Xiaomi as iPhone 12: A Complete Guide to Turning Android into iOS

Many users, moving from the Apple ecosystem to Android, or just wanting to update the visual style of their smartphone, often wonder: can you make Xiaomi as much as possible like an iPhone? The answer is unequivocal — yes, and modern shells MIUI and HyperOS allow you to do it with frightening accuracy. Owners of Xiaomi Redmi Note 10, Xiaomi 13 or budget models of the Redmi series can recreate not only icons, but also the logic of work, and even animations, characteristic of iOS.

Interface transformation is not just about changing wallpapers, it's about reworking system elements, you're going to touch on lock screen settings, control center and swipe behavior. It's important to understand that customization on Android gives you more freedom than iOS, allowing you to implement elements of Apple's design without losing Android functionality.

In this article, we’ll take a look at the step-by-step process of turning your device, not just the setting of themes, but also the fine-tuning of gestures, fonts, and system notifications. Prepare for your Xiaomi to become indistinguishable from Cupertino’s flagship to a third-party observer.

Install the iOS theme through the Topics app

The fastest and safest way to change the look and feel is to use the built-in Theme app. Xiaomi’s official store contains thousands of custom skins, many of which are exact copies of the iOS 15, 16 and 17 interface. To start, open the app and search for queries like “iOS 16”, “iPhone 12 Pro” or “Apple Style”.

After you search, you'll see a lot of options. Pay attention to the ranking and downloads: popular themes are usually better optimized and contain fewer bugs. Choose a high-ranking theme, click Download and then Apply. The system will automatically replace wallpaper, icons, notification sounds and system fonts.

However, the standard procedure may not affect some system windows, such as the power menu or settings. Deep integration in the theme settings often requires switching region in the phone settings. Go to Settings → Additional settings → Region and select India or Indonesia. Then the Themes app will have hidden sections, including Profile, where you can apply icons separately for all installed applications.

• 🍏 Icons: Full replacement of standard Android icons with Apple style.
• 🔒 Lock screen: Recreating the notification curtain and widgets.
• 🎮 Animations: Changing transitions between windows to smooth iOS-like.
• 🔊 Sounds: Replacement of system ringtones and keyboard sounds.

⚠️ Note: Some themes may be paid or require a subscription to Mi Themes. Be careful when downloading themes from third-party sources (.mtz files), as they may contain malicious code or disrupt the system.

Setting up the lock screen and control center

Visual similarity is half the battle, but it's the lock screen that catches your eye first. Xiaomi's Standard Always On Display already knows how to display time in large print, but to fully resemble the iPhone 12 or 13, you need to change the style of the font. In the Themes app, find the "Fonts" section and upload a font that mimics San Francisco or a similar system font from Apple.

Control Center on the MIUI 13/14 shell and HyperOS is already split by default into a notification curtain and a control panel, like in iOS. To enhance the similarity, go to Settings → Notifications and Control Center → Control Center Style and select Version 2 (or iOS style) that will change the location of the sliders brightness and sound, making them round, like on iPhones.

Also worth looking at widgets. Xiaomi allows you to place widgets right on your desktop, but they can differ in design. Download iOS-style widgets from the Themes app or use third-party launchers if standard features are lacking. Weather, battery and calendar widgets are key elements of Apple's aesthetics.

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For maximum similarity, install live wallpapers through the Live Wallpaper app, which respond to the phone's tilt, creating the depth effect typical of iOS.

Don't forget to adjust the screen behavior when you raise your phone. The "Raise to Wake" function must be activated to make the screen light up as instantly as it does on Apple devices. You can find this option in Settings → Lock screen.

Deep Customization with Launchers

If the built-in features of the theme are not enough, third-party launchers come to the rescue. These are programs that completely replace the desktop. One of the most popular solutions is Launcher iOS 16 or C Launcher. These applications do not just change icons, they implement a bottom dock with blurring the background, an application library (App Library), and even copy the animation of opening folders.

Installing the launcher requires special permissions. Once downloaded from Google Play Market, Xiaomi will request access to the display over other windows and permission to use special features. Without this, the launcher will not be able to correctly handle swipes and gestures. Follow the on-screen instructions to activate all functions.

Importantly, using third-party launchers can increase battery and RAM consumption. On budget models like the Redmi 9 or Redmi Note 9, this can lead to micro-latency. On flagships of the Xiaomi 12 or Xiaomi 13 series, the performance difference will be invisible.

• 🚀 Doc panel: Copying the bottom menu with a blur effect (Blur).
• 📂 App Library: Automatic sorting of applications by category.
• 🔍 Spotlight Search: Global iOS-style search right on your desktop.
• 🎞 Animations: Smooth folding of applications into icons.

⚠️ Note: When installing a third-party launcher, Xiaomi's standard navigation may conflict with the launcher's navigation. MIUI/HyperOS and disable unnecessary animations in the developer settings for smoothness.

For those who want to go a step further, there are launchers that support interactivity widgets. They allow you to resize widgets as flexibly as iOS 14+. However, remember that widgets on Android work differently than on iOS, and may require a separate setup for each application.

Customization of gestures and navigation

One of the main features of the iPhone is gesture navigation. Xiaomi also uses gesture control by default, but the logic may differ. To bring the system's behavior closer to iOS, you need to adjust the sensitivity of the edges of the screen. Some launchers have a separate "Edge Sensitivity" setting that you need to set to maximum.

The basic gestures in MIUI/HyperOS already match iOS: swipe from the bottom up to the desktop, swipe with pause to multitask, swipe left or right back. However, to make the return (Back) less intrusive, like in iOS, where it is often hidden, you can turn off gesture prompts. To do this, in Settings → Desktop → Navigation, remove the tick “Hide hints” (or vice versa, turn on if you want to see a thin strip, but it only appears in iOS).

Pay special attention to multitasking. In iOS, apps fly around the screen when switching. In Xiaomi, you can simulate this by enabling advanced animations. Go to the developer menu (activated by seven times clicking on the MIUI version in About Phone) and find the item Animations. Set the window zoom values to 0.5x or 1x for acceleration, but leave the smoothness of transitions high.

Also worth mentioning is the feature "Fast Apps" or "Floating Windows." In iOS, the analogue is Picture-in-Picture. On Xiaomi, you can set up running video in a floating window when you fold the application, which will make the multimedia experience identical.

Comparison of characteristics: Xiaomi vs iPhone 12

Many users are looking for similarities not only in software but also in hardware. Indeed, modern Xiaomi is often compared to the iPhones of the previous generation. Let's see how much Xiaomi 12 or 13 can compete with the iPhone 12 in terms of technical parameters.

The table below compares the key characteristics that affect the feeling of using the device (smoothness, screen, charging).

As the table shows, Xiaomi often offers more modern screen and charging specs than the base iPhone 12.The high refresh rate of 120Hz on Xiaomi makes the interface significantly smoother than on the iPhone's 60-hertz screen, even if the themes are copied one-to-one.

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In terms of technical parameters, modern flagships Xiaomi often surpass the iPhone 12, especially in the charging speed and refresh rate of the screen, which makes the cloning of the interface on Xiaomi even more justified.

Widgets and functional elements of iOS on Android

The final touch to creating an illusion is widgets. In iOS 14+, they're interactive and beautiful. Xiaomi, with MIUI 12.5 and above, has native support for widgets, but they look different. To get an Apple style, you need to download a pack of widgets in the Themes app.

Look for widgets called "iOS Widget," "Apple Clock," "Battery iOS." Once installed, they will appear in the widget menu (swipe left or long tap on the desktop). Place large weather and calendar widgets on the home screen. It's important to follow the grid: widgets on iOS are standard sizes, try not to disturb the visual balance.

You can also customize Smart Home. If you have Xiaomi devices (lamps, robot vacuum cleaners), their widgets in the Mi Home app can be styled HomeKit, although functionally they will remain in the Mi Home ecosystem.

• 🌤 Weather: Large, colorful widgets with animation.
• 📅 Calendar: Minimalist design with current date highlighting.
• 🔋 Battery: Displaying the charge of headphones and watches in the style of iOS.
• 📷 Photo: Slideshow of your photos in the style of "Memories".

⚠️ Attention: Installing a large number of heavy widgets (especially those that are updated in real time, like the weather or news) can significantly reduce the battery life of the device.

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