How to change the theme on the phone Xiaomi: 5 ways to MIUI 12-15

Changing the theme on Xiaomi smartphones is one of the most popular ways to personalize the MIUI interface. Even basic models like the Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5 support dozens of built-in themes, not to mention the flagships of the Xiaomi 14 series. But not all users know that in addition to standard solutions, you can install custom themes from third-party sources or even create your own.

In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to change themes to Xiaomi in 2026: from the basic installation through Settings. → Topics before manual import of.mtz files. We will focus on typical problems when the theme does not apply, resets after rebooting or displays incorrectly. MIUI Theme Editor and Alternative Launchers.

Important: The procedure may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI (12, 13, 14 or 15) and regional firmware (global, Chinese, EEA).

1. Standard method: Themes menu in MIUI

The easiest method is to use the built-in Theme app, which is on all Xiaomi smartphones by default, which allows you to install official themes from the Xiaomi Theme Store catalog, including dynamic wallpaper and sound packages.

To change the subject in a standard way:

• 📱 Open the Themes app (icon with palette of brushes).
• 🔍 In the lower menu, select the Topic section (not to be confused with Wallpaper!).
• 🌈 Scroll through the list of available topics or search for keywords (e.g. dark, AMOLED, minimalism).
• 📥 Click on your favorite topic. → Apply (button usually in lower right corner).

Once applied, the theme will automatically load and activate, and in some cases, the system will suggest rebooting the device, which is normal for those that change system fonts or animations.

⚠️ Note: Official themes from Xiaomi Theme Store may include banner ads on the lock screen. To disable them, go to Settings → Lock screen → Advertise on the lock screen and deactivate the option.

2. Installation of.mtz files (manual import)

If you don’t like embedded themes, you can download custom.mtz files from third-party sources (such as the XDA Developers or 4PDA forums), a technique that requires a little more action, but opens up unique designs that aren’t available in the official store.

Instructions for installing.mtz-themes:

1. Download the theme file with the.mtz extension to your smartphone (for example, through a browser).
2. Open the Topics app → click on the profile icon (in the upper right corner) → select My Themes.
3. Slip on the + (or Import) icon and specify the path to the downloaded file.
4. After importing the theme will appear in the list My themes – click on it and select Apply.

If there is no import button, your version of MIUI will block third-party themes from being installed, and the MIUI Theme Editor workaround (see section 4) will help.

Problems in changing topics and their solutions

Even when using official themes, Xiaomi users sometimes encounter bugs, and here are the most common problems and ways to fix them:

Critical information: On smartphones with Chinese firmware (such as the Xiaomi 13 Ultra CN), the.mtz import function is often blocked at the system level, and the only reliable way to get around this is to unlock the bootloader and install a custom recovery.

4.MIUI Theme Editor: Editing and Creating Themes

For advanced users who want to not only install but also modify themes, there is a tool MIUI Theme Editor.

• 🎨 Edit colors, fonts and icons in existing themes.
• 📦 Export themes to.mtz format for distribution.
• 🔍 View the internal structure of the topics (files) description.xml, pictures, sounds).

To get started with MIUI Theme Editor:

1. Download. APK-file 4PDA or XDA (Make sure the version is compatible with yours. MIUI).
2. Install the application by allowing installation from unknown sources (Settings → Applications → Special Access → Install Unknown Applications).
3. Open MIUI Theme Editor and import the theme for editing.

Example of color change of accent elements:

<color name="colorAccent">#FF5722</color>  →  <color name="colorAccent">#3F51B5</color>

After editing, export the theme and install it through the standard Theme app.

💡

Before editing a theme, back it up! To do this, in MIUI Theme Editor, click File → Save As and save the original version to a separate folder.

5. Alternative launchers: Nova, Hyperion, Lawnchair

If you don't like the limitations of MIUI (like the inability to change the icon grid or hide the name of apps), you can use third-party launchers, which allow you to customize the interface deeper than standard themes.

Top.-3 launcher for Xiaomi in 2026 year:

• 🌟 Nova Launcher – flexible gesture settings, adaptive icons, support for dark themes.
• ⚡ Hyperion Launcher – Optimized for Xiaomi, integration with MIUI (Support for Second Space, for example).
• 🍃 Lawnchair is a lightweight open source launcher with support for Android 14.

To install an alternative launcher:

1. Download APK from Google Play or APKMirror.
2. Install the app and click Home → select a new launcher as the main one.
3. Configure the interface through the launcher menu (usually called by a long tap on the desktop).

⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi models (e.g, POCO F5) When using third-party launchers, navigation gestures may not work MIUI. To return them, go to Settings. → System system → Gestures → System Navigation and select Navigation Buttons.

6. Resetting themes to factory settings

If the interface gets glitzy after experimenting with themes (for example, icons disappear or menus are displayed incorrectly), resetting themes to standard settings can help, it does not affect user data, but returns all visual elements to the factory look.

How to reset themes:

1. Open the Topic app.
2. Go to the My Subjects section.
3. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Reset to the factory.
4. Confirm the action and restart the device.

If the reset didn’t help, try clearing the cache of system applications:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Three Points → Show System → Themes → Storage → Clear Cache

💡

Resetting themes does not delete downloaded.mtz files, they remain in the MIUI/theme/.data folder and can be re-imported.

7. Where to Download Quality Themes for Xiaomi

The official Xiaomi Theme Store offers a limited selection of themes, many of which are paid. For free and unique solutions, we recommend the following sources:

Before downloading topics from unofficial sources:

• 🔍 Check out other users’ reviews about a specific topic.
• 🛡️ Scan the file on VirusTotal.
• 📁 Make sure the file size is consistent with the stated size (fake themes often weigh less than 1MB).

Frequently asked questions