold the icon of the app you want to hide.
2. In the menu that appears, select Remove or Hide (on some firmware, this item is called In the basket).
3. Confirm the action. The icon will disappear from the desktop, but the application will remain in the system.

To bring back the hidden icon:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the right app in the list.
3. Click Show on the desktop.

An alternative way is to disable applications:

• 🔕 In the same Application Management menu, select the unneeded application.
• 🔄 Click Disable (this will remove all of its data and icon from the desktop).
• ⚠️ Be careful: disabling system applications can cause crashes!

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Hiding icons doesn't remove an app from the system, it just removes it from the desktop.It's a safe way to free up screen space without risking the stability of the phone.

6. Restoration of Standard Icons

If you want to return the original icons after experimenting with themes or launchers, you can do this in several ways:

For the built-in MIUI launcher:

1. Go to Settings → Desktop → Style of icons.
2. Select the default or standard option.
3. Confirm the change.

For third-party launchers:

• 🔄 In Nova Launcher: Long Press → Settings → Appearance → Resetting the style of icons.
• 🗑️ In Icon Changer: Remove the shortcuts you created and return the original icons from the app menu.

If the icons are lost after the MIUI update:

• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone.
• 🎨 Apply any other theme and then return the standard one.
• 📱 Reset launcher settings: Settings → Applications → Application Management → Launcher → Storage → Clear data.

⚠️ Warning: Launcher Data Reset will delete all your desktop settings (image location, widgets, folders). Before doing so, back up through Settings → Desktop → Backup.

7.The best icon themes for Xiaomi in 2026

If you’re looking for customization inspiration, here’s a selection of proven themes from Xiaomi’s official store and Google Play:

Topics advice:

• 🔍 Check ratings and reviews before installing – some topics may contain ads or run unstablely.
• 📱 For weak smartphones (Redmi 9A, POCO M3), choose light themes without animations.
• 🎨 If you need app-specific icons (like TikTok or VK), look for themes marked Full Support.

Important: After installing the theme from Google Play, you may need to manually apply it in the launcher settings (for example, in Nova Launcher you need to select the icon pack in the “Look” section).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)