How to Create Your Own MIUI Theme: From Idea to Publication

Xiaomi’s MIUI shell is famous for its flexibility and customization capabilities, but even among the thousands of ready-made themes in the Mi Theme Store, sometimes there isn’t one that fits your taste perfectly.Creating your own theme is not only a way to express your personality, but also a chance to share your creativity with millions of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO users around the world.

In this guide, we'll take you through the whole process, from design layouts to publishing a theme in the official store, what tools you'll need, how to avoid typical layout errors, and what to do if the theme doesn't get moderated, and if you've never done interface design before, don't worry: we'll give you recommendations even for beginners.

Important: The process of creating themes for MIUI 14 and later has its own nuances, so the instruction is relevant for modern versions of the shell. If you have an Android 12/13 device with MIUI 13 or older, some steps may differ, we will mention this too.

Requirements for MIUI topics: what you need to know before starting work

Before you start designing, check Xiaomi's official themes requirements, which are regularly updated, and not following even the smallest rules can lead to a refusal to publish.

• 📱 Compatibility with the latest versions MIUI: The subject should be correctly displayed on MIUI 14/15 maintain permits FHD+ (1080×2400) and QHD+ (1440×3200).
• 🎨 Design uniqueness: it is forbidden to copy elements from existing themes (including icons, wallpaper and animations).
• 📁 File structure: All resources must be packed into a.mtz archive with the correct folder hierarchy.
• 🚫 Prohibited Content: No political symbolism, violence, pornography, or branding by third-party companies (except Xiaomi).

Pay special attention to element sizes. For example, application icons should be 192×192 px (for MIUI 14+) and wallpaper should be at least 2160×2160 px to support all devices. A full list of technical requirements can be found in the MIUI developer documentation.

⚠️ Attention: Themes with animations (e.g. live wallpaper or dynamic icons) require additional optimization. FPS Animation below 30, the theme will be rejected due to "bad user experience".

2 Tools for creating MIUI themes

You'll need a combination of graphics editors and specialized utilities to work with, and here's the minimum set:

The most important tool is MIUI Theme Editor, which can be downloaded from Xiaomi's official developer website.

• 🖌️ Edit the colors of system elements (status bar, notification panels).
• 📂 Import your own icons and wallpaper.
• 🔍 View the preliminary result on a virtual device.
• 📦 Export a ready-made.mtz file to be uploaded to the store.

If you plan to create animations, you will need Adobe After Effects or Blender (for the first time). 3D-However, for the first topic, it is better to limit yourself to static elements, which will make moderation easier.

💡

Use icon templates from the official icons GIU-guide MIUI. They are already optimized for Xiaomi requirements and contain the right indentations and layers.

3. Step-by-step instruction: create a simple theme

Let's start with the basic theme without animations.

1. Create a folder with the name of your topic (for example, MyFirstTheme) and add it to it: 📁 Icon folder – for application icons (minimum) 50 stuff PNG). 📁 Wallpaper folder - with wallpaper for home screen and lock (resolved from the 2160×2160 px). 📁 Color folder - with file colors.xml (defines the palette of the topic).

Editing in MIUI Theme Editor

Open the program and import your files. Make sure:

• 🔹 Icons have a transparent background (PNG-32).
• 🔹 Colors in colors.xml palette MIUI (for example, #FF6E40 accent-orange).
• 🔹 Wallpaper does not contain watermarks or logos.
• Export and Test Save the project as.mtz and test it on your device: 1. Copy the file to /sdcard/MIUI/theme/2. Go to Settings → Theme → Local 3. Select your theme and apply it.
• The check period is 3 to 7 days, and if the subject is rejected, you will receive a reason letter (e.g., "Phone icon contains watermark").

Once approved, the theme will be available in the Mi Theme Store under your nickname, and you will be able to track the number of downloads and ratings in the developer’s personal account.

💡

Dark Mode themes have 40% more downloads than light ones. Add alternative colors to colors.xml to reach a larger audience.

5 Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even experienced designers face moderation failures, and here are the most common reasons and ways to address them:

Another common problem is that it's not displayed correctly on different devices, such as the wallpaper that might crop on a smartphone with a cutout in the screen (Redmi Note 12) or not fit the 20:9 aspect ratio.

• 📏 Test the theme on 3+ device.
• 🎨 Use "safe zones" for important wallpaper elements (central part of the screen).
• 🔄 Check the adaptability in MIUI Theme Editor (Preview Mode).

6. Promoting Your Theme: How to Get More Downloads

Posting to the Mi Theme Store is just the first step, so that your topic is noticed:

• 📢 Share in communities: Post screenshots on Reddit (r/Xiaomi, r/MIUI), in Telegram-chats on customization (@miuithemes) or 4PDA.
• 📹 Take a Video Review: A Short Video Showcased With A Theme On YouTube or TikTok Will Increase Coverage.
• 🔄 Update theme: add new icons or wallpaper every 1-2 months, which will raise it in the results of the store.
• 💬 Respond to reviews: Users often ask for support for specific apps (like WhatsApp or Spotify).

If the theme has more than 10,000 downloads, you can apply for the MIUI Theme Partner program, which gives you access to exclusive tools and monetization options (for example, through paid versions of the theme).

Don’t forget to keep track of trends: in 2026, topics with:

• 🖤 AMOLED-Optimization (black wallpaper with color accents).

7. Alternative means of disseminating topics

If your theme is not approved in the official store or you want to test it on a small audience, there are alternative sites:

To install themes from third-party sources, users will need to:

1. Download the.mtz archive.
2. Place it in /sdcard/MIUI/theme/.
3. Apply the theme through Settings → Theme → Local.

⚠️ Note: Topics from unofficial sources may contain malicious code. Always check files through VirusTotal before installing.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions