Where and how to find font in Xiaomi themes: hidden folders, tools and life hacks

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a situation where you want to use beautiful fonts from a set theme separately, for example, for design or transfer to another device. However, the manufacturer does not provide direct access to font files in MIUI, hiding them deep in the system folders, let’s figure out where these files are stored, how to extract them without risk to the device and what tools will be needed to do this.

Many users mistakenly think that the fonts in Xiaomi themes are just pictures or vector interface elements. In fact, they are full-fledged.ttf or.otf files that can be pulled and used independently. The main difficulty is that they are encrypted in the archives of topics and protected from direct copying. But it is possible to circumvent these restrictions, both through standard MIUI tools and through third-party utilities.

In this article, we will look at all the relevant ways, from simply viewing the font name in the settings to in-depth analysis of the file system of the smartphone. We will pay special attention to security - you will learn what actions can lead to malfunctions in the device and how to avoid them.

Where fonts are stored in Xiaomi themes: folder structure

All topics in MIUI, including fonts, are stored in secure system directories, the main ways in which you can find font files:

• 📁 /data/system/theme/ — This is where you can find active themes and their components, including fonts.
• 📁 /system/media/theme/default/ — The changes here require unlocking the bootloader.
• 📁 /sdcard/MIUI/theme/ — downloaded themes (not all fonts are stored in the original form here).
• 📁 /data/app/com.miui.themeeditor-*/ — Temporary theme editor files (if installed).

It’s important to understand that fonts in Xiaomi themes are rarely stored in the open, usually packed in archives with the extension.mtz (MIUI Theme Zip) or.apk (if the theme is unpacked as an app), these archives contain not only fonts, but also icons, wallpaper, sounds and other design elements.

To extract fonts from.mtz files, you will need:

1. Download the theme to the device (it will be saved in /sdcard/MIUI/theme/).
2. Rename the file from.mtz to.zip and unpack it on PC.
3. Find the font/ folder inside the archive – there will be font files.

How to find the name of the font in an active topic

If you don’t need to extract a font file, just find out its name (for example, to search the Internet), do the following:

1. Open the settings → Display → Font.
2. Select an active theme – the font name will appear at the top of the screen (e.g. MiSans, Roboto, SF Pro).
3. If the font is custom, the name may not be there, so move on to the way you extract the file.

For more information, use the MIUI Theme Editor app (available from the Mi App Store):

• 🔍 Open the theme editor and select your theme.
• 📋 Go to the Font section – the font file name will be indicated here (for example, miui_regular.ttf).
• 📥 Click on the export icon (if available) – the font will be saved in Downloads.

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If the font appears as "System" in the settings but visually differs from the standard, it is built into the theme. Try extracting it through ADB (instruction below).

Note that some themes use dynamic fonts that are loaded from Xiaomi servers when activated, in which case you can not extract them locally, you have to search the web by the title of the theme.

Extracting fonts without root: step-by-step instructions

If your Xiaomi doesn’t have root rights but you have access to a PC, use this method:

Download and install ADB on PC|Enable USB debugging on your smartphone |Plug your phone to your computer |Unlock the device screen-->

Follow the instructions in ADB Shell:

adb shell


su -c "cp -r /data/system/theme/* /sdcard/ThemeBackup/"




exit




adb pull /sdcard/ThemeBackup/ C:\XiaomiFonts\

These commands will copy active theme files (including fonts) to the ThemeBackup folder on your phone, and then transfer them to your PC. If the su command doesn't work, then there's no root on the device, move to alternative methods.

Alternative method (without ADB):

1. Install a file manager with access to root folders (such as FX File Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to /data/system/theme/ and find the folder with the name of your theme.
3. Copy files with the.ttf or.otf extension to any available location (e.g. Downloads).

Work with fonts in MIUI Theme Editor

The official MIUI Theme Editor app allows you to not only view but also edit fonts in themes. Here's how to work with it:

• 📥 Install an editor from the Mi App Store (not available on all devices).
• 🎨 Open your topic and go to the Font section.
• 🔄 If the font is editable, you will see the Export option – it saves the file in Downloads.
• ⚙️ To replace the font, click Import and select your.ttf file (reboot required).

Editor's limitations:

⚠️ Note: Not all themes support font editing. If the Export option is inactive, the font is protected from changes. Trying to replace it manually can lead to a crash of the interface (the theme will reset to the standard one).

For advanced users: if you want to replace the font systemically (in all applications), you will need:

1. Get root rights.
2. Copy your.ttf file to /system/fonts/.
3. Change access rights: chmod 644 /system/fonts/your font.ttf.
4. Reset the device.

File Analysis Topics: Where to Look for Fonts in.mtz Archives

Xiaomi theme files (.mtz) are renamed ZIP-They're structured in a standard way, but the fonts can be in different places:

To find the font in the archive:

1. Rename the theme file from.mtz to.zip.
2. Unpack the archive with 7-Zip or WinRAR.
3. Look for files with.ttf,.otf, or.woff extensions.
4. If fonts aren't in the folder /font/, check theme_info.xml — There may be a path to hidden files.

In some themes, fonts are encrypted or compressed in binary format, and can be recognized from files without extension (for example, for example, in the case of a file, font_1 or miui_font.dat). Specialized tools like this will be needed to extract. MIUI Theme Unpacker.

Popular fonts in Xiaomi themes and where to download them

Many of the fonts from Xiaomi themes are based on standard families, but with modifications.

• 🔤 MiSans is a Xiaomi brand font (similar to Helvetica.
• 🔤 Roboto - used in material-designed themes. Available on Google Fonts.
• 🔤 SF Pro, a font from Apple, is often found in iOS-style themes. Officially distributed only with Apple devices.
• 🔤 HarmonyOS Sans – a font from Huawei, used in themes with round icons.

If you find a font in the topic, but can not identify its name, use services like:

• 🌐 WhatFontIs – upload a screenshot of the text, and the system will pick up analogues.
• 🌐 Font Squirrel Matcherator – determines the font by the type.

To install downloaded fonts on Xiaomi:

⚠️ Note: Third-party fonts without root can only be installed through apps like iFont (from Google Play), but they don’t work with all versions of the fonts. MIUI — on MIUI 14+ You may need to manually copy files.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When working with fonts in Xiaomi themes, users often face problems:

• 🚫 Theme resets after font replacement → It means that the font file is corrupted or incompatible.
• 🚫 The font does not apply to all applications → Most apps ignore system fonts. Use ADB For forced installation: adb shell settings put secure sysui_font_scale 1.0 adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.FONT_CHANGED
• 🚫 The font file does not open on the PC → It's probably not.ttf, it's compressed.dat. Try renaming it.zip and unpacking it.

If after manipulation with fonts, the interface began to glittle:

1. Reset the device.
2. Reset the theme to standard in Settings → Theme → My themes.
3. If the problem persists, clear the cache of the com.miui.theme app.

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Before any font changes, back up the theme through MIUI Theme Editor or manually copy /data/system/theme/.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions