How to Create Your Own Xiaomi Phone Theme: A Complete Guide from Idea to Installation

Creating your own theme for Xiaomi’s smartphone is not only a way to stand out, but also an opportunity to customize the MIUI interface to your preferences. Unlike standard themes from the store, a customized theme allows you to control every element from app icons to screen lock animations. However, many users face difficulties in preparing files or installing them through MIUI Themes, especially if it is informal firmware or older versions of MIUI.

In this guide, we will break down the process of creating a theme from scratch, including preparing graphic elements, editing configuration files, and bypassing system constraints. You will learn what tools you will need to work with.mtz archives, how to test the theme before publishing, and why some elements may not appear on certain Redmi models, POCO Special attention will be paid to legal ways of spreading topics and avoiding blocking the account in the MIUI Theme Store.

What you need to create a theme on Xiaomi

Before you start designing, make sure you have everything you need.

• 📱 Xiaomi smartphone based on MIUI 12 and higher (for testing) On older versions, some features may not work properly.
• 💻 Windows computer 10/11 Or macOS for editing theme files, and even an entry-level laptop would do.
• 🎨 Graphic Editor: Adobe Photoshop, GIMP (free) or Figma for working with vector elements.
• 📂 WinRAR Archivist or 7-Zip for unpacking/packaging.mtz files.
• 🔧 Utility. MIUI Theme Editor (unofficial) or manual editing XML-file.

You will also need a basic template theme that can be downloaded from the official MIUI Themes store or found on forums like XDA Developers. The template simplifies the work, as it already contains the folder structure and the main configuration files. Note: Themes for POCO Launcher and standard MIUI Launcher may have different requirements for icon and wallpaper resolution.

⚠️ Note: If you are planning to publish a topic in MIUI Theme Store, avoid using protected images (brand logos, franchise characters) without permission from copyright holders.

Step-by-step: Creating a theme structure

Any theme for Xiaomi is an archive with the.mtz extension, inside which are folders with graphics, XML-configuration files and manifests. To create your theme, you need to:

1. Download a basic theme from the MIUI Themes store (like a standard Default or Dark Mode) and use it as a template.
2. Unpack the.mtz file with the archiver, and inside you'll see folders like com.android.systemui, icon, and wallpaper.
3. Edit graphics in Photoshop or GIMP, saving the original file sizes. For example, icons should be in 192×192 px format (for MIUI 14).
4. Change the configuration in the description.xml file (theme name, author, version) and values/colors.xml (color palette).
5. Pack files back to.mtz using the archiver by selecting the ZIP compression method (no password!).

It is important to keep the folder structure in mind: if you delete or rename a directory (e.g. com.miui.home), the relevant theme elements will not apply. For convenience, use the English-language folder and file names to avoid import errors.

Download the template MIUI Themes|Create a backup copy of original files|Edit the graphics in format PNG|Check the size of the icons (192×192 px)|Save. XML-file-encrypted UTF-8-->

Editing graphic elements: wallpaper, icons, widgets

Graphics are the basis of any topic, and let's start with the key elements that users see most often:

Wallpaper and lock screen

Wallpaper files are stored in the wallpaper folder, and images with resolution are used for the main screen and lock:

• Main screen: 1080×2340 px (for most Xiaomi models with a ratio of 18:9).
• Lock: 1080×2160 px (consider the area for watches and notifications).

The format is PNG (for transparency) or JPEG (for photos), and avoid text watermarks, which can cause the topic to be rejected during moderation.

Application icons

The icons are stored in the icon and must comply with MIUI standards:

• 📏 Size: 192×192 px (for px) MIUI 14), 144×144 px (for older versions).
• 🎨 Format: PNG transparently.
• 🔤 Name: Files should be named com.android.contacts.png (for the Contacts app").

If you don’t want to draw icons from scratch, you can use generators like Android Asset Studio or download free sets from Flaticon (specify authorship!).

Color scheme and fonts

The interface colors are written in values/colors.xml. For example, to change the color of the notification bar, find the line:

<color name="notification_panel_bg">#FF1A1A1A</color>

For fonts, use.ttf or.otf files by placing them in the font folder. Note that MIUI does not support all fonts - test the display on the device.

⚠️ Note: If you change system fonts (like Roboto on San Francisco), this can lead to problems with the text display in some applications.Always test the theme on a real device, not just in the emulator.

Configuration files: description.xml and manifest

File. description.xml — This is your theme passport. It contains metadata that you see in the store. MIUI Themes: An example of a minimal configuration:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>


<theme>




<name>MyCustomTheme</name>




<author>YourName</author>




<version>1.0</version>




<compatibility>MIUI14</compatibility>




<preview>preview.png</preview>




</theme>

Mandatory fields:

• Name – the title of the topic (up to 20 characters).
• Author is your nickname or name.
• Version of the theme (start with 1.0).
• Compatibility: Supported version of MIUI (for example, specify the exact version of MIUI14.0.5).
• Preview – the path to the preview theme (size 720×1280 px).

The AndroidManifest.xml file (in the META-INF folder) is responsible for the theme resolutions. Don't edit it manually unless you're sure of your actions - errors here can make it impossible to install the theme.

Testing theme on a Xiaomi device

Before publishing, you need to test the topic on a real device.

1. Transfer the.mtz file to your phone’s memory (for example, to your Download folder).
2. Open the MIUI Themes app and go to My Themes → Import.
3. Select your file and wait for the installation. If the process is interrupted, check it: 📁 Correct folder structure in the archive. 📝 Correctness description.xml (especially in the field of compatibility). 🔒 No password on the archive.

Apply the theme and check the display of all elements: icons, wallpaper, notification panel, keyboard.

If the topic doesn't get installed, look at the error log.

💡

If the theme is installed but some elements (such as animations) don’t work, try clearing the theme app cache in your phone settings: Settings → Apps → Application Management → Topics → Storage → Clear the cache.

Posting theme in MIUI Theme Store

If you want to share your theme with others, you can upload it to the official MIUI Themes store.

1. Register a developer account at zhuti.xiaomi.com (it will require a link to your phone number).
2. Download the.mtz file through the My Works section → Download the theme.
3. Fill out the description in Chinese or English (use an interpreter if you don't know the language).
4. Wait for moderation (usually takes 1 to 7 days).