Owners of the Xiaomi Redmi 9T smartphone often experiment with the appearance of their device, setting bright wallpaper, custom fonts and custom themes from the Themes store. However, over time, brightness can get boring, and complex graphics can begin to distract or even cause visual discomfort with daily use. There is a natural desire to return everything to its original state, to the same “factory” look that was when the gadget was first turned on.
The process of returning to classic design is not always obvious, especially if you applied several layers of customization at the same time. Users can get confused in the menu, not understanding exactly where the button is hiding full reset design. In this article, we will discuss in detail all possible ways to return a standard theme to the Xiaomi Redmi 9T, using both standard tools of the system and additional methods for advanced users.
Recovery default is not just an aesthetic choice. The standard theme is optimized by the company's engineers for maximum performance and energy efficiency of your device. Heavy third-party themes may contain unoptimized code that makes the Redmi 9T processor work harder, which negatively affects battery life. So going back to the roots often solves problems with fast battery discharge.
Why you should consider returning to factory design
Many users don’t realize that each installed theme is a collection of files, scripts, and graphics that are constantly being processed by the system. When you decide to return a standard theme, you’re effectively freeing up system resources. The MIUI shell on which Xiaomi Redmi 9T software is based was originally designed to work with native interface elements.
Third-party designs often create conflicts in the work of system applications. For example, after updating the operating system, the custom theme may stop displaying the notification panel or settings menu correctly, in such cases, returning to the basic design is the only way to eliminate visual bugs without completely reflashing the device.
⚠️ Warning: Before making any changes to system files or deep interface settings, make sure your Xiaomi Redmi is charged. 9T is 40-50%. Although the process of changing the theme is safe, interruption of the system due to battery discharge can cause damage to software components.
In addition, the standard interface provides better text readability and ergonomics. Xiaomi designers take into account the features of the screen of your smartphone, choosing the optimal contrasts and font sizes. Third-party themes can ignore these nuances, making using the phone less convenient in the long run.
Using the Themes app to reset settings
The easiest and safest way to bring back a standard theme on the Xiaomi Redmi 9T is to use the built-in Themes app, which is the official tool that lets you control the entire visual style of the device.
To start, open the Themes app on your desktop. It usually has an icon with a brush. If you deleted it, try searching for Tools in the Tools folder or restore it through the GetApps store. In the lower right corner of the screen, you'll see a profile icon -- a round icon with a person or avatar. Click on it to go to your personal account.
In the menu that opens, look for the Topics section. Here's a list of all the designs you've ever installed or bought. Find a theme called Classic, Default, or Basic. It's usually marked with a star icon or is at the top of the list as active by default. Click on it, then select Apply or Apply.
☑️ Checklist of reset via app
Once you've done this, the system might ask you to confirm the action or automatically reboot the desktop. The screen might blink, the icons might disappear for a moment -- that's normal behavior for the system when you re-drawn the interface. If after that step the wallpaper is still the same, don't worry, we'll set it up separately in the next section.
Setting up wallpaper and lock screen
Users often confuse the theme and the desktop wallpaper. Even if you use a standard theme, the old wallpaper can be saved, creating the illusion that the theme has not changed. To fully return the standard view on the Xiaomi Redmi 9T, you need to customize the background separately.
Hold your finger on the empty desktop space until the edit menu appears. Select Wallpaper. In the menu that opens, you'll see a few tabs: Online, Video, Gallery and Pre-Installed, and that last section contains the original images that come with the phone.
Choose your favorite image from the Pre-Installed category. The system will suggest applying it either to the lock screen only, or to the desktop only, or to both screens at once. To return to the factory view, select the option Apply to both screens.
| Interface element | Where to change | Expected output |
|---|---|---|
| Application icons | Topics → Profile → Topics → Classic | Standard MIUI icons |
| Desktop background | Desktops → Wallpapers → Pre-installed | Factory image |
| Lock screen | Settings → Lock screen | Standard clock and date |
| Fonts | Appendix Topics → Profile → Fonts | Roboto/Noto system font |
Don't forget to also check your font settings. If you've installed custom fonts, they may have stayed active even after you change the subject. Go to the Themes app, go to profile and select the Fonts section. Find a system font (usually called System or Default) and apply it. This will return the readability of the text to its original state.
Resetting settings through the system recovery menu
If standard methods don’t work, or if the interface is unstable due to conflicting themes, a more radical but effective method is to reset the design settings through the restore menu, which requires caution, but it is guaranteed to clear the theme cache and return the Xiaomi Redmi 9T to factory display settings.
First, you need to go to Recovery mode. Turn off the phone completely. Then press the Volume Up button and the Power button at the same time. Hold them until the Mi logo appears, then release the power button, keep the volume up, and you'll be taken to the main Recovery menu.
⚠️ Attention: In the Recovery menu, the navigation is done with volume buttons (up/down), and the choice is confirmed by the power button. Be extremely careful: choose only the option Wipe Data or Wipe Cache, if you are sure of your actions. Wipe All Data will delete all your photos, contacts and apps!
We are interested in clearing the cache, as this is where temporary theme files are often stored. Select Wipe Cache and confirm the action. This is secure and will not delete your personal data, but will force the system to recreate the interface configuration files the next time you run.
What to do if your phone is stuck in a reboot cycle?
Once the cache is cleared, select Reboot → Reboot to System. When booting, the system will detect the lack of cached theme data and automatically tighten standard resources. This is one of the most reliable ways to fix deep display errors.
Removal of third-party launchers and widgets
Sometimes the problem isn't with the theme itself, but with the third-party launcher installed, and if you've installed programs like Nova Launcher, Apex, or other shells, they completely replace the standard MIUI interface. To get back to the standard theme, you just have to delete or disable those apps.
Go to Settings → Applications → All Apps. Find the installed launcher in the list. Click on it and select Delete. If the delete button is inactive, it means that it is a system application or it has administrator rights. In this case, find the default option and select Launcher 5 or System Launcher.
Also worth checking widgets. Some themes set their own clock, weather or calendar widgets that may conflict with the standard. Remove any suspicious widgets from your desktop by holding your finger on them and dragging them to the delete area (usually marked with an X or basket).
💡
Useful tip: After removing the third-party launcher, restart the phone twice in a row, which will help the system completely clear the memory of the residual processes of the old shell and correctly initialize the standard interface.
If you've used widgets from third-party themes (like a big full-screen clock), they can turn into black squares after resetting the theme. That's OK. Just remove them from your desktop and add standard widgets through the desktop editing menu.
Solving problems with fonts and icons
Even after you go back to the standard theme, some elements may look strange, like icons that can remain square or round if the icons are changed in the system, and MIUI has a separate setting for this, independent of the theme.
Go to Settings → Topics → Settings (cogs). Find Change System or System Settings. You can switch the style of icons to Classic (Android) or MIUI. Select the MIUI option to return the original look of the application icons.
Pay special attention to font size and display. Go to Settings → Screen → Text size and display. Make sure the sliders are set in the middle position. Too large a font can break the layout of a standard theme, making the menu unreadable.
If after all the manipulations, the icons still look non-standard (for example, they have become black and white or inverted), check the availability modes. In the Settings section → Advanced Settings → Special features, make sure that color inversion or color correction modes are not activated.
💡
Main idea: Full restoration of the standard look is a complex process, which includes not only changing the theme, but also checking the settings of fonts, icons and removing conflicting launchers.