How to change the app icon on Xiaomi Redmi 8: 5 proven ways

Introduction: Why Standard Icons Are Irritating to Users

Xiaomi Redmi 8 with a MIUI shell offers many customization options, but standard app icons often look monotonous. Many users want to personalize their device to reflect their style or simply be more convenient to use. Replacing icons is one of the most popular ways to transform the interface without installing custom firmware.

In this article, we’ll look at all the available methods, from simple (using MIUI themes) to advanced (manual replacement via ADB). Each method is suitable for different levels of training – choose the one that is closest to you. It’s important to consider that some methods may require unlocking the bootloader or root rights, which voids the warranty.

Method 1: Using the built-in MIUI themes

The safest and easiest method is to use ready-made themes from the official Xiaomi Themes store, which does not require root rights and is suitable even for beginners, and the themes already have alternative icons for most popular applications.

How to do this:

• 📱 Open the Themes app (icon with brush) on the home screen.
• 🔍 In the search box, type the title of the theme (for example, "Minimal", "Dark", "iOS Style").
• 🎨 Choose your favorite theme and click Apply – the icons will change automatically.
• ⚙️ In the theme settings, you can choose which interface elements to change (only icons or everything in a row).

Note that not all themes support replacing icons for third-party apps (such as Telegram or WhatsApp), in which case icons will remain standard.

Method 2: Installation of a third-party launcher

If built-in themes are not enough, you can install an alternative launcher (for example, Nova Launcher, Apex Launcher or Microsoft Launcher), which allows you to install icons from packs downloaded from the Play Market.

The following is a step-by-step instruction for Nova Launcher:

1. Download and install Nova Launcher from Google Play.
2. Launch the launcher and select it as the main one (the system will suggest doing this when you first start).
3. Download your favorite icon pack (for example, "Whicons", "Moonshine", "CandyCons").
4. In the Nova Launcher settings, go to Appearance → Icon Style and select the package installed.

The advantage of this method is flexibility: you can change the icons separately for each application or apply the packages completely. MIUI Launcher.

Download APK launcher from the official website|Make a backup of current settings|Check compatibility with the Android version|Turn off battery optimization for launcher-->

Method 3: Manual change through ADB (no root)

For advanced users willing to work with the command line, there is a method of replacing icons through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which does not require root rights, but requires connecting the smartphone to a computer.

What you need:

• 💻 Computer with installed ADB-driver.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB Redmi 8 (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap to unlock the developer mode, then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🖼️ Prepared icons in.png format with resolution 192×192 pixel.

Instructions:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and open the command line (cmd in Windows or Terminal in macOS/Linux).
2. Check the connection command: Adb devices should appear the name of your device.
3. Download the icon to your phone in /sdcard/Download.
4. Execute the command to replace (example for WhatsApp): adb shell pm set-icon --user 0 com.whatsapp /sdcard/Download/whatsapp_icon.png

This method does not work on all versions of MIUI. Redmi 8 with MIUI 12+ may require an additional command to unlock the changes:

adb shell pm grant com.miui.home android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS

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Before replacing the icons through ADB Backup the original files with the adb pull command /data/app/[package_name]/, where [package_name] — Application identifier (e.g. com.android.chrome).

Method 4: Using Apps to Replace Icons

If ADB seems too complex, you can use specialized applications such as Icon Changer, Awesome Icons or X Icon Changer. These allow you to change icons manually without deep technical knowledge.

Example for Icon Changer:

1. Download and install the Icon Changer.
2. Select the app you want to change (like YouTube).
3. Click Select an icon and specify the path to the new image (you can choose from the gallery or download from the Internet).
4. Confirm the changes – a new icon will appear on the main screen.

Limitation: these apps create shortcuts instead of the original icons, which means that when you update an app or reboot your smartphone, the icon may reset, and some launchers (such as the standard MIUI Launcher) do not support this feature.

Method 5: Replacing icons with root rights

For the most advanced users who are ready to get root access, there are unlimited customization options, and with root, you can change system icons directly by editing files in /system/app or /data/app folders.

How it works:

• 🔓 Get root access with Magisk (instructions for Redmi 8 can be found on the forum) XDA Developers).
• 📁 Use Root Explorer or Solid Explorer to navigate through system folders.
• 🖼️ Find a folder with the app icons (usually) /data/app/[package_name]/res/drawable).
• 🔄 Replace your icon files (.png or.webp) with your own, retaining the original names and permissions.
• 🔄 Reset the device.

Critically, improper editing of system files can cause the MIUI shell to crash or the device to freeze. Always back up before making changes!

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Root access gives you maximum customization freedom, but it voids the warranty and increases the risk of disrupting the stability of the system, and only use this method if you are confident in your actions.

Frequent problems and their solutions

When replacing icons, users of Xiaomi Redmi 8 often encounter typical errors.

Problem 1: Icons are reset after the app update.

⚠️ Note: This is because apps overwrite their resources when they update, the solution is to use a launcher with support for icon packages (for example, Nova Launcher) or re-enforce changes through the service. ADB.

Problem 2: Not all icons change in the chosen theme.

Some MIUI themes support replacement only for system applications, and third-party ones (such as Instagram or VK) will have to use a launcher or ADB.

Problem 3: After being replaced by ADB, the icon is not updated.

Try clearing the launcher cache (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Launcher → Clear the cache) or restarting the device. If it doesn't work, check the path to the icon in the team is correct.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions