How to completely remove the theme on Xiaomi Redmi 8: 5 working ways

Changing the interface to Xiaomi Redmi 8 is a fun process, but not always a success. A new theme can slow down the system, conflict with application icons or just annoy with a bad design. Unlike flagship models where MIUI offers flexible customization, the budget Redmi 8 (codenamed olive) has limitations: some themes are deleted in one click, while others – for example, preinstalled or downloaded from MIUI Themes – require radical measures.

In this article, we will analyze all possible scenarios, from basic deletion through the theme menu to manual cleanup of system files through ADB. Particular attention will be paid to saving user data and preventing the “bricking” of the device, a typical problem when incorrectly interfering with system folders. If you find that the theme is not deleted in the standard way or after updating the MIUI returned itself, here you will find a solution.

⚠️ Important: Redmi 8 base MIUI 12/13 behaves differently than on MIUI 14+. The article indicates the differences for each firmware version.

Before you start, check:

• 📱 Version MIUI: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI. If you MIUI 14 Global, some methods won’t work without unlocking the bootloader.
• 🔋 Battery charge: at least 50% Interrupting the process of removing themes through ADB It could cause the system to fail.
• 📁 Backup: Themes are stored in /data/system/theme/ — If you make an error, you may need to reset.

1. Delete theme through the standard MIUI menu

The safest and most obvious way is to use built-in tools, and it is suitable for custom themes installed through MIUI Themes or downloaded in.mtz format.

Instructions:

1. Open the Themes app (the icon with a brush on your desktop).
2. Go to My Themes section (the tab at the bottom of the screen).
3. Find the theme you want to remove and pinch the icon for 2 seconds.
4. In the menu that appears, select Remove (basket icon).

⚠️ Note: If the Remove button is inactive or absent, the theme is system (e.g., Default or Dark Mode) and cannot be removed without root rights or ADB.

MIUI 12/13 can hide some of the themes in this menu, to see all the installed:

Settings → Additional → Themes → Theme Management

2. Resetting themes to factory settings

If the theme is stuck in the system and not deleted through the menu, a partial reset will help, which does not affect user data (photos, contacts), but will return all visual settings to default.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Click 5 times on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode (if not already activated).
3. Return to Settings → Additional → Recovery and Reset.
4. Select Reset Theme Settings (on MIUI 14, this item may be called Resetting the Design).
5. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

🔹 That he'll drop:

• 🎨 All applied themes (including wallpaper, icons, fonts).
• 🔊 Sound patterns and notifications.
• 📱 Settings of the always-on display (Always On Display, if supported).

🔹 What's left:

• 📂 Personal files (photos, videos, documents).
• 📱 Installed applications and their data.
• 🔑 Mi Accounts and Google Accounts.

💡

If the theme is back after the reset, check if it is set as the default theme in your Xiaomi account settings. Open Settings → Xiaomi Account → Sync → Themes and turn off automatic sync.

3 Manual removal of themes through MIUI Theme Editor

For advanced users who are ready to work with system files, there is an application MIUI Theme Editor, which allows you to delete even those topics that are not displayed in the standard menu.

📌 Requirements:

• 📱 Device with unlocked loader (for MIUI 13+).
• 🔧 Established MIUI Theme Editor (can be downloaded from the XDA Developers).
• 🛠️ Root rights (optional, but simplifies the process).

Instructions:

1. Install and open MIUI Theme Editor.
2. Go to the Local section (Local topics).
3. Find the topic you want to remove and click on it.
4. In the menu, select Delete (Delete).
5. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

⚠️ Attention: Removing system themes (such as Default or Dark) through Theme Editor can cause a launcher crash (constant desktop reboots.

4. Removal of topics via ADB (for power users)

If the theme is not removed by any of the above methods, manual removal through ADB remains. This method requires connecting the phone to a PC and basic command line knowledge.

📌 Preparation:

• 🖥️ Install Android SDK Platform Tools on PC.
• 📱 Put the debugging on. USB on the phone: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 times) → Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB.
• 🔌 Connect Redmi 8 to your PC via the original cable.

Instructions:

1. Open the command line (cmd) in the folder with the platform-tools.
2. Check the device connection: Adb devices should display the serial number of your Redmi 8.
3. Get a list of installed topics: adb shell pm list packages | grep theme
4. Remove the unnecessary theme (replace com.example.theme with its real name): adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.example.theme

📊 List of standard theme packages on Redmi 8:

Critical information: Deleting the com.android.theme.default package will make it impossible to boot the system, and you can only restore the phone through a full Fastboot flash.

💡

ADB-commands allow you to remove even those topics that are not displayed in the menu MIUI. However, always check the name of the packet before executing commands – an error can make the phone inoperable.

5. Full reset of the phone (last resort)

If all previous methods fail, it leaves a complete factory reset, a radical solution that will remove all data from the device, including themes, apps and personal files.

🔧 How to reset:

1. Create a backup of important data (photos, contacts, messages).
2. Open Settings → Additional → Recovery and Reset.
3. Select Reset (on MIUI 14 – Erase all data).
4. Enter the password (if installed) and confirm the action.

⏳ Reset time: 5-10 minutes. Once rebooted, the phone will be like new, with a standard theme. MIUI.

⚠️ Note: Redmi 8 with unlocked bootloader after reset may require re-activation of Mi Account. If you forget the password – restore it in advance on the Xiaomi website.

6 How to avoid problems with topics in the future

To avoid “unremovable” topics, follow these tips:

🔹 Safety rules:

• 🛡️ Install themes only from the official store MIUI Third-party.mtz files may contain malicious code.
• 📥 Before installing a new theme, make the backup current through Settings. → Additionally. → Backup.
• 🔄 Do not update themes “over the air” – it is better to download them manually and check the reviews of other users.

🔹 Checklist before setting the topic:

💡 Alternatives to standard topics:

• 🎨 Use Nova Launcher or Hyperion Launcher to customize icons without changing system themes.
• 🖼️ Install. KWGT Create your own widgets with a unique design.
• 🌓 For dark mode, use the built-in Settings function → Display. → Dark topic instead of third-party topics.

💡

If you like the design of a particular theme, but it slows down the phone, try using only its individual elements (for example, wallpaper or icons) through the Topics → Setup menu.

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing themes on Redmi 8