How to remove the theme on Xiaomi: return to standard design MIUI

Changing the look of a smartphone is a great way to personalize a device, but sometimes experiments lead to the interface becoming overloaded or simply no longer like it. Owners of Xiaomi devices often face the question of how to remove the the theme on Xiaomi to return the familiar, clean and functional look of the operating system. The standard shell of MIUI or the new HyperOS is designed with ergonomics in mind, and many users prefer them, refusing third-party decorations.

The process of returning to factory design does not require a deep knowledge of programming, but there are several levels of customization in the system that you need to consider. Sometimes it is enough to change the background, and in other cases it requires a complete reset of thematic components through special menus. In this guide, we will discuss all the available methods, from simple settings to forced deletion of files through the engineering menu.

It’s worth noting that some design elements, such as fonts or icons, can be applied regardless of the main theme. Therefore, to achieve the perfect result, a comprehensive approach may be required. Below we will describe in detail the steps that will help you clean the interface of unnecessary graphics and restore the factory stability of the launcher.

Disabling theme through the standard application

The most obvious and safe way to get back to the standard look is to use the built-in Themes app, which is where most of the designs are installed, and where the reset function is located, you need to open the Themes app, go to the user profile (usually the person icon in the lower right or upper right corner), and select My Themes.

In the list of installed designs, find a theme called Classic, Default or Untitled (depending on the firmware version and region). Clicking on the "Apply" button will start the process of replacing all graphic elements with standard ones. The system will automatically replace wallpaper, icons, notification sounds and system fonts with those preinstalled by the factory.

It is important to understand that simply applying a standard theme doesn’t always remove files from the device’s memory. They can remain in the cache or download folder. If your goal is to make room or completely eliminate traces of modification, one application of the classic style will not be enough, you will need to manually clean.

After applying a standard theme, it is recommended to restart the device, which is necessary in order for the launcher of the system to completely redraw the desktop and reset possible graphic artifacts left over from the previous design. In rare cases, without restarting, icons may not display correctly.

Resetting launcher and desktop settings

If the standard theme didn’t work, or if the desktop is unstable (widgets disappear, folders don’t open), the problem may lie in the launcher’s cache. In Xiaomi devices, the desktop is handled by a system process that can be reset to factory settings without losing personal data such as photos or contacts.

To do this, go to the Settings menu, then select the Apps section and click All Apps. In the list, look for the Desktop (or System Launcher). Inside the app menu, you are interested in the Clean or Memory button, where you select the Clean All or Reset action.

⚠️ Warning: Resetting your desktop settings will remove all the folders you created on the screen, widgets and icon locations. All apps will remain on the menu, but you will have to rebuild the structure of the home screen.

This method is especially effective if you have installed themes from third-party sources or through specialty sources. APK-files that could have made changes to the launcher's configuration files. Once reset, the system will force the standard grid of icons and widgets back, ignoring the remote theme settings.

There is also a nuance with Pocket Phone Mode or alternative launchers that could have been activated along with the theme: Check in the lock screen settings if a third-party style is enabled, and if necessary, turn it off by returning the standard MIUI unlock mechanism.

Delete theme files through the file manager

For advanced users who want to completely clean the traces of themes from the memory of a smartphone, the method of manual deletion of files is suitable. Themes in Xiaomi are archives with the extension.mtz or unpacked folders in the system directories. To work, you will need a standard Explorer or a more powerful analog, for example, MI File Manager.

You need to go to the root folder of internal memory and find the MIUI directory, and inside it is the theme folder, and this is where all the downloaded and applied designs are stored, you can safely delete files with unclear names or those whose creation date coincides with the installation of the problematic topic.

Also, it’s worth checking the Download folder, as many users forget that theme installation files often stay there after application.Cleaning up that data will not only return the visual style, but also free up several hundred megabytes of free space.

After deleting the files, be sure to restart the device. The system will check the integrity of the theme files at start and without detecting_custom_files, automatically pulls standard resources from the protected system partition, this is a guaranteed way to get rid of "broken" or incorrectly working themes.

Set up fonts and icons separately from the topic

Users often confuse the concepts, believing that if they removed the theme, the font should change, but in the MIUI shell, these parameters can be adjusted independently. Even after returning to the classic theme, the custom font can remain active, creating an imbalance in the perception of the interface.

To bring everything to a common denominator, go to Settings → Screen → System Font. Here you will see a list of available fonts. You need to select a standard font (usually called Roboto, MI Sans or simply System) and click Apply.

The same is true of icons, and in some versions of the firmware, there's a separate icon style switch, so go to the Themes app, click on your profile avatar, select Settings, and find Icons, and you can force the icons to be System or Classic icons, ignoring the previous theme settings.

Remember that changing the font size or style can affect the layout of some applications. If after resetting you notice that the text in the Settings menu or in Contacts is cropped, try temporarily reducing the font size in the Screen section and then returning it to the default value.

Comparison of Return Methods

The method you choose depends on how deeply the theme has been embedded and what you want to achieve. For the average user, a standard theme is enough, while enthusiasts may need to clean the files completely. Below is a table to help determine the method.

As you can see from the table, the safest and fastest way is the first option. However, if you encounter software errors in the interface, a combination of methods (launcher reset + file cleanup) will give the best result.

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Save screenshots of the location of the icons before resetting the launcher, then quickly restore the usual structure of the desktop.

Using a combination of methods, the system looks sterilely clean, as if it had just left the factory, and this is especially true when preparing a smartphone for sale or transfer to another user, when it is necessary to remove all traces of personal use and customization.

Solving problems with the use of a standard theme

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the standard theme is not applied, the Apply button is inactive or the system gives an error, this can be due to damage to system files or a conflict of access rights, especially if previously on the device Root rights were obtained.

If you make a mistake, try clearing the cache of the Themes app itself. To do this, go to the app's settings (long click on the Themes icon → About → Memory) and click Clear Cache. Don't confuse it with Clear Everything, although this may also help, just need to log in again to Mi Account.

⚠️ Note: If you have superuser rights (Root), some system themes may be blocked or modified, in which case a return to factory state may require a reflash of the themes section.

The problem may also be that the theme version is incompatible with the current version of Android or MIUI. If you are trying to apply a theme created for Android 10 on an Android 13 device, the system may block its use or work incorrectly, in such cases only finding the current version of the theme or completely rejecting modifications helps.

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If standard methods don’t work, check for system updates in the About Phone menu, as new patches often fix theme errors.

In extreme cases, if nothing works and the interface continues to fail, you can use the "Second Space" function. By creating a new profile, you will get a clean system without the applied themes. Once you set up the new space, you can delete the old one, and the system will suggest using the new profile settings as the main one.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)