Xiaomi personalization: Create icons from your photos

The MIUI shell and its successor HyperOS provide users with a wide range of visual features, but standard tools often limit their choice to pre-installed themes. Many owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones dream of seeing unique images on their desktops, such as photos of pets or loved ones, instead of standard software logos, which allows them to turn the device interface into a truly personal space that reflects the user’s tastes.

Unfortunately, the built-in “Change icon” feature in system settings allows you to choose only from a limited directory, which rarely contains truly original solutions. To implement the idea with your own photos, you will need to use third-party software or specific techniques available in the Android ecosystem. In this article, we will discuss in detail the proven methods that work stably on current versions of the operating system.

The process of creating custom shortcuts does not require root rights or deep knowledge of programming. Just follow an algorithm of actions and have pre-prepared images of high quality. We will look at both universal launchers and specialized shortcut utilities so that you can choose the most suitable option for your smartphone model.

Preparation of graphic material for icons

Before you start the technical part of replacing icons, you need to properly prepare the original images. Standard application icons in Android are in the form of a square with rounded corners or circles, so a rectangular photo from the camera will look inorganic and can be cropped in an unpredictable way. The optimal solution is to pre-process photos in any graphics editor.

You should create or download a template that replicates the outline of the standard icons of your theme, most often a square with a 108×108 pixel or 192×192 pixel aspect, although modern high-density dot screens may require 512×512 resolution to maintain clarity. Place your photo in the center of this square, leaving small margins around the edges so that important details don't go beyond the system's curvature.

Pay attention to the file format: for best compatibility and quality, use a transparent background PNG or high-quality JPG. If you plan to use transparency to make the desktop background shine around the image, the PNG format is the no-choice. Save the prepared files to a separate folder so you don't search for them long in the gallery during the setup process.

• 📸 Use high-resolution images to avoid pixelation on screens AMOLED.
• 🎨 Choose the color range of photos so that they are combined with the wallpaper of the desktop.
• 📐 Keep a 1:1 ratio even if the original photo is vertical or horizontal.

⚠️ Note: Do not use images with small details at the edges of the frame, as the system rounding corners can cut them, making the picture unreadable.

Using the Shortcut Maker app to customize

One of the most reliable and popular tools for creating shortcuts with your own images is the Shortcut Maker utility. This application does not replace the launcher, but works in parallel, creating new shortcuts that indicate the programs you want, but look the way you want it. It is compatible with most versions of Android and does not require complex settings.

Once you install and run the program, you'll be asked to choose the type of object you're building. We're interested in Apps, which will open a list of all the apps you've installed on your smartphone. Choose the app you want, like Phone or Messages, and go to the look and feel adjustment phase, and that's where the magic of turning a standard logo into your personal photo comes in.

In the icon selection section, you need to switch to the Gallery or Photo tab to download the previously prepared image from the device's memory. The system will suggest cropping the picture or applying a filter, which is very convenient for quick editing on the fly. Once you confirm the choice, the image will replace the standard logo, and you can give the label any name or leave it blank for a minimalist look.

It's important to understand that the label that's created in this way is technically a new object, which means that notifications from the original app can come to the old icon, and the new one will just run the program, but for visual design, this often becomes not a critical flaw, but a feature that you quickly get used to.

Setup through third-party launchers

A more radical, but also more flexible way to change the interface is to install an alternative launcher, such as Nova Launcher, Smart Launcher or Microsoft Launcher.These shells completely replace the standard MIUI desktop, providing advanced options for managing icons, animations and desktop grid.

In most advanced launchers, there is a separate “Look” or “Icon” section where you can assign icon packs or change a specific icon (with a long press). Unlike shortcuts, launchers often know how to apply changes to all instances of an application at once, including those in the menu of all applications, this creates a more holistic impression of the system.

However, switching to a third-party launcher on Xiaomi smartphones can be accompanied by some inconveniences: the MIUI and HyperOS system aggressively optimize background processes, which can lead to resetting the launcher or its departure from memory.

• 🚀 Third-party launchers allow you to change the size of the desktop grid.
• 🎭 Possibility of application of animation of opening applications.
• ⚙️ Deep setup of the dock panel and search bar.

⚠️ Warning: When installing a third-party launcher, be sure to forbid the system to force it to stop in the battery settings, otherwise animations may work with a delay.

Creation of themes in the appendix “Themes”

The official, though more time-consuming, method is to use Xiaomi’s built-in Themes app, which allows you to create a complete design package that will be integrated into the system at a deep level.

Inside the Themes app, you need to go to a profile and select "Create a Theme" and you'll be asked to choose the basic theme that you'll be working on. Once you create the project, you'll open an editor where you can upload your images to your icons, and the advantage of this method is that the changes apply to the entire system at once and don't create duplicate shortcuts.

The process takes time, because you either have to manually draw icons for each application, or you have to use automatic generators built into the theme editor. Once you're done, you have to save and apply the theme, which is ideal for anyone who wants to share their creation with other users through the MIUI Themes store.

It is worth noting that the functionality of the theme editor can vary depending on the account region and the shell version. In some cases, a designer account may be required to publish or even create themes, which makes it difficult for the beginner to use the theme for personal use, however, you can install the created theme without posting it in the store.

Solution and technical nuances

In customization, users often find that the shortcuts created do not display notification counters (badges), a well-known limitation of the method using third-party shortcut applications. The system sees the new shortcut as a separate entity and does not associate it with notifications from the main application, and this can only be solved by using launchers with its own notification system or switching to the theme method.

Another problem may be to desynchronize icons after you update your system or the app itself. If you upgrade, for example, WhatsApp or Telegram through Google Play, a manually created shortcut may stop working or lead to the old version, in which case the shortcut will have to be recreated by selecting the updated app from the list.

Also worth mentioning is the impact on performance: Using heavy graphics, especially in the form of live wallpaper combined with custom launchers, can increase battery consumption. If you notice that the smartphone started to discharge faster after installing a lot of “heavy” widgets and icons, try optimizing the set or going back to lighter static images.

• 🔋 Live icons increase energy consumption by up to 15%.
• 🔄 App updates can reset shortcut settings.
• 📉 Excess widgets slow down the work of RAM.

⚠️ Note: When you remove an application that has been created a custom shortcut, the shortcut will not automatically disappear. It must be manually removed to avoid cluttering the desktop.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

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Creating personalized icons is a safe process that does not violate the warranty unless root modification methods are used.

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To quickly find the desired application in the list when creating a shortcut, use the built-in search bar at the top of the program selection menu.