How to turn Xiaomi desktop into a copy of the iPhone: 5 proven ways

Xiaomi smartphone owners often dream of a minimalist iPhone interface, but are not willing to pay for an Apple device. Fortunately, the flexibility of MIUI allows you to transform the desktop beyond recognition — from icons to animations. This article is not about superficial changes like wallpaper, but about deep customization: from replacing the launcher to emulating iOS gestures and integrating widgets in the style of Apple.

We tested all the current methods on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+, Xiaomi 13 Ultra and POCO F5 (MIUI 14/15) — the results were surprisingly close to the original. Importantly, some methods require unlocking the bootloader or installing third-party APKs, which can affect security. But the solutions work without root rights. Let's start with the simplest and get to advanced tricks that are not written about even on 4PDA.

1. Launchers for iOS: comparison of the 5 best solutions

The main tool of transformation is the launcher, and most of the iPhone-like launchers on Google Play are either outdated or full of ads.

• 🔄 Completely imitating iOS 17+ (including dynamic wallpaper and paralax effect)
• 📱 Supports Xiaomi gestures (swipe up for menu, hold for assistant)
• 🛡️ Do not require root rights or suspicious permissions
• 🎨 Allows you to customize icons, fonts and animations separately

The leader of the ratings is Lawnchair 12 (free, open source), it copies not only the appearance, but also the logic of iOS: for example, folders open swipe down, and Spotlight search is simulated through Google Discover. The alternative is iLauncher (plugins for weather and calendar widgets like on iPhone), but it is paid ($ 2.99). For fans of minimalism, Before Launcher is suitable - it removes the bottom bar and leaves only icons with text under them, like in iOS 14.

An important nuance: Launchers do not change system applications (calls, messages, settings). Full transformation will require additional steps from the following sections. Also note that some launchers conflict with MIUI Optimization - this feature will have to be disabled in the developer settings (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (5 times tap) → For developers → Disable MIUI optimization).

2. Icons and themes: where to download and how to install

Even with the iOS launcher, standard Xiaomi icons will give you Android, the solution is Apple-style icon packages.

• 🎨 iOS 17 Icons (Dev: drsm0ke) — 5000+ adaptive-mask icon
• 🖼️ Borealis – dynamic icons with the effect of “breathing” (like in iOS 16)
• 📦 Whicons – Minimalist white icons on a transparent background
• 🔍 Icon Pack Studio – Create your icons based on iOS templates

Installation is simple: download APK from APKMirror (avoid third-party sites!), open the launcher, go to Settings → Icons → Select a package. For Lawnchair, the path is different: Long desktop click → Settings → Icons → Adaptive Icons (turn off) → Select a package.

💡

If icons do not apply to all applications, use the “Cloak” function in the launcher settings. For example, in Lawnchair: Settings → Icons → Masking non-thematical.

Problem: System applications (Calls, Messages, Settings) often remain unchanged, the solution is to install alternative applications (for example, Google Phone instead of the standard set) or manually replace icons through Shortcut Maker (create a shortcut with a new icon and hide the original application in a folder).

3. Gestures and animations: how to make swipes like on iPhone

One of the key elements of iOS is navigation gestures, which are different in MIUI, where a swipe at the bottom of the menu opens the menu instead of returning it to the home screen, to fix this:

1. Open the settings → Display → Full-screen gestures.
2. Choose the iPhone Gesture option (if not, install Xiaomi EU ROM or use Fluid Navigation Gestures from Google Play).
3. In Additional settings, turn off Sensitivity to random touches – this will remove false positives.

For advanced users, Edge Gestures allows you to configure swipes from the side edges (for example, swipe on the right for returns, as in Safari).

Transition animations are the second important element. In iOS, windows open smoothly, zoom in, and in MIUI, the default is "departure" from the bottom. To change this:

1. Install LSpeed (requires ADB or root).
2. In the Animations section, select iOS Style.
3. Set the speed to 1.0x (standard for iPhone).

Widgets and Control Panel: Control Center Emulation

The iOS Control Center is not just shortcuts, but a full-fledged control center with brightness, music and quick settings. There is no analogue in MIUI, but there are workarounds:

The simplest solution is the Control Center widget iOS 17 for KWGT (you can download it on the Telegram channel KWGT Themes), which copies the design of Apple panels, including:

• 🔦 Brightness slider with sun icon
• 🎵 Managing cover music
• 📶 Fast switches with animation
• 🔋 Charge indicator in the style of iPhone

Warning: KWGT widgets consume an extra battery. Optimize the data update: open the widget in the editor, click on the icon of the clock in the upper right corner and set the refresh interval to 1 hour (instead of the standard 15 minutes).

Download KWGT Pro from Google Play|Import.kwt file with the theme |Configure permissions (access to notifications)|Disable background activity to save battery |Add a widget to the home screen (size 4x2)

-->

5. System applications: replacement with iOS analogues

Even with the upgraded launcher and icons, standard Xiaomi apps (Calls, Messages, Calendar) give you Android, so you can set your own Apple designs:

Important: Some apps (like Google Phone) don’t support dual-use apps SIM-Map on Xiaomi. Check compatibility in Google Play or forum before installing XDA Developers.

For full integration, use Icon Changer (a system application to replace system application icons), for example, you can replace the MIUI Settings icon with Apple's Settings icon, even if the application itself remains standard.

6. Additional chips: from lock screen to Siri

The details make the transformation complete. Here are 5 non-obvious tricks:

1. Lock screen: Install Always On Display with iOS 17 style (watch at the top, date and notifications at the bottom).Use the AOD Mirror app for customization.
2. Voice Assistant: Replace Google Assistant with Siri style with Assistant Trigger (set activation to hold the home button).
3. Download iOS Sounds Pack (lock, photos, notifications) and install via Zedge.
4. Fonts: In Settings → Display → Font, select San Francisco (Apple Font). If not, install it via iFont.
5. Charging animation: The Battery Charge Animation app will add a lightning icon like on an iPhone.

Critical detail: on Xiaomi with a Snapdragon processor (like the Xiaomi 13T), some animations may be slowing down due to Adreno drivers. Turn off unnecessary effects in Settings → Special Features → Remove animations.

💡

The hardest part to copy is the smoothness of the interface. Even with launcher and themes, MIUI can slow down due to background processes. Solution: disable battery optimization for launcher and widgets in Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization.

7 Problems and Solutions: What Happens Most Often

When Xiaomi is deeply customized for iOS, typical problems arise. We have collected solutions for the most frequent:

• 🚫 Launcher resets after reboot: In Settings → Annexes → Launcher → By default, select Open by default.
• 🔋 Fast battery discharge: Turn off background activity for widgets KWGT In Settings → Battery → Energy saving regime.
• 📱 Gestures don’t work in some apps: Add them to exceptions in Settings → Special facilities → Gestures.
• 🔊 iOS sounds don't play: Install Zedge and select the.ogg format (supported better than it is.mp3).

Safety warning:

⚠️ Note: Applications like iLauncher or Control Center for MIUI They often request permissions to access the service, which allows them to intercept gestures and taps, a potential security risk. 4PDA or XDA Revoke permissions after setting up (Settings) → Special facilities → Special facilities services).

If the phone starts to warm or slow after the changes, reset the cache: Settings → Apps → App management → Three dots → Clear the cache of everyone. This will delete temporary files without losing data.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions