How to remove annoying theme icon from the lock screen on Xiaomi: all working methods

The theme icon on Xiaomi’s lock screen is one of the most annoying features of the MIUI shell, which the manufacturer stubbornly refuses to remove in standard settings. This icon not only spoils the aesthetics of the wallpaper, but also occupies precious space on the display, especially on compact models like the Redmi Note 10 or POCO X3. Although new versions of MIUI 14 have made its appearance less intrusive, it is still impossible to get rid of it completely through the graphical interface.

Complicating the problem is that Xiaomi regularly changes the location of hidden options in the firmware, and some methods (for example, through ADB) require technical skills. In this article, we have collected all the current methods, from simple wallpaper tricks to deep system edits. Importantly, some solutions work only on an unlocked bootloader or require root rights, but we separately highlighted safe options for beginners.

If you use Xiaomi with custom firmware (for example, Pixel Experience or LineageOS), the theme icon is most likely already missing - this is a feature of stock MIUI. For owners of Android One devices (for example, Mi A3), the problem is not relevant, since it uses "pure" Android without Xiaomi add-ons.

1.The method for beginners: masking the icon with wallpaper

The safest and most reversible method is to visually hide the icon under the wallpaper, which does not require root rights or technical knowledge, but only works on light lock themes, the point is to pick up wallpaper with a monochromatic section in the icon area (usually in the lower right corner).

Here's how to do it:

1. Download wallpapers with a homogeneous background (such as a gradient or abstraction) from the Theme app or third-party services like WallpapersCraft.
2. Set them on the lock screen through Settings → Wallpaper → Lock screen.
3. Use the wallpaper editor (long press on the preview) to move the image so that the theme icon falls on a monotonous area.

The downside of the method is that when you change the wallpaper or update the MIUI, the icon can become visible again, and it is not suitable for dark topics where the icon merges with the background.

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If you AMOLED-screen, select wallpaper with a black background in the icon zone - on such displays, the pixels in this area simply turn off, making the icon invisible.

2. Disconnection through theme settings (partial solution)

In some versions of MIUI 13/14, you can hide the icon by deactivating the automatic application of the themes.This method does not remove the icon completely, but makes it gray and less noticeable.

Instructions:

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to Profile → Settings (cog in the upper right corner).
3. Turn off the options: 🔄 Automatic application of topics 🌙 Dark theme on schedule (if used)

Reset the device.

After that, the icon will remain, but will become translucent, and on some devices (for example, Xiaomi 12T), it may disappear completely after another theme update.

⚠️ Note: If you use super wallpapers (dynamic wallpaper from Xiaomi), this method can reset them to standard.

3. editing system files (root required)

For advanced root users, there is a radical way to delete the system file that displays the icon, which works on all versions of MIUI, but requires caution: wrong actions can lead to a bootloop.

Step-by-step:

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to /system/priv-app/MiuiSystemUI/MiuiSystemUI.apk/res/drawable-xxhdpi/ (where xxhdpi may differ depending on the model).
3. Find the files: 📁 ic_theme_lockscreen.png 📁 ic_theme_lockscreen_dark.png (dark-themed)

ic_theme_lockscreen.bak

Reset the device.

On some devices (e.g. Redmi Note 11 Pro+), files may be located in /product/overlay/ or have other names.

4.Use of ADB-commands without root)

The Android Debug Bridge (ADB) method allows you to disable the icon without root rights, but requires a connection to a computer. It works on most devices with MIUI 12-14, except for some regions (for example, Chinese firmware).

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed Xiaomi and ADB-tools drivers.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times press → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 Original. USB-cable (not all cables support data transmission).

Instructions:

1. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Open the command line in the adb folder and execute: adb shell settings put secure lock_screen_theme_icon_enabled 0
3. Reset the device.

If the team doesn’t work, try an alternative:

adb shell pm hide com.android.themes

⚠️ Note: On some devices (POCO F4 GT, Xiaomi 13 Ultra) after using this command, access to the theme store may be lost. To return everything back, perform: adb shell pm unhide com.android.themes

Install Xiaomi drivers on PC

Download platform-tools from the Android site

Enable debugging over USB on your phone

Connect the original cable

Allow debugging in the pop-up window on the phone-->

5. Installation of custom loxcrin

If standard methods fail, you can replace the lock screen with an alternative one through third-party applications, which is suitable for non-root devices, but has limitations: some functions (such as notifications) may not work properly.

The best applications for replacing lockscreen:

How to determine:

1. Download the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and grant permission to Overlay over other applications.
3. In the application settings, select Set as the default lock screen.
4. Customize the look (remove all unnecessary items, including the theme icon).

Important: Once custom lockscreen is installed, standard MIUI notifications may not be displayed correctly. Check alarms and incoming calls!

6. Reset to factory settings (last resort)

If none of these things worked, and the theme icon is critically intrusive, you can do a hard reset, which is a radical solution that will bring the device back to its original state, but delete all the data. Use it only if:

• 🔄 You've tried all the other methods.
• 📱 Device not warranty (reset can cancel it if there is root).
• 💾 You have a backup of the data.

How to reset:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Choose to erase all data (hard reset).
3. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.

Once reset, the theme icon will disappear, but return when you first use a new theme from the store. To prevent this, immediately after you set up the device, turn off automatic updates to the themes in Settings → Themes → Profile settings.

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Factory reset is the only officially supported Xiaomi way to remove the theme icon, but it deletes all user data. Use it only as a last resort.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the theme icon on Xiaomi