How to make a transparent phone on Android Xiaomi: all the ways and nuances

The transparent interface on Xiaomi is not only a trend, but also a way to make interaction with the device more futuristic. However, standard MIUI or HyperOS settings do not offer such a feature out of the box. In this article, we will discuss all working methods, from using the themes of the design to deep system modifications through ADB.

It is important to understand that “transparent phone” is a conventional name for the effect, when the interface elements (notification panels, navigation panel, application background) become translucent, creating the illusion of a “glass” device. At the physical level, it is impossible to make the smartphone body transparent (as in the Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 Transparent Edition concept designs) at home – this requires factory assembly with special materials.

If you want to have visual transparency in the software interface, you've come to the right place. We're going to look at methods for different firmware versions, including MIUI 14, HyperOS, and even custom builds like LineageOS. Some of these things will require root rights or developer mode activation, and we'll talk about that in detail.

1. Method: Use of themes with transparent elements

The safest and easiest method is to install themes from the official Xiaomi Themes store. Many designers create themes with translucent panels, icons and backgrounds. Here's how to do this:

• 📱 Open the Themes app (icon with brush) on your Xiaomi.
• 🔍 In the search bar, enter the queries: “transparent”, “glass” or “transparent".
• 🎨 Browse the available themes and choose one where screenshots with transparent notification panels or navigation are visible.
• 💾 Click Apply to activate the theme. Some elements (such as the desktop background) may remain opaque - this is a limitation MIUI.

Note that most free themes offer partial transparency — usually only the notification bar or the bottom navigation bar — and a fully glass interface is only available through system modifications (more on this below).

⚠️ Attention: After update MIUI/HyperOS Themes app can reset to standard. To avoid this, save your favorite theme to My Themes. → Chosen.

Method 2: Setup transparency through the developer (without root)

If that’s not enough, you can enable hidden transparency options through developer mode, which works on most Xiaomi devices with MIUI 12+ or HyperOS, but requires care:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Return to the main settings, a new section for developers will appear.
3. Turn on the USB debugging option and connect the phone to the PC.
4. Install ADB Tools on your computer and execute the command:

adb shell settings put global window_light_navigationbar 1


adb shell settings put global window_light_statusbar 1

These commands will activate a translucent mode for the navigation bar and status bar, the effect will be noticeable only on screens with AMOLED-matrix (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi K60 Ultra), as on IPS-displays transparency is simulated software and looks less convincing.

To return to the standard form, use:

adb shell settings put global window_light_navigationbar 0

Method: Modification of system files (root required)

Full control of the transparency of the interface requires superuser (root) rights, a method that is suitable for experienced users and owners of devices with an unlocked bootloader, we will edit the framework-res.apk and SystemUI.apk files.

You'll need:

• 📱 Xiaomi smartphone with unlocked bootloader and installed Magisk.
• 💻 PC with Android Studio or APKTool installed.
• 🔧 Backup of the system (required!)

Step-by-step:

1. Download the original firmware for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware Updater website.
2. Extract the framework-res.apk and SystemUI.apk files from the archive (located in /system/framework/ and /system/priv-app/SystemUI/).
3. Open them in APKTool and find the lines that are responsible for the background color (usually in colors.xml or styles.xml files).
4. Replace the values of opaque colors (e.g. #FF000000) with translucent ones (e.g. #80000000, where 80 is the level of transparency).
5. Collect APK back, sign and install via Magisk or TWRP.

⚠️ Note: Incorrect editing of system APK If the phone doesn't turn on after the modifications, restore the original files via Fastboot or re-flash the device.

Create a backup copy through TWRP|Check the compatibility of the firmware and model|Install drivers ADB/Fastboot PC-only|Download the original APK rollback|Charge your phone at least to 70%-->

4. Method: Installation of custom firmware with transparent UI

Some custom firmware, such as Havoc-OS, Pixel Experience or LineageOS, offer built-in interface transparency settings. For example, Havoc-OS has a Havoc Settings → Interface → Transparency section where you can configure the level of transparency to:

• 📱 Notification panels
• 🔄 Quick setups
• 🖥️ Navigation panel
• 📂 Application background windows

The process of installing custom firmware:

1. Unlock the bootloader via Mi Unlock Tool (requires a Xiaomi account and wait 7-14 days).
2. Install TWRP or OrangeFox Recovery for your model.
3. Download the appropriate firmware from the XDA Developers website.
4. Flush through recovery by pre-wiping the Dalvik, Cache, System, and Data partitions.

Important: Castom firmware may strip you of an official warranty and disable some features (e.g. data encryption or banking applications).

5. Method: Applications for simulating transparency

If you don't want to risk system files, you can use third-party apps that don't give you true transparency, but visually mimic the effect of overlaying translucent overlays.

• 🎨 Transparent Screen — adds a translucent layer on top of the interface. It works on all versions of Android, but can conflict with navigation gestures.
• 🖼️ Glassify - Replaces the background of the desktop with a blurred image with the effect of "matten glass". Requires Android 10+.
• 🔧 Hex Installer – allows you to install modules to change the system UI without full root (using Magisk).

Cons of this approach:

• ⚠️ Increased battery consumption (up to) 10-15%) owing to the constant drawing of overlays.
• ⚠️ Possible lags when scrolling and animations.
• ⚠️ Not all applications are correctly displayed on top of the transparent layer.

💡

If after installing the application for transparency, the screen began to “blink”, try to turn off hardware acceleration in the developer settings (Disable). HW-overlay).

6. Method: Transparency for individual applications

Some applications (like Nova Launcher or KWGT) allow you to create transparent widgets and panels, such as KWGT, which allows you to:

1. Download the widget with the transparency effect (search for the tag "transparent" in the KWGT Store).
2. Set up the level of background transparency in the editor (Background → Alpha).
3. Apply the widget to the desktop and adjust its size under the notification panel.

For Nova Launcher:

1. Install Nova Launcher and activate it as the default launcher.
2. Go to Settings Nova → Appearance → Dock panel style.
3. Choose a Transparent or Semi-transparent background.
4. In the Notification Panel section, enable the Transparent Status Bar option.

This method does not affect system files and reversible - just change the launcher back to the standard.

7 Problems and Solutions: Why Transparency Doesn’t Work

If after all the manipulations, the transparency effect does not appear, check the following points:

If you're using HyperOS, note that this firmware is more tightly controlling system changes, and it may require:

• Disable MIUI Optimization via Magisk (Disable MIUI Optimization Module).
• Use patches for SystemUI from XDA developers.

💡

On HyperOS devices (such as Xiaomi 14 or Redmi K70), standard transparency techniques may not work due to a new system file protection mechanism, in which case custom firmware or Magisk modules are the only reliable way.

FAQ: Frequent questions about transparent interface on Xiaomi