How to Put Your Theme on Xiaomi: 5 Proven Ways (Including Bypassing MIUI Restrictions)

Installing custom themes on Xiaomi smartphones is one of the most popular ways to personalize the MIUI interface. However, not all users know that in addition to standard themes from the official MIUI Themes store, you can install third-party solutions, including community designs. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods, from simple import through APK to complex manipulations with ADB and TWRP.

It is important to understand that with the release of MIUI 14 and HyperOS, Xiaomi has tightened its security policy, blocking some “backdoors” for installing uncertified themes. However, the workarounds remain – the main thing is to follow the instructions and take into account the model of your device (on Redmi Note 12 and Xiaomi 13 algorithms may differ).

1.Official method: installing themes through MIUI Themes

The safest and easiest method is to use a built-in theme store, which is suitable for most devices running MIUI 12-14 and HyperOS, but has a limitation: only certified themes from Xiaomi are available.

To establish a theme:

• 📱 Open the Themes app (icon with brush on desktop).
• 🔍 In the search box, type in the title of the topic or select a category (for example, “Dark” or “Dark” or “Dark” or “Dark «AMOLED»).
• 👆 Click on your favorite topic and select Apply.
• ⚙️ If necessary, configure individual elements (badges, fonts, wallpaper) in the theme settings section.

⚠️ Note: On certain devices (e.g, POCO F5 Global firmware, some of the themes can be blocked by regional restrictions, in which case changing the region in the Mi Account settings or using the same will help. VPN.

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If the theme does not apply, check if Auto Update Themes is enabled in the Themes app settings. Sometimes the system resets custom settings after the MIUI update.

2. Installation of themes through MTZ-files (manual importation)

.mtz files are MIUI theme archives that can be downloaded from third-party sources (e.g., XDA Developers or 4PDA forums), a method that works on most devices but requires pre-production.

Instructions:

1. Download the.mtz theme file to your device (for example, to the Downloads folder).
2. Open the Topics application → Profile → Import.
3. Select the downloaded file and confirm the installation.
4. Apply the topic in the My Topics section.

🔹 Challenges and solutions:

• ❌ Unable to import error: Make sure the file is not corrupted (check checksum) MD5).
• ❌ Theme applies partially: Some elements (icons, animations) may not be supported by your version MIUI. Try another topic.
• ❌ No "Import" button: On newer versions of HyperOS, this option is hidden. ADB (section).

3.Use of the application "MIUI Theme Editor" (for advanced)

If you want not only to install other people's themes, but also to create your own - use the utility. MIUI Theme Editor. It's software. Windows/Linux, allowing you to edit.mtz files, change icons, fonts and even animations.

How to work with the editor:

1. Download and install MIUI Theme Editor with GitHub.
2. Connect your smartphone to your PC and copy the /MIUI/theme/ folder (root or ADB required to access).
3. Open the.mtz file in the editor and make changes (for example, replace the icons in the drawable folder).
4. Save the project and export the new.mtz file.
5. Import the theme to your phone (see section 2).

⚠️ Note: Editing system files without a backup can lead to loss of interface functionality.Before experimenting, back up through Mi Cloud or TWRP.

App icons | Wallpaper and screensavers | Fonts | Color scheme | Animations-->

Install themes via ADB (for MIUI 14 and HyperOS)

Since MIUI 14, Xiaomi has removed the ability to import.mtz files via the interface, but this restriction can be circumvented by using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that requires enabling USB debugging and working with the command line.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and press 7 times.
2. Activate USB Debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: Adb devices (your device should appear).
4. Download the.mtz file to your PC and move it to the ADB folder.
5. Execute the command to install: adb push theme.mtz /sdcard/MIUI/theme/ adb shell am broadcast -a miui.intent.action.CHANGE_THEME --ez extra_pkg_name com.android.theme.icon_pack.android --ei extra_theme_type 0
6. Restart the device and apply the theme in the Themes app.

🔹 Common mistakes:

• ❌ adb: device unauthorized → Confirm the debugging on the smartphone screen.
• ❌ No such file or directory → Check the path to the.mtz file.
• ❌ Subject not applicable → Try another command: adb shell am start -n com.android.themes/.activity.ThemePreviewActivity

Enable the developer mode|Activate debugging by USB|Install drivers ADB PC-only|Download the correct.mtz file|Connection check (adb devices)-->

5. Install theme through TWRP (for root users)

If you have TWRP customized recavers installed on your device, you can install themes by writing them directly to the system partition, which is suitable for power users and requires an unlocked bootloader.

Instructions:

1. Download the.mtz file and rename it to theme.mtz.
2. Move the file to a microSD card or internal memory.
3. Reboot to TWRP (clip Power + Volume up).
4. Select Advanced → File Manager.
5. Go to /data/system/theme/ and delete the old theme (if any).
6. Copy theme.mtz into this folder.
7. Set the rights 755 for the file.
8. Reset the device.

⚠️ Attention: Incorrect manipulations in TWRP This can cause data loss or a device “brick” before you start, create a full backup through Backup. → Swipe to Backup.

6.Alternative launchers: circumventing MIUI restrictions

If none of the methods worked (like the POCO X6 Pro with HyperOS), consider using third-party launchers that allow you to customize the interface without tampering with system files.

Popular launchers for Xiaomi:

• 🚀 Nova Launcher – flexible customization of icons, gestures and animations.
• 🎨 Lawnchair – supports Pixel-style themes.
• 🔄 Microsoft Launcher – Windows integration and cloud themes.
• 🖼️ Action Launcher – unique widgets and adaptive icons.

How to determine:

1. Download the launcher from Google Play.
2. Set it as the default launcher (a suggestion will appear at the first start).
3. Download the theme for the launcher (for example,.klwp files for KWGT or iconpaks for Nova).
4. Apply the settings in the launcher menu.

✅ Pros: No risk of damage to the system, ample opportunities for customization.

❌ Cons: Not all elements MIUI (For example, the notification panel will be changed.

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Third-party launchers are the only safe way to drastically change the interface on devices with a locked bootloader (for example, on new Redmi or POCO with HyperOS).

FAQ: Frequent questions about installing themes on Xiaomi