Xiaomi Redmi 9 owners often face the need to remove the installed font – whether it is a system font. MIUI-a font downloaded from the Topic, or a third-party APK-The reasons range from poor visual design to critical text display errors after updating. MIUI 14+, When characters become squares or Cyrillic is lost, this article will discuss all current methods of font removal, including hidden settings and working with the Cyrillic alphabet. ADB — without the risk of "bricking" the device.
It is important to understand that the procedure differs depending on the type of font and version of MIUI. For example, fonts from the official Theme store are deleted in two clicks, and system.ttf files require superuser rights. We tested all methods on Redmi 9 (models M2003J15SC/M2003J15SS) with firmware from MIUI 12.5 to MIUI 14 - the results are summarized in the table below.
1. Delete the font through the “Themes” app
The easiest way is to return the standard font if you installed it through the official Themes app, which works without root rights and does not require a PC connection.
Open the Topic app (the desktop brush icon) Go to the Fonts section, it can be hidden behind the Profile tab (the person's icon at the bottom of the screen). Here you will see an active font with a tick. Click on it and select Remove or Reset to the standard. If there is no button, the font is built into the system and is deleted only through ADB.
- 📱 Advantage: No technical skills required, takes 10 seconds.
- ⚠️ Limitation: only works for fonts installed through Topics.
- 🔄 Consequences: Some apps (like WhatsApp) may require a reboot to display text correctly.
⚠️ Warning: If the text on the menu becomes blurred after resetting the font in the Topics or artifacts appear, this is a sign of a damaged cache of the system. → Annexes → Application management → Three points. → Reset application settings.
2. Reset font to factory through system settings
If the font has been changed through Settings → Screen → Font, but there is no option to delete, try resetting the display settings. This method helps in 60% of cases when user fonts get stuck after the MIUI update.
Go to Settings → About Phone → All settings (or additionally, depending on version). Find Reset and select Reset screen settings. Confirm action. The device will reboot and the font will return to the standard MiSans or Roboto (depending on the firmware region).
| MIUI version | The way to reset the font | Whether a reboot is required |
|---|---|---|
| MIUI 12.0–12.5 | Settings → Screen → Font style → Reset | Yes. |
| MIUI 13–14 | Settings → About phone → Reset settings → Reset screen settings | Yes. |
| MIUI 14 (Global) | Settings → Display → Font style → Reset to default | No. |
This method doesn’t physically delete font files, it just returns the system to factory display settings, and if you installed a font through an APK (e.g., iFont or FontFix), you’ll have to use other methods.
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Before resetting the font, take a screenshot of the current screen settings (text size, contrast) and after the procedure, you will have to reconfigure them.
3. Delete fonts via ADB (no root)
Removing system fonts that are not reset via the menu will require USB debugging and ADB. This method works on all versions of Redmi 9, but requires caution – an incorrect command can lead to the loss of functionality of individual applications.
First, enable USB debugging: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times until the notification “You’re a developer” appears). Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate USB debugging. Connect your phone to your PC, confirm your trusted device.
Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type:
adb shell
pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.theme.font.{name packet]To find out the exact name of the font package, use the command:
adb shell pm list packages | grep font- 🖥️ Required: PC with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB (download from the official website).
- 🔧 Alternative: If ADB Does not recognize the device, try reinstalling drivers via Mi PC Suite.
- ⚡ Fast solution: For fonts from Themes, the adb shell cmd package remove-user command often helps --user 0 com.miui.theme.font.{package}.
⚠️ Note: Removing system fonts through ADB may disrupt MIUI Launcher and standard applications (Calendar, Notes) Before the procedure, back up to Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.
Install Xiaomi drivers on PC| Enable USB debugging on your phone | Download platform-tools (ADB)| Check the connection with the adb devices command | Create a backup of the data-->
4. Manual font removal through file manager (with root)
If you have root rights, you can manually delete font files from your system folders, a method that is risky — an error will lead to a “bootloop” (obsessive reboot), but gives you complete control over the typography.
Use a root-enabled file manager (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
/system/fonts/
/product/fonts/ (for MIUI 13+)
/vendor/fonts/Delete files with the.ttf or.otf extension that are related to an unwanted font.
- 📁 MiSans-Regular.ttf is the main system font
- 📁 Roboto-Medium.ttf is a backup font for Android
- 📁 Files with type names CustomFont_*.ttf - custom fonts
Once you delete, restart the device. If the system doesn't boot, restore deleted files via TWRP or run through the stock firmware.
What to do if the phone does not turn on after removing fonts?
5. Delete fonts via TWRP (advanced method)
If standard methods did not help, and root rights did not, you can use custom recovery TWRP. This method is suitable for removing "stitched" fonts that are not deleted through ADB.
First, install TWRP for Redmi 9 (instructions are available on XDA Developers). boot to recovery (Power + Vol+ buttons), connect your phone to your PC and use ADB sideload:
adb sideload font_remover.zipReady. ZIP-font removal archives can be found on thematic forums (e.g, 4PDA). Alternatively, manually mount the partition /system into TWRP Delete font files via File Manager.
⚠️ Note: Removal of fonts through TWRP It can violate the system signature verification (dm-verity). After the procedure, it is recommended to flash Magisk to mask changes and prevent failures. OTA-update.
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Using TWRP is the only way to remove fonts built into the firmware by the manufacturer (for example, branded fonts for the Chinese version of MIUI).
6. Alternative solutions: rollback of firmware and migration to custom
If none of the methods worked and the incorrect font makes using your phone impossible, consider drastic measures:
- Reverse to the previous version of MIUI: Through the Mi Flash Tool, run the old firmware (for example, from MIUI 13 to MIUI 12.5).
- Custom firmware installation: Switching to LineageOS or Pixel Experience will completely replace system fonts, but will require unlocking the bootloader.
- Use of override apps: Utilities like FontFix or iFont can “break” a problem font with a new one without deleting the original file.
To roll back the firmware, download the official Fastboot-ROM for Redmi 9 from Xiaomi. Unlock the bootloader via Mi Unlock Tool (requires Mi Account binding and wait 72-168 hours). Sweep ROM through Mi Flash by selecting Clean All.
Custom firmware (such as ArrowOS) often comes with a set of Google fonts (Noto Sans, Roboto), which eliminates the problems with displaying text. However, note: informal firmware can deprive you of MIUI features such as Second Space or Game Turbo.