Where are the themes in the Xiaomi phone: system paths and management methods

Xiaomi’s smartphone design theme is not just a background image, but a whole range of visual elements: icons, fonts, animations and even sounds. MIUI users often face the question: where are these themes physically stored, how do they back up or migrate to another phone? The answer depends on the type of theme (system, downloaded from Mi Theme Store or custom), as well as on the firmware version.

In this article, we’ll take a look at all possible locations where Xiaomi saves themes, from standard folders in internal memory to hidden system directories that are only accessible through the use of a mobile app. ADB You'll also learn how to export a theme you like, restore it after a reset, or transfer it to another phone without losing settings. MIUI (from 12 before 14) Smartphone models – from budget Redmi to flagship Xiaomi 13/14.

1. Standard MIUI Theme Location: Where to Look in File Manager

Most themes installed through the official Mi Theme Store are stored in the phone’s internal memory along the following path:

/storage/emulated/0/MIUI/theme/

In this folder, you will find subdirectories with unique theme identifiers (e.g. com.example.theme.id). Each theme is an archive with the.mtz extension (for MIUI 12–14) or a set of files in a folder (for older versions).

What does the theme folder contain?

• 📁 icon – application icons (.png or.webp format)
• 🎨 wallpaper – wallpaper for desktop and lock screen
• 🔤 fonts (if the subject changes them)
• 🎵 sound – the sounds of notifications, alarm clock, blocking
• 📄 description.xml — metadata topics (title, author, version)

Important: in MIUI 14, some themes can be stored in encrypted form (extension.mtz.enc). They can not be simply copied - you need Root or special tools like MIUI Theme Editor.

2. Systemic themes: where pre-installed styles are stored

Pre-installed themes (e.g., "Default", "Dark Mode" or branded styles for Redmi/Poco) are located in a secure area of the system, and are only accessible with Root rights or through ADB.

/system/media/theme/default/


/system/priv-app/MiuiSystemUI/

How to view system themes without Root?

1. Connect your phone to your PC and use the command: adb pull /system/media/theme/
2. Or use apps like MT Manager (requires Root).

⚠️ Note: Modifying files in /system/ This can lead to bootloop.Reserve original files before editing!

In MIUI 13/14, some of the system themes are moved to /product/media/theme/, which is related to the Dynamic Partitions architecture used in new Xiaomi smartphones (for example, the 12T Pro or 13 Ultra).

3. Custom topics: how to save and transfer to another phone

If you downloaded a theme from the Mi Theme Store or created your own through MIUI Theme Editor, you can export it for backup.

How to import theme to another phone:

1. Copy the theme folder to /MIUI/theme/ on the new device.
2. Reboot the phone.
3. Open Settings → Themes and select an imported theme.

If the theme is not displayed, check:

• 🔄 Version compatibility MIUI (topic MIUI 12 may not work on the MIUI 14).
• 📌 Folder rights (should be 755 for folder and 644 for files).
• 🔧 No damaged files (check out) description.xml).

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To transfer themes between phones, it is convenient to use cloud services (Google Drive, Mi Cloud) or send a folder via Telegram (without compression!).

Topics in MIUI 14: What has changed in the latest version

In MIUI 14, Xiaomi made major changes to the theme system:

In MIUI 14, the themes are tied to the Mi Account: when you reset your phone, they automatically recover from the cloud if you have synced it, but this only works for those downloaded through the official store. Custom themes will have to be saved manually.

For Xiaomi 13/14 and Redmi Note 12 models, support for dynamic themes that adjust to wallpaper is added.

/data/system/users/0/wallpaper/

5. How to find and remove unnecessary topics (memory cleanup)

Over time, the /MIUI/theme/ folder can grow to a few gigabytes to clean it up.

1. Open the File Manager → MIUI → theme.
2. Remove folders to those you don’t use (check the name in description.xml).
3. To clean the cache completely, do: adb shell pm clear com.android.themes

What topics can be safely removed?

• 🗑️ Themes called com.miui.theme.name.
• 🚫 Do not delete folders with default, system, or miui names – these are system files.
• ⚠️ Themes with the.mtz.enc extension will be deleted, but can be restored after the update.

⚠️ Attention: Removing an active theme may result in a reset to standard. Apply a different theme in the settings before cleaning!

6.Themes for Poco Launcher and Third Party Launchers

If you use Poco Launcher or other alternative shells (like Nova Launcher), the themes for them are stored separately:

• 📱 Poco Launcher: /storage/emulated/0/Poco/Theme/
• 🌌 Nova Launcher: /storage/emulated/0/Nova/ (png icons)
• 🔶 HyperOS (for new models): /storage/emulated/0/HyperTheme/

For Poco Launcher, the themes are APK-files, for example, com.poco.theme.black.apk). They can be installed manually, but they are required:

1. Allow installation from unknown sources.
2. Reboot the launcher after installation.

Third-party launchers (such as Action Launcher) can use their own theme formats, in which case, look for the launcher name folders at the root of internal memory.

7. Backup and recovery of themes after reset

When hard reset, all custom themes are deleted to save them:

How to Recover Your Topics After Resetting:

1. Move the backup of theme folder back to /MIUI/.
2. For those from the Mi Theme Store, log in to your Mi Account and sync your data.
3. If themes aren’t displayed, clear the app cache Topics: Settings → Apps → App management → Topics → Storage → Clear the cache

For models with HyperOS (e.g. Xiaomi 14), the recovery process may be different, and in this firmware, the themes are more integrated with the system, and their portability requires the use of MIUI Backup or Xiaomi Cloud.

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Sync with Mi Account saves only themes from the official store, Custom themes and launcher settings will have to be restored manually!

FAQ: Frequent questions about topics in Xiaomi