How to return the old font to Xiaomi: all working ways

With the MIUI update, many Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO users are faced with an unpleasant surprise: the manufacturer changes the system font to a new one that is not always easy to read. Thin lines, irregular spacing between letters or excessive “airiness” can be annoying, especially if you are used to the classic MiSans or Roboto font from old versions of firmware. Fortunately, you can return the usual look of text in several ways, from simple theme settings to deep interventions in the system.

Complicating the problem, Xiaomi doesn’t always leave the font option to standard settings. In some versions of MIUI 14/15, the option is hidden or removed altogether, and in HyperOS, the logic of working with fonts has changed dramatically. But don’t rush to put up with the inconvenience: in this article we will discuss all the current methods, from official to “surgical”, including working with ADB, installing custom themes and even manual editing of system files. Importantly, not all methods are universal, their effectiveness depends on the device model and firmware version.

Before making any changes, make sure you have a backup of important data. Some methods (especially using ADB or modifying system files) can cause crashes if done incorrectly. Also check the MIUI or HyperOS version in the settings (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version).

1.The way for lazy: using built-in MIUI themes

The easiest and safest method is to take advantage of official themes that change the font along with the look of the interface. Xiaomi allows you to install themes from its store, some of which contain classic fonts.

Go to Settings → Design → Themes (or Themes in the app menu). In the search bar, type in queries like:

• 🔍 "Classic Font – Themes with a return to the old MiSans font.
• 🔍 "Roboto for those who prefer the standard Android font.
• 🔍 "MIUI 12" or "MIUI 11" - Themes that mimic older versions of the shell.

Note that not all themes change the font globally. Some only affect system applications (Settings, Phone), leaving third-party programs unchanged. To check if the theme works, open any menu — for example, Settings → Sound — and assess whether the font has changed.

If you don’t have a suitable theme, try downloading it from third-party sources (such as the XDA Developers forum or Xiaomi Telegram channels).

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Before installing a third-party theme, check the reviews of other users – some themes may contain ads or incorrectly display interface elements.

2. Manual font change via settings (for MIUI 12–14)

In some versions of MIUI (especially 12-14), the font change option is hidden, but it can be activated through developer mode.

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable the option to debug over USB.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install Android SDK Platform-Tools and run the command: adb shell settings put secure sysui_font_scale 1.0 This command will reset the font scale to standard, which sometimes brings back the old look.
4. Reset the device.

If this method didn’t work, try an alternative command to force the font change (it doesn’t work on all devices):

adb shell settings put global system_font_package com.android.themes.fonts.roboto

For the Redmi Note 10/11 and POCO X3/X4 Users report successful return of old font through installation APK-file with classic MiSans. Download the archive with font (for example, with the 4PDA), Unpack and install the file through any file manager. After the reboot, the font should change.

3. Install custom font through Magisk (root access)

If your device is unlocked and Magisk installed, you can replace the system font manually, a technique that requires technical skills but gives you complete control over the typography.

You'll need:

• 📱 Device with unlocked bootloader and installed Magisk.
• 💾 Backup of the current firmware (in case of failure).
• 📁 Archive with.ttf font format (e.g. MiSans-Regular.ttf).

Instructions:

1. Download the FontManager module for Magisk from the GitHub repository.
2. Move the font files (.ttf) to /sdcard/Download/FontManager.
3. In the Magisk app, go to Modules → Install from storage and select FontManager.
4. After installing the module, restart the device and select the desired font in the FontManager settings.

The advantage of this method is the ability to install any typeface, including SF Pro (like on iPhone) or Google Sans. However, remember: not all fonts correctly display Cyrillic or special characters.

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Using Magisk to change the font is the most flexible method, but it requires unlocking the bootloader, which resets the device and voids the warranty.

4.Reset to factory settings with firmware rollback

If a new font appears after the MIUI update, a radical way to bring back the old look is to roll back the firmware to the previous version, a method that is suitable for devices where the font has changed after a major update (for example, when switching from MIUI 12 to MIUI 13).

For firmware rollback:

1. Download the desired version of Fastboot ROM for your model from the official Xiaomi website.
2. Unpack the archive and connect the phone to your PC in Fastboot mode (clip Volume Down + Power when the device is off).
3. Run the script. flash_all.bat (for Windows) or execute manual commands via fastboot.

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Attention: Firmware rollback erases all data on the device, including photos and apps. OTA-update.

The alternative is to reset to factory settings without rolling back firmware. Sometimes this will bring back old system fonts if they were replaced due to an update failure. To reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset.

5. Use of third-party launchers with built-in fonts

If you don't want to interfere with system files, try installing an alternative launcher that allows you to change fonts.

• 📱 Nova Launcher – supports custom fonts through plugins.
• 📱 Lawnchair – has built-in typography options.
• 📱 Microsoft Launcher – allows you to choose from several preinstalled fonts.

To change the font in Nova Launcher:

1. Install a launcher from Google Play.
2. Download the Nova Google Companion module for advanced features.
3. In the launcher settings, go to Appearance → Font and select the appropriate option.

The disadvantage of this method is that the font will only change in the launcher interface and some applications. System menus (Settings, Notifications) will remain unchanged.

Download APK launcher from the official website|Create a backup copy of the current desktop|Check the compatibility of fonts with Cyrillic|Set up permits for launcher-->

6. editing system files (for advanced users)

This is only suitable for advanced users, as it requires direct intervention in system files. If you are not sure about your actions, you should skip this section.

Fonts in MIUI are stored in /system/fonts/ folder to replace them:

1. Get root access (for example, through Magisk).
2. Download the archive with old fonts (e.g. MiSans.ttf and MiSans-Bold.ttf).
3. Use a root-access file manager (e.g. Root Explorer) and replace files in /system/fonts/, saving the originals beforehand.
4. Change the permissions to access new files: chmod 644 /system/fonts/*.ttf
5. Reset the device.

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Warning: Incorrect editing of system files can lead to bootloop.Always back up /system/fonts/ before making changes.

For HyperOS devices, the path to fonts may be different. In some cases, files are stored in /product/fonts/ or /vendor/fonts/. Check the current structure through ADB Shell with the command:

adb shell ls /system/fonts/

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing font to Xiaomi