Losing a favorite theme on a Xiaomi smartphone is a familiar situation for many users. Whether you accidentally reset your settings to factory, upgraded your MIUI firmware or encountered a system glitch, the result is the same: the usual interface has disappeared, and instead it is a boring standard shell. Fortunately, you can return lost themes in several ways, from basic to advanced.
In this article, we will discuss 5 proven methods of themes recovery on Xiaomi, Redmi and other devices. POCO, including working with an official store MIUI Themes, backups, manual installation through APK-We will focus on common errors (for example, when a topic is not applied or disappears after a reboot) and how to get around them.
Important: the recovery process depends on the version of MIUI (since MIUI 12, the algorithms have changed) and the device model. If your smartphone is running HyperOS, new nuances are also taken into account. For convenience, we have compiled a comparative method table with compatibility and complexity.
1.Recovery through the official MIUI Themes store
The easiest way to get a lost theme back is to re-download it from the official store, which works if the theme was free or you previously bought it (the link to your Mi Account is saved).
Instructions:
- 📱 Open the Themes app (icon with brush on desktop).
- 🔍 Go to the tab My topics → Bought or downloaded.
- 🔄 Find the right topic in the list and click Apply.
- 🔄 If the theme is not listed, check the History tab – sometimes the system saves the latest options.
⚠️ Note: If the theme has been removed by the developer from the store (for example, for violating the rules), restore it through the app. MIUI Themes won't work. In this case, move on to methods 3 or 4.
2. Use of backup of topics (local recovery)
Xiaomi automatically backs up the themes in /MIUI/theme/.data/.If you haven’t reset, the chances of recovery are high, and this method is suitable for custom themes downloaded from third-party sources.
How to restore:
- Connect your smartphone to your PC via USB (file transfer mode).
- Go to the path of internal memory → MIUI → theme →.data.
- Find a folder with your theme name (format: com.example.theme.name).
- Copy it to a safe place on your PC, then return it if the theme is gone after the update.
If you don't have a.data folder, try enabling hidden files in the file manager. On Windows, this is done through View → Hidden Items.
Use the original USB-cable
Enable debugging over USB in the developer settings
Backup your.data folder before making changes
Check the free space on the device (minimum 500 MB)-->
⚠️ Note: Not all custom themes are compatible with the new version MIUI. If there are errors after recovery (for example, “Theme is not supported”), try updating it through the store or installing a compatibility patch.
Manual installation of those through APK-file
If the topic was downloaded from a third-party source (for example, from a forum) XDA Developers or Telegram channel, it can be re-installed through APK-This method is universal, but requires caution - install themes only from proven sources!
Step-by-step:
- 📲 Download. APK-Theme file on a smartphone (for example, through a browser).
- 🔧 Install the file by pre-allowing installation from unknown sources (Settings) → Annexes → Special access → Installation of unknown applications).
- 🎨 After installation, open the Topics app and find a new theme in the Locals section.
🔹 Tip: For topics from the forum XDA patching is often required MIUI Theme Editor. Install it from here (search on request "MIUI Theme Editor latest").
What to do if the APK is not installed?
4. Recovery through ADB (for power users)
If standard methods fail and the topic is critical, you can use the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) tool, which is suitable for restoring system themes or when the MIUI Themes interface is not working properly.
Conditions required:
- 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB-Drivers and Platform Tools.
- 🔌 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to activate the developer mode).
- 📂 Backup copy of the theme (or its APK-file).
Recovery teams:
adb shell
su
mount -o rw,remount /system
cp /sdcard/Download/theme.apk /system/priv-app/MiuiSystemTheme/
chmod 644 /system/priv-app/MiuiSystemTheme/theme.apk
reboot⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB If you are not sure about your actions, consult a specialist or use safer methods (1-3).
💡
ADB-It's only suitable for system themes or when other methods have been exhausted. APK.
5. Reset theme settings to factory
If the theme doesn’t recover and the interface is buggy (for example, icons are displayed incorrectly or artifacts appear), resetting the theme settings will help.This doesn’t affect user data, but returns all visual elements to the standard look.
How to reset:
- Open Settings → Themes.
- Select the MIUI Standard Theme (usually the first one on the list).
- Reset the device.
- Try to re-apply the desired topic.
🔹 Note: On certain devices (e.g, POCO F5 Xiaomi 13 with HyperOS may be different: Settings → Screen. → Topics.
Comparison of methods of restoration of topics
| Method | Difficulty | Compatibility | When to use | Risks. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official store | ⭐ | All versions of MIUI | The theme was purchased/downloaded earlier | No. |
| Local backup | ⭐⭐ | MIUI 10–14, HyperOS | The theme is saved in the.data folder | Conflict of Theme Version |
| APK installation | ⭐⭐ | All versions (requires installation permission) | Theme downloaded from a third-party source | Viruses in informal topics |
| ADB | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | MIUI 12+ (requires root for some teams) | System failures, lack of access to the interface | Loss of warranty, brick. |
| Reset to a standard topic | ⭐ | All versions. | Interface Glitches After Applying Theme | No. |
Typical errors and their solutions
Even after the theme is restored, users face problems.
- 🚫 Error "Theme is not supported by this version" MIUI": Download the compatibility patch for your firmware version (see on the 4PDA or XDA device-model).
- 🔄 Theme resets after rebooting: Clear the Themes app cache and check if it conflicts with other modifications (e.g. Magisk modules).
- 🖼️ Icons or fonts do not change: Some themes require an additional app MIUI Theme Manager (available on GitHub).
🔹 Tip: Before installing a custom theme, check it for compatibility with your Xiaomi model in the developer forum. For example, the Redmi Note 10 themes may not work on Xiaomi. 12T because of different screen resolutions.
💡
Create a separate folder on Google Drive or Mi Cloud to store theme backups, so you can quickly restore them even after you reset your device.