Xiaomi smartphone owners often face the desire to transfer the familiar and aesthetic interface of iOS to their Android device. Notification curtain and control center are the elements with which the user interacts most often, so their appearance directly affects the overall perception of the system. The standard shell MIUI or the new HyperOS already offer flexible settings, but to achieve complete similarity with Apple products requires a deeper approach.
The transformation process does not require root permissions in most cases, making it accessible to the average user. You do not need to be an expert in programming to change icons, fonts and menu structure, just follow proven algorithms for installing third-party applications and design themes that completely change the visual style of the system.
It’s worth noting that a full copy of the functionality is impossible without implementing system changes, but the visual component can be recreated by 95-99%. We will look at the methods that work on current versions of Android and Xiaomi shells, ensuring stable operation of the device.
Why the iOS interface is so popular among Android users
Apple's phenomenal design success is not just due to marketing, but also to sophisticated ergonomics. The control center in iOS is grouped logically: brightness and sound sliders are in the accessible zone, and music and network management modules are highlighted visually. Android users appreciate this intuitiveness and are eager to transfer it to their gadgets, since standard curtains often look overloaded.
In addition, animations in iOS are famous for their smoothness and physically sound movement of objects. When swiping, the curtain reacts instantly, creating a sense of “live” interface. On Xiaomi, users often complain of twitching or too simple transitions that do not give the same tactile pleasure when using.
⚠️ Attention: Installing themes from unverified sources can lead to conflicting system processes. Always check the author's rating of the topic and the number of downloads before installing.
Visual cleanliness is also important: semi-transparent plaques, the bluer effect, and rounded corners are the hallmarks of Apple’s style, and implementing these effects on Android requires specialized rendering engines that are embedded through themes or launchers.
Using built-in MIUI themes to simulate iOS
The easiest and safest way to change the look of the curtain is to use the official Themes app. Xiaomi's Themes store hides thousands of designs created by enthusiasts who copy the style of iOS one to one. You don't need to download anything from the browser, just type in searches like "iOS 17", "iPhone style" or "Control Center".
When choosing a theme, look at the screenshots in the description. We are interested in the designs that change the notification panel and control center. Many themes only offer a change of icons, but we need a comprehensive approach. After downloading and applying the theme, the system may require a reboot to correctly display all the elements.
- 🍏 Open the “Themes” app on your desktop.
- 🔍 In the search bar, type “iOS Control Center».
- 📥 Select a High Ranked Theme and click Download».
- 🔄 Apply the theme and restart your smartphone.
However, there are limitations to this method: Global firmware versions may have limited themes available due to regional settings, and if search results are not working, try changing the region in your phone settings to India or Singapore, where the directory is much wider.
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If after applying the theme, the desktop widgets disappeared, try applying a standard theme, and then activate the iOS design again.
Third-party launchers and curtain applications
When built-in capabilities are lacking, apps from the Google Play Store come to the rescue, with Control Center iOS 17 (and its variations) already the leader in this niche, allowing Xiaomi to completely replace the standard curtain with a copy from the iPhone, adding characteristic large tiles and sliders.
These applications need to have special permissions, such as allowing them to display over other windows and access notifications, without which the app cannot intercept the swipe from the top of the screen and show its interface, and the setup process takes no more than two minutes.
Settings → Applications → Application Management → Control Center → Permissions → Display on top of other applicationsThen there are launchers like Launcher iOS 17 that change not only the curtain, but the entire desktop, dock, and system behavior, which creates a more holistic experience, although it can consume more battery life than a standard shell.
⚠️ Warning: Third-party launchers may conflict with navigation gestures MIUI. If you notice delays when swiping, consider using classic three-button navigation.
The advantage of third-party apps is that they're flexible, you can customize colors, transparency, font size, and even add your own widgets inside the curtain, which gives you more freedom than static themes from the official store.
☑️ Setting up the side curtain
Comparison of methods of customization of the interface
The choice between a theme, launcher or system application depends on your priorities: some users want maximum stability, others want deep personalization, and to make it easier for you to decide, we have prepared a comparative table of basic methods.
| Method | Difficulty | Impact on the battery | Visual similarity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official MIUI themes | Low. | Minimum | High. | |
| Applications (Control Center) | Medium | Average. | Very high. | |
| Full iOS launchers | Tall. | High. | Maximum. | |
| System modification (Root) | Expert | Depends on the module. | Native. | |
| Security | Tall. | Medium | Low (bug risk) | Low (brick risk) |
As you can see from the table, for 90% of users, a combination of themes and specialized applications will be the best option, providing excellent visual results without the risk of damaging the system or draining the phone in a couple of hours.
If you are an enthusiast and not afraid of complex manipulations, you can consider installing Magisk modules. However, this way requires unlocking the bootloader, which automatically deprives you of warranties and can cause problems with the operation of banking applications.
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The optimal balance between beauty and performance is achieved by using official themes in combination with lightweight widgets rather than heavy launchers.
Set up fonts and icons for complete similarity
Even a perfect replica of the curtain will look foreign if the fonts on the system remain standard for Android.The San Francisco font is the soul of Apple's interface. Fortunately, MIUI has a built-in system font change feature that works globally.
Go to the theme settings, select the Fonts section, and find SF Pro or iOS Font. Once you apply all the text in the menu, messages, and the same curtain, it becomes identical to iPhone, a little thing that changes perception.
- 🔤 Go to the "Themes" app» → Profile → Fonts.
- 📥 Find and download the font «SF Pro Display».
- ✅ Click "Apply" and agree to reboot.
- 🎨 For icons, use the “iOS Icon Pack” from the Play Store.
For app icons, the situation is similar. Xiaomi standard icons often have a square or rounded shape, different from Apple's style.Installing an icon package and applying it through a third-party launcher or built-in "Icons" feature in the themes will complete the image.
Don't forget widgets. The standard MIUI weather and watch widgets are different from iOS. Replace them with the Apple-style widget packs so that even when the curtain is closed, the phone looks the same.
⚠️ Note: Some fonts may not display Cyrillic (Russian letters) correctly.Be sure to check the preview of the text in Russian before installing.