How to change the app icon on Xiaomi: 5 working ways for MIUI

App icons on Xiaomi smartphones are the first thing that catches your eye when unlocking the screen. Standard icons from MIUI do not always match your style or mood, and some users want to highlight frequently used programs in vivid pictures. Fortunately, you can change the icon on Xiaomi in several ways, from simple themes to manual editing via ADB.

In this article, we will break down all the current methods, including the use of third-party launchers, built-in MIUI features, and hidden opportunities for advanced users. We will pay special attention to the nuances for different versions of the shell (from MIUI 12 to MIUI 14) and smartphone models – from the budget Redmi to the flagship Xiaomi 13. If you want to make the screen unique or just tired of the standard design, read on!

Why can’t standard icons be good?

The icon designs in MIUI are often criticized for being monotonous, and here are the main reasons why users want to change them:

🎨 Style inconsistency: Standard icons may look too “childish” or not fit into the chosen theme of design.
👀 Poor readability: Some wallpaper icons blend in with the background, especially if dark themes are used.
🔍 Confusion between apps: Similar icons (like Gallery and Google Photos) make it difficult to search fast.
💡 Desire for personalization: many people want to highlight frequently used programs (messaging, banking) with bright or non-standard icons.

Also, MIUI does not have an inbuilt feature to change icons for individual applications (unlike some custom firmware), which can be circumvented by using third-party tools or hidden settings.

⚠️ Note: Not all methods work on devices with a locked bootloader, such as manually changing through the bootloader. ADB requires unlocking and may result in data resetting.

Method 1: Using MIUI themes (the easiest method)

The safest and most official way to change icons is to install a theme from the MIUI Themes store.This method does not require root rights and works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models.

How to do this:

Open the Themes app (the icon with a brush on your desktop).
Go to the Icons section in the lower menu.
Select your favorite icon pack and click Apply.
Confirm the change – all icons on the desktop will be updated automatically.

Advantages of the method:

🔄 Quick application without rebooting.
🎨 A large selection of styles (minimalism, 3D, gradients.).
🔒 Safe – does not affect system files.

Parameter	MIUI 12/13	MIUI 14
Support for animated icons	❌ No.	✅ Yes (on some devices)
Change icons of individual applications	❌ Only in a package.	❌ Only in a package.
Reset to standard icons	✅ Through the theme menu	✅ Through the theme menu

⚠️ Note: Some themes may charge for categorizing icons (e.g., social media or gaming) and check which icons are included in the package before buying.

📊 How often do you change the theme of your design on Xiaomi?

Once a week.

Once a month

Rarely, only when buying a phone.

Never changed.

Method 2: Third-party launchers (Nova, Apex, Microsoft Launcher)

If the built-in themes are not enough, you can install an alternative launcher.

🌟 Nova Launcher – Supports Play Market icon packages and manual replacement.
🎯 Apex Launcher – lightweight and fast, with wide icon settings.
💼 Microsoft Launcher – Windows integration and cloud themes.

Instructions for Nova Launcher:

Install the launcher from Google Play and make it the main one (a sentence will pop up when you first start).
Download a pack of icons (e.g. Whicons, CandyCons) from the store.
Press your finger on the desktop → Settings → Style of icons.
Select the installed pack of icons.

For manual replacement of individual icons:

Hold your finger on the app icon.
In the menu that appears, select Change.
Click on the icon → Gallery and select your image (recommended size is 192×192 px).

Make sure you have 200.+ MB of free memory

Disable battery optimization for launcher

Download a pack of icons in advance

Backup your current desktop (via Settings → Applications → Launcher → Storage)

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Important: On some Xiaomi models (such as the Redmi Note 10 Pro), a back gesture may disappear after installing a third-party launcher. To return it, go to Settings → System → Gestures → Navigation Bar and select Navigation Buttons.

Method 3: Applications for changing icons (Icon Changer, Shortcut Maker)

If you don't want to change the launcher, you can use specialized utilities, which create shortcuts with new icons without affecting the original files.

Best applications:

🔄 Icon Changer – Simple interface, support for.png and.ico.
🛠️ Shortcut Maker – allows you to change not only icons, but also shortcut names.
🎨 Icon Pack Studio – to create your icons from scratch.

The following steps are taken for Icon Changer:

Install an app from the Play Market.
Select the app you want to change the icon.
Click Select an icon and upload your image (or select from the app gallery).
Save the label – it will appear on the desktop.

⚠️ Note: Shortcuts created through these apps are not automatically updated when the original icon is changed. For example, if WhatsApp updates its logo, your custom icon will remain the same.

How to remove unnecessary labels?

To remove a shortcut created through Icon Changer or Shortcut Maker, simply pinch it on your desktop and drag it to the cart (the "Delete" icon at the top of the screen).

Method 4: Manual change through ADB (for advanced)

This method is suitable for those who are ready to work with the command line, it allows you to change the icon of the system application (for example, Settings or Phone), but requires an unlocked bootloader and enabled debugging over USB.

What you need:

🖥️ Computer with installed ADB and Fastboot.
📱 Xiaomi smartphone with unlocked bootloader.
🔧 Icon in.png format (size) 192×192 px, title — ic_launcher.png).

Instructions:

adb pull /data/app/com.example.app/base.apk # Copy APK applications on PC

Change the icon in base.apk using APK Editor (e.g. via https://apktool.org)



adb install -r base.apk # Install the modified application back

Risks of the method:

🚨 Possible brick (turning the phone into a brick) in case of an error.
🔄 After updating MIUI change.
🛡️ System File Integrity is Violated (Google Pay may be blocked).

💡

Before working with ADB, make a full backup via adb backup -apk -shared -all -f backup.ab. This will help recover data in the event of a crash.

Method 5: Using the Xposed Framework (only for MIUI 12 and below)

Xposed Framework is a platform for deep modification of Android, but it is not officially supported on newer versions of MIUI (13+).If you have Xiaomi on MIUI 12 or older, you can try the Unicon module:

Steps:

Install Xposed Installer and activate the framework.
Download the Unicon module from the Xposed repository.
Reboot your phone and open Unicon.
Select an app and assign a new icon from the gallery.

Limitations:

⚠️ Not working. MIUI 13/14 patchless.
🔋 Increased battery consumption (up to) 10-15%).
🔒 It may be in conflict with Google Services.

💡

Xposed Framework is outdated for modern versions of MIUI. If you have an Android 11+ smartphone (MIUI 12.5+), use launchers or ADB instead.

Frequent problems and their solutions

When you change icons, users encounter common mistakes, and here's how to fix them:

Problem.	Reason.	Decision
Icons don’t change after the topic is applied	Launcher cache not cleared	Go to Settings → Applications → Launcher → Storage → Clear cache
The new icons look blurry	Incorrect image size	Use 192×192 px icons in.png format with transparent background
Labels disappear after reboot	Launcher resets the settings	Set the launcher as the main one in Settings → Home screen
You can not change the system application icon	MIUI restrictions	Use ADB or Xposed (see Methods 4 and 5)

If the phone starts to slow down after the changes, try:

🔄 Reset the device.
🧹 Clear the cache in Settings → Memory. → Cleanup.
🗑️ Remove unused icon packs.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions

Can I change the icon for one app without changing all the others?

Yes, it's possible in two ways: through third-party launchers (like Nova Launcher), where you can assign a custom icon for each shortcut separately; through apps like Shortcut Maker, which create new shortcuts with your icons; embedded MIUI themes only change icons in packages for all applications.

Why did my custom icons drop after the MIUI update?

This is because: The update resets the launcher settings (if a third-party launcher was used, it needs to be reconfigured). System applications (Settings, Phone) restore standard icons when you update. Solution: before updating, take screenshots of current settings or export the launcher configuration (if such a feature is supported).

How to return standard MIUI icons?

Depending on the method of change: If you used MIUI themes: open the Themes app → Mine → select a standard theme. If there was a third-party launcher: delete it or reset it to Launcher Settings → Reset. If you changed it through ADB: reinstall the original application or reset (Settings → About Phone → Reset).

Can I Animate Icons on Xiaomi?

Yes, but with limitations: On MIUI 14, some themes support animated icons (like clicking). With Nova Launcher + Dynamic Icons plugin, you can add simple animation. Full-featured animation (like on iPhone) requires root rights and custom firmware. Example animation themes: "MIUI 14 Dynamic", "Alive Icons" (available in the the theme store).

Is it safe to use ADB to change icons?

Use of the ADB Safe if: You follow the instructions accurately and don't modify system files that aren't associated with icons. You have an adb backup. You don't modify applications that are critical to the system (e.g., Services Framework). APK-The application file that will cause it to crash. ADB It's limited. For beginners, we recommend starting with a few things. 1-3 (themes, launchers, applications).