Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones allow you to deeply customize the look of the system, from icons to animations. But what if the installed theme starts to slow down the interface, conflicts with applications or just annoys with its design? You can return factory design in several ways: through standard settings, reset parameters, or even manually through ADB.
Many users have a problem when they delete the theme through the themes → My themes are not changed, and the interface elements remain distorted. This is due to the peculiarities of MIUI caching and partial saving of theme files in the system folders. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods of returning to the standard theme, including hidden functions and technical nuances for different versions of the firmware.
We will pay special attention to the Redmi Note 11/12, POCO X4/X5 and Xiaomi 13/14 models, where the process may differ due to the updated versions of MIUI 14/15. Also consider how to avoid typical errors, for example, when artifacts in the form of foreign fonts or color schemes are left after resetting themes.
1. Delete theme through the standard “Themes” menu
The most obvious way to bring back standard design is to use the built-in MIUI tools, which works on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models, but may require additional steps to clean up completely.
Open the Topic app (Brush icon on desktop) and go to the My Themes tab. This shows all the installed designs, including the active one. Click on the current theme and select Remove or Reset to the standard option (depending on the version). MIUI). The system must then automatically apply the Default theme to the factory or MIUI Standard.
If the interface has not changed after removal:
- 🔄 Restart your phone – sometimes changes only apply after a reboot.
- 🗑️ Clear the cache of the “Themes” application in Settings → Annexes → Application management → Topics → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
- 🔧 Check your font settings: some themes change system fonts separately. → Screen. → font.
⚠️ Attention: POCO F4/F5 Xiaomi 13T s MIUI 14+ The standard theme might be called HyperOS Default. If it's not on the list, update the firmware through Settings. → The phone. → Updating the system.
2. Reset theme settings via “Additional Settings”
If deleting the theme didn’t work, try resetting the design options through a hidden menu, which is effective when the theme is stuck due to a MIUI Theme Manager malfunction.
Go to:
Settings → Additional settings → Resetting settings → Resetting theme settings →On some firmware, the path may differ:
Settings → System and device → Additional → Resetting settings → Reset themesOnce confirmed, the system will return factory colors, icons and animations. On models with MIUI 15 (HyperOS), this menu item may not be available, in which case use the ADB method (section 4).
Check the version of MIUI in Settings → About the phone
Make a backup copy of important data (photos, contacts)
Connect your phone to charge (the process can take up to 5 minutes)
Do not interrupt the operation until completion-->
3. manually delete theme files through the file manager
Some themes save their files in system folders even after being “deleted” through the menu. To completely clear them, you will need access to hidden directories. Use a built-in file manager (Files) or a third-party application like Solid Explorer with root rights (optional).
Follow the path:
/storage/emulated/0/MIUI/theme/
or
/data/system/theme/Delete the folders with the names of the installed themes (for example, com.example.customtheme). If theme folder is missing, check:
/data/data/com.android.thememanager/files/Important: Do not delete files with default names, miui_standard or hyperos_default — These are system themes. After cleaning, restart your phone.
⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi with Android 13+ access /data If you can't delete files, use them. ADB (section 4) Or do a soft reset (section) 5).
What to do if you don’t have access to /data?
4. Reset themes via ADB (for power users)
If standard methods didn’t work and manual file deletion isn’t available, use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that works for all Xiaomi models, including the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and Xiaomi 14 Ultra with MIUI 15 (HyperOS).
Steps:
- Enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times, then go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers).
- Connect your phone to your PC and execute commands: adb shell pm clear com.android.thememanager rm -rf /data/system/theme/* reboot
After the reboot, the theme will reset to the factory. If the rm command does not work due to lack of rights, use:
adb shell su -c "rm -rf /data/system/theme/*"(requires root rights).
| Xiaomi model | Supported method | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Redmi Note 10/11 | Standard menu, ADB | MIUI 13+ may require cache cleaning |
| POCO X3/X4 | Reset theme settings, ADB | MIUI version for POCO may hide some options |
| Xiaomi 12/13/14 | ADB, reset to factory | The standard HyperOS theme is called HyperOS Default. |
| Redmi 9A/9C | Manual file cleaning | Budget models often don’t support ADB without unlocking |
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If you have artifacts (such as other people’s wallpaper) left after resetting through ADB, check the /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/wallpaper/ folder and manually delete the extra files.
5. Full reset settings (last resort)
If none of these methods work, the last resort is hard reset, which will remove all data from your phone, including apps, photos and accounts, so only use it in case of a major crash.
Instructions:
- Create a backup through Settings → About Phone → Backup or Mi Cloud.
- Go to Settings → Additional settings → Resetting → Delete all data.
- Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).
Once reset, the phone will boot with the factory-made MIUI theme. If the problem was in system files, this method is guaranteed to solve it. However, remember: recovering data from the backup can return the old theme settings, so after reset, do not restore the application settings - only contacts, messages and media files.
⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi with a locked bootloader (most new models), the reset will not remove the firmware or root, but will return all settings to factory. If the phone was unlocked through Mi Unlock, you may need to re-assign your account after the reset.
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Before reset, check if the bootloader is unlocked. If so, prepare the files for re-unlocking, as after hard reset, the phone may require authorization to Mi Account.
6 How to avoid problems with topics in the future
To avoid “stuck” topics, follow simple rules:
- 📥 Download themes only from the official store (Themes) → Online. Third-party APK They may contain viruses or may conflict with MIUI.
- 🔍 Check reviews before installing – if users complain about bugs, it is better to abandon the topic.
- 📱 Update the firmware: in new versions MIUI correct errors in the application of the.
- 🔄 Regularly clean the cache of the Topic app (once every 1-2 months).
If you like custom themes but standard reset methods don’t work, consider alternatives:
- 🎨 Use launchers like Nova Launcher or Hyperion Launcher – they allow you to change icons and wallpaper without interfering with system files.
- 🖌️ Install modules for Magisk (for example, MIUI Blur or GravityBox if you have a bootloader unlocked.
On HyperOS models (such as Xiaomi 14), the themes are integrated deeper into the system, so experimenting with them is fraught with failure. If you are not ready for technical manipulation, limit yourself to changing wallpaper and fonts through standard settings.