How to customize themes on Xiaomi: from standard to custom solutions

Why Xiaomi themes are more than just wallpaper

Xiaomi smartphones based on the company shell MIUI Unlike Android or other manufacturers’ shells, changing the theme not only affects wallpaper and icons, but also system fonts, animations, sounds, and sometimes even notification style and settings menus. This turns a routine design change into a complete interface transformation.

However, many users are limited to standard themes from the store. MIUI Themes, without even knowing that it is possible to download third-party themes through APK, Create your own or restore remote system styles, and in this article we will discuss all the ways, from basic to advanced, and also tell you how to avoid common errors (for example, when a theme does not apply or resets after an update).

Important: the possibilities of customizing themes depend on the version MIUI On global versions (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro)+ 5G) The functionality can be reduced compared to the Chinese (CN) But even then, there are workarounds, and you can read about them in the third-party section.

Where to find and how to set standard themes

The main way to change the design is through the built-in theme store, and to get there:

1. Open the Settings. → Design (or Themes depending on version) MIUI).
2. Click on the theme store section (icon with brush).
3. In the top panel, select the category: Recommended, New, Top or For Icons.

The downloaded themes are automatically applied to the system, but sometimes confirmation is required. Please note that some styles may be paid (from 50 to 300 rubles in the Russian region).

• 🔍 Keyword Search: Type in the search bar the names of popular themes, such as iOS 17, Material You or Dark Neon.
• 🌙 Night mode: Some themes support automatic switching between light and dark versions depending on the time of day.
• 🎨 Preview: Click on your favorite theme and scroll down - there are screenshots of application to all system elements.
• ⚙️ Theme settings: Once installed, some themes allow you to fine-tune icon or font colors (look for the Customize button in the theme menu).

⚠️ Note: On smartphones with MIUI 14 or later, some themes may require additional permissions to use. If the design has not changed after installation, go to Settings → Annexes → Permit management → MIUI Themes and turn on all switches.

How to create your own theme: from wallpaper to icons

If the solutions don't work, you can build a unique theme yourself, and you don't need programming skills, you just need standard tools. MIUI several applications.

Step 1: Customize wallpaper and color scheme

Start with the background image:

1. Click the empty space on the main screen → Wallpaper.
2. Select My Wallpaper or Gallery to upload your image.
3. Enable the option of Wallpaper Blurr on the lock screen for depth effect.

For the color scheme:

1. Go to Settings. → Screen. → Colors of the system.
2. Choose a palette or create your own with sliders RGB.
3. Activate Adaptive Colors to allow the system to adjust to wallpaper.

Step 2: Replace icons without root

To change icons without superuser rights:

• 📱 Install a Nova Launcher or Hyperion Launcher from Google Play.
• 🎨 Download a pack of icons (such as Whicons or Delta) from the theme store or Play Store.

💡

To make the icons look harmonious, choose packs with a resolution of at least 192×192 pixels and support for adaptive forms (for MIUI 13+).

Step 3: Keeping Your Theme Safe

The finished combination of wallpaper, icons and colors can be saved as a custom theme:

1. Open the settings → design → My themes.
2. Click Create a Theme and select items to export.
3. Give a name and save it. Now it can be applied in one click or shared with other users through a single click. MIUI Themes.

⚠️ Attention: Custom themes take up space in the device's memory. If you create more than 10 saved themes, the system can start automatically removing the oldest ones. → Warehouse → Topics.

Installation of third-party topics: risks and methods

Shop MIUI Themes offers limited choice, especially on global firmware. luckily there are ways to install themes from third-party sources - but it's important to be careful here.

Method 1: MTZ-files (official format) MIUI)

Topics for MIUI They have the.mtz extension. You can download them from forums like this. XDA Developers or 4PDA. For installation:

1. Download the.mtz file to your phone.
2. Open the File Manager and find the downloaded file.
3. Press it. → Import into Topics.
4. After importing the topic will appear in the My Topics section.

If the Import button is inactive, check:

• 📌 Version MIUI (Some topics only work on MIUI 12+).
• 📌 Firmware region (Chinese themes may not be installed on global versions).
• 📌 File integrity (download again if file size is suspiciously small).

Method 2: APK-Topics (for advanced users)

Some topics are distributed as.apk files, and installation requires:

1. Installation Permits from Unknown Sources (Settings) → Annexes → Special access → Installation of unknown applications).
2. Shutdowns MIUI Optimization (through ADB, Adb shell settings put global miui_optimization 0).
3. Backup of data (some of the data) APK-Themes may conflict with system applications).

How to return a standard theme after a crash

Sometimes, after experimenting with custom themes, the system starts to glittle: icons disappear, menus are displayed incorrectly, or the device slows down, in which case you need to return the factory design settings.

Method 1: Through the MIUI settings

The simplest method is:

1. Go to Settings → Design → My themes.
2. Choose Standard or Default (the name may be different).
3. Confirm the application and restart the device.

Method 2: Reset via Safe Mode

If the theme caused serious lags and does not allow you to open the settings:

1. Press the power button and hold the power off until a request to switch to Safe Mode appears.
2. In Safe Mode, remove the problematic theme through Settings → Annexes → Topics → Warehouse → Delete the data.
3. Restart the device in normal mode.

Method 3: Recovery through Mi Cloud

If you have previously made a backup copy of the topics:

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Select Data Recovery → Topics.
3. Find a backup with a working theme and restore it.

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If none of the methods worked, reset to factory settings (Settings) → The phone. → Reset settings. Pre-save data, as this process will delete all user files.

Top.-5 hidden functions of the topics in MIUI

Even experienced Xiaomi users are not always aware of the hidden possibilities of the themes.

• 🌈 Dynamic colours: B MIUI 14 Some themes support automatic palette change depending on the time of day. → Screen. → Adaptive colors.
• 🔄 Quick switch: Twice tap the Theme icon on your desktop to open a quick choice menu between the latest styles used.
• 🎵 Sound themes: The theme store has sections with unique notification and alarm sounds.
• 📱 Transition animations: In Settings → Registration → Additionally. → Animations can be selected to style transitions between screens (e.g. Morfing or Zoom).
• 🔒 Hidden themes: Some devices (such as Xiaomi 13 Ultra) have exclusive themes that don't show up in the store. To see them, type in the store's search code #secret.

Another life hack: if you like the theme but don't like the font, you can change it separately.

1. Download a font from Google Play (e.g. iFont).
2. Install it through Settings. → Registration → Fonts.
3. Apply to the current theme – the font will change without resetting the other settings.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even if you install them properly, there can be bugs, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

If the problem is not resolved, check the system logs through the Logcat app (available on Google Play).Look for errors with the MIUI.Themes tag - they will indicate a specific crash.

Downloaded from a reliable source (4PDA, XDA, website)|Verified compatibility with the version MIUI|Backup of the current theme is made|The “Themes” annex cache cleared"-->

FAQ: Answers to popular questions