Xiaomi smartphone users often experiment with the look of the interface by installing third-party themes from the GetThemes store. However, not all custom designs are stable, and sometimes there is a need to return everything to factory settings. This may be necessary after a failed modification, when fonts have become unreadable or application icons have ceased to display correctly.
Redmi 9 owners should know that the process of returning the standard style does not require flashing the device or complex manipulations with the computer. It is enough to perform a few sequential actions in the settings menu to make the system interface familiar and functional again. In this article, we will discuss in detail all available methods for solving this problem.
A poorly working theme can significantly reduce the usability of a gadget. Incorrect text indentations or lack of contrast on the desktop make navigation difficult, so it is important to be able to quickly forcefully reset your design settings to the “out of the box” state if you notice critical visualization errors.
Reasons for the need to reset the registration
Often users install third-party themes for the sake of uniqueness, but forget about the compatibility of versions of MIUI. After updating the operating system, old modifications can conflict with new elements of the interface. This leads to the fact that the notification bar stops opening, and the settings menu becomes transparent or disappears completely.
Another common problem is that the theme files are damaged during the download process: If the download is interrupted or the file has been modified by third parties, the system cannot properly render graphic elements, resulting in artifacts appearing on the screen, and standard applications appear as empty squares.
⚠️ Attention: Installing themes from unverified sources may contain malicious code that steals data about your actions. Always check the author's rating and number of downloads before using.
A reset is also required if you sell a device or transfer it to another user. A return to the stock design is a good tone and a guarantee that the new owner will see the phone exactly as Xiaomi engineers intended it to be.
Preparing the device for changes
It is recommended that you do basic training before making changes to your system files, which will help you avoid losing important data or unforeseen reboots. Although the process is safe, having a backup is never superfluous.
First of all, make sure that the battery is at least 40%, a sudden power outage during the application of system parameters can lead to a software failure, and also check for free space in internal memory, as the system may require space for temporary files.
☑️ Preparation for the topic reset
If you have a third-party launcher installed, it’s better to temporarily disable or remove it, allowing the standard MIUI launcher to start without conflicts immediately after changing the theme, go to settings and find the default application control point.
It's important to understand the difference between the theme and the launcher. The theme changes the wallpaper, icons, sounds and style of the notification curtain, and the launcher controls the location of the widgets and the logic of the desktop.
Method 1: Return via the Topics menu
The simplest and most obvious method is to use the regular Themes app, which is pre-installed on every Redmi 9 and allows you to control the visual style, and even if the interface is severely distorted, it's the first thing you should try to find the right button.
Open the app and go to the user profile, which is usually indicated by the person icon in the lower right corner, and here is the section "My themes", and in the list of installed designs, you need to find an option called "Classic", "Default" or "Standard".
Click on the standard theme you select and activate the Apply button, and the system will request confirmation to change the style of the interface, and after approval, the screen will blink, and in a few seconds the phone will return to the original design.
What to do if the buttons are not visible?
In some cases, a standard theme may be hidden or removed by the user earlier, so in the My Themes section, you need to click on the store icon or the cloud to download the classic design again, it is free and takes up minimal disk space.
Method 2: Resetting through system settings
If the Themes application fails to open because of critical interface errors, you can use deep system settings, which are more reliable because it forces configuration files to be updated.
Go to Settings → About Phone, and you can find the MIUI version and quickly click on it 7-10 times in a row, which will activate the hidden menu of additional features if it was not previously enabled.
Then go back to the main settings menu and find “Advanced Settings” or “Advanced.” Depending on the firmware version, there may be an option to “Reset Settings” or “Restore Default Settings” and choose to reset only the system settings without affecting personal files.
| Parameter | Description of action | Impact on data |
|---|---|---|
| Resetting the topic | Brings back the standard style | Safe. |
| Resetting Wi-Fi settings | Removes saved networks | Re-entry required |
| Full reset (Wipe) | Deleting everything from the phone. | Total loss of data |
| Resetting application settings | Resetting permits | Safe. |
Once the procedure is done, the phone will restart, and when you turn on, you'll see a standard Redmi screensaver, which is a testament to the successful application of factory design parameters.
Resolving Icon and Font Problems
Sometimes, after a theme is reset, the application icons remain changed or disappear altogether, this is due to the caching of graphic elements, and to solve the problem, you need to clear the launcher and system interface cache.
Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. Find System Launcher on the list. Go to Memory and click Clear Cache. Don't confuse it with Clear Everything so you don't confuse the widgets.
💡
If the icons are gone completely, try temporarily zooming in the screen settings and then returning it back, which will force the system to redraw the desktop.
If the text is still strange after returning the subject, check the font settings in the Topics → Fonts menu. Make sure you choose the standard Roboto or Mi Sans font rather than the custom file.
In rare cases, region switching helps. Go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Region and select any other country, and then return yours. This action updates some of the interface configuration files.
⚠️ Note: Do not install.mtz fonts from questionable sources. They may contain coding errors, which will make the text in the menu unreadable even after changing the topic.
Use of the Engineering Menu for Resetting
For advanced users, there is a method of resetting through the engineering menu, although access to it is often limited on global versions of MIUI. However, trying to enter special code can open up additional options.
In the Phone app, dial ##6484##. If the menu opens, look for the section associated with the UI or Theme. However, Redmi 9 is often only used for iron testing, so this method should be considered as an auxiliary method.
It can be more effective to use ADB-commands from the computer, if the phone is enabled debugging USB. The adb shell pm clear com.android.thememanager command cleans the manager’s data by actually resetting all the applied changes.
adb shell pm clear com.miui.personalappearance
adb shell pm clear com.android.thememanagerThis method requires ADB drivers on the PC and the developer mode on the smartphone is enabled, and it is guaranteed to return the system components of the design to the original state, ignoring user settings.
💡
Use of the ADB-Teams are the most powerful tool for fixing design errors, but they require a computer and basic technical skills.
Preventing errors in changing topics
To avoid the need for complex recovery manipulations in the future, certain security rules must be followed: First of all, always create a restore point or backup before installing radically changing files.
Pay attention to the version of Android that the theme is designed for. Themes developed for Android 10 may not work correctly on Android 12, which is installed on the updated Redmi 9. Version incompatibility is the main cause of bugs.
It is recommended to use only official themes from the built-in high-rated store. Modified versions (ported themes) are often deprived of some resources, which leads to errors when updating the system.