How to put emoticons like on iPhone on Xiaomi smartphone: 5 proven ways

You're used to stylish emojis from iOS, but after switching to Xiaomi, you noticed that emojis look different? That's no surprise: Apple and Google have different design systems for emojis, and Android smartphone makers (including Redmi, POCO and Mi) usually use standard Google icons or their own. The good news is that you can bring back the usual "Apple" emojis to Xiaomi in several ways - from simply changing the keyboard to deep customization of the system.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods, including installing third-party keyboards, replacing fonts through ADB, using themes and even manually copying emojis from iOS. You will learn which method is the fastest, which gives the best display quality, and where the pitfalls lie in wait. And also - why some emoticons can be displayed incorrectly in messengers and how to fix it.

Why Xiaomi and iPhone emojis are different: technical reasons

The difference in emoji between iPhone and Xiaomi is not a coincidence, but a consequence of different approaches to design and technical implementation.

• 🍎 Apple has been developing its own emoji since 2008, updating its design every 1-2 years, and is integrated into iOS at the font level (Apple Color Emoji) and is independent of the device manufacturer.
• 🤖 Google is making emojis for Android (Noto Color Emoji), but manufacturers like Xiaomi, Samsung or Huawei can modify or replace them with their own versions. MIUI There are branded emojis for some symbols.
• 📱 Messengers (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) can replace system emoji with their own, which adds to the confusion. So, on Telegram on Android, you will see Apple emojis, even if the system is standard.

The key point is that emojis are not just pictures, but part of the system font. To make them appear like an iPhone, you either need to replace the font in the system or use an app that replaces them visually, the latter is easier, but it doesn't work everywhere (for example, in SMS or system notifications, emojis will remain standard).

⚠️ Note: Replacing system fonts with Xiaomi without root rights can cause some applications to malfunction, especially if you use unofficial firmware!

Method 1: Install keyboard with an iPhone emoji (the easiest method)

If you want an Apple emoji when typing only (not the entire system), change the keyboard, which requires no root rights, works on any Xiaomi model (including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 13), and takes less than 5 minutes.

The best keyboards with emoji from iOS:

• 🔹 Kika Keyboard – Free Keyboard with Theme Support, Including iOS Style 16/17. Disadvantages: Advertising in the free version.
• 🔹 The Emoji Keyboard Pro is a paid keyboard with an exact copy of Apple's emoji, including animations: ~300 rubles.
• 🔹 Gboard (from Google) – if you select the theme “iOS” in the settings, the emoji will be as similar as possible (but not identical to the original).

How to determine:

1. Download the keyboard from Google Play (like Kika Keyboard).
2. Go to Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual keyboard.
3. Activate the new keyboard and set it by default.
4. In the keyboard settings, select the theme “iPhone” or “iOS Style”.

Download APK from the official store | Check the reviews about stability | Disable the old keyboard in the settings | Set up auto-replacement and text prediction-->

The main drawback of the method: emoji will only appear as “Apple” when typed, but in the received messages (for example, in SMS or Viber), they will remain standard for Android.

Gboard (Google)|Standard. MIUI|SwiftKey|Kika Keyboard or analogues with iOS emoji|Another.-->

Method 2: Replace system font with ADB (no root)

This method allows you to replace the emoji font throughout the system, including display in messengers, browser and notifications.It works on most Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 12/13/14 and does not require superuser rights, but you will need a computer and an ADB debugging bridge.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 🔌 USB-Type C Cable (original, for stable connection).
• 📦 Archive with Apple Color Emoji font (can be downloaded here).
• 🛠️ Utilities. ADB and Fastboot (instructions for installation: official Android website).

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on the smartphone Developer Mode: go to Settings → About phone and 7 times click on the MIUI version.
2. Activate USB Debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your phone to your computer and confirm your trust in the device.
4. Unpack the archive with the font in a folder with ADB (for example, C:\platform-tools).
5. Open the command line in this folder and execute the commands: adb devices adb shell su -c "mount -o rw,remount /system" su -c "cp /sdcard/Download/AppleColorEmoji.ttf /system/fonts/" su -c "chmod 644 /system/fonts/AppleColorEmoji.ttf" su -c "reboot"

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi) 10C or POCO M5) After replacing the font, some characters in the settings menu may disappear. Before the procedure, back up the original font with the command: adb pull /system/fonts/NotoColorEmoji.ttf C:\backup\

Method 3: Using MIUI themes with iPhone emoji

If you don’t want to mess around with ADB, but want to make emojis look like they’re on your iPhone in at least some apps, try to install a design theme that works only on Xiaomi’s branded apps (like Messages, Contacts), but doesn’t affect instant messengers like WhatsApp.

How to set the topic:

1. Open the Themes app on your smartphone.
2. In the search, type in the search “iOS emoji” or “Apple style”.
3. Select your favorite theme (e.g., "iOS 16 Emoji Pack" or "Apple Like Icons") and click Apply.
4. Reboot your phone to make the changes take effect.

Popular topics for MIUI:

Important: Themes from the store MIUI They are often updated with a delay, so new emojis from the latest iOS versions may not be available, 🩷 "heart with bandage from iOS 17.4), it is better to use the method with the replacement of the font through ADB.

Method 4: Manually copying emojis from iPhone (for advanced users)

If you want to get 100% original emojis from Apple, you can extract them directly from your iPhone and install them on Xiaomi.This requires access to a friend's Mac or iPhone, as well as basic Android file system skills.

Instructions:

1. On your iPhone, download the iExplorer or iMazing app to access system files.
2. Find the AppleColorEmoji.ttf font file by following: /System/Library/Fonts/Cache/
3. Copy it to your computer, then transfer it to Xiaomi in the Download folder.
4. Use ADB or root-enabled file manager (such as Root Explorer) to replace the system font: adb push AppleColorEmoji.ttf /system/fonts/
5. Reset the device.

⚠️ Attention: Emoji from iOS optimized for the screen resolution of the iPhone, so Xiaomi with high PPI (For example, Mi 13 Ultra or Redmi K60 Pro) they may look blurry. To fix this, you will need to edit a font file in FontForge or a similar program.

💡

If you don’t have access to an iPhone, you can download the original AppleColorEmoji.ttf font from open repositories, such as GitHub. Make sure the font version matches the current iOS (at 2026, it’s iOS 17.5).

Method 5: Using Magisk and iOS Emoji (for root devices)

If your Xiaomi has an unlocked bootloader and Magisk installed, you can use a ready-made module to replace the emoji, which gives the best result, since the font is integrated at the system level and works in all applications, including WhatsApp, Instagram and SMS.

Step-by-step:

1. Install Magisk Manager and check for root rights.
2. Download the iOS Emoji for Android module from the XDA Developers forum or pling.com.
3. Install the module via Magisk: Go to Magisk → Modules → Install from storage → Select the downloaded file
4. Reset the device.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 Emojis are displayed everywhere, including system notifications.
• 🔄 Animations are supported (for example, for "Memoji" or "Animoji").
• 🔄 Regular updates of the module (authors monitor the release of new versions of iOS).

Disadvantages:

• ⚠️ Requires unlocking the bootloader, which resets all the data on the phone.
• ⚠️ On some firmware (for example, HyperOS on Xiaomi 14), the module may conflict with system updates.

💡

Modules for Magisk are the most reliable way to get an emoji like an iPhone, but only suitable for users with root rights. If you are not ready to unlock the bootloader, use alternative methods (for example, a keyboard or themes).

Problems and Solutions: Why Emoticons Are Incorrectly Displayed

Even after successfully replacing emojis, you may encounter problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:

If none of the methods worked, check:

• 🔍 Compatibility of your Xiaomi model with the chosen method (for example, on the POCO F5 It may not work to replace the font without root).
• 🔍 Version MIUI: HyperOS (new firmware for Xiaomi) 13/14) Some modules may not be supported.
• 🔍 Conflicts with other modifications (for example, if you have previously installed custom firmware like LineageOS).

FAQ: Frequent questions about emojis on Xiaomi