How to change the theme on Xiaomi: 5 ways to change the design in MIUI

Changing the theme on Xiaomi devices is not just a cosmetic interface change, but a way to completely transform the look of the smartphone to your style. The company offers hundreds of free and paid themes through the brand store MIUI Themes, but not all users know how to install them correctly, customize or even create their own. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to change themes on Xiaomi, including hidden features that are not documented in the official instructions.

The MIUI shell (version 12-15) is not only about wallpaper and icons, but also about animations, fonts, notification sounds, and even the style of system applications. However, many users are facing problems: Themes don’t apply, they’re dropped after updating, or just don’t like them because of aggressive design, and we’ll show you how to avoid these problems and make your Redmi, POCO, or Xiaomi look exactly the way you want it to look.

Method 1: Install themes through the official MIUI Themes store

The easiest and safest way to change the theme is to use the built-in MIUI Themes Store, which is available on all Xiaomi devices with MIUI shell (except for models for the global market with MIUI Global firmware, where the store is often disabled).

• 📱 Open the Themes app (Brush and Palette icon) If it's not on the home screen, search the system (Settings) → Search).
• 🔍 In the bottom menu, select the Online section – here you can see popular, new and recommended themes.
• ⭐ For convenience, use the categories: Minimalism, Dark, AMOLED, Playing or For Girls/Boys.
• 💰 Pay attention to the badge. VIP — These topics require subscriptions (from 99 to one).₽/Free options are marked with a green checkmark.

Once you select a theme, click Apply, the system will automatically download and install all the design elements. The process can take anywhere from 10 seconds to a minute depending on the speed of the Internet. Importantly, some themes weigh up to 50 MB, so it is better to use Wi-Fi for a slow connection.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI Global (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T Pro for Europe) Themes store may be blocked.In this case, use method 3 or 4 of this article.

Method 2: Locally install themes through.mtz files

If you don’t like themes from the official store or you found a unique design on forums (for example, 4PDA or XDA Developers), you can manually install the theme through a file with the.mtz extension. This method works on all versions of MIUI, but requires caution:

1. Download the theme file (.mtz) from a trusted source: 🌐 Official Chinese Topics Portal (Translator required) 📁 Section of topics 4PDA

Downloads

Topics

My subjects.

Imports

.mtz

Once imported, the theme will appear in My Themes, where you can edit individual items (wallpaper, icons, fonts) or apply them all at once. Please note that some.mtz files may contain viruses — download only from trusted sources!

Download only from official forums|Check the file through VirusTotal|Do not install topics from unknown authors.|Create a backup copy before installation-->

Method 3: Change theme through ADB (for advanced users)

If the theme store is locked (as on MIUI Global) and the manual.mtz installation is not working, you can apply the theme through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires a computer connection and basic command line knowledge, but gives access to all topics, including paid ones.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB-driver
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 times) → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB)
• 🔗.mtz theme file, renamed theme.mtz and placed in the platform-tools folder on PC

Next, execute commands in the terminal (command line):

adb push theme.mtz /sdcard/MIUI/theme/


adb shell am start -n com.android.themes/.activity.ThemePreviewActivity

The theme will then appear in the Topics app under My Topics, a method that bypasses MIUI Global’s limitations but can cause crashes if the theme file is incompatible with your firmware version.

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB If after applying the theme, the smartphone began to slow down or fly out, reset the themes through Settings. → Topics → Reset to standard.

Method 4: Use of third-party launchers (Nova, Hyperion, Apex)

If you don't like MIUI system themes, but you want to change the look of your smartphone, you can install a third-party launcher, which replaces the standard desktop, icons and animations.

To set up the launcher:

1. Download it from Google Play or APKMirror.
2. Launch the application and select Install as default launcher.
3. Customize icons, wallpapers and widgets through the launcher menu (usually available on the long tap on the desktop).

The advantage of this method is that you are not affected by the limitations of MIUI, but some system elements (such as the notification bar) will remain unchanged.

💡

If the weather or clock widgets are missing after installing the launcher, restart the device. MIUI sometimes blocks third-party widgets before restarting.

Method 5: Manually changing individual elements of the theme (wallpaper, icons, fonts)

You don’t need to change the whole theme – you can configure individual elements in MIUI:

• 🎨 Wallpaper: Settings → Wallpaper or long tap on the desktop → Wallpapers: Here you can choose static images, live wallpapers or Super Wallpapers (animated for Xiaomi) 11/12/13 series).
• 📱 Icons: In the Topics app, select the Icons section — there are icon packages from Xiaomi and third-party designers.
• 🔤 Fonts: Settings → Display. → Font, available. 5-10 system fonts, but you can install your own through.ttf files (root or required) ADB).
• 🔊 Sounds: The Themes app has a section called Sounds where you can change the melodies of notifications, alarm clocks and system signals.

For advanced users, if you don't have the standard options, you can use apps like Icon Pack Studio (to create your icons) or KWGT (to customize widgets), which take time to customize, but allow you to make a unique design.

Problem Solving: The topic is not applied or reset

Sometimes, when you change the subject, you get errors: the items don't change, the settings are reset, or the system says, "Not applicable theme." Here are the most common reasons and ways to fix them:

If nothing helps, reset the themes:

1. Go to Settings → Themes.
2. Select Reset to a standard theme.
3. Reset the device.

Then try to re-use the theme. If the problem is recurring, you might want to update your firmware or call Xiaomi for support.

💡

Before resetting themes, back up the wallpaper and icons through the Topic app (My Topics → Exports section).

Creating Your Theme for Xiaomi: A Brief Guide

If you don't find the right theme, you can create your own.

• 🖌️ MIUI Theme Editor (official app from Xiaomi, available only on Chinese firmware).
• 🎨 Photoshop GIMP icon-editing.
• 📝 Knowledge of the structure of.mtz files (you can learn in forums) 4PDA or XDA).

The process of creating the theme:

1. Download the theme template from the official website.
2. Edit the elements (the icons must be in PNG format, size 192×192 px).
3. Collect the theme in.mtz via MIUI Theme Editor or manually (an archiver with a specific folder structure).
4. Test it on your device.

The finished theme can be uploaded to the store MIUI Themes (developer account required) or share on forums. Many users make money selling themes — the average price is 50-300₽ unique design.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing themes to Xiaomi