Why Xiaomi’s Standard Fonts Are Irritating and How to Fix It
Have you ever caught yourself thinking that the font in your Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5 Pro looks too “Chinese”? Too thin lines, unreadable numbers in messengers or just tired eyes from Mi Sans — standard font MIUI? You are not alone. Statistically, one in three Xiaomi smartphone owners at least tried to change the system font, but not all of them succeeded the first time.
The problem is, MIUI — It's not pure Android. It's blocking many of the settings for security, and in the latest versions, it's not (MIUI 13-14) We've actually removed the ability to change the typeface through the Topics, but there are, and there are at least five, workarounds, and in this article we'll look at all the current ways, from legal (via embedded tools) to advanced (using the use of tools). ADB And we'll also tell you which fonts are guaranteed not to break the display of icons and menus in the image. MIUI — This is critical for the stable operation of the system.
Method 1: Standard font change via "Themes" (not working on all versions of MIUI)
The simplest method that doesn't require superuser or computer rights, but with the release of MIUI 13, Xiaomi has begun to abandon this feature in droves - on new devices (Xiaomi 13T, Redmi Note 12 Pro+), the option may not be available.
- Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
- Go to the Font section (if there is no one, the method is not suitable).
- Choose your favorite font from the collection (usually there are 5-7 options).
- Click Apply and confirm the change.
If there's no Font section, don't despair. In MIUI 14, it's sometimes hidden in the submenu.
- 🔍 Get into Topics → Profile → Settings → Fonts (on some firmware).
- 📱 Update theme app via Google Play – sometimes the feature comes back after the update.
- 🌐 Change region in phone settings to India or Indonesia – there is an option often available.
⚠️ Warning: Some services (e.g. Google Pay) may disappear after a region change.
Method 2: Install the font via APK (without root, but with limitations)
If you don't have a built-in feature, you can use third-party apps.
- 📲 iFont supports.ttf and.otf, there is a Russian-language interface.
- 🎨 FontFix – specializes in MIUI, requires ADB full installation.
- 🖋️ ZFont 3 – works on Android 10+, But it may not be the correct Cyrillic.
Instructions for iFont (the most universal option):
- Download and install iFont from Google Play.
- Download your favorite font in.ttf format (for example, from DaFont or Fontsquirrel sites).
- Open iFont, click Local and select the downloaded file.
- Tap Set – The app will offer two options: For the current application (not systemically) or for the entire system (requires ADB).
Without ADB, the font will only apply to individual programs (such as Telegram or Chrome).
adb shell pm grant com.kapp.ifont android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS⚠️ Attention: MIUI 14 with Android 13, this command may not work due to new security restrictions.
Enable USB debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (stamp 7 times)
Install Xiaomi drivers on PC (from the official website)
Download ADB Tools
Connect your phone to your PC with the original cable
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Method 3: Manual font replacement via TWRP (for advanced users)
This method requires an unlocked bootloader and a customized TWRP Recovery installed. Suitable for Qualcomm Snapdragon-based devices (e.g., POCO F4, Redmi K50).
Step-by-step:
- Download the archive with a font in.zip format (for example, from the forum) XDA Developers. Popular builds: 📦 Google Sans (from Pixel) 📦 OnePlus Slate (clean and readable) 📦 SamsungOne (from galaxia)
TWRP
Food + Volume up
Install
.zip
Swipe for confirmation and wait for completion.
Wipe → Dalvik/ART Cache
If the font has not changed after the reboot:
- 🔄 Try another archive - some builds conflict with MIUI 14.
- 📁 Check the installation path: the font should be replaced in /system/fonts/.
- 🔧 Install the Magisk module MIUI Font Changer (if you have root).
| Xiaomi model | Support for TWRP | Recommended font |
|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi 12T Pro | Yes (unofficial) | Google Sans |
| POCO F5 | Yes (official) | OnePlus Slate |
| Redmi Note 10 Pro | Yeah (stable) | SamsungOne |
| Xiaomi 13 Ultra | No (closed loader) | Only through ADB |
What to do if after installing the font, the icons disappeared?
Method 4: Install font through Magisk (root required)
If you already have Magisk (root access), the most reliable way is to use the MIUI Font Changer module.
- 🔄 Change fonts on the fly without rebooting.
- 📁 Save up to 5 different fonts and switch between them.
- 🛠️ Correcting errors of display in MIUI 14.
Instructions:
- Download the MIUI Font Changer (.zip file).
- Open Magisk Manager, go to Modules.
- Click Install from Storage and select the downloaded file.
- Reboot the phone.
- After downloading, open the MIUI Font Changer app (appears in the menu) and select the font.
Advantages of this method:
- 🔒 It doesn't break. OTA-Replacement (as opposed to replacement by TWRP).
- 🔄 You can return the standard font in one click.
- 🎨 Animated fonts are supported (e.g. Pixelify Sans).
⚠️ Note: On some devices (Xiaomi 13, Redmi) K60) The module may conflict with MIUI Optimization. If your phone starts to brake, turn off optimization in the Magisk settings.
💡
Before installing the module, back up /system/fonts/ via TWRP to help restore fonts if something goes wrong.
Method 5: ADB-team MIUI 14 (no root, but with a computer)
If the previous methods didn’t work, then ADB, the universal tool for deep customization of Android, works even on new devices (Xiaomi 14, POCO X6 Pro), but requires a computer and enabled debugging over USB.
Step-by-step:
- Connect your phone to your PC and open the command line in the adb folder.
- Check the connection command: Adb devices must display the serial number of your device.
- Download the font in.ttf format and rename it to custom.ttf.
- Place the file in /sdcard/Download/ folder on your phone.
- Follow commands in order: adb shell su mount -o rw, remount /system cp /sdcard/Download/custom.ttf /system/fonts/ chmod 644 /system/fonts/custom.ttf mount -o ro,remount /system reboot
Once you reboot, the font will be applied systematically. If you have a read-only file system error, then the /system partition is blocked.
- 🔓 Use Magisk to unlock the recording (System module) RW).
- 🔄 Try the adb remount command before copying.
- 📁 Install the font through Magisk (method 4).
💡
ADB is the most reliable way for new devices, but it requires care. A mistake in commands can cause a system to crash. Always check paths and access rights!
How to return a standard font if something goes wrong
If you've been doing this, if you've got characters, if you've lost icons, if you've got a system that's slowing down, don't panic. You can bring it back in a number of ways.
- 🔄 Through TWRP: Install an archive. MiSans_Original.zip (download 4PDA).
- 📱 Through ADB: Execute the command: adb shell rm /system/fonts/custom.ttf and reboot the phone.
- 🧹 Reset topics: Go to Settings → Topics → Reset to standard.
- 🔧 Magisk: Turn off the module MIUI Font Changer and clear the cache.
If none of these methods worked, the last thing you can do is reset your settings through Settings → Additional → Restore and Reset. But before you do that, make sure you back up your data!
⚠️ Note: On devices with a locked bootloader (for example, Xiaomi 13 Lite), the theme reset may not return the standard font.