Creating your theme for Xiaomi on PC: A complete guide from preparation to installation

Creating your own theme for Xiaomi devices MIUI — It's a fascinating process that allows you to personalize your smartphone interface to your tastes, and many users don't even realize that you don't have to be a professional designer to design unique themes: you just need basic graphics skills and patience. In this article, we will discuss the entire process in detail - from preparing the necessary tools to the final installation of the theme on your Redmi, POCO or Mi.

It is important to understand that custom themes for MIUI They have strict requirements for file structure and image resolution, and errors in the preparation phase can result in the theme either not loading into the system or not showing correctly. We will tell you how to avoid typical problems and optimize the process so that your theme looks professional and works smoothly.

1. What will be needed to create a topic

Before you start designing, make sure you have everything you need, and without the right tools, it can be delayed or even failed.

First, you will need a computer running Windows. 10/11 Or macOS (some tools may require Android emulation). Second, prepare a graphics editor, and you can use both paid Adobe Photoshop and free alternatives like free Photoshop. GIMP You can also do without an archiver (for example, 7-Zip or WinRAR) for working with theme files.

• 🖥️ Computer with OS Windows/macOS/Linux (minimally 4 GB RAM)
• 🎨 Graphic Editor (Photoshop, GIMP, Figma)
• 📁 Archivator for working with.mtz files
• 📱 Xiaomi smartphone on the MIUI 12/13/14 (test-loader)
• 🔧 Developer tools: MIUI Theme Editor (official or modified)

Pay special attention to the version MIUI on your device. Themes created for MIUI 12, may not be correctly displayed on MIUI 14 because of changes in the structure of system files. If you plan to distribute your theme, test it on multiple versions of firmware.

⚠️ Note: If your smartphone is not unlocked, you will not be able to install uncertified themes. Unlocking the bootloader will require a device-bound Mi Account and waiting 72 hours after sending the request.

Installation and configuration MIUI Theme Editor

MIUI Theme Editor is Xiaomi’s official tool that makes it much easier to create themes. However, its functionality is limited, so many developers use modified versions or add third-party utilities to them.

Download the original version of the editor from the official website of the topics MIUI, A modified version will be required for full operation (e.g, MIUI Theme Editor Pro allows you to edit more interface elements and bypass some of the limitations of a standard editor.

Download and install Java 8 (required!)

Download modified MIUI Theme Editor

Unpack the archive in a folder without Cyrillic characters

Run ThemeEditor.jar on behalf of the administrator

Connect the smartphone in debugging mode (USB Debugging)

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After installing the editor, you need to configure it to work with your device:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC through USB and enable debugging mode in the developer settings (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Press 7 times, then return to the Additional Settings → For developers).
2. In the theme editor, select File → New Project and point the way to the folder with the future theme.
3. In the Device section, select your smartphone model (if it is not in the list, select the nearest screen resolution).

Critically, if you use a modified editor, disable the antivirus while you’re running – many of these tools are recognized as potentially dangerous because of the code implemented to circumvent restrictions. MIUI.

3. The structure of the theme files: what and where should lie

Theme for MIUI — It's an archive with a rigid folder structure and a rigid file structure, and any deviation from the standard will lead to installation errors.

Pay special attention to the file description.xml. It indicates:

• 📌 Unique. theme_id (It should not be consistent with existing topics)
• 📌 Theme version (version)="1.0")
• 📌 Supported screen resolutions (1080x2400, 1080x2340 etc.)
• 📌 Author and contact information (for publication in the store)

If you are planning to publish a theme in an official store MIUI Themes, be sure to include the correct data in this file, otherwise the topic will not be moderated.

Application icons

Wallpaper and screensavers

Color scheme and fonts

Animations and transitions

Sounds and notifications

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Design of icons and wallpaper: technical requirements

One of the key elements of any topic is icons, and they must meet several important criteria:

1. Permission: standard for MIUI — 192×192 pixels (for round icons) or 144×144 (Icons should be in.png format with a transparent background.

Style: all icons must be made in a single style (e.g. minimalist ones, 3D, shadowy.).

3. Coverage: A full theme will require at least 200 icons (systemic) + pop-up).

There are other rules for wallpaper:

• 🖼️ Permission: minimum 1080×2340 (For most modern smartphones Xiaomi).
• 🖼️ Format:.jpg or.png (without compression with artifacts).
• 🖼️ Side ratio: 9:19.5 for full-screen wallpaper.

If you don’t want to create icons from scratch, you can use templates from services like Flaticon or IconFinder, but be sure to check the commercial license (if you plan to distribute the theme).

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To speed up the process, use Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape for vector icons, which will make it easy to scale them to different screen resolutions.

5. Editing System Styles and Colors

The color scheme and the fonts are what makes the theme really unique. MIUI That's what files in the folder do. /style/. The main files you will need to edit:

• 🎨 colors.xml — color system elements (notification panels, buttons, backgrounds).
• 📝 styles.xml — text styles (size, outline, line spacing).
• 🔄 dimens.xml — indentation and size of interface elements.

Example of editing colors.xml:

<color name="miui_color_primary">#FF5722</color>  


<color name="miui_color_secondary">#4CAF50</color>




<color name="miui_color_background">#FFFFFF</color>

Changes to fonts will require:

1. Place font files (.ttf or.otf) in the folder /fonts/.
2. Indicate the paths to fonts in styles.xml:

<item name="miui_font_regular">fonts/Roboto-Regular.ttf</item>

⚠️ Warning: Changing system fonts can cause problems with text display in some apps (such as WhatsApp or Telegram).Always test the theme on a real device before distributing.

6. Testing and debugging theme on the device

When all files are ready, they must be archived with the.mtz extension.

1. Select all the theme folders and files.
2. Add them to the archive through 7-Zip WinRAR.
3. Rename the archive by replacing the extension with.mtz (e.g.,.mtz, my_theme.mtz).

Now you can upload the theme to your smartphone. There are two ways.

1. Through MIUI Theme Editor: Connect your smartphone to your PC. In the editor, press Build → Install to Device.

Manually.

• Put the.mtz file in the folder /MIUI/theme/ smartphone.
• Open the Topics app and select My Topics → Local.

If the theme does not apply or is displayed incorrectly, check:

• 🔍 Correct folder structure in the.mtz archive.
• 🔍 Compliance of icons and wallpaper permissions with requirements MIUI.
• 🔍 Correctness of data in description.xml (particularly theme_id and supported permits).

7. Posting the topic in the store MIUI Themes

If you want to share your topic with other users, you can publish it in the official store. MIUI Themes, for that:

1. Register on themes.mi.com as a developer.
2. Download the.mtz file through the developer panel.
3. Fill in the information about the topic: Title (maximum) 20 Description (before the symbols) 200 Category (e.g., "minimalism", "dark subject") Screenshots (minimum) 3 stuff, permission 1080×1920).

Submit the topic to moderation (usually takes 1-3 days).

Note that Xiaomi has strict requirements for the quality of the topics:

• 🚫 Watermarks on wallpaper and icons are prohibited.
• 🚫 All elements must be in high resolution (no pixelation).
• 🚫 The theme should support at least 3 screen resolutions.

If the theme is approved, you can earn revenue from downloads (depending on popularity), but most of the themes in the store are distributed for free.

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Before publishing, test the theme on multiple devices with different versions. MIUI — This will increase the chances of moderators being approved.

8. Alternative means of disseminating topics

If your theme hasn’t been moderated in the official store or you want to distribute it yourself, there are several alternative ways:

• 🌐 Forums and communities: 4PDA (section MIUI Topics). XDA Developers (part of Xiaomi Themes). Groups in Telegram and VK, customization Xiaomi.
• 📦 Third-party theme stores: Mi-Themes (unofficial catalogue). Theme Park (for the first time) POCO redmi).
• 💰 Pay-to-play sites: Gumroad or Sellfy for sale of premium theme.

When distributing via third-party sources, make sure that:

• 📌 The theme is free of viruses or malicious code (check out VirusTotal).
• 📌 You have listed all the sources used (if you have taken icons or wallpaper from open libraries).
• 📌 Provide users with installation instructions (especially if the theme requires an unlocked bootloader).

Many developers also create Patron or Boosty to support their projects, which allows them to receive donations from users who want to support your work.

FAQ: Frequent questions about creating themes for Xiaomi