How to make a theme on Xiaomi like on iPhone: from icons to animations

You are the owner of Xiaomi, but dream of a minimalist interface iPhone? Take your time to sell your smartphone: with the help of launchers, themes and hidden settings MIUI, you can transform the appearance of the device beyond recognition. In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to bring the design of your Redmi, POCO or Mi to the style of iOS – from replacing icons to imitating gestures and animations.

It's important to understand that a full copy of an iPhone on Android is not possible due to the architectural differences of the systems. However, the combination of themes from the Mi Theme Store, third-party launchers like Lawnchair or Nova Launcher, and tweaks through ADB allows you to achieve visual similarity by 80-90%. We tested all methods on devices with MIUI 14 and HyperOS — the results are attached with screenshots and video examples.

Before you start, check your shell version: go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. This depends on the availability of certain features. For example, in HyperOS (starting with Xiaomi 14), some old themes may not be supported, and for MIUI 12-13 you will need to manually configure animations through Developer Options.

1. Install theme "iOS" from the official Mi Theme Store

The easiest way is to download a ready-made theme from Xiaomi's branded store. The Mi Theme Store has dozens of iPhone options, including iOS 16 and iOS 17 simulations.

• 📱 Open the Themes app (icon with brush) on the home screen.
• 🔍 Enter the search queries: iOS 17 theme, iPhone style or Apple MIUI.
• 🎨 Select a theme that is rated above 4.5★ and downloads >100K (this is a stability guarantee).
• 📥 Press Download, then Apply. Some themes require separate font installation — confirm the download.

Note that the official themes only change visual elements — icons, wallpaper, color schemes.

• 🚫 Navigation gestures (remain standard for MIUI).
• 🚫 Notification panel and quick settings.
• 🚫 Animation of transitions between screens.

⚠️ Warning: After applying the theme, some system applications (such as Camera or Phone) may be displayed with artifacts. This is due to icon incompatibility. The solution is to manually replace icons through the launcher (see Section 3).

2.Using launchers to simulate iOS

Launchers allow for deeper customization of the interface, including:

• 📱 Location of icons (like on iPhone – no names, with a grid 4×5).
• 🔄 Animations (smooth folder opening, parachute effect when removing applications).
• 🔍 Search for Spotlight (drop down menu when swiping down on the home screen).

The best launchers for imitating iOS on Xiaomi:

Instructions for setting up Lawnchair 12:

1. Download and install the launcher from Google Play.
2. Click the empty space on the main screen → Settings → Home. screen.
3. Select 4×5 Grid (like on iPhone) and turn off App Names.
4. In the Dock section, set the Size: Small and Background: Transparent.
5. For animations, go to Settings → Animations → Speed: 1x (this mimics the smoothness of iOS).

3. Replacement of app icons with iOS style

Even with the launcher, standard MIUI icons give out Android to replace them:

1. Download the icon pack from Google Play (we recommend iOS 17 Icons or Fluid Icons).
2. Open the launcher settings → Icon Style → select the downloaded pack.
3. System applications (such as Settings or Phone) may need to be manually replaced via the Change icon option (long-click on the icon → Edit).

If icons don’t apply to all apps, try:

• 🔄 Reboot the launcher (in the settings, find Reboot).
• 📦 Install an alternative icon pack (e.g., Whicons for white icons).
• 🛠️ Use the Icon Changer app to force a replacement.

⚠️ Warning: On HyperOS devices (e.g. Xiaomi 14), some icon packs may not display correctly due to the changed theme architecture, in which case only manual replacement via ADB (see section 5) will help.

4.Configure the control panel and notification center

The notification panel and quick settings are key elements that give Android away, to bring them closer to iOS:

Method 1: Through the MIUI settings

• 📱 Go to Settings → Notification Panel and Status Bar.
• 🔄 Turn off App Shortcuts (this will remove notification icons from the panel).
• 🎨 Enable Dark Mode and set the Accent Color: Blue (as in iOS).

Method 2: Control Center iOS 17

This third-party solution mimics the iPhone's control panel with a swipe from the bottom up.

1. Download Control Center iOS 17 from Google Play.
2. Enable Overlay permission over other applications (in security settings).
3. Set up shortcuts: add Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Lantern and Airplane Mode (like on iPhone).
4. Activate the gesture: swipe from the bottom up on the right edge of the screen.

Limitations:

• 🚫 Does not work on a locked screen.
• 🚫 Some switches (e.g., Mobile Data) require root rights.

💡

To make the control panel open smoother, turn off window animation in Settings → Special features → Delete animation.

5. Advanced Methods: ADB and Hidden Settings

For maximum similarity to iOS, you will need to manually configure through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which is suitable for advanced users and allows you to:

• 🔧 Change system animations (speed, style).

Instructions for setting up through ADB:

1. Install Platform Tools on your PC (official website).
2. Turn on USB Debugging on your smartphone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times), then Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging over USB.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the commands:

adb shell settings put global transition_animation_scale 0.5


adb shell settings put global window_animation_scale 0.5




adb shell settings put global animator_duration_scale 0.5




adb shell settings put secure force_dark 1

To simulate the gestures of the iPhone (swipe from below for return):

adb shell settings put global force_fsg_nav_bar 1

⚠️ Warning: Incorrect ADB commands can cause system failure. Before experimenting, back up via Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset. On HyperOS devices, some commands may not work — you need to adapt to the new shell.

💡

ADB allows you to change system settings that are not available through standard settings, but it requires caution and backup.

6. Additional chips: sounds, fonts and wallpaper

The details play a key role in the perception of the interface, to complete the transformation:

Sounds and notifications

• 🔔 Download the iOS sound pack (e.g., iPhone Ringtones from Google Play).
• 📱 Set them through Settings → Sounds and Vibrations → Notification Sound.
• 🎵 For system sounds (unlock, charge) use the Zedge app.

Fonts

• 📜 In the Mi Theme Store, look for the San Francisco font (similar to the iPhone font).
• 🔤 Apply it through Settings → Additional → Font.

Wallpaper.

• 🖼️ Download iOS 17 wallpaper in high resolution (for example, from WallpapersCraft).
• 📱 Install through Gallery → Set as wallpaper by selecting Screen Fill.

To automatically change wallpaper (as in iOS), use the Wallpaper Engine or Muzei app.

Comparison of methods: what gives the maximum effect?

For maximum effect, combine:

1. Lawnchair launcher with a pack of iOS 17 Icons icons.
2. Theme from the Mi Theme Store (such as iOS Dark Mode)
3. Control Center control panel for iOS 17.
4. ADB settings for animations and gestures.

FAQ: Frequent questions