How to Download and Install Themes on Xiaomi: The Complete 2026 Guide

Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones are famous for their deep customization of the interface, from icons to animations. One of the most popular ways to personalize is to install new themes. However, not everyone knows how to download and apply themes properly, especially if the standard Themes store doesn’t offer the right options.

In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to download themes for Xiaomi, Redmi and others. POCO 2026: From the official store to third-party resources, you will learn how to circumvent regional restrictions, avoid viruses when downloading. APK-And then there's the unique life hack to restore a standard theme if you start to slow down after you install a new one.

1.Official method: MIUI Themes Store

The safest and easiest method is to use the built-in Themes app, which is pre-installed on all Xiaomi devices with MIUI 12 firmware and later. To find it, follow the following steps:

• 📱 Open the app menu and find the Themes icon (brush icon).
• 🔍 In the search bar, type in a keyword (for example, “dark topic” or “dark topic "AMOLED").
• 📥 Click on your favorite topic. → Download → Apply.
• ⚙️ For fine-tuning, go to My Themes → Set up.

Advantages of the official store:

• ✅ Security: All themes tested by Xiaomi for no malicious code.
• ✅ Automatic updates: Themes are updated with the system.
• ✅ Integration with MIUI: correct work of animations and icons.

⚠️ Note: On some regional versions MIUI (For example, Global ROM Europe, some topics may be blocked due to licensing restrictions, so that you can change the region in your Mi Account settings.

2. Downloading topics from third-party sources: risks and opportunities

If the official store does not have a suitable theme, users often turn to third-party resources.

• 🌐 MIUI Themes – the largest database of themes with ratings and reviews.
• 📦 4PDA — Russian-speaking community with mods and themes.
• 📱 Telegram channels (e.g, @miuithemes).

However, downloading topics from unofficial sites carries risks:

Before installing a third-party theme, be sure to back up the current theme:

1. Open Themes. → My subjects.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Export.
3. Save the file to Mi Cloud or memory card.

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If the app icons are missing after installing a third-party theme, restart your phone in Safe Mode (press the power button → Reboot in Safe Mode).

3. How to install a theme from a.mtz file

Theme files for Xiaomi have the extension.mtz. They can be installed manually through the Themes app:

Download the.mtz file from a trusted source |

Transfer the file to the MIUI/theme folder on the internal drive |

Open Themes → My Themes → Local |

Select the downloaded file and click Apply-->

If theme is missing, create it manually through any file manager (e.g. Files by Google or Mi Explorer). THEME).

An alternative way for advanced users is to install via ADB:

adb install -r -t -d /path/to/theme.mtz

This command will apply the theme without having to move the file manually.Suitable for Xiaomi with an unlocked bootloader.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 14+ and the enabled function Privacy Protection (in security settings) install themes through ADB Disable this option before executing the command.

4. Solving problems with the installation of themes

Frequent errors in working with topics and ways to eliminate them:

• 🚫 "No Supported Theme: Downloaded Theme is for a different version MIUI. Check compatibility on the download site.
• 🔄 "Theme applies partially": Clear the cache of the Themes app in settings (Settings) → Annexes → Application management → Themes → Warehouse → Clear the cache).
• 📱 "Icons don't change": Some launchers (like Nova Launcher) block icon changes. MIUI Launcher.
• 🔒 "You can’t download the topic because of the region”: Change the region in the Mi Account to “India” or “China” (in the account settings).

If the topic is set, but the system began to slow down, the reason may be:

• Too heavy animations in the theme (especially on budget Redmi models).
• Conflict with the MIUI shell (often found on beta versions of firmware).
• Lack of RAM (relevant for devices with 3-4 GB of RAM).

Decision:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and tap 7 times on the line with the version to turn on Developer Mode.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable the option to turn off animations (or set the animation scale to 0.5x).
3. If the brakes are left, reset the theme to standard (Themes → My themes → Standard).

5.The best themes for Xiaomi in 2026: TOP-5

We analyzed the theme rankings on MIUI Themes and selected the most popular options compatible with the latest firmware versions:

For devices with low memory capacity (for example, Redmi 9A or POCO C31), we recommend themes weighing up to 10 MB. Heavy themes (from 50 MB) can take up to 200-300 MB after unpacking and lead to lags.

6. How to Create Your Theme for Xiaomi

If you don’t find a suitable theme, you can create it yourself using the official tool from Xiaomi – MIUI Theme Editor. The program is available only for Windows and requires connecting your phone via USB in debugging mode.

Step-by-step:

1. Download MIUI Theme Editor from the official forum.
2. Turn on USB debugging on your phone (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times Press → For Developers → Debugging by USB).
3. Connect your phone to your PC and run the editor. Select New Project.
4. Import your images for icons, wallpaper and animations (recommended format is PNG with transparency).
5. Export the finished theme to the.mtz file and install it on your phone (see Section 3).

Requirements for the elements of the topic:

• 🖼️ Icons: size 192×192 px, format PNG.
• 🎨 Wallpaper: permission at least 1080×2340 px (for Full) HD+ screen).
• ⚙️ Color palette: use no more than 5 primary colors for consistency.

⚠️ Note: You can not publish themes in the official Themes store without Xiaomi’s consent. Use third-party sites to distribute them (for example, use third-party sites, 4PDA Telegram).

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Homemade themes can conflict with MIUI system updates. Before installing a major update (for example, from MIUI 13 to MIUI 14), remove custom themes to avoid errors.

7.Alternative launchers: bypassing the limitations of MIUI

If you don't like the built-in customization capabilities of MIUI, you can use third-party launchers, which allow you to change icons, animations and even gestures without installing themes.

• 📱 Nova Launcher: Supports icon packs (.apk), gesture customization and app hiding.
• 🎨 Lawnchair: open source, Pixel style, adaptive icons.
• ⚡ Hyperion Launcher: Optimized for gaming smartphones (Black Shark, POCO F).

How to install a package of icons for the launcher:

1. Download an icon package (such as Whicons or Delta) from Google Play.
2. Open the launcher settings (Long press on the desktop → Settings).
3. Choose the Icon Style → Icon Package and apply the downloaded set.

Advantages of launchers over MIUI themes:

• ✅ No restrictions on the region.
• ✅ Less system load (no changes to system files).
• ✅ The ability to roll back to the standard view in one click.

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Not all system applications (Settings, Phone) change icons.
• ❌ No integration with animations MIUI (For example, the effects of unlocking).

FAQ: Frequent questions about topics on Xiaomi