How to Set a Standard Theme on Xiaomi: 5 Proven Ways

Are you tired of the flashy colors of a custom theme or the poorly installed design from MIUI Themes? Xiaomi's standard theme with its minimalist design and optimized icons often becomes a lifesaver for the eye. But it's not always as easy to return it as it seems: the system can "forget" factory settings after updates, and some themes block the possibility of rollback through the interface.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to get back to a standard theme, from basic actions in the settings menu to manually resetting through ADB and editing configuration files. We’ll focus on common errors (such as when the Apply button is inactive) and nuances for different versions of MIUI (from MIUI 12 to HyperOS). If your Redmi Note 12 or Poco X5 stubbornly ignores commands, here you’ll find a solution.

⚠️ Important: Some methods require superuser or debugging rights, and we have noted these steps with special warnings – do not skip them to avoid locking the device.

1. Method through the MIUI theme menu (the easiest)

If you installed a theme through the official Theme app, the first thing you should do is try to return the standard design with standard means, which works on 90% of devices without any additional manipulation.

Open the Themes app (icon with brush) and follow the steps:

• 📱 Go to the tab "Mine" (bottom of the screen).
• 🔄 Click on the active theme (it is highlighted by the frame).
• 🏠 In the menu that opens, select "Standard" or "Default" (the name may vary depending on the version). MIUI).
• ✅ Confirm the application of the button "Apply".

If the "Standard" button is missing or inactive:

⚠️ Warning: This means that the system theme has been deleted or corrupted. №3 (recovery through ADB) or №4 (Resetting settings).

2. Reset the themes through system settings

When a standard theme is off the list of available ones, but the device has no critical errors, resetting the design settings will help, and this method does not affect user data (photos, messages, applications), but returns all visual parameters to factory ones.

Follow the following steps:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. 5 times in a row tap on the item "Version" MIUI" (A notice will appear saying, “You have become a developer").
3. Return to the main settings menu and go to Additional → For developers.
4. Activate the "Reset interface settings" switch.
5. Confirm the action and restart the device.

After the reboot, the theme will return to the standard, but may reset:

• 🎨 Desktop wallpaper and lock.
• 🔊 Sound circuits (alarm clocks, notifications).
• 📱 Location of icons on the main screen.

3. Restore a standard theme through ADB (for advanced)

If previous methods didn’t work, you’ll need to use the Android debugging bridge (ADB), which requires a computer and developer mode to be turned on, but is guaranteed to restore system themes even after crashes.

First, prepare the device:

1. Enable USB Debugging in Settings → For Developers.
2. Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm the debugging permission.
3. Download Platform Tools (the official Google package) and unpack it.

Next, run commands in the terminal (Windows or Terminal command line on macOS/Linux):

adb shell


cmd overlay list | grep -i "theme"




cmd overlay disable-user com.android.theme.systemui.overlay.[Title topics]




cmd overlay disable-user com.android.theme.framework.overlay.[Title topics]

Critical detail: Instead of [TITLE TOME], substitute the current theme ID from the second command output, which usually contains the word "custom" or the title of the theme package.

After completing the commands, restart the device:

adb reboot

⚠️ Warning: Disabling overlays incorrectly can lead to graphic artifacts in the interface. If distorted icons or text appear after the reboot, follow the command cmd overlay reset and repeat the process.

4. Manually remove themes through file manager (root required)

For users with unlocked downloaders and root rights, there is a radical way: physically delete custom theme files, which is the most reliable method, but it irreversibly deletes all downloaded themes.

Use a root-enabled file manager (such as Solid Explorer or FX File Explorer) and follow the steps:

1. Go to /data/system/theme/.
2. Remove all folders except default and miui_default.
3. Clear the app cache Themes in Settings → Apps → Application Management → Themes → Storage → Clear the cache.
4. Reset the device.

💡

Before deleting files, back them up to the cloud or PC, and if the interface breaks after manipulation, you can return the deleted data.

5. Complete reset (last hope)

If none of these methods work, you'll have to reset hard, which will bring the device back to factory status, including the standard theme, but delete all the data, and only use this as a last resort.

Instructions for discharge:

1. Back up important data through Settings → About Phone → Backup.
2. Go to Settings → Additional → Recovery and Reset.
3. Select "Settings Reset."
4. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).

After discharge:

• 🔄 The device will boot with factory settings and a standard theme.
• 📱 At the first start, it will offer to restore data from the backup (if it was created).
• ⚙️ All applications and updates to system components will have to be installed again.

⚠️ Note: On some models (Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Redmi) K60 Pro) after reset, you may need to re-assign your Mi Account to unlock!

💡

Resetting is the only way to return a standard theme on devices with a damaged system batch or after a failed firmware.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

Even after a standard theme is successfully applied, users are faced with bugs, and let's look at the most common problems and how to fix them.

Error 1: The "Apply" button is inactive

Reason: The theme is marked as “system” or overlay files are corrupted.

Decision:

• 🔧 Reinstall the Themes app through Settings → Annexes → Application management → Topics → Remove updates.
• 📥 Download the standard theme manually from the official directory (search for "default").

Mistake 2: After resetting, there are elements of the custom theme

The reason: the cache was not completely cleaned.

Decision:

• 🧹 Clear cache and app data Topics.
• 🔄 Execute the command through ADB: pm clear com.android.themes.

Error 3: App icons haven't changed

The reason: icons are controlled by a separate overlay.

Decision:

• 🎨 Use the Nova Launcher or HyperOS Launcher to manually change icons.
• 🔧 Perform in ADB: cmd overlay disable-user com.android.theme.icon.pack

FAQ: Answers to popular questions