The interface of the MIUI shell and its successor HyperOS provides users with the widest possible way to personalize the appearance of a smartphone. One of the most commonly used elements of the system is the notification panel, which is popularly called “curtain”, but a standard white background or standard blur can quickly get bored, especially if you want to achieve a unique visual style or improve the readability of text on bright wallpaper.
Many owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices are wondering how to change this interface element to make it look more aesthetic or functional. There are several proven methods to make the curtain translucent, completely transparent, change the background color or even return the classic style of Android. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available methods, from simple settings in the menu to advanced manipulation of system files.
Inclusion of advanced interface settings in MIUI
Before making any radical changes, you need to make sure that the system activates basic customization functions. In recent firmware versions, developers often hide some design options, relying on automatic definition of the topic. However, there is a hidden switch that allows access to additional display parameters of the system elements.
To start, go to your device's Settings menu. Find a section that can be called Wallpaper and Personalization or simply Themes, depending on MIUI 12, 13, 14 or HyperOS. It's important to pay attention to the item related to system effects. If the system doesn't offer the desired transparency with standard tools, you'll need to activate developer mode or use special themes.
It's worth noting that the transparency of the curtain is directly dependent on the wallpaper installed. It analyzes the image on the desktop and adapts the colors of the notification panel. If you use monochromatic wallpaper, the blur or transparency effect may be less noticeable or absent at all.
- 🎨 Use live wallpaper or gradient photos for better blurring effect.
- 🔍 Check for system updates in the About Phone menu, as new features often come with security patches.
- ⚙️ Activate a dark theme to change the curtain’s color accent to a deeper and contrasting one.
⚠️ Warning: Changing system fonts or installing themes from unreliable sources may cause text to be displayed in the notification bar incorrectly.
Using themes to change the curtain style
The safest and easiest way to dramatically change the appearance of the notification panel is to install a specialized theme. In the official Xiaomi theme store, there are thousands of designs that modify not only icons, but also system windows, including the control center and notification panel.
To find the right design, open the Themes app and search. Type in keywords like transparent, glass, ios style or minimal. Many themes mimic the style of iOS, making the curtain completely glass with strong background blur, which looks very modern.
Once you have loaded a theme, take your time to apply it fully. The preview menu often has a "Tune theme" or similar button to choose which components to replace. Choose only the System Interface or Control Panel to save your wallpaper and icons, but get a new curtain style.
It is important to understand that not all themes support the Second Space function or may conflict with third-party launcher widgets. If you notice notifications crashing after applying the theme, the theme should be deleted.
Set up transparency through third-party applications
If the built-in features and themes don’t work, Google Play apps come to the rescue, and these utilities layer their own layer over the system curtain, allowing you to flexibly adjust the level of transparency, rounding of corners and background color.
One popular solution is the Transparent Clock & Weather app or customization modules like Control Center iOS Style. Once installed, you’ll need to give it a number of permissions, including access over other windows and access to notifications.
In the app settings, you can find the Opacity slider, which makes the panel background virtually invisible. Blur Radius, which regulates the degree of blur under the curtain, is often available, and this allows you to create a unique visual style that is not available in standard firmware.
- 📱 Make sure the app has permission to “Display on top of other apps».
- 🔋 Remember that the constant rendering of the transparent layer can slightly increase battery consumption.
- ⚡ Some applications require the inclusion of special features (Accessibility) for proper operation.
⚠️ Note: When granting notification access to a third-party app, you theoretically allow it to read the content of your messages.
Advanced Customization through ADB-team
For users who are not afraid to work with the code and want to get full control of the system, there is a method of modification through the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) debugging bridge.
Before you start, you need to activate the developer mode. To do this, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click 7 times on the field MIUI Version or OS Version. Then, in advanced settings, turn on Debugging over USB.
Connect your smartphone to your computer, install drivers and the SDK Tools platform. In the command line, enter a command to check the connection:
adb devicesOnce you've successfully connected, you can type commands that change overlay settings. However, specific commands depend on the Android version and shell. Often, changing the density of the interface or hiding certain elements through cmd overlay is used.
☑️ Preparation for work with ADB
Be very careful when typing commands. Incorrect syntax can cause the system interface to stop displaying correctly and you have to reset.
Comparison of methods of changing the interface
The choice of method depends on your goals and level of technical training. Below is a table comparing the main ways to change the notification curtain on Xiaomi devices.
| Method | Difficulty | Security | Flexibility of setting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard settings | Low. | Tall. | Low. |
| Setting themes | Low. | Tall. | Medium |
| Third-party annexes | Medium | Medium | Tall. |
| ADB team | Tall. | Low. | Maximum |
As you can see from the table, for most users, the best option is to use those or proven applications. The ADB method is left for experimentation, if you understand exactly what changes you make to the registry.
💡
Before installing any customization theme or app, take a screenshot of the current screen settings, which will help you quickly get things back to the way they were if you don’t like the result.
A Return to the Classic Notification Style
With the new MIUI 13/14 and HyperOS, the control center has been split into two parts: notifications on the left and switches on the right, and many users find this design uncomfortable and want to bring back the good old style, where everything is in the same curtain.
To do this, go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar. Find Control Center Style. Here you will be asked to choose between New vs Previous. Choose the second option, and the curtain will return to the classic look familiar from Android 10 and 11.
Returning to the previous version often solves compatibility issues for some widgets and makes one-handed control more convenient on larger screens, and in classic mode, it is easier to adjust the transparency of the background through standard themes.
💡
The separation of the control center and notification curtains is a feature of the MIUI design, but it can be turned off in the settings, returning the classic look of Android.
Remember that after updating the firmware settings may reset, and you will have to re-select your preferred display style.