How to bring back the classic MIUI theme to Xiaomi: a rollback to the old version of the design

After upgrading to MIUI 14/15, many users of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO have faced radical changes in the interface design, a new theme with flat icons, modified animations and a simplified Settings menu has caused a wave of discontent — especially among those who are used to the classic design of MIUI 12/13. Fortunately, there are several ways to return the familiar look, and not all of them require root rights or complex manipulation.

In this article, we will discuss three official and semi-official methods of rollback to an old topic: through the built-in settings of Xiaomi, using the help of the new model. ADB-You'll also learn which models support each method and which pitfalls may arise. Importantly, some methods may result in a personal data dump, so back up in advance through Settings. → Google → Backup.

1. Method: Using the built-in theme switch in MIUI

The easiest and safest method is to activate the hidden Classic Theme option through the Settings menu, which works on most MIUI 14+ devices, but not all models, for example, on the Xiaomi 13 Pro and Redmi Note 12, the option is available, but on the POCO F5 it may not be.

To check for the presence of the function:

1. Open the Settings → Display.
2. Scroll down to System Style (on some firmware - Themes).
3. Choose Classic Theme or MIUI 12/13 (the title may vary).
4. Confirm the change and restart the device.

If you don't have the option on the menu, try updating your firmware to the latest version — sometimes Xiaomi adds it in minor updates. Also check the firmware region: on global versions (MIUI Global), the feature is less common than on Chinese ones (MIUI China).

⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T) Switching the theme can reset desktop wallpaper and icon settings. Pre-save a screenshot of the current design in the Gallery.

2. Method: rollback through ADB (no root)

If you don’t have a built-in option, you can force the classic theme to activate via Android Debug Bridge (ADB). This method does not require unlocking the bootloader, but will require a computer and USB-It's suitable for most of the devices on the MIUI 14/15, Other than HyperOS models (e.g. Xiaomi) 14).

Instructions:

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate Debugging over USB.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install ADB Tools, and execute the command:

adb shell settings put global miui_theme_mode 0

Once you've done this, restart the device. If the theme hasn't changed, try an alternative command:

adb shell am start -n com.miui.home/.launcher.Launcher

This method works on Redmi Note 11/12, Xiaomi 11T/12 and other devices with pure MIUI. On models with a shell POCO Launcher (for example, POCO X5) may require an additional command:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.home

Install Xiaomi drivers on PC

Enable debugging over USB

Download the latest version of ADB Tools

Connect your phone to the original cable

Make a backup copy of the data-->

⚠️ Note: On HyperOS devices (e.g. Xiaomi 14 Pro), these commands can cause a launcher to crash. → The phone. → Version. MIUI.

3. Method: installation of custom firmware with a classic theme

If the first two methods fail, the radical option is to run a custom version of MIUI or LineageOS with a classic design, which is suitable for advanced users, as it requires unlocking the bootloader and can be unwarranted.

Popular Firmware with a Classic Theme:

• 📱 MIUI EU (weekly collections with a selection of topics)
• 🛠️ LineageOS 19/20 (pure Android with Material You theme, but without branded Xiaomi icons)
• 🔧 Pixel Experience (like the Google Pixel interface, but with themes support)
• 🌍 MIUI China Stable (sometimes contains options not available in global versions)

Installation process:

1. Unlock the bootloader through the official Xiaomi tool (can take up to 72 hours).
2. Install custom recovery (TWRP or OrangeFox).
3. Download firmware from Xiaomi.eu or XDA Developers.
4. Flow through recovery by running Wipe Dalvik/Cache before installation.

Advantages of custom firmware:

• ✅ Full control over the topic (including icons, fonts, animations).
• ✅ Lack of advertising and unnecessary Xiaomi apps.
• ✅ Regular security updates.

4.Alternative methods: launchers and themes from MIUI Themes

If you only want the visual part of a classic theme (icons, wallpaper, fonts) and not the system changes, you can do without complex manipulations.

Installation of a third-party launcher:

• 📲 Nova Launcher + icon-pack MIUI 12 Icons (from Google Play).
• 🎨 Lawnchair (Material You and Customization).
• 🏠 POCO Launcher (official launcher with icon settings).

2 Download themes from MIUI Themes:

1. Open the Themes app on the device.
2. Search for MIUI 12, Classic, Old Style.
3. Select a theme that is rated above 4.5 and apply it.

3. Manual change of fonts and icons:

• 🔤 Install the MiSans font (classic Xiaomi font) through Settings → Display. → font.
• 🖼️ Use the wallpaper from the collection MIUI 12 Wallpapers (available on the XDA).

💡

To return old transition animations, install the module MIUI Animations via Magisk (root required) can be downloaded from the forum XDA in the section of your model.

Frequent problems and their solutions

When returning a classic theme, users encounter common errors, and here's how to fix them:

Problem 1: After application ADB-The team theme reset after the update.

• 🔄 Solution: Repeat the command after each update or install the module MIUI Tweaks via Magisk to fix settings.

Problem 2: Some items have gone missing from the Settings menu (e.g., Advanced Settings).

• 🔧 Solution: This is a feature of the new theme. Return them through the command: adb shell settings put global. hidden_api_policy 1

Problem 3: On POCO-The devices do not work with the classic theme.

• 📱 Solution: Install a global firmware MIUI instead POCO Launcher via Fastboot or disable Launcher command: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.home

Problem 4: After custom MIUI firmware stopped working Google services.

• 🌍 Solution: Install NikGapps or OpenGapps via TWRP.

💡

If the device starts to slow down after manipulating the theme, clear the cache in Settings → Memory → Clear the cache. This will delete temporary files without losing data.

6. Compatible with different Xiaomi models

Not all methods work on all devices, and the following is the compatibility table for popular models from 2022 to 2026:

For HyperOS devices (such as Xiaomi 14), most methods don’t work because of the system architecture, so you just have to wait for updates from the developer community or use launchers.

7 Risks and cautions

Before returning a classic theme, consider the possible consequences:

⚠️ Note: On devices with a locked bootloader (most official firmware), trying to flash custom recovery without unlocking will lead to a hard brick - the phone will stop turning on even in Fastboot mode. If you have Device unlocked: false in the answer, unlock it first through the Mi Unlock Tool.

Other risks:

• 🔋 Data loss: Resetting to factory settings after firmware will delete photos, contacts and messages. Always back up via Mi Cloud or Google Drive.
• 🛡️ Warranty breach: Unlocking the bootloader and installing custom firmware cancel Xiaomi warranty.
• 🔄 Bootloop: Incompatible firmware or interrupted installation can cause an endless reboot.
• 📵 Loss of loss IMEI: On some models (for example, Redmi Note 9) after the firmware can reset IMEI. You can restore it via Engineer Mode (code #3646633##).

If you are not sure about your skills, it is better to limit yourself to the first way (built-in settings) or using launchers. For experienced users, custom firmware offers a lot of customization options, but requires care.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions