How to put a standard theme on Xiaomi Redmi Note 9: 3 working ways

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 is one of the most popular smartphones in the budget segment, but its owners often face a problem: after installing custom themes through MIUI Themes, the system begins to slow down, and the standard interface cannot be returned. In this article, we will analyze three official ways to return to the factory theme – from simple resetting in settings to recovery via Fastboot.

It’s important to understand that the “standard theme” in MIUI is not just about visual style, but also optimized system fonts, icons and animations that directly affect performance. For example, the default Dark Mode theme in Redmi Note 9 consumes 12-15% less battery power than most third-party themes from the Mi Theme Store. If the phone starts to warm up or discharge quickly after a design change, this is an excuse to return factory settings.

Why is the smartphone not returning to the standard theme?

The problem usually lies in one of three factors:

• 🔄 Cash theme is not cleared after removing the custom theme – the system continues to use its elements.
• 📱 Mistake. MIUI: firmware MIUI 13 (and the Redmi Note 9 originally came with a MIUI 11) the reset bug was encountered in 30% of cases.
• 🔧 Rooting or modified firmware: if you have installed TWRP Magisk, the standard methods may not work.

Before you start resetting, check the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. If it is older than 12.5, we recommend you update first - this will solve the problem without additional manipulation in 70% of cases.

Method 1: Reset themes via MIUI settings (without data loss)

The safest method that works on non-rooted devices is if you have installed themes through the official Mi Theme Store.

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to My Themes section (the tab at the bottom of the screen).
3. Find an active topic and click on it.
4. In the window that opens, tap Remove (or Reset if it is a standard theme with changes).
5. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

If no changes have been made after the reboot:

• 🧹 Clear the Themes app cache in Settings → Annexes → Application management → Themes → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
• 🔄 Switch to another standard theme (like Dark Mode), then return to the light one.

Identify an active topic in "My Topics"

Remove all unused custom themes

Clear the Themes app cache

Reset the device

Check the result in the display settings-->

⚠️ WARNING: If app icons on your desktop disappear after reset, don’t panic – this is a temporary bug MIUI. Return them through Settings → Desktop → Application badges → Restore default icons.

Method 2: Recovery with Mi Account (if the topic is stuck)

If the first method didn’t work and the phone is tied to a Mi Account, you can use the theme sync feature, which is suitable for devices on MIUI 12 and later.

1. Open Settings → Xiaomi account.
2. Make sure that theme synchronization is enabled (Sync settings → Themes).
3. Return to Themes and select Restore Themes (cloud icon in the upper right corner).
4. Select a backup with the date the standard theme was used.

If no backup copies are available:

• 📱 Create a new backup right now (in the same sync menu).
• 🔄 Install any standard theme (like Classic), then restore backup.

⚠️ Note: If you have a notification that says "No Theme" when you restore themes through Mi Account, it means that the themes are corrupted. In this case, only a complete reset will help (Method 3).

💡

Before restoring themes through Mi Account, check if there is enough space in cloud storage. If backups are not created, clear the unnecessary data in Settings → Xiaomi Account → Cloud → Storage Management.

Method 3: Completely reset your settings (if nothing helps)

An extreme measure that is guaranteed to return the standard theme but delete all data from the device. be sure to back up via Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset or Mi Cloud.

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Choose to erase all data.
3. Enter the password from your Mi Account (if requested).
4. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).

After discharge:

• 📱 The phone will boot with factory settings, including a standard theme.
• 🔄 Restore data from backup, but don’t restore the theme settings – this can return the problem.
• 🔧 If the theme is lost again after data recovery, repeat the reset, but do not restore system settings (only contacts, photos and applications).

Additional Methods for Advanced Users

If you're familiar with ADB or Fastboot, you can restore a standard theme without completely resetting.These methods are suitable for the Redmi Note 9 with an unlocked bootloader.

Method 1: Removing themes through ADB

Allows you to manually delete custom themes files.

adb shell


su




rm -rf /data/system/theme/*




reboot

After the reboot, the system will restore standard theme files.

Method 2: Fastboot Flashing

If the theme is “stitched” into the firmware (for example, after an unsuccessful update), clean firmware will help:

1. Download the official firmware for Redmi Note 9 (codename merlin) from the Xiaomi Firmware website.
2. Unpack the archive and launch the script flash_all.bat (for Windows or flash_all.sh (for Linux/Mac).
3. Connect your phone in Fastboot mode (clip Power + Volume down when the device is off).

⚠️ Note: Fastboot flashing deletes all data, including files in internal memory. TWRP, You can try to restore a standard theme through a backup section /data/system/theme.

How to avoid problems with topics in the future

To avoid having to return a standard theme, follow these rules:

• 🛡️ Install themes only from the official Mi Theme Store - third-party APK-Files often contain viruses or incompatible elements.
• 📱 Before installing a new theme, create a restore point in the TWRP (if it is installed).

💡

The most stable themes for the Redmi Note 9 are standard Default, Dark Mode and Classic.They are tested by Xiaomi and do not cause lags.

FAQ: Frequent questions about resetting themes on Xiaomi