Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face the desire to radically change the look of their device.The standard shell of MIUI or the new HyperOS, while functional, can seem boring after months of use. Fortunately, the company's ecosystem allows for a deep customization of the interface, replacing wallpaper, icons, fonts and system sounds with just a few clicks.
The process of installing new visual styles seems simple, but in practice, users often stumble upon regional limitations or download errors. Themes in the official store may not be displayed for some regions, and third-party.mtz or.mthz files require special installation methods. In this article, we will break down all the nuances of personalization, from basic settings to advanced tools.
Not only is a visual style that is good for the eye, but it can also improve the ergonomics of smartphone use by making important elements more visible. We'll look at legal ways to change the interface, work with an official directory, and secure ways to install third-party content without losing warranty.
The official theme store and its features
The main tool for changing the look and feel is the Themes app, a centralized directory that brings together thousands of design options created by Xiaomi and independent designers, and logs in to your Mi Account to help you get to full functionality, synchronizing your preferences between devices.
The interface is divided into several tabs: "Recommended", "Category", "Rating" and "Mine". This is where you can find ready-made packages that change all elements of the system at once. However, it is worth considering that the content in the store depends on the selected region. For example, in the region "Russia" or "Kazakhstan", the choice may be limited compared to the region "India" or "Singapore".
- 🎨 Ready-made packages: Complex change of icons, lock screen and system menus.
- 🔔 Components: Only the sound of notifications or alarm clocks can be changed separately.
- 🔤 Fonts: Installation of non-standard text for the entire system.
- 🖼️ Wallpaper: Access to a huge database of high-resolution static and live images.
It is important to understand that many quality themes in the official store are paid. Payment is usually made through a mobile operator balance or a linked card, depending on the settings of the Mi Account. Free options are also present in large numbers, but may contain advertising integrations or require you to view ads before use.
⚠️ Warning: When installing themes from an official store, always pay attention to the rating and number of downloads. Low scores often indicate bugs in the rendering of icons or problems with the lock screen.
Changing the region to access the full catalog
One of the most common problems is the empty themes catalog or the lack of popular free options, which is due to Xiaomi’s content distribution policy in different countries, and to get around this restriction, you don’t need to use complex methods – it is enough to temporarily change the region in the smartphone settings.
The region of India is considered the richest in content, and by switching to it, you will have access to thousands of additional themes, fonts and ringtones that may not be available in your current location, the procedure is safe and does not lead to loss of personal data, but can temporarily change the list of available widgets in the Security app.
To change the region, perform the following actions:
Settings → Advanced settings → Region → Select “India”Once you change region, you have to completely close the Themes app through the menu and re-open it. The directory will be updated to see a lot more options. Remember that as you change region, some system applications may change, adapting to local laws and services.
It is worth noting that once you have set the desired theme, the region can be returned, and the visual design installed from the Indian catalog will continue to work on a smartphone with a Russian or European region, allowing you to enjoy content without being constantly in a “foreign” digital space.
Installation of third-party themes of MTZ and MTHZ formats
If the official store is not enough, users turn to third-party sources. Theme files have extensions.mtz or.mthz. The official Themes application does not know how to open such files directly, so you need to use a special tool - Themes Editor.
This tool is often built into the system (in the Security app or separately in the system application folder) or can be downloaded from trusted sources. It allows you to import a theme file, check for errors and install it into the system. The process of installing third-party themes requires care, since not all files are compatible with your version of MIUI or HyperOS.
The installation algorithm is as follows:
- Download the theme file from a trusted source (e.g. 4PDA or dedicated forums).
- Open the Themes Editor app (theme editor).
- Press the import button and select the downloaded file.
- Wait for the check and click "Install" or "Apply".
☑️ Pre-installing check MTZ
In some cases, after installing a third-party theme, you may need to reboot the device to correctly apply all the changes. If the theme “flyed off” after the reboot, then it did not pass the signature verification or is incompatible with the current version of the firmware.
Working with lock screen and widgets
The Lock Screen is a feature that has become very functional in modern versions of Xiaomi’s shell, and can change the logic of how it works by adding weather widgets, pedometers, quotes of the day, or even mini-games.
To set up the lock screen, go to the Themes app, select the Profile tab (the person at the bottom right) and click Settings. Here you can turn on the Wallpaper Carousel feature, which will automatically change background images on the locked screen, downloading content from the Internet.
| Interface element | Potential for change | Impact on the battery |
|---|---|---|
| Wallpaper. | Statics, video, 3D-animation | High (for video) |
| The clock | Style, font, color, position | Low. |
| Widgets | Weather, steps, calendar | Average. |
| Unlocking effects | Swipe animation | Low. |
Using complex animated themes for the lock screen can significantly increase battery consumption, especially if used AMOLED-Always On Display: It is recommended to test new themes throughout the day to assess their impact on autonomy.
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If a new theme consumes too much power, disable the “Live Wallpaper” or unlock animation in its settings, leaving only the static style of the icons.
Resolving Errors and Problems with Application
Often users are faced with a situation where the theme is not installed, freezes during the download stage or partially applied. One of the common reasons is a crowded cache of the Themes application.
Do this through the menu: Settings → Apps → All apps → Themes → Memory → Clean. This won’t remove your downloaded themes, but will reset directory settings and temporary files, which often solves download problems.
Another common problem is the “failed to download” error or endless waiting, which can be due to an unstable Internet connection or the locking of Xiaomi servers by the provider, in which cases switching between Wi-Fi and mobile Internet, as well as using the Internet, helps. DNS-servers (e.g. from Google or Cloudflare) in connection settings.
⚠️ Warning: If after installing a third-party theme, the phone starts to work unstable or artifacts appear on the screen, immediately return the standard theme through Safe Mode or Recovery Menu.
To return to the standard design without access to the menu (if the interface is frozen), you can try to quickly click 5-7 once on the "Topic" item in the Topic app (if it opens), which sometimes causes a hidden reset menu, or use ADB-team to reset theme settings.
Advanced customization through MiXplorer and other file managers
For advanced users who want to create a unique theme, there are deep modification tools. A standard file manager may not see the theme folders, so MiXplorer or root-right analogues are often used.
System themes are stored along the way:
/data/system/theme/currentOr for user data:
/MIUI/themeManipulation of these files requires caution. Incorrect editing of theme configuration files (such as description.xml) can cause the system to stop recognizing the topic. Always back up the original files before making changes.
How to create your theme from scratch?
Using third-party launchers (Nova Launcher, Lawnchair) in conjunction with the thematic MIUI allows you to achieve maximum similarity with pure Android or iOS. By combining system themes and third-party launchers, you can completely ignore the standard shell design.
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The safest way to use an official theme store or high-ranking verified MTZ files is to avoid system conflicts and data loss.