How to change icons on Xiaomi for your own: 5 proven ways

Are you tired of the standard icons on your Xiaomi and want to give your smartphone a unique look? Replacing icons is one of the easiest ways to personalize that does not require root rights or complex manipulation. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods, from using MIUI themes to manual editing through ADB. It is important to understand that the capabilities depend on the firmware version and device model – for example, on the Redmi Note 12 and Xiaomi 13 Ultra algorithms may differ.

Before you start, consider that some of the ways require third-party apps to be installed, which can affect performance. And if you plan to use custom icons without a launcher, you'll have to figure out the file formats (.png with transparency) and place them in the right folders. Ready to transform your Xiaomi? Then let's get started!

1. Replace icons through MIUI themes (official way)

The safest and easiest method is to use the built-in theme feature in MIUI. This method does not require root rights and is suitable for all models, including the POCO X5 and Redmi 10C. The Xiaomi theme store has thousands of free and paid icon packs, but their quality varies greatly.

To apply a new theme:

• 📱 Open the Topics app (brush icon on desktop).
• 🔍 Enter the search for “icon pack” or “icon icon».
• 🎨 Select your favorite pack and click Apply.
• 🔄 If the icons have not changed, restart the device.

Note that some themes only change the icons of system applications, while third-party ones (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) remain standard, in which case you will have to use a launcher.

⚠️ Warning: Free themes often contain ads in the form of watermarks on wallpaper or banners in the settings. paid versions (from 50 to 300 rubles) usually do not have this drawback.

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

If built-in themes aren't enough, third-party launchers will open up a lot more possibilities.

• 🌟 Nova Launcher – supports.icon packs and adaptive icons.
• 📱 Apex Launcher is lightweight and fast, but with limited customization.
• 🛠️ Lawnchair – open source, imitates Pixel Launcher.

Instructions for Nova Launcher:

1. Install a launcher from Google Play.
2. Download your favorite icon pack (such as Whicons or CandyCons).
3. Press your finger on the desktop → Settings → Style of icons.
4. Select the downloaded pack in the Icon Pack section.

The main advantage of this method is flexibility: you can change icons selectively, adjust their size (100%-150%) and even add shadows.

3. Manual editing of icons without root (ADB)

For advanced users who don’t want to install launchers, there’s a way to replace icons through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which works on MIUI 12-14, but requires care: the wrong command can cause system applications to crash.

Steps:

1. Activate Developer Mode (7 times click on the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone).
2. Enable USB debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your smartphone to your PC and execute the command:

adb shell pm install-existing --user 0 com.miui.home

This will reinstall the system launcher, after which you can replace the icons through the file manager with root rights (for example, Mixplorer).

⚠️ Note: Without root rights, you can only replace the icons of user applications, but not system ones (for example, Settings or Phone.

4. Creating your own icons: formats and tools

If you want to use unique icons, you have to prepare them in advance.

• 🖼️ Format: PNG transparently.
• 📏 Permission: 192×192 px (for px) MIUI) or 256×256 px (for launchers).
• 🎨 Style: it is recommended to keep a single palette and shape (square/circle).

Tools for the creation of:

• 💻 Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop — professionally designed.
• 📱 Icon Changer (Android app) – for quick edits.
• 🌐 Canva or Figma – Free Online Editors.

After creating icons, you need them:

1. Upload it to /sdcard/Pictures/Icons (create it manually).
2. Use the Icon Changer or Shortcut Maker app to link to apps.

💡

If the icons look blurry, check their resolution. For screens with a density of 400+ PPI (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro), it is better to use a size of 512×512 px and compress them to the desired through the launcher.

5. Replace icons with POCO Launcher (features)

POCO devices (such as the POCO F5 or POCO X6 Pro) use their own launcher, the POCO Launcher, which supports icon change, but with limitations:

• 🔄 Only the topics from the MIUI Theme Store.
• 🚫 No support for third-party icon packs without installing additional launchers.
• 🎨 There is a built-in icon editor (long press). → Change the icon).

To circumvent the restrictions:

1. Install Nova Launcher on top of POCO Launcher.
2. In the POCO Launcher settings, turn off Memory Optimization so it doesn’t reset.

6. Frequent errors and their solutions

When replacing icons, users face typical problems:

Problem 1: Icons don’t change after the theme is applied.

• 🔹 Check if the theme supports your version. MIUI (for example, theme MIUI 13 may not work on the MIUI 14).
• 🔹 Reset the device.
• 🔹 Clear the app cache Themes (Settings) → Annexes → Management → Topics → Warehouse → Clear the cache).

Problem 2: The launcher brakes after installing the icon pack.

• 🔹 Turn off animations in the launcher settings.
• 🔹 Reduce the size of the icons to 80%.
• 🔹 Try another launcher (like Lawnchair is lighter than Nova).

Problem 3: Can't replace the system application icon (e.g. Camera).

• 🔹 Without root rights, that's impossible. The alternative is to create a shortcut maker shortcut and hide the original icon.

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Before experimenting with icons, back up your current desktop through Launcher Settings → Backup. This will allow you to quickly restore everything if something goes wrong.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions