How to return a standard font to Xiaomi: all the ways from simple to complex

Why Xiaomi is changing the font and how to fix it

You turned on your phone, and instead of the usual Roboto or MiSans, you saw unreadable characters, comical "baby" letters or too bold text? This is a typical problem of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO users who experimented with the theme or installed custom fonts through the Themes. 90% of the time the MIUI system itself is to blame, which automatically applies fonts from downloaded themes - even if you did not activate them.

Worst of all, after you delete the theme or reset the settings, the font often doesn't return to factory automatically. MIUI saves the latest headset in the system files, and it can't be rolled back with standard tools. But don't rush to bring the phone to the service: we've collected all the working methods, from basic to advanced (including methods for devices with an unlocked bootloader).

It's important to understand that the problem is not with broken firmware, but with MIUI architecture.

1. Through the Topic Application (without superuser rights);
2. By manually copying.ttf files to system folders (requires ROOT).

In the first case, it is easier to return a standard font, in the second case, technical skills will be required.

Method 1: Reset the font through theme settings (without ROOT)

The fastest method that works on MIUI 12-14 (including HyperOS) is suitable if the font has changed after installing a custom theme from the official Xiaomi store.

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to the section My topics → Fonts.
3. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Reset to standard.
4. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

If you don't have a Reset to Standard, you've changed the font in a different way than through the Topics (see the following sections). Also check if you have a theme with an embedded font: sometimes MIUI hides the reset option if the custom theme is active.

Remove all downloaded themes in Topics → My themes |

Turn off automatic themes in Settings → Themes → Theme settings |

Restart your phone before reset |

Check if fonts are installed via ADB (see Method 4)-->

Method 2: Remove custom fonts through file manager

If the Resets through the Topics didn’t help, then the font files are still in the system folders. They can be manually deleted — but only if you have superuser rights (ROOT) or access to hidden folders through ADB.

Without ROOT, try the following path (works on some Redmi Note 10/11 and POCO X3) models:

1. Install a file manager with access to system folders (e.g. Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Cross the path: /data/system/theme/ or (for new versions) MIUI): /data/user_de/0/com.android.themes/com.android.themes.default.font/
3. Delete all files with the.ttf or.otf extension.
4. Reboot the phone.

If the folder is not available or access is forbidden, you will need ROOT or ADB (see Method 4).Beware of deleting files in /system/fonts/ folders - this can lead to bootloop (locked on the phone).

Method 3: Reset all MIUI settings (without data loss)

If previous methods didn’t work, but you don’t want to lose data, try a soft reset via Settings, which removes all custom MIUI settings, including fonts, but saves photos, contacts and apps.

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Click 5-7 times on the MIUI version to activate Developer Mode.
3. Return to Settings → Additional → Resetting settings.
4. Select Reset MIUI (not to be confused with Reset to factory!).
5. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.

After reset, the font must return to the standard MiSans or Roboto (depending on the model). If not, then the font was written at the system level (see Method 4 or 5).

Standard MiSans (Xiaomi)|

Roboto (Android)|

Castomic font from Tem|

I don't care.-->

Method 4: Reset font through ADB (for advanced)

If you don’t have ROOT, but you have a computer, you can reset the font via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that works on all Xiaomi models, including the Redmi 9A, POCO F3 and Mi 11.

You will need to:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/Linux/macOS;
• 📱 USB-cable (original);
• 🔧 Installed drivers ADB and Fastboot;
• 📋 Included debugging by USB (Settings → For developers → Debugging by USB).

Instructions:

adb shell


su




mount -o rw,remount /system




rm -rf /data/system/theme/*




rm -rf /data/user_de/0/com.android.themes/*




reboot

If the font has not changed after the reboot, try the additional command:

adb shell cmd overlay list

Look for lines with font or typeface in the output - they must be disabled by the command:

adb shell cmd overlay disable --user 0 [name overlay]

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Before working with ADB, back up your data via adb backup or Mi Cloud. If something goes wrong, you can recover the information.

Method 5: Manual System Font Recovery (ROOT)

If all the previous methods failed, all that remains is manual restoration of standard fonts. ROOT-rights and is suitable for experienced users.

Algorithm of action:

1. Download original fonts for your Xiaomi model (e.g., from the XDA Developers forum or 4PDA), usually an archive with MiSans.ttf, Roboto-Regular.ttf, etc. files.
2. Using Root Explorer or Total Commander, copy files to /system/fonts/ (replace existing ones).
3. Set the correct access rights (644 or rw-r----).
4. Reboot the phone.

HyperOS (2026) models may require an additional command in Terminal:

setprop persist.sys.miui.font.style default

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If you have replaced the fonts, you have copied the wrong bits of files (for example, the fonts for ARM64 to ARMv7), restore the original files via TWRP or scroll the phone again.

Table: Methods compatible with Xiaomi models

⚠️ Note: On HyperOS devices (2026), standard font reset methods may not work due to the system architecture. ADB or ROOT.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Many users are making the font problem worse by trying to fix it head-on, and here are the typical mistakes and their consequences:

• 🔄 Removing system fonts without backup → bootloop or "brick." Always save the original.ttf files before making changes.
• 📱 Use of informal topics from third-party sources → Viruses or incompatible fonts. download themes only from the Mi Theme Store.
• 🔧 Trying to change fonts through build.prop → This method is outdated and does not work on the MIUI 12+.
• 🔄 Reset to factory settings without backup → Always backup your data in Mi Cloud or through adb backup.

If you haven't returned to the standard font after all the manipulations, check if you have an application like iFont or FontFix installed, which can block system fonts at the overlay level.

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To avoid problems in the future, disable automatic application of themes in Settings → Themes → Theme settings → Autoapplication. Also regularly update MIUI – new versions fix font bugs.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions