Are you tired of standard emojis on Xiaomi that look faded compared to bright emojis iPhone? Good news: transfer iPhone emojis on Redmi, POCO or any other Xiaomi smartphone in 5-15 minutes - and this does not always require root access. In this article, we will discuss 3 working methods (including the easiest for beginners), compare the top emoji replacement apps and warn about pitfalls that can spoil your chat on WhatsApp or Telegram.
To be clear, Apple doesn’t provide an official way to export its emojis, so all of the solutions are based on workarounds, from installing custom fonts to using third-party keyboards. We tested each method on the Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12 and POCO X5 with MIUI 14/15 (Android 13/14). If you have an older version of the firmware, some steps may differ – we’ll mention that too.
Why iPhone emojis are better: 5 key differences
Before we get to the instructions, let’s figure out what exactly makes Apple emojis so popular among Android users. Here are 5 visual and functional benefits that everyone who has switched from Xiaomi to iPhone (or vice versa) notice:
- 🎨 More saturated colors: Apple emojis use a palette P3 Wide Color, which is 25 percent wider than standard sRGB (❤️) iPhone looks juicy, and Xiaomi – faded.
- 😊 Detailing faces: Emojis with emotions (e.g, 😂 or 😢) They've worked out the shadows under the eyes, the wrinkles, even the reflection of light on the teeth. MIUI These details are often missing.
- 👨👩👧👦 Natural Proportions: Family Emojis (👨👩👧) iPhones don’t look like “lego figures” – they have realistic postures and gestures.
- ⚡ Animation in iMessage: Some emojis (e.g, 🎉 or 💥)"It comes to life when it's sent in Apple messengers. On Android, it only works through workarounds.
- 📱 Uniformity: on iPhone, all users see the same emoji, while on Xiaomi their appearance depends on the version MIUI and installed updates.
Of course, Google emojis (which Xiaomi uses by default) have their advantages — for example, more diverse skin tones and gender options. But if you care about aesthetics and recognition, Apple emojis win by most parameters.
Method 1: Install custom font (without root)
This is the most reliable way that works on all Xiaomi smartphones with Android 8.0 and later, and the essence of the method is that we replace the system emoji font with an iPhone file without interfering with system files (i.e. without root).
- 📱 Xiaomi Smartphone (any model, including Redmi and other models) POCO)
- 🔗 iFont app (free on Google Play)
- 📁 Archive with Apple Color Emoji.ttf (download link below)
Step-by-step:
- Download and install the iFont app from Google Play.
- Download the Apple Color Emoji.ttf font at this link (the file weighs ~12MB).Warning: Use only verified sources to avoid viruses!
- Open iFont, click Local → select the downloaded.ttf file.
- Tap Set → select Emoji → Confirm installation. The system will suggest restarting the device.
- After the reboot, check the emoticons in any messenger (for example, WhatsApp or Telegram).
Download iFont from Google Play| Download Apple Color Emoji.ttf| Open file in iFont| Select the option "Emoji" |Reboot phone-->
⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi models (e.g, POCO F3 s MIUI (13) after installation of the font, some characters in the MIUI Launcher (like weather icons) This is fixed by resetting the launcher:
⚠️ Note: If after installing the font, the icons in the menu are missing, go to Settings → Annexes → Application management → Launcher, press Warehouse. → Clear the cache. It'll bring back the standard icons without losing data.
Advantages of the method:
- ✅ Doesn't require root rights.
- ✅ It works on 90% of Xiaomi devices.
- ✅ Font is updated automatically when new versions of emoji from Apple (you need to download the current.ttf).
Method 2: Using a keyboard with an iPhone emoji
If you don't want to mess with the fonts, you can install a special keyboard that replaces the emojis right when you type them in. Less than that: the emojis will only be displayed correctly in your face, and the recipients will see them as standard (depending on their device).
The best applications for this task:
| Annex | Ratings. | Pluses | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emoji Keyboard — iPhone Emojis | 4.6 ⭐ | More than 3,000 iPhone emojis, support for dark theme | Advertising, some emoticons paid |
| Kika Emoji Keyboard | 4.4 ⭐ | Gifs and stickers included, key customization | It takes a lot of permission. |
| Fleksy + GIF Keyboard | 4.3 ⭐ | Gestures for quick input, MIUI support | Premium version for all functions |
How to install and configure:
- Download one of the apps above (like Emoji Keyboard) from Google Play.
- Open the app and follow the instructions for activating the keyboard. Usually go to Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual keyboard and turn on a new one.
- In the keyboard settings, select the iPhone Emoji Style theme (the name may vary).
- Now, when you type in, you'll see Apple emojis, but they'll be sent as standard (unless the recipient uses the same keyboard).
💡
To quickly switch between keyboards, hold the "space" button and select the desired one in the menu that appears.
⚠️ Note: Some messengers (such as Viber) can block the display of custom emojis from third-party keyboards.
Method 3: Manual replacement of system files (root only)
This is only suitable for power users, as it requires root access and can cause the system to fail if something is done wrong, but the result will be as close as possible to real iPhone emojis – they will be displayed everywhere, including system notifications.
What you'll need:
- 📱 Xiaomi with unlocked bootloader and root rights (instructions to get here).
- 🖥️ Root Explorer or Mixplorer (with superuser rights).
- 📁 Archive of Apple emoji files (can be downloaded here).
Step-by-step:
- Download the archive from your iPhone emoji and unpack it. You need the NotoColorEmoji.ttf and EmojiCompat.ttf files.
- Open Root Explorer and go to /system/fonts/.
- Find the original emoji files (usually NotoColorEmoji.ttf and EmojiCompat.ttf) and rename them by adding.bak at the end (e.g. NotoColorEmoji.ttf.bak).
- Copy files from Apple archives into /system/fonts/ folder.
- Change the permissions to access new files: long tap → Permissions → set up rw-r--r-- (Owner: Read/write, group and others: Reading only).
- Reset the device.
What if the phone doesn’t turn on after replacing the files?
⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI (especially on Xiaomi.eu) after manually replacing fonts, you may have problems with displaying text in the MIUI Launcher and system applications. In this case, only rollback changes or complete flashing will help.
💡
The root method is the best, but it requires technical skills. If you're a beginner, you better use the first or second method.
Comparison of methods: which one to choose?
To make it easier for you to decide, we have compiled a comparative table of all three ways:
| Criteria | Method 1 (iFont) | Method 2 (Keyboard) | Method 3 (Root) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | ⭐ (simple) | ⭐ (simple) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (difficult) |
| Need root? | ❌ No. | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. |
| Display from the recipient | ✅ Yes (if maintained) | ❌ No. Only you) | ✅ Yes. |
| Works in system applications | ✅ Yes. | ❌ No. | ✅ Yes. |
| The risk of breaking the phone | ❌ Minimum | ❌ No. | ✅ High-pitched |
Our verdict:
- 🥇 For most users, the best choice is Method 1 (iFont), which is simple, reliable and gives good results.
- 🥈 If you need to quickly try the iPhone emoji without unnecessary manipulation, take Method 2 (keyboard).
- 🥉 Method 3 (root) is suitable only for those who are willing to take risks and have experience with system files.
Frequent problems and their solutions
Even after successfully installing iPhone emojis on Xiaomi, there may be problems.-5 problems and ways to correct them:
- Problem: WhatsApp or Telegram emojis appear as squares (□). Solution: Clear the messenger cache: Settings → Annexes → [Name of messenger] → Warehouse → Clear the cache. If it doesn't work, reinstall the app.
- Problem: After the reboot, emojis became standard again. Solution: For Method 1: re-instal the font in iFont and select the Set on Boot option (if any). For Method 3: check file access rights in /system/fonts/.
- Problem: Instagram or Facebook emojis display curves. Solution: These apps use their own fonts. Try turning off System emojis in your keyboard settings (if there is one).
- Problem: Some symbols (e.g. flags or zodiac signs) have disappeared Solution: Download the full Apple emoji pack (including AppleColorEmoji@2x.png) and re-install.
- Problem: After installing the font, the notification sound disappeared. Solution: This is a MIUI bug. Go to Settings → Sounds and Vibrations → System sounds and select the melody again.
If your problem is not on this list, check:
- 📌 Version MIUI (Some updates are resetting custom fonts).
- 📌 Updates for iFont or keyboard.
- 📌 Does the new software conflict with other modifications (for example, with custom themes) MIUI).
Bonus: how to make animated emojis like on iPhone
Apple’s standard emojis are static, but in iMessage, some come to life when sent, and on Android, you can repeat this effect using the Emoji Kitchen app (from Google) or third-party messengers.
Instructions for Emoji Kitchen:
- Install Google Messages (if you don’t already have to).
- Open the chat and enter any smiley face (for example, 🎉).
- Press the smiley face, and you'll see a menu with animated options. Choose your favorite.
- Send a message. The recipient will see the animation, even if they have an iPhone.
For other messengers (for example, Telegram), you can use bots:
- 🤖 @EmojiAnimBot — converts static emojis into gifs.
- 🤖 @StickerizerBot — Creates stickers from Apple emojis.
⚠️ Note: Animated emojis from Emoji Kitchen only work in Google Messages and RCS-On WhatsApp or Viber, they'll show up as static pictures.