How to make themes for Xiaomi as similar as possible to iOS: the complete guide

Xiaomi users’ desire to have the functionality and appearance of Apple’s iOS operating system is understandable: smooth animation, minimalist design and thoughtful logic of Apple devices have become the industry benchmark. However, the cost of original products from the Cupertino company often forces owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones to look for alternative ways to get a premium experience without significant financial investments. Fortunately, the MIUI shell and its latest version of HyperOS provide tremendous opportunities for customization, allowing visually and functionally closer interface to iOS.

The process of transforming your device into an “iPhone” does not require deep knowledge of programming or obtaining root rights, although it involves installing a number of specialized applications and themes. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to turn standard Android into a recognizable interface of iOS 17 or iOS 16 using the official tools of the theme store and third-party launchers. You will learn what elements of the system need to be replaced to achieve maximum similarity, and where to find quality resources for downloading.

It’s important to understand that deep customization is not just about changing wallpapers, but a holistic approach that involves system fonts, application icons, widgets, and even control center behavior. A well-chosen theme for Xiaomi can hide recognizable MIUI features by replacing them with Apple’s signature design elements, such as rounded corners, specific fonts, and characteristic animations. Let’s look at the main tools to achieve this goal.

Use of the official application "Themes" for basic styling

The easiest and safest way to change the look of a smartphone is to use the built-in Theme app, which is preinstalled on all Xiaomi devices. In the store search box, you just need to type in queries like “iOS 17”, “iPhone style” or “Apple UI” to access dozens of ready-made solutions. These packages usually include a set of icons, lock screen wallpaper and system sounds that mimic the original as much as possible.

However, it is worth considering that free themes often contain advertising or limited functionality, and may not completely overlap the system elements of HyperOS. Paid options, as a rule, are worked out in more detail: they change the shape of the switches, the style of the volume sliders and the appearance of the settings menu. After downloading and applying the theme, the system may require a reboot to correctly display all graphic elements.

For best results, it is recommended to combine the official theme with manual widget customization. Standard MIUI widgets can be knocked out of the iOS concept, so they are better replaced with analogues that more accurately copy the style of Apple widgets, or use third-party applications to create custom widgets.

• 🍏 Open the Themes app and search for “iOS 17 Pro” to find relevant designs.
• 🎨 Pay attention to the theme rating and the number of downloads – this is a guarantee of quality and the absence of bugs.
• ⚙️ After applying the theme, go to the lock screen settings to adjust the style of the watch and date to the style of Apple.
• 🔊 Don’t forget to replace the system ringtones with standard iPhone tunes for a full immersion.

Installation of third-party launchers for full interface imitation

If the store’s built-in capabilities aren’t enough, third-party launchers come to the rescue, replacing the desktop and app menus completely, and the Launcher iOS 17 app has been the leader in this niche for many years (developers change frequently, search by name in Google Play or GetApps), which not only changes icons, but also recreates the logic of iOS, including the characteristic “Control Center” and “Control Point” menus.

Once installed, your Redmi or POCO smartphone will have a right-to-left swipe to navigate between desktop pages, as well as a branded “bang” or “dynamic island” at the top of the screen that responds to notifications and music playback. It is important to give the app all the necessary permissions, including access to notifications and auto-start, to ensure that the functionality works stably.

It’s worth noting that using third-party launchers can slightly increase RAM consumption, which on budget models with 3-4 GB of RAM can lead to more frequent unloading of background applications. However, the visual effect is worth it: you get almost a full copy of the iPhone interface, including animations of opening folders and folding applications.

Some advanced launchers also offer the option of setting up Dynamic Island, which turns the camera cutout into an interactive control. It’s one of the most recognizable features of modern iPhones, and its implementation on Xiaomi looks particularly spectacular.

• 🚀 Launchers allow you to change not only the icons, but also the dock bar, the desktop grid and transitions between screens.
• 🛡️ Be careful when granting access rights – only use proven high-scoring apps.
• 🔄 To return to the standard interface, just go to the settings and change the launcher by default.

Transformation of the control center and lock screen

One of the most notable differences between iOS and standard Android is the separation of the notification curtain and the control center. In the iPhone, the swipe on the left opens notifications, and the swipe on the right opens quick settings. On Xiaomi, this behavior can be emulated using special plug-in apps such as Control Center iOS 17.

These apps layer on top of the system shell, intercepting gestures and displaying custom control panels. You get access to Apple-style brightness and volume sliders, as well as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Do Not Disturb switches that look one-on-one as original. The setup allows you to flexibly change the grid size, background transparency and a set of available switches.

⚠️ Note: Apps replacing the control center require permission to “Map on top of other windows” and access special features, which is necessary for the correct operation of gestures, but in theory can create vulnerabilities if you download malicious software. Use only proven programs from Google Play.

The lock screen also requires a separate setup if the standard theme doesn’t completely block it. Apps like Lock Screen & Notifications iOS allow you to recreate the famous lock screen with large watches, widgets and a characteristic way to unlock, you can see stop-style notifications, like on an iPhone, and interact with them with swipes.

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For maximum realism, disable the standard system keyboard sounds and locks in the audio settings, replacing them with audio files from iOS.

Setup Dynamic Island and interactive elements

Dynamic Island has become the hallmark of the new iPhone, and Xiaomi owners want it too, and emulator apps that create a black oval or capsule element around the front camera are not just static: it expands when playing music, showing the cover of the track and control buttons, or displays the call timer and charging status.

Setting up an island allows you to choose its style (static or dynamic), size and behavior for various system events. For example, when an incoming call is made, the island can expand smoothly, showing the contactor name and response buttons. This is not only beautiful, but also functional, because it allows you to quickly access frequently used functions without opening applications.

It’s important to understand that the Dynamic Island implementation on Android is software emulation and doesn’t have access to FaceID hardware sensors or camera depth in the same volume as the original.However, the visual effect and basic functionality (music, timer, charging) work perfectly on most Xiaomi models.

Replacement of system fonts and sound schemes

The devil is in the details, and one of those details is the font. Apple uses its own San Francisco font, which gives the text a branded look. In the Xiaomi theme store, you can find substitute fonts that are as similar as possible to the original, or install them manually through the Settings menu → Screen → Font (the path may vary depending on the version of MIUI).

Audio is also key to system perception: the characteristic unlock sound, camera click, keyboard vibration and notification melody are all replaceable. Ringtones (.mp3 or.m4r) are easily found online on request for "iOS sounds" and installed via a standard conductor or Sound app.

Replacing the sounds of system events (such as the sound of a charging connection or low battery charge) may require more complex manipulations, including renaming system files, which requires caution.

• 🔊 Download the iOS sound pack and place it in the Ringtones or Notifications folder in internal memory.
• 🔤 Look for fonts with names like “San Francisco”, “iOS Font” or “Apple Font” in the “Fonts” section of the theme store.
• 📳 Set up tactile response (vibration) in the keyboard settings to simulate the sensation of printing on iPhone.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about Customization

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Integrated customization is a balance between visual beauty and performance. Don't install too many heavy widgets at once unless you have a flagship model.