How to remove the white background of icons on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face visual dissonance after installing a new design theme or system update. Instead of stylish, transparent app icons, square plaques with a white background appear on the desktop, which completely kill the aesthetics of the interface. This problem is especially relevant for users who appreciate the minimalism and purity of lines in the design of MIUI and the new HyperOS. White background is often part of the the topic, but sometimes it is the result of conflicting versions of the shells or malfunctions in the system launcher.

There are several proven ways to do this, from simple switching in settings to deeper file system intervention via a computer. background removal may be required on both older Redmi models and the latest flagships of the Xiaomi series. It is important to understand that not all methods are universal: what works on Android 10 may differ from algorithms on Android 13 or 14. In this article, we will discuss all the current options, including working with the official application “Themes” and third-party launchers.

Before we start taking any drastic measures, we should try the standard personalization tools that the manufacturer offers. Often the problem is solved by simply replacing the design component or resetting the display settings. We will look at each step in detail so that you can choose the safest and most effective way for your device, the main thing is to act consistently so that other elements of the system do not disrupt the work.

Causes of the appearance of a white background in icons

The appearance of an unwanted white background under application icons is not a bug, but a feature of the implementation of the graphical shell. In most cases, this is due to the fact that the installed theme does not support transparency for certain groups of applications.

Another common reason is to upgrade MIUI or switch to HyperOS. After an update, the old cached launcher data may conflict with the new rules for rendering the interface. The system launcher stops reading the alpha transparency channel correctly, replacing it with solid fillers. This is especially common when switching between major versions of Android, for example, from 11 to 12 or from 12 to 13.

Global ROMs and Chinese ROMs can handle third-party themes differently. If you use a theme designed for the Chinese market on global firmware, the likelihood of white-square artifacts is greatly increased, due to the differences in resource packages that control the appearance of system elements.

⚠️ Attention: Installing themes from unknown sources can lead not only to visual glitch-mes, but also to unstable interface. Use only proven themes from official stores or from well-known authors.

Sometimes the problem is with a particular application that doesn't have its own icon in the style of the current theme, in which case the system substitutes a standard icon that can be framed as a white square, a security mechanism that prevents broken links from being displayed to the graphic, and understanding the nature of the background helps you choose the right method to eliminate it.

Removing backgrounds through the “Themes” app

The easiest and safest way to get rid of white squares is to use a built-in personalization tool. Themes app allows you to change the design components without having to get super-user rights, a method that is suitable for most users who want to quickly return the aesthetic to the desktop.

To start, you need to open the Themes app and go to the profile section, which is usually located in the lower right corner of the screen, and here we are interested in the Components item. This section stores the individual design elements: wallpaper, lock screen, system icons and, most importantly, application icons.

Inside the Components section, you'll find the icons item, and clicking on it will show you a list of available icon sets, including standard and previously downloaded ones. To remove the white background, try switching to the standard Classic or Default set, and then selecting your current theme again, often overwriting the cache and removing the artifacts.

If a simple replacement didn't work, you can try downloading another set of icons. Search for Themes, type in "Transparent icons" or "No background." There are many free packs that forcefully remove the background from all applications. Once you install this set, the white background will disappear, giving way to transparency or desktop color.

Some versions of the shell have a Mixed Icon feature that allows you to apply the style of one theme to app icons from another, and by activating this option in your theme profile, you can force the style of transparent icons to be applied to all apps, even if the theme itself doesn't, a powerful customization tool that is often ignored by beginners.

Set up the launcher and desktop

If the replacement of components did not work, the problem may lie in the settings of the launcher itself. Xiaomi’s system shell has hidden and explicit parameters that affect the display of elements, which can be accessed through the standard settings menu or using special utilities.

Go to Settings → Desktop (or Home screen) and look at the grid size and icon scale, and sometimes changing the size of icons from "Big" to "Standard" or "Small" causes the system to redraw the graphic layer, removing the white background, and this works with the recalculation mechanism and display masks.

Another effective method is to clean up the launcher data. This won’t delete your apps or files, but it will reset the widgets and icons on the desktop to the factory ones. To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find System Launcher in the list, and click Clear → Clear Everything. After that, the desktop will reboot and the background may disappear.

For advanced users, there is the option of using third-party launchers such as Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher. These applications have their own icon rendering engines that ignore the system limitations of MIUI. By installing such a launcher, you get full control over the shape, size and background of each icon.

⚠️ Warning: When cleaning the system launcher data, all widgets and folders on the desktop will be confused. It is recommended to take screenshots of the current location in advance to quickly restore order.

Importantly, newer versions of HyperOS have changed their graphics compression algorithms, so if you’ve recently upgraded, the launcher settings could have been reset or changed automatically, in which case manually adjusting the grid settings is a must-do step to fix the visual defects.

Using third-party apps to change icons

When regular funds are powerless, specialized apps from the Google Play Store come to the rescue, allowing you to change icons individually or en masse, replacing system resources on the fly, the most flexible way to achieve the perfect result.

One of the most popular solutions is the Shortcut Maker app, which allows you to shortcut apps with any image. You can select an app, click on its icon, select Gallery, and download it. PNG-So you can do all the important applications manually.

Another powerful tool is X Icon Changer. This app automates the shortcut creation process. It has a built-in database of transparent icons and templates. You pick an app, you pick a "None" or "Transparent" template, and the program creates a new shortcut on your desktop without a white background.

There are also editorial apps like Icon Pack Studio, which let you not just remove the background, but you can redraw the icon completely, and you can match the colors to your theme. It takes time, but the result is worth it for perfectionists. You can create your own icon pack, where none of them have white backgrounds.

The use of third-party software has one caveat: shortcuts created may not automatically update when you update the main application. If the program comes out with a new logo, your custom shortcut will remain the same. This is a fee for full visual control of the interface.

Advanced Methods: ADB and System Modification

For users who are not afraid of the command line, there is a method of removing backgrounds through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to make changes to system settings that are not available through the usual interface, and is effective when the white background is sewn into the system resources of the firmware.

The first step is to enable USB debugging. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly press 7 times on MIUI Version (or OS Version). In the Developer Menu, activate Debugging by USB.

Connect your smartphone to your computer and open the Command Prompt (CMD) or terminal in the folder with ADB. Enter a command to check the connection:

adb devices

If the device is displayed in the list, you can move to modifications. However, direct deletion of system icon files is dangerous. A safer method is to use the command to reset the configuration of the icons:

adb shell pm clear com.miui.home

This command compulsorily clears the launcher data, similar to manually resetting the settings, but at a deeper level, and in some cases, changes in the density of the DPI through the ADB help, which forces the system to recalculate the sizes of the graphic elements:

adb shell wm density 440

Once you have done the command, return the density back (usually 440, 480 or 390 depending on the model) to avoid spoiling the fonts. This method requires caution, since incorrect values can make the interface unreadable.

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB-A syntax error or a change in critical system parameters can lead to a cyclic bootloop.

Possible problems and solutions

Even following the instructions, you may encounter difficulties, such as when you change the subject, the white background returns after a while, and this may be due to the aggressive operation of the MIUI energy saving system, which kills the theme processes, in which case you need to fix the Theme app in memory.

Open the menu of running applications (bottom-up swipe and retention), find the Themes window, press the lock or select "Stamp" this will prevent the system from unloading the process from memory, and in the battery settings for the Themes application, select "No restrictions" mode.

Another problem is that the background is partially gone, and some apps have lost their background, and others have left, which means that the remaining apps have no transparent counterparts in the current topic, and the solution is one: use the manual replacement method through Shortcut Maker for these stubborn icons.

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If after all the manipulations, the white background was left only for system applications (Phone, Messages), try temporarily switching the region of the phone in the settings (for example, to India or the USA), applying a standard theme, and then return the region back.

And there's a conflict of versions, too. If you installed the theme you created for MIUI 12 on HyperOS, the artifacts are almost guaranteed, and that's when you only find the current version of the theme or wait for the author to update you, and compatibility is a key factor in interface stability.

Sometimes it helps to reboot the device after all the changes that have been made, and the system has to read the graphics cache again. Don't ignore this step, as many changes in Android only take effect after a full turn on cycle.

Conclusion and recommendations for registration

Removing the white background of the icons on Xiaomi is possible, but the approach depends on the reason for its appearance. In most cases, it is enough to correctly configure the components in the Themes app or use a third-party pack of transparent icons. These are safe methods that do not require deep knowledge.

For users seeking the perfect look, it is recommended to create your own library of transparent PNG-It's a time-consuming process, but it ensures that no update to the system returns white squares to your screen.

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The best way to avoid white background issues in the future is to use themes marked “Global” and regularly update the Themes app through the Mi Store.

Remember, the smartphone interface is a tool you use every day, visually, comfortably, don't be afraid to experiment with settings, but always have a point of return to standard settings. Competent customization makes the standard Xiaomi into a unique device that reflects your style.

In conclusion, the development of HyperOS is gradually unifying icon standards, and the white background problem may become a thing of the past in future updates.