How to change emojis to Xiaomi: official and informal methods

Emojis on Xiaomi smartphones are often the subject of controversy: someone does not like their style, someone lacks variety, and some just want to return the usual icons from older versions of MIUI. Unlike the iPhone, where changing the emoji requires jailbreaking, on Xiaomi devices there are several legal and semi-legal ways to change their appearance – from simple changing theme to installing custom fonts.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods, including official MIUI/HyperOS settings, third-party applications and manual editing of system files. We will focus on the nuances for different versions of firmware (from MIUI 12 to HyperOS 1.0) and models - from budget Redmi to flagship Xiaomi 14.

Warning: Some methods require unlocking the bootloader or root rights, which may void the warranty. If you are not prepared for the risks, use only the official methods in the first two sections.

1. Change of emojis through MIUI themes (official way)

The safest and easiest method is to use the built-in theme function in MIUI or HyperOS. Xiaomi allows you to change not only wallpaper and icons, but also the style of the emoji through the theme store.

• 📱 Open the Themes app (icon with brush on desktop).
• 🔍 In the search bar, type “emoji” or “emoji».
• 🎨 Choose your favorite theme (e.g. iOS Emoji, Samsung One) UI or Google Noto).
• 📥 Click Apply – Emojis will change automatically.

⚠️ Note: Not all emoji themes are compatible with the latest versions of HyperOS. If the icons have not changed after applying, check the firmware version in Settings → The phone. MIUI 14+ HyperOS recommends themes marked “Supports new system».

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ Does not require root rights or unlock the bootloader.
• ✅ It works on all models. Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO.
• ✅ You can return standard emojis in one click.

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Limited choice of styles (no custom emojis).
• ❌ Some topics are paid (cost from 50 to 300 rubles).
• ❌ Emojis can be displayed incorrectly in messengers (for example, in Telegram or WhatsApp will remain old).

Installation of an alternative keyboard (Gboard, SwiftKey)

If you don’t like the emojis on Xiaomi’s standard keyboard, the easiest way to change them is to install a third-party keyboard. Gboard (from Google) and SwiftKey (from Microsoft) offer their own emoji sets that you can choose from in the settings.

Instructions for Gboard:

1. Download Gboard from Google Play.
2. Activate the keyboard in Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual keyboard.
3. Open the settings of Gboard (cog on the keyboard panel) → Themes → Emoji.
4. Choose the style: Android (Noto), iOS, Twitter or Blob (the outdated style of Google).

⚠️ Note: In some instant messengers (for example, Viber or WeChat), the emoji will only appear in the style of the keyboard when sent, but the recipient may look different.

SwiftKey offers similar functionality, but with fewer styles, but it has an emoji Prediction feature that selects icons by context.

Download Gboard/SwiftKey from the official store |

Activate the keyboard in the system settings |

Set the keyboard by default |

Check the style of emoji in the application settings-->

3. Manual editing of system fonts (for advanced)

This is a method that is suitable for those who are willing to risk system stability for unique emojis, requiring an unlocked bootloader and root rights, and backup data, and we'll look at two options: replacing the font with Magisk and manually editing files.

Method 1: Installation of Magisk (Emoji Replacer)

If you have Magisk installed, you can use the Emoji Replacer module, which replaces the system emoji without making any deep changes:

1. Download the Emoji Replacer module from the XDA forum.
2. Transfer the.zip file to your phone’s memory.
3. Open Magisk Manager → Modules → Install from storage.
4. Select the downloaded file and confirm the installation.
5. Reset the device.

The module supports styles of iOS, Samsung, Twitter, Facebook and others. Once installed, the emoji will change throughout the system, including the keyboard and instant messengers.

Method 2: Replace the font manually (for experienced)

If you want to install a custom emoji set that is not supported by modules, you can replace the system font NotoColorEmoji.ttf:

1. Download the archive from emoji (e.g. emojipedia.org).


2. Rename the font file to NotoColorEmoji.ttf.




3. Using a root-access file manager (such as Root Explorer) go to:




/system/fonts/




4. Make a backup copy of the original file.




5. Replace it with a new font and set rights 644 (rw-r-----).




6. Reset the device.

⚠️ Attention: Incorrect font replacement can result in loss of emoji display in some applications or even bootloop (cyclic reboot). TWRP.

4.Use of applications to replace emojis (without root)

If you don't want to risk the system, but the standard methods don't work, you can use third-party applications that replace emoji on the fly.

• 🔄 Emoji Changer – changes the style of emoji in real time (works as overlay).
• 🎨 Textra SMS — messenger with support for custom emoji.
• 📱 ZFont – a tool for replacing fonts and emoji without root (requires) ADB).

ZFont deserves special attention: it is one of the few applications that can replace emoji without root, but using ADB.

1. Download ZFont.
2. Choose your favorite style of emoji in the app.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell pm grant com.hfont.fonts android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS
4. Go back to ZFont and make changes.

⚠️ Attention: After update MIUI/HyperOS Emojis can be reset to standard, and some banking applications (such as SberBank Online) can block work on devices with modified system fonts.

💡

Before using ZFont, check if USB debugging is enabled in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times on the line with the version, then go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers).

5. Features for HyperOS and New Models (Xiaomi) 13/14, Redmi Note 12)

HyperOS is Xiaomi's new firmware, which replaced MIUI in 2026, and it made changes to the emoji, so some of the old techniques might not work. Here's what's changed:

• 🔄 HyperOS Removes Topics Section → Emoji, now the icon style is tied to the system theme.
• 📱 Xiaomi’s HyperOS Keyboard Uses Google’s Emoji (Noto Color Emoji) by Default.
• 🔧 Magisk Emoji Replacement Modules May Need Upgrade (Check Compatibility on the Emoji Replacement) XDA).

For Xiaomi 13/14 and Redmi Note 12 with HyperOS, we recommend:

1. Use Gboard with an emoji style setting (see Section 2).
2. Install Magisk Delta (original Magisk fork) to work with modules.
3. Try themes from Mi Theme Editor (an unofficial custom themes app).

⚠️ Note: On HyperOS, manually replacing the NotoColorEmoji.ttf font can cause system applications (e.g. Camera or Gallery) to crash, 4PDA or Xiaomi.eu).

💡

On HyperOS, it is best to avoid deep changes to system fonts, with a third-party keyboard (Gboard) or themes via Magisk being the best option.

6.How to bring back Xiaomi's standard emojis

If after the experiments you want to return the original emoji, use one of the ways:

• 🔙 For those. MIUI: Get into Themes. → Mine. → Current theme and click Reset.
• 📱 For the Gboard keyboard: open the settings → Topics → Emoji → Standard (Android).
• 🔧 For manual font replacement: Restore the original NotoColorEmoji.ttf file from the backup.
• 🛠️ For Magisk modules: Remove the Emoji Replacer module and reboot your phone.

If the emojis still appear incorrectly, reset the keyboard settings:

Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual keyboard → Resetting settings

In extreme cases, a reset to factory settings will help (don’t forget to make a backup of data!).

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing emojis to Xiaomi