How to make icons on the Xiaomi desktop round: 5 working ways (without root)

Are you tired of the square icons on your Xiaomi and want to give your desktop a modern look with round icons? This problem is familiar to many owners of Redmi, POCO or Mi smartphones β€” the standard MIUI shell (and the new HyperOS) defaults to angular icons that not everyone likes. Fortunately, there are several ways to change their shape without having to get root rights or install custom firmware.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven methods, including launcher settings, third-party themes, use ADB-commands and even hidden HyperOS functions. All instructions are relevant for devices based on the MIUI 14/15 HyperOS 1.0+, It also supports models from Redmi Note. 10 before Xiaomi's flagships 14 You don't need complex manipulations, just follow the step-by-step recommendations.

Before you start, consider: some methods may reset after a system update. To avoid this, keep a backup of the current launcher settings in the Settings menu β†’ Applications β†’ Launcher β†’ Backup.

1. Method: Use of built-in MIUI/HyperOS themes

The easiest way to change the shape of icons is to use ready-made themes from the official MIUI Themes store. Many of them include round icons, and some even allow you to customize their shape separately from the rest of the design.

Here's how to do it:

  • πŸ“± Open the Themes app (icon with brush on desktop).
  • πŸ” In the search bar, enter the query: β€œround icons” or β€œround iconsΒ».
  • 🎨 Choose your favorite theme (pay attention to the rating and downloads) Popular options: Roundify, CircularOS, Minty RoundΒ».
  • πŸ“₯ Click Apply and Confirm Changes. Some topics may require additional customization in the Personalization section β†’ Icons.

⚠️ Attention: Free themes often contain advertisements or a limited set of icons. If after applying the theme, some icons remain square, this means that they do not have a round version.

πŸ“Š What kind of shell are you using on your Xiaomi?
MIUI 14
MIUI 15
HyperOS 1.0
HyperOS 2.0
Another version

2. Method: Configure the MIUI launcher (without third-party applications)

The new MIUI 14+ and HyperOS have a hidden feature to change the shape of the icons right in the launcher settings, which requires no additional software installation and works on most devices, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO F5 and Xiaomi 13T.

Instructions:

  1. Press the free space on the desktop and select Settings (or Home Screen).
  2. Go to the section Style of icons (in some versions it is called the Appearance of icons).
  3. Choose Round or Adaptive (HyperOS may be called Dynamic Icons).
  4. If you don’t have an option, try updating the launcher via Google Play (search for β€œMIUI Launcher”).

Add a backup of the current launcher settings

Check the version. MIUI/HyperOS In Settings β†’ The phone.

Update the Themes and Launcher app via Google Play

Close all background applications for correct operation of changes-->

πŸ’‘ Useful advice: If you have a version MIUI No round icons option, try changing region to India or Europe in your phone settings. β†’ Additionally. β†’ Region and select another option. After the reboot, check for a new option.

3. Method: Third-party launchers with support for round icons

If the built-in methods didn't work, you can install an alternative launcher.

LauncherSupport for round iconsFeaturesCons
Nova Launcherβœ… Complete (shape, size, shadow settings)Flexible customization, gesture support, backupPremium version for some functions
Lawnchairβœ… Partial (requires additional icon packs)Lightweight, open source, support for Android 13+Fewer options than in Nova
Microsoft Launcher⚠️ Limited (only some topics)Integration with Windows, synchronization with PCFew options for customizing icons
Apex Launcherβœ… Complete (similar to Nova)Support tabs in the application box, gesturesOutdated interface design

To install round icons through Nova Launcher:

  1. Install a launcher from Google Play.
  2. Press your finger on the desktop β†’ Settings β†’ Appearance.
  3. Select the Shape of the icons β†’ Circle or Squircle (intermediate).
  4. For additional styles, install an icon package (such as β€œWhicons” or β€œCandyCons”).

πŸ’‘

If the icons are square after installing Nova Launcher, try clearing the launcher cache in Settings β†’ Applications β†’ Nova Launcher β†’ Memory β†’ Clear the cache.

Method 4: Change through ADB (for power users)

This method is suitable for those who are ready to use ADB-It allows you to enable a hidden option of round icons even on older versions. MIUI.

πŸ”§ What's the matter:

  • πŸ–₯️ A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB (You can download from the official Android website).
  • πŸ“± Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) β†’ The phone. β†’ Version. MIUI β†’ 7 times tap the assembly number β†’ return to Settings β†’ Additionally. β†’ For developers β†’ Debugging by USB).
  • πŸ”Œ USB-cable (preferably original).

Step-by-step:

  1. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
  2. Open the command prompt (Win + R β†’ enter cmd) and check the connection: Adb devices must show the serial number of your device.
  3. Enter the command to include round icons: adb shell settings put secure icon_shape 1 Here. 1 β€” circle, 0 β€” square, 2 β€” squirkle (intermediate version).
  4. Reboot your phone: adb reboot
What if the ADB can’t see the device?
1. Make sure Xiaomi drivers are installed (download Mi). PC Suite from the official website). 2. Check if debugging is enabled by USB and is it allowed for your PC. 3. Try another one. USB-4. Enter adb kill-server in the command line, then adb start-server and reconnect.

⚠️ Attention: Some versions MIUI 15 and HyperOS may ignore this command due to changes in system settings.If the icons haven't changed after the reboot, try an alternative command:

adb shell cmd overlay enable --user 0 com.android.theme.icon_pack.rounded

5. Method: Manual editing of system files (root only)

If you have root rights, you can manually replace the system icon files, which is a risky method that can lead to unstable system operation, so only use it if other methods have not worked.

πŸ› οΈ Essential tools:

  • πŸ“ Root Explorer (such as Solid Explorer or Root Explorer) FX File Explorer).
  • πŸ–ΌοΈ A set of round icons in.png format (you can download from sites like Icon Pack Studio).
  • πŸ”„ Backup of original files (required!).

Instructions:

  1. Download and unpack the archive with round icons on your phone.
  2. Open Root Explorer and go to /system/product/overlay/ or /system/vendor/overlay/ (depending on the MIUI version).
  3. Find a folder with your current icons (usually called com.android.theme.icon or similar).
  4. Make sure you are in a safe place (for example, on the SD-map) as a backup.
  5. Replace the icon files in the original folder with round options (observe the file names!).
  6. Change the access rights to 644 (so that the system can read them).
  7. Reboot the phone.

πŸ’‘

You can't edit system files without root rights! If you don't have root, use the previous methods.

Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

To make it easier for you to determine, we have compiled a comparative table of all ways:

MethodDifficultyNeed root?Does it work on all versions of MIUI?Reversibility
Built-in themes⭐ (simple)❌ No.βœ… Yes.βœ… Easy to cancel.
Launcher settings⭐⭐ (middle-of-the-road)❌ No.⚠️ Depends on the version.βœ… Easy to cancel.
Third-party launchers⭐⭐ (middle-of-the-road)❌ No.βœ… Yes.βœ… Easy to cancel.
ADB-team⭐⭐⭐ (difficult)❌ No.⚠️ Partially.βœ… Cancel adb shell settings put secure icon_shape 0
Manual editing (root)⭐⭐⭐⭐ (difficult)βœ… Yes.βœ… Yes.❌ Risk of damaging the system

πŸ” Tip to choose from: If you're a beginner, start with built-in themes or Nova Launcher. ADB, Leave the root method for an emergency.

Frequent problems and their solutions

When changing the shape of icons, the following difficulties may arise:

  • πŸ”„ Icons dropped after update: This is normal behaviour MIUI. To avoid the problem, save the theme or launcher settings to backup before updating.
  • βšͺ Not all icons have become round: This means that the theme or launcher doesn't support a full replacement.Try installing an optional icon package (e.g., "RoundIcons" from Google Play).
  • 🚫 ADB Not working: Make sure the debugging is done USB It's on, the drivers are installed, and the platform-tools version is up to date.
  • πŸ”³ Launcher stopped working: Clear the app's cache or reinstall it.If the problem persists, go back to the standard launcher MIUI.

⚠️ Note: On certain devices (e.g, POCO F4 GT Xiaomi 12S Ultra) after applying round icons through ADB You can lose the animation when you press it. To get it back, you can execute the command:

adb shell settings put global window_animation_scale 1.0

Can you make only some icons round, not all?
Yes, but you’ll need a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher) and a selective replacement icon package. In the launcher settings, select Adaptive Icons and manually assign a round shape to only the apps you want.
Why did the HyperOS updates disappear?
HyperOS uses a new theme engine and can reset the launcher settings. To return round icons, reset through Settings β†’ Personalization β†’ Icon Style or reset the theme. If the option is gone, use Nova Launcher.
Is it safe to use ADB to change icons?
Yes, if you follow the instructions and don't enter any extraneous commands. ADB-The icon-shape commands do not affect critical system files, but always back up the data before experimenting.
Can you make round icons on Xiaomi without Google Play (e.g. Redmi for China)?> Yes, but the choice is limited. You can: Use built-in themes from MIUI Themes (they work without Google) Install launcher through APK (Download Nova Launcher from the official website novalauncher.com. ADB-The method (works without Google Play) Third-party icon packs (e.g. from APKMirror) can also be installed manually.
How to return standard icons if something goes wrong?
The methods of rollback depend on the method: MIUI: Get into Themes. β†’ Mine. β†’ Current theme and select the standard. For launchers, reset the settings in the launcher menu or delete it. ADB: Adb shell settings put secure icon_shape 0. For root method: Restore original files from backup.