Why do not change icons on Xiaomi when changing the theme – a complete analysis of the problem

You downloaded a beautiful theme for your Xiaomi, applied it through Settings → Themes, but... the app icons remained the standard gray boxes. A familiar situation? This problem is found in every third MIUI and HyperOS user, regardless of the model — be it Redmi Note 12 or flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra. What is it?

In fact, there are at least seven reasons for this behavior, from simple installation errors to the system limitations of the shell itself. In this article, we will not only list the possible culprits, but also give step-by-step instructions for eliminating them, including hidden settings that Xiaomi does not advertise, and also understand why icons change selectively on some devices (for example, only for system applications) and how to fix them.

Spoiler: 80 percent of the time, the problem is solved without resetting or flashing it, but there are some "hard" cases, which we'll talk about, too. Let's start with the obvious.

1. The topic is not fully established: how to check

The most common mistake is that users think that the theme has been fully applied, when in fact only wallpaper and fonts have been downloaded, and icons in MIUI/HyperOS are changed separately and require additional confirmation.

To ensure that the topic is set correctly:

• 📱 Open the Topics app (brush icon on desktop).
• 🔍 Find the one you used in the “My Topics” list and tap it.
• 🖼️ Scroll down to the icons block – if it says “Apply”, it means they are not activated!
• ⚙️ Click Apply and confirm the action (sometimes a reboot is required).

If you don't have an Apply button, but the icons are still standard, the problem goes deeper. Perhaps the theme just doesn't support replacing the icons (more on that below).

2.Theme does not support icon replacement: how to find out

Not all of the themes in Xiaomi's official store include custom icons, especially free themes from lesser-known designers.

1. In the Topic app, find your topic and open its page.
2. Look at the screenshots — if there are no examples with changed icons, most likely they are simply not in the package.
3. Scroll to the “Theme Content” block – there should be an “Icons” item with a tick.

If there are no icons in the theme, there are two ways out:

• 🔄 Find an alternative theme with icon support (the description usually says "Full Icon Pack»).
• 🎨 Separately install icons through third-party launchers like Nova Launcher or Apex Launcher.

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The full-icon themes are often described as "Icon Pack," "Full Icons," or "1000+ Icons." Search them through the Themes app.

3. Launcher conflict: why the standard MIUI launcher blocks change

The standard MIUI Launcher (or HyperOS Launcher in newer versions) has strict restrictions on changing icons. Even if the theme supports custom icons, the launcher can ignore them. It's not a bug, it's a feature - this is how Xiaomi tries to keep the interface uniform.

How to get around the restriction:

• 🛠️ Install a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher) that allows you to use any package of icons, including those that go in the themes. MIUI.
• 🔄 Reset the launcher settings: go to Settings → Annexes → Application management → Launcher, click on Storage and select Clear Data. After that, all desktop settings will reset!
• 📱 Try an alternative way: Some themes require manual icon activation through Settings → Display. → Style of icons (if such item is in your version) MIUI).

4.Theme and launcher cache: why cleaning solves the problem in 60% of cases

Cache is one of the main reasons why changes don’t apply: MIUI and HyperOS aggressively cache interface elements, including icons, and sometimes “forget” to update them after changing the theme.

How to clean the cache correctly:

Clear the cache of the “Themes” annex"|Clear the launcher's cache|Clear the cache of the "System interface"|Reset the device|Re-apply the subject-->

Detailed instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find and open: 🎨 Topics → Warehouse → Clear the cache 🏠 Launcher (or) MIUI Launcher/HyperOS Launcher) → Warehouse → Clear cache and data ⚙️ System interface (or System interface) UI) → Clear the cache

Reboot the phone.

Topics

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If after cleaning the cache, the icons began to change, but not for all applications, the problem is in the theme itself (incomplete icon package) or in the limitations of MIUI for system applications.

5. MIUI limitations for system applications: why some icons don't change

Even if you did it right, some icons may still be standard, because MIUI blocks icon changes for key system applications.

• 📞 Phone.
• 📧 Communications
• 🌐 browser
• ⚙️ Settings
• 📷 Camera and Gallery

This is done so that the user can always find important features quickly, and there are two ways to get around the restriction:

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB-commands can lead to unstable operation of the launcher.Before experiments, create a backup through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

6.Access Rights Issues: Why MIUI is Blocking Changes

In the latest versions of MIUI 14 and HyperOS, Xiaomi has tightened control over changes to system elements, and if the Theme app does not have the necessary permissions, the icons simply will not change.

How to verify and correct rights:

• 🔓 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Permits → Autostart and enable Autostart for the Topics app.
• 📱 B Settings → Annexes → Application management → Topics → Permissions make sure to include: Warehouse Overlay windows (for some themes) Change system settings (if any)
• 🔄 Reboot the device and re-apply the theme.

If permissions are not on the list or are not activated, this may mean that your version of MIUI/HyperOS limits the functionality of the themes, in which case only updating the firmware or using third-party launchers will help.

7. firmware bugs: when MIUI/HyperOS itself is to blame

Sometimes the problem lies in the shell itself. For example, MIUI 13.0.4-13.0.6 had a bug that caused icons to be reset after the reboot. HyperOS 1.0.3 had some themes that were not displayed correctly due to conflict with the new rendering engine.

How to know if the fault is firmware:

• 🔍 Check if the icons change on other topics. If not, it's a systemic problem.
• 📡 Read reviews about your version MIUI/HyperOS in forums (for example, 4PDA or XDA Developers).
• 🔄 Try updating the firmware through Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.

If the bug is confirmed but no updates are available, temporary solutions:

• 🛠️ Reverse to the stable version MIUI Fastboot (instructions are available on Xiaomi Community).
• 📱 Use Nova Launcher with manual icon installation.
• ⏳ Wait for the patch (usually bugs with themes are fixed within 1-2 months).

⚠️ Attention: Firmware rollback may cause data loss.Before the procedure, make a full backup via Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset → Local backups.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing icons to Xiaomi