How to Recover Removed or Removed Themes on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

Changed theme on Xiaomi and the old one disappeared without being able to return? Or, after resetting, the device returned to standard MIUI design and the favorite design disappeared? This problem is familiar to many brand users — especially after updating the firmware, changing the Mi Account account or accidentally deleting. You can restore themes on Xiaomi in several ways, and we will analyze each of them, from simple to advanced.

Unlike the melodies or theme, the MIUI They're not stored as separate files in the device's memory, but are tied to an account or cache of the system. So standard file recovery methods (such as Recycle Bin or DiskDigger) won't work here. But there are workarounds, from accessing backups to manually importing through the system. MTZ-The key is to act consistently and not miss the steps.

In this article you will find:

• 🔍 How to return a theme through the download history in MIUI Themes
• 📱 Recovery methods after resetting settings or updating
• 💾 Working with backups and cloud storage
• 🛠️ Manually add themes through.mtz files
• ⚠️ Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

1.Recovery through Download History in MIUI Themes

The easiest way to return a lost theme is to check the download history in the official Theme app (MIUI This method works if you have previously downloaded your registration through your Mi Account and have not performed a complete device reset.

Open the Themes app (the desktop brush icon) and go to Profile → My Downloads. This shows all the themes ever installed, including the ones deleted. Find the one you want and click Apply. If the theme doesn't show up, try:

• 🔄 Update the list by pulling the screen down.
• 📱 Re-enter the Mi Account (re-enter and log in again).
• 🌐 Check your Internet connection – download history synchronized with Xiaomi servers.

⚠️ Note: If you changed your Mi Account after installing the theme, your download history will be empty.

If the theme appears in the list, but when you click Apply, there is an error "Can not download", try:

1. Delete the app cache Themes in Settings → Apps → Application Management → Themes → Storage → Clear the cache.
2. Reboot your smartphone.
3. Repeat trying to apply the topic.

2.Recovery after resetting settings or updating MIUI

After a hard reset (reset to factory settings) or firmware update, all custom themes are reset to standard design, and can be returned in two ways: through cloud synchronization or local backup.

If you didn’t create a backup before reset, check if the themes are synchronized with your Mi Account:

1. Open your Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
2. Make sure the Topic slider is active (on).
3. If sync was enabled before reset, the themes will be restored automatically after logging in to the account.

If sync is disabled or the themes are not restored, try manually importing:

• 📁 Find a folder on your phone. MIUI/theme (Use a file manager, such as Mi File Explorer).
• 🔍 Check for files with the.mtz extension – these are theme archives.
• 📲 If there are files, click on them – the system will suggest applying the theme.

⚠️ Attention: After update MIUI Some themes may not be supported by the new firmware version, in which case the application will appear the error "Theme is incompatible". MIUI Themes Store.

3. Use of backup copies to restore themes

If you regularly create backups through Mi Cloud or local backups, the chances of returning themes are much higher. Xiaomi saves custom settings, including design, in the backup archives.

Recovery from Mi Cloud:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Backup of the device.
2. Choose the last backup before losing themes.
3. Click Restore and select the Topic item (if available).
4. Wait for the process to be completed and restart the device.

Local recovery:

If the backup is saved on your phone or PC:

• 📂 Connect your smartphone to your computer and find a folder MIUI/backup/AllBackup.
• 🔍 Inside there will be archives with dates (for example, backup_20260515).
• 📲 Copy the folder to your phone and restore through Settings → Additionally. → Recovery and discharge → Local backup.

Critical: If the backup is created on another Xiaomi model (for example, on the Redmi Note 10, and restore on the Poco X5), the themes may not apply due to incompatibility of screen resolutions.

4 Manually add themes through.mtz files

If the theme was permanently deleted but you still have a.mtz file (for example, downloaded from the forum or saved previously), it can be installed manually, which works on all Xiaomi devices, regardless of the version of MIUI.

Instructions:

1. Download a theme file with the.mtz extension (e.g. DarkTheme.mtz).
2. Move it to the MIUI/theme folder on the phone’s internal memory.
3. Open any file manager (e.g., Mi File Explorer or Solid Explorer).
4. Find the transferred file and click on it.
5. The system will suggest applying the theme - confirm the action.

If nothing happens when you click on.mtz:

• 🔧 Install a third-party application to install themes, for example, MTZ Theme Installer (available on the 4PDA or XDA Developers).
• 📌 Check if the antivirus is blocking the installation (turn it off temporarily).
• 🔄 Restart your phone and try again.

An alternative way for advanced users is to have root access, you can manually copy the theme files to the /data/system/theme system folder. However, it is risky – wrong actions can lead to a bootloop.

5. Recovery through third-party applications

If the standard methods don't work, you can use third-party tools that allow you to extract themes from backups, download remote designs, or even create your own.

Popular applications:

• 📱 MiXplorer - file manager with support for working with.mtz.
• 🎨 Theme Editor for MIUI — topic editor.
• 🔄 Titanium Backup (requires root) – Restores application data.

Recovery from Titanium Backup:

1. Install Titanium Backup and provide root access.
2. Find the Topics app (com.android.themes) in the list.
3. Select Recover Data and confirm the action.
4. Reset the device.

⚠️ Note: Apps like Titanium Backup require root rights, which voids the warranty on the device.

💡

If you experiment with themes often, create a separate folder on Google Drive or Yandex.Disk and save all.mtz files there, so you can quickly restore any design even after resetting your phone.

6 What to do if the topic is not restored?

If none of the methods worked, the reasons may be as follows:

• 🔴 Theme removed from Xiaomi servers (relevant for old or pirated themes).
• 📵 Incompatibility with the current version MIUI (for example, theme MIUI 12 won't work on MIUI 14).
• 🔒 Region restrictions (some themes are only available for China or global firmware).
• 🛠️ Damage to system files (solved by flashing).

Decisions:

• 🔍 Look for a similar topic in MIUI Themes Store (possibly the author has released an updated version).
• 📥 Try downloading the theme on another Xiaomi device and transferring.mtz to your smartphone.
• 🔧 If the problem is firmware, consider rolling back on the previous version. MIUI (instructions look for 4PDA).

If the theme was purchased from MIUI Themes Store but disappeared after the reset, contact Xiaomi in support via:

1. Official website: https://www.mi.com/global/support.
2. Chat on the Mi Community app.
3. E-mail: support@xiaomi.com.

Please indicate when applying:

• Model of the device.
• Theme ID (can be found in the purchase history)
• Date and method of payment.

💡

Before contacting for support, check the MIUI/theme folder – sometimes the themes remain there even after the reset, but do not appear in the menu.

FAQ: Frequent questions about themes recovery on Xiaomi