Update emojis on Xiaomi: 5 ways to install new emoji

Standard emojis on Xiaomi smartphones often look outdated compared to emojis on iPhones or pure Android devices. If you notice that your smileys are lagging behind trends - for example, there are no new characters like the ones that are not available. 🫠 (melting face) or 🫡 (Military fireworks, problem solved. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to update emojis on Redmi, POCO or Mi, including methods without root rights and with them.

It's important to understand that the emoji version depends on the MIUI firmware and the system font. For example, in MIUI 14, the emoji is closer to Android 13, but on older versions (for example, MIUI 12.5) you will see a stripped-down set. We tested all the methods on models from the Redmi Note 10 Pro to the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, the results are summarized in the comparison table below.

Why do Xiaomi emojis look different?

Xiaomi uses its own emoji set, based on the open source Noto Color Emoji project, but with modifications, which leads to two key problems:

• 🔄 Lack of new characters: Google and Apple add dozens of emojis each year (for example, in 2023, there were new characters). 🩷 — pink heart, and MIUI updates them late.
• 🎨 Design: Xiaomi emojis often have a simplified look (e.g., emojis, 😂 tearlessly 👍 less detailed).
• ⚙️ Dependence on the Android version: even on the fresh MIUI 15 emojis can match Android 12 if the system kernel hasn't updated.

Before you start a replacement, check the current version of the emoji. Open any emoji message (e.g., emoji, 🚀) And compare it to what it looks like on Emojipedia. If the differences are significant, it's time to act.

Method 1: Update MIUI to the latest version (official method)

The safest way is to upgrade the firmware. In newer versions of MIUI (starting with MIUI 13), emojis are brought to Android 12/13, which adds hundreds of new characters.

1. Open Settings → About the phone → Update MIUI.
2. Click Check Updates and wait for the package to load (if available).
3. Install the update and restart the device.

⚠️ Note: If your device is no longer supported (e.g. Redmi Note 8 Pro stopped at the end of the day). MIUI 12.5), this method won't work. In that case, move on to methods 2-5.

💡

Updating MIUI is the only way to get official support for new emojis without risking a warranty.

Method 2: Install themes with new emojis (no ruts)

If you don't have a firmware update, try MIUI Themes. Some developers create themes that replace the system emoji with the current ones.

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. In the search bar, enter emoji or emojis.
3. Select a theme that is rated above 4.5 and read reviews (look for references to support new characters).
4. Click Apply and restart the phone.

🔍 How do you find a good topic? Pay attention to the:

• 📅 Update: Theme must be updated in the last 3 months.
• 💬 Reviews: Check user screenshots – sometimes emojis aren’t completely replaced.
• 🌐 Language: Some topics only work in Chinese firmware.

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Before you install the theme, back up your current settings in Settings → Additional → Backup. This will help you return the original look if the new emojis don’t show up correctly.

⚠️ Note: Themes are only replaced by emojis in system applications (Messages, Contacts). on WhatsApp, Telegram or Instagram, emojis will remain old - these apps use their own fonts.

Method 3: Manually update the emoji font (requires unlocking the bootloader)

For advanced users, there is a method of replacing the system font NotoColorEmoji.ttf. This requires an unlocked bootloader and access to ADB.

Backup data |Install ADB and Fastboot on PC | Download current emoji font (e.g. from GitHub) |Unlock bootloader (instructions for Xiaomi)

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1. Download the archive with a new font (e.g. Google's Noto Emoji).
2. Connect your phone to your PC and open the ADB terminal.
3. Follow the commands: adb shell su mount -o rw, remount /system cp /sdcard/Download/NotoColorEmoji.ttf /system/fonts/ chmod 644 /system/fonts/NotoColorEmoji.ttf reboot

Critical: Incorrectly changing the font can lead to bootloop (locked phone turn on).Be sure before action you have a custom recap (TWRP) to recover.

🔧 Alternative: Use the Magisk Emoji Replacer module, which allows you to replace emojis without manually copying files:

1. Install Magisk (root required).
2. Download the Emoji Replacer module from the Magisk repository.
3. Select an emoji package (like iOS 16.4 or Android 14).
4. Reset the device.

Method 4: Using a keyboard with your own emoji

If you're not able to replace your system emoji, you can install a keyboard with the right emojis.

• 📱 Gboard (Google): automatically loads new emojis from the cloud. In the keyboard settings, turn on Show Android-style emojis.
• 🍎 SwiftKey (Microsoft): Supports emoji style from iOS and Twitter.
• 🎨 Emoji Keyboard (from Google Play): Allows you to choose the style of emoji (including Samsung or WhatsApp).

⚠️ Note: The keyboard only changes the display of the emoji when you type. In the received messages, the emoji will look like the emoji sent by the interlocutor (depending on his device).

Method 5: Firmware custom ROM (for power users)

If you want the latest emojis (like Android 15), consider installing custom firmware like LineageOS, Pixel Experience or ArrowOS. These firmware use Google stock fonts, which are updated more often than MIUI.

📌 Pluses:

• 🆕 Full set of emojis from the latest version of Android.
• 🚀 Best performance (no extra software from Xiaomi).
• 🔄 Regular security updates.

⚠️ Cons and risks:

• 🔧 Requires unlocking the bootloader and installation TWRP.
• 📵 Possible problems with the camera or sensors (depending on the model).
• 🛡️ Loss of warranty (if the device is under warranty).

🔗 Where do I download:

- LineageOS (stable version)

Pixel Experience (emojis like Google Pixel)

ArrowOS (maximum customization)

Solving problems after emoji update

If you have encountered bugs after replacing emojis, use these tips:

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If some characters (such as country flags) are missing after the emoji update, check Unicode support in your firmware. Android 12+ may be required for the full set.

FAQ: Frequent questions about updating emojis on Xiaomi