Installing custom themes on Xiaomi, Redmi or Poco smartphones can dramatically change the look of the system, from app icons to animations and fonts. However, a new theme does not always meet expectations: some users face unreadable fonts, blurred icons or even slowing down the interface. Fortunately, you can return the standard MIUI design in a few minutes - and this does not require a factory reset.
In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to undo the theme on Xiaomi devices, including cases where:
- 🔄 The topic is not removed through the standard menu.
- 🖼️ Icons and wallpaper remain changed after reset
- ⚙️ Theme settings are blocked or unavailable
- 📱 The device is running on an outdated version MIUI (up to 12.5)
Special attention will be paid to hidden MIUI settings, which allow you to reset the theme even without access to the Theme app - this method works on 90% of the brand's devices, including models with custom firmware.
1. Standard reset theme through MIUI settings
The easiest way to get back to the original design is to use the built-in MIUI tools, which are suitable for most modern Xiaomi smartphones (starting with MIUI 12 and later) and does not require additional knowledge.
To reset the subject:
- Open the "Themes" app (icon with brush and palette).
- Go to the tab "Mine" (bottom of the screen).
- Press three points. ⋮ in the upper right corner and select "Current Topic".
- Scroll down and tap "Reset to Standard" (or "Restore by Default" on some versions).
If the reset button is inactive or missing, try an alternative path:
Settings → Display → Display Style → Themes → Reset⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Poco) F3 Or Redmi Note 10 Pro) after resetting the theme, desktop wallpaper and fonts may remain changed, and they will have to be restored separately through Settings. → Wallpaper and Settings → Additionally. → font.
Are custom icons removed|Have the standard wallpapers been restored?|Are fonts on the menu corrected?|Checked the speed of the interface-->
2. Delete theme via the "Additional" menu (for MIUI 12.5 and later)
In MIUI 12.5 and higher, developers have added a hidden menu for managing themes that allows you to reset the design even if the main Theme app is not working properly.
- 📱 The "Subjects" app will be sent out when it is opened.
- 🔒 Reset button locked
- 🖥️ The interface is displayed with artifacts after installing the theme
Instructions:
- Go to Settings. → The phone.
- Tap 7 times on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode (if not already activated).
- Return to the main settings menu and open Settings → Additional → Special features → Themes.
- Select the option “Reset all the theme settings” and confirm the action.
After the device is restarted, all interface elements will return to factory settings, including:
- 🎨 Color scheme of the system
- 📁 Application icons and folders
- 📝 Fonts and text styles
- 🔄 Transition animations
💡
If you have artifacts left after reset (for example, blurred icons), clear the cache of the "Themes" application through Settings. → Annexes → Application management → Topics → Warehouse → Clear the cache
3.Dumping via ADB (for power users)
If standard methods fail and the theme continues to affect the system, you can use the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) debugging bridge, which requires connecting your smartphone to your computer and enabling USB debugging, but is guaranteed to reset all the theme settings, including hidden settings.
Step-by-step:
- Activate Developer Mode (as in the previous section) and enable USB Debugging in Settings → Additional → For Developers.
- Connect your smartphone to your PC and open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux).
- Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices Make sure your device appears in the list.
- Execute the reset command: adb shell cmd overlay reset com.android.theme.icon_pack.generic To completely reset all overlays (including fonts and styles) use: adb shell cmd overlay reset-all
- Reset the device.
⚠️ Attention: Adb shell cmd overlay reset-all commands will reset all visual settings, including custom fonts and animations. If you use custom Magisk modules to change the interface, they will also have to be reinstalled.
What if the ADB does not recognize the device?
4. Manual deletion of theme files (root access)
For users with unlocked bootloader and root rights, the most radical method available is direct deletion of the theme files from system folders.
- 🔧 The subject is set as APK and not removed by standard means
- 📂 Theme files are corrupted and cause system errors
- 🛠️ You need to clear the cache with the one that occupies a place in memory.
Instructions (requires Root Explorer or Solid Explorer with root access):
- Open the file manager with root permissions and go to /data/system/theme/ or (for older versions of MIUI): /system/priv-app/MiuiSystemUI/
- Remove folders with the names of the installed themes (usually they are the form of the com.android.theme.icon_pack.[name]).
- Clear the cache in folders: /data/data/com.android.themes/cache/ /data/data/com.miui.home/cache/
- Reset the device.
| Folder/file | Appointment | Can I remove it? |
|---|---|---|
| /data/system/theme/ | Stores active settings of the current theme | Yeah (reset the subject) |
| /system/priv-app/MiuiSystemUI/ | System files of the interface | No (risk of MIUI damage) |
| /data/data/com.android.themes/ | Cache and the subject matter annex data | Yeah (cache cleansing) |
| /sdcard/MIUI/theme/ | Uploaded topics (inactive) | Yeah (makes room) |
If the interface is not displayed correctly after deleting the files (for example, there are no icons), reset via Settings → System → Resetting → Reset the interface settings.
Standard menu "Themes"|ADB-team|Manual deletion of files|Never dropped it.|Another way.-->
5. Recovery through MIUI backup
If a theme reset caused the system to run unstable (for example, constant reboots or launcher crashes), you can restore the functionality through a backup. Xiaomi automatically creates backups of interface settings, and they can be used to roll back changes.
How to restore:
- Go to Settings → System → Backup and Reset → Local Backups.
- Choose the most recent copy (before installing the problem theme).
- Click "Restore" and tick only the item "System settings" (so as not to erase personal data).
- Confirm the recovery and wait for the process to be completed.
If there are no local backups, you can create a new one manually before experimenting with the following topics:
- 📱 Open the Settings. → Backup and reset → Local backups.
- 🔄 Select System Settings and Applications and Data (optional).
- 💾 Click "Create a backup" and wait until it is completed.
⚠️ Warning: Restore from backup will not return deleted theme files, but will restore the system settings of the interface. APK, You will have to manually remove it through the settings. → Annexes.
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Backup copies of MIUI are stored in /MIUI/backup/AllBackup/ on the internal drive, and can be copied to a PC for safe storage.
6. Reset to factory settings (extreme case)
If none of the methods worked, and the theme continues to affect the device, the last option is a complete factory reset, which will remove all data from the smartphone, so use it only as a last resort.
How to perform the reset:
- Create a backup of important data (photos, contacts, messages).
- Go to Settings → About Phone → Resetting → Delete all data.
- Enter the password (if set) and confirm the reset.
- After restarting, set the device as new.
What will be removed:
- 📱 All installed themes and their files
- 📁 Personal data (photos, videos, documents)
- 🎮 Application and game settings
- 🔑 Accounts (will have to be re-entered)
To avoid data loss, before resetting:
- 🔄 Sync your contacts and calendar with your Google Account or Mi Cloud.
- 📤 Transfer photos and videos to PC or cloud.
- 📋 Save the list of installed apps (you can use Google Play) → "Library").
💡
After reset, take your time to restore data from the backup — first check if the problem with the topic has been solved. Sometimes the backup may contain corrupted settings.
Frequent mistakes and their solutions
When you reset themes on Xiaomi, users often encounter typical problems, and here are the most common ones and how to fix them:
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The "Reset theme" button is inactive | The theme is set as a system (for example, through Magisk) | Use ADB or delete files manually (Section 4) |
| After the reset, there were custom icons | Icons are installed through a separate Icon Pack. | Remove the icon package in Settings → Applications |
| The system brakes after changing the topic | Theme conflicts with the MIUI version or takes up too many resources. | Reset the theme and clear the cache with Recover Mode (Volume Up + Power) |
| Can't open the "Themes" app. | Damaged application files or conflict with the update | Clean the application data in Settings → Applications → Themes → Storage |
If your problem is not described in the table, check:
- 📋 Is the theme compatible with your version? MIUI (You can find out in the description of the theme in the Mi Theme Store).
- 🔄 Is the firmware updated to the latest version (some topics require a new version) MIUI 13+).
- 🛠️ Are there any conflicts with other modifications (for example, Xposed modules or Magisk).