How to return the old theme to Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

You updated your Xiaomi theme and realized that the new version looks worse, slows down or just doesn’t like it? Don’t rush to put up with inconvenience — to return the previous interface design in several ways. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods of rollback of themes on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones running MIUI 12/13/14 and HyperOS.

It is important to understand that the process of returning an old theme depends on how it was installed: through the official theme store, third-party. APK-We will look at options for each case, including recovery from backup and manual removal of updates through ADB. If you are not sure about your technical skills, start with the simplest ways and only then move on to complex manipulations.

Before you start, check:

• 📱 Version MIUI/HyperOS (In Settings → The phone)
• 🎨 Type of theme (official from the store or custom)
• 🔄 Availability of backup (if you did backup before the update)

1. Remove theme through MIUI settings (the easiest way)

If you installed the theme from the official MIUI Themes store, you can return the standard design in just two clicks. This method works on all Xiaomi models, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and Mi 11.

Instructions:

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to the My Topic (or Installed) section.
3. Find a theme marked as default or standard.
4. Click Apply and confirm the action.

If the standard topic is not on the list:

• 🔍 Try to find it by searching for "default"
• 🔄 Restart your phone – sometimes topics are loaded after a reboot
• 📥 Install the official theme again from the Recommended section

⚠️ Note: Some HyperOS firmwares may have a standard theme called "Miui Classic" or "Stock Theme." If it's not, try the method with a "Stock Theme" ADB section 4.

2. Restore the theme from backup

If you backup your theme before updating your theme through Settings → Additional → Backup, you can return the previous design along with other settings, which is suitable for users who regularly save data to Mi Cloud or locally.

Step-by-step:

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
2. Choose Local Backups or Mi Cloud (if backup is in the cloud).
3. Find the copy made before the theme change and click Restore.
4. In the data list for recovery, mark only the Themes (or System Settings if the desired item is not available).
5. Confirm the recovery and wait for the process to be completed.

Important nuances:

• 🕒 Recovery may take 5-15 minutes - do not interrupt the process
• 📱 After recovery, the phone will automatically restart.
• 🔄 If the theme is not restored, check if the theme synchronization is included in Settings. → Accounts. → Mi Account.

Check the date of creation of the backup copy|Connect to Wi-Fi (for cloud backup)|Charge your phone at least 50 times%|Shut down. VPN (It can block access to the Mi Cloud)-->

3.Remove theme updates via MIUI Themes Store

If a new theme has been installed as an update to a standard one (for example, after updating the firmware), it can be removed through the theme store.TA-update.

How to remove the update:

1. Open Topics → My subjects.
2. Find the current topic and click on three dots (⋮) near her name.
3. Choose Remove Updates or Reset to Factory.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the changes to be applied.

If there is no update to delete:

• 🔧 Try clearing the app's Topics cache in Settings → Annexes → Application management
• 📦 Remove updates to the Themes app through Settings → Annexes → Three points. → Remove updates
• 🔄 Reinstall Themes app via APKMirror (power users only!)

4. Manual removal of the theme through ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don't work, you can manually remove the theme through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting the phone to a computer and basic command line knowledge.

Step-by-step:

1. Enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times) → Additional → For Developers.
2. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
3. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (Mac/Linux) and type: adb shell pm list packages | grep theme This will show all the themes installed.
4. Find the current theme package (e.g. com.android.theme.icon.mint) and remove it by command: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 title.packet
5. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Note: Removing System Themes Through ADB It can cause a launcher to crash or some applications to lose functionality. Create a full data backup before executing commands!

Alternative method (without removal):

• 📁 Download the standard theme in.mtz format from the forums XDA Developers or 4PDA
• 📥 Put the file in the folder. MIUI/theme storage
• 🔄 Apply it through the Topic App.

5.Resetting launcher settings to factory

If the theme has changed not only icons and wallpaper, but also the structure of the desktop (for example, after installing a custom launcher), resetting MIUI Launcher will help you return the standard view.

How to drop the launcher:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the MIUI (or MIUI Home) launcher and open its settings.
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the data.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the launcher to restart.

What happens after the dump:

• 📱 All icons will return to standard positions.
• 🗂 Widgets and folders will disappear (they will have to be reconfigured)
• 🎨 Wallpaper and style of icons will be thrown to the factory
• ⚙ The gesture and animation settings will continue

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If the theme didn’t return after the launcher reset, try applying the standard theme manually: pinch the empty space on the desktop → Themes → select by default.

6. Firmware reinstallation (last resort)

If none of these methods worked, and it's critical to get the same theme back, you just have to reflash the phone, which is only suitable for advanced users, because it requires unlocking the bootloader and can lead to data loss.

Flash-flashing options:

• 🔄 Reversed via Fastboot: Install an older version MIUI/HyperOS from the official Xiaomi website
• 📦 Clean installation: Complete reset and firmware via Mi Flash Tool
• 🛠 Brush firmware: Install LineageOS or Pixel Experience (lost official support)

Step-by-step instructions for rollback via Fastboot:

1. Download the desired version of the firmware from the official website.
2. Unclose the file and place it in a folder with the Mi Flash Tool.
3. Transfer the phone to Fastboot mode (clip Power + Volume down).
4. Connect the device to your PC and run the firmware through the Mi Flash Tool (select clean all).

⚠️ Warning: Fastboot flashing erases all data on your phone, including photos and apps. Make a full backup on your PC or cloud beforehand!

💡

Flashing is a last resort, and before you do it, try all the other methods and make sure that the problem is the theme, not the system failure.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the themes return to Xiaomi