How to update your emoji on Xiaomi: 5 ways to MIUI 14 and 15

Xiaomi smartphone emojis often lag behind current versions offered by Google or Apple.If you are tired of outdated emojis with yellow faces or the lack of new characters (for example, the company has a new name, 🫠 "melting smiley" or 🧑💻 "You can update them in a number of ways. In this article, we will discuss all working methods, from standard to advanced, including manual font replacement and use of fonts. ADB.

It is important to understand that the version of smileys depends on two factors: the firmware MIUI (the shell Xiaomi) and the version of Android. For example, in MIUI 14 based on Android 13 emojis may differ from those in MIUI 15 on Android 14. We will look at solutions for both cases, as well as universal methods that work independently of the version of the software.

Before you start, check the current version of the emoji on your device. Open any message, type: and see what the emoji looks like. 😊. If it's flat, it's not volume, it's yellow, your emojis are obsolete. In the newer versions, Google uses a more realistic design with gradients and a little bit more of a scaling. 3D-effects.

1. Update emojis via MIUI update

The easiest way is to wait for the official firmware update. Xiaomi periodically updates system fonts, including emojis, in new versions of MIUI.

⏳ Updates are issued infrequently (every 2-3 months for a stable branch).
📱 Not all models get the latest versions. MIUI (For example, budget smartphones Redmi 9A POCO M3 They may stay on the old firmware).

To check for updates:

Go to Settings → About Phone → Update MIUI.
Click Check for updates.
If a new version is available, download and install it.

After updating, smileys may not change immediately. Sometimes you need to reboot the device or clear the cache of the Android System WebView app (find it in Settings → Apps → All apps).

📊 How often do you update your firmware on Xiaomi?

Every week.

Once a month

Only with critical updates

Never update.

2. Installation of third-party keyboards with new emojis

If the official update is delayed, you can use third-party keyboards, which don't change the system emojis, but offer custom emoji sets that are displayed in the messengers.

🔹 Gboard (from Google) – Supports the latest versions of emojis, including Emoji 15.1 (2026).
🔹 SwiftKey (from Microsoft) – allows you to choose the style of emoji (including design from Google, Apple or Twitter).
🔹 Fleksy – lightweight keyboard with customizable emojis.

To install the Gboard:

Download the app from Google Play.
Go to Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual keyboard.
Activate Gboard and set it with the default keyboard.
In Gboard settings, select Themes → Emoji and enable the option to Show Google-style emojis.

Note that some messengers (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) will display emojis in the style of the app, not the keyboard. To fix this, you need to change the system fonts (more about this in the following sections).

💡

If the emojis haven’t changed after installing Gboard, try clearing the cache of the Android System WebView app in your phone’s settings.

3. Manual emoji update via Magisk (root)

For advanced users who are ready to get root rights, there is a way to completely replace the system emoji with the current one, which requires unlocking the bootloader and installing Magisk, but gives the most reliable result.

You'll need:

📱 Xiaomi smartphone with unlocked bootloader.
🔧 Installed Magisk (instructions for installation can be found on the XDA Developers).
📦 Emoji Replacer or EmojiKit for Magisk.

Step-by-step:

Download the Emoji Replacer module from GitHub.
Transfer the.zip file to your phone’s memory.
Open Magisk Manager, go to Modules and click Install from Storage.
Select the downloaded file and confirm the installation.
Reset the device.

After the reboot, all system emojis will be replaced with current ones (the default is Google style).If you don’t like the design, you can choose other sets from the module settings, for example, from Apple, Samsung or Twitter.

What if the emojis have not changed after the installation of the module?

If the emojis are the same, check: 1. Is the module installed correctly (should be displayed in the list of active in Magisk). 2. Compatibility of the module with your version of Android (some modules do not work on Android 14). 3. Conflicts with other modules (turn them off temporarily). If the problem persists, try another module, for example, EmojiKit or iFont (requires additional settings).

4. Replace fonts through ADB (no root)

If you don’t want root rights but are willing to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), you can replace system fonts manually.This method works on most Xiaomi devices with Android 10 and later, but requires caution – wrong actions can lead to a system failure.

You'll need:

🖥️ Computer with installed ADB and Fastboot.
📱 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times press the version MIUI, Then go back to the settings. → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
📁 Archive with emoji fonts (can be downloaded from the XDA ling).

Instructions:

adb shell


su




mount -o rw,remount /system




cp -r /sdcard/Download/emoji_fonts/* /system/fonts/




chmod 644 /system/fonts/*




reboot

Where /sdcard/Download/emoji_fonts/ — The path to the folder with the downloaded fonts (for example, NotoColorEmoji.ttf) After completing the commands, the phone will restart, and the emoji will be updated.

💡

Before replacing fonts through ADB, make sure to back up the original files from /system/fonts/. This will help restore the system in case of an error.

5.Use of applications to replace emojis

For users who don’t want to mess with ADB or root, there are special apps that change the display of emojis. They work on the principle of overlay (laid new emoji on top of the system) and do not require deep changes in the firmware.

Best applications:

🎨 Emoji Changer – allows you to choose the style of emoji (Google, Apple, Samsung) and applies it to all applications.
🖼️ iFont – Changes fonts, including emoji, without root (requires permission to install fonts in Android settings).
🔄 Textra SMS — messenger with support for customization of emoji (works only inside the application).

Example of iFont setup:

Download iFont from Google Play.
In the app, select the Emoji section and download your favorite set (e.g. Emoji One or Twitter Emoji).
Click Set and select Soft Install (if there is no root).
Reboot the phone.

A disadvantage of this method: not all apps support replacing emojis via overlays.In some cases, emojis will appear in the old style (for example, on Instagram or VK).

Download the application from the official store

Make a backup of current fonts

Check compatibility with the Android version

Restart the phone after installation-->

6. Updating emojis through custom firmware

If you use custom firmware (like LineageOS, Pixel Experience or ArrowOS), smileys are updated with firmware. Most custom builds use Google's current emoji, so the problem of outdated emojis disappears by itself.

To install custom firmware:

Unlock the bootloader on your Xiaomi (instructions are on the official website).
Install custom Recovery (TWRP or OrangeFox).
Download the firmware from the XDA Developers website (choose build for your model!).
Sweep through the receptacles and run Wipe Dalvik/Cache.

Advantages of custom firmware:

🆕 Regular updates to emojis and safety.
🚀 Better productivity compared to stock MIUI.
🎛️ More opportunities for customization.

However, there are risks:

⚠️ Loss of warranty (if the bootloader is unlocked).
⚠️ Possible bugs (not all functions can work correctly).
⚠️ Difficulty rolling back to stock firmware.

💡

Before installing custom firmware, check user reviews of your model on the forums. Some firmware may not support the camera or NFC.

Comparison of Emoji Update Methods on Xiaomi

Method	Difficulty	Need root?	Compatibility	Risks.
MIUI Update	⭐	❌ No.	All models.	Long wait for updates
Third-party keyboards	⭐⭐	❌ No.	All models.	Emojis only change in the keyboard
Magisk + Emoji Replacer	⭐⭐⭐⭐	✅ Yes.	Android 9+	Risk of "brike" in an error
ADB (no root)	⭐⭐⭐	❌ No.	Android 10+	The font settings may be confused
Applications (iFont, Emoji Changer)	⭐⭐	❌ No.	Android 8+	Not all apps support replacements
Custom firmware	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	✅ Yes.	Depends on the model.	Loss of warranty, possible bugs

The choice of method depends on your skills and willingness to take risks. For most users, the best solution is to install Gboard or use iFont. If you are an experienced user and ready to experiment, try Magisk or custom firmware.

FAQ: Frequent questions about updating emojis on Xiaomi

Can I upgrade my emoji without root and ADB?

Yes, there are two ways: Install a third-party keyboard (like Gboard) that supports new emojis; use apps like iFont or Emoji Changer that replace fonts without making a deep change to the system; however, these methods do not guarantee that emojis will be replaced in all applications (like WhatsApp or Instagram, emojis may remain the same).

Why did the emojis not change after the MIUI update?

This can happen for several reasons: Xiaomi hasn't updated the fonts in your MIUI build (sometimes emojis are only updated in global or Chinese versions of firmware); the app cache isn't cleared (try to clean up Android System WebView data); you're using a custom theme that redefines system fonts. Solution: check the Emoji version of the emoji on the Emojipedia site and compare it to what you see on the phone. If the difference is significant, try other methods from this article.

Can I bring back old emojis if I don’t like new ones?

Yes, for this: If you used Magisk, delete the Emoji Replacer module and restart your phone. If you changed fonts through ADB, return the original files from the backup to /system/fonts/. If you installed custom firmware, go back to stock MIUI. For applications like iFont, it is enough to delete the installed fonts in the program settings.

Will the new emojis be displayed in my interlocutors?

No, your interlocutors will see emojis in the style that supports their device or messenger. 😊 You can see it in Telegram, you can see it in Apple style, and you can see it in Samsung style, and if you use Gboard, you'll see Google-style emojis, but they'll be sent in a universal format (Unicode), and they'll show up on the recipient side depending on their system. Exception: if you and your partner use the same customization-enabled messenger (e.g., Discord with BetterDiscord plugin), then emojis can be displayed the same way.

Why do some apps keep emojis old?

This is because some apps (e.g. Facebook, VK, Instagram) use their own emoji fonts that are independent of the system. Solutions: Try clearing the cache of the problem application. Use the browser version of the service (in Chrome or Firefox, emoji will be system). Install a modified version of the application (e.g. VKontakte Mod), which supports the replacement of the fonts.

If none of these methods worked, your Xiaomi model may have firmware limitations, so you can either wait for an official update or consider switching to custom firmware with up-to-date emoji support.