How to completely disable themes in Xiaomi: 5 working ways to MIUI 12-14

The theme of design on Xiaomi smartphones is one of the most controversial features of MIUI. On the one hand, it allows you to personalize the interface to your preferences, and on the other hand, it often becomes a source of irritation: intrusive advertising, slowing down the system and unsuccessful color schemes. If you are tired of constant offers to change wallpaper or icons, this article will help you completely disable themes – from removing the application to blocking background processes.

It’s important to understand that Xiaomi has integrated themes deep into the shell, so it’s easy to remove them. APK-The file settings don't always work, and we'll look at both the official methods (for beginners) and the advanced solutions (for root users). Particular attention will be paid to the problems that may arise after the disconnection - from failures in the launcher to the loss of functionality of widgets.

This article is relevant for all current versions of MIUI 12, MIUI 13 and MIUI 14, including global and Chinese firmware. If your smartphone is running on HyperOS (the new shell from Xiaomi), some methods may not work, as we will also mention separately.

Why Xiaomi topics are causing users to discontent

On paper, the function is harmless: the user chooses the design they like, and the system applies it to all interface elements.

• 📱 Even in global firmware, Xiaomi actively promotes paid themes, showing banners and notifications.
• 🐢 Slowdown. Each theme is an extra layer of overlay that consumes CPU and RAM resources.
• 🎨 Design inconsistency: Many themes are poorly adapted to specific models, causing icons or fonts to display incorrectly.
• 🔄 Automatic update: The system can change the theme spontaneously after the update MIUI, flipping your settings.

According to a survey of Xiaomi users in 2023, 68% of respondents turned off topics in the first three months after buying a smartphone, the main reasons are annoyance from advertising (42%) and the desire to return a “clean” interface (38%), while only 12% of users actually use custom themes regularly.

Another problem is the fragmentation of settings. Depending on the model and version of MIUI, the path to disabling themes may differ, for example, on the Redmi Note 11 with MIUI 13 Global, the option is hidden in the “Additional” menu, and on the Xiaomi 12 Pro with Chinese firmware, it is not in the standard interface at all.

Method 1: Disable themes through standard MIUI settings

The easiest and safest method is to use built-in shell tools, which are suitable for users who do not want to risk the stability of the system, and the instructions are relevant for most models, including the Redmi 9/10/11, Poco X3/X4, Xiaomi 11T/12T and others.

Steps to shut down:

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to the Design section (or Themes in some firmware).
3. Tap on the current active theme (usually displayed at the top of the screen).
4. In the menu that opens, select the option Standard or Default.
5. Confirm the changes and restart the smartphone (required!).

If your MIUI version does not have the "Standard" option, try the following way:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Themes → Storage → Clear data

Make a backup copy of important data

Battery charge of at least 50%

Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network

Close all background applications-->

This method doesn't remove the Themes app, it just resets it, and the advantage is that there's no risk to the system, but the downside is that the application's background processes will continue to work, and notifications for new themes can reappear.

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If after resetting the theme, the application icons are displayed incorrectly, go to Settings → Design → Style of icons and select the “Standard” option.

Method 2: Remove the "Themes" application without root rights

For users who don’t need a simple reset, there is a method of deactivating the application via ADB (Android Debug Bridge) that does not require superuser rights, but requires connecting the smartphone to a computer.

Warning: After removing the Themes app, some MIUI features may not work properly, such as:

• 🖼️ The wallpaper will disappear from the themes gallery (you will have to install it manually).
• 🎵 Sound circuits and notifications may be reset.
• 📱 Some widgets will stop updating.

Instructions for removal through ADB:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on Smartphone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (Tap 7 times)
2. Activate Debugging by USB in the Developer Menu.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux).
4. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices (should display the name of your device).
5. Run the command to remove the Themes app: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.themes For some firmware, an alternative command may be required: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.themes

Important: On some models (e.g. Xiaomi Mi) 11 Ultra with MIUI 13) The theme app is protected from deletion, in which case the team will return the Failure error. [DELETE_FAILED_INTERNAL_ERROR]. The solution is to use the method with disabling via pm disable:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.themes

Method 3: Blocking themes through the developer settings

If removing an app seems too radical, you can limit its activity through Android’s hidden settings.This method does not require ADB and is suitable for users who want to keep the ability to return themes back.

Algorithm of action:

1. Activate Developer Mode (as described in the previous method).
2. Go to Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Find the option of Inactive Apps (or Limit Background Activity).
4. In the list, find Themes and tick it.
5. It is also recommended to disable auto-start for this application in the Settings menu → Apps → Auto-Run Management.

This method does not physically remove the application, but stops its background activity, which:

• ✅ Reduces battery consumption.
• ✅ Removes notifications about new topics.
• ✅ It can return topics in one click.

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Blocking through the developer settings is the safest way to disable themes without risk to the system, and is suitable for users who want to leave the ability to return functionality later.

The disadvantage of the method is that the application still takes up space in memory, and its processes can be temporarily activated when you update MIUI. To avoid this, combine this method with cleaning the cache (see Method 1).

Method 4: Disable themes on Xiaomi with root access

For advanced users willing to risk system stability for the sake of complete control, there is a root-rights method that allows you not only to remove the Themes application, but also to block its updates at the system level.

Pre-launch warnings:

⚠️ Attention: Incorrect root rights can lead to a device blink (completely inoperable.

⚠️ Note: After you delete system applications, features like Quick Settings or Control Center may stop working. TWRP.

Instructions for users with root:

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Click on /system/priv-app/MiuiThemeManager or (for new firmware): /system/app/ThemeManager
3. Delete or rename the folder with the app (for example, add at the end of the name bak).
4. Clear the data and cache of the remaining components through Settings → Applications → Topics.
5. Reboot the device in a recavery fashion and do wipe dalvik-cache.

To block the application updates:

• 📝 Open the file. /system/etc/hosts root-righted.
• 🔗 Add the line: 127.0.0.1 theme.mi.com
• 💾 Save the changes and restart the smartphone.

This method provides maximum control, but requires technical skills, so if you have problems with the interface after deleting, return deleted files from the backup or reflash the device.

Method 5: Alternative launchers as a replacement for standard themes

If you don’t like the design of MIUI, but don’t want to risk the stability of the system, consider installing a third-party launcher.This software completely replaces the standard interface, allowing you to customize icons, animations and wallpaper without using built-in themes.

Popular launchers for Xiaomi:

How to install and configure the launcher:

1. Download. APK-file from the official website (for example, Nova Launcher).
2. Install the file by allowing installation from unknown sources.
3. Click "Home" and select the new launcher as the main one.
4. In the launcher settings, disable standard MIUI themes: Long desktop press → Settings → Icon Style → Disable MIUI themes

The advantage of this method is to preserve all functions. MIUI (camera, settings, notifications) with complete control over the appearance. MIUI.

What to do if after disabling themes there are problems

Even with careful execution of instructions, sometimes there are failures, and here are the most common problems and solutions.

• 🖥️ Black screen after reboot: Reason: Removing critical theme components. Solution: boot into Safe Mode (hold the power button) → "Restart Safe Mode and return deleted files.
• ⚙️ Design settings do not work: Reason: damage to configuration files. Solution: reset settings through Settings → System system → Resetting settings → Reset the design settings.
• 📱 App icons have become standard: Reason: Reset the icon style. Solution: install the icon package through the Play Market (like Whicons) and apply it to the launcher settings.
• 🔄 Theme will return after the update: Reason: MIUI Restores remote system applications. Solution: block updates through the hosts file (see Method 4).

If the problem is not solved, try to restore the system through the Mi Flash Tool (for advanced users only).

1. Download the official firmware for your model from the Xiaomi website.
2. Install the Mi Flash Tool on your PC.
3. Transfer the smartphone to Fastboot mode (hold Power + Volume down).
4. Connect the device to your PC and flash the firmware with the Clean All option.

FAQ: Frequent questions about disabling themes in Xiaomi