How to remove the theme on Xiaomi: a complete guide to resetting to factory design

Have you installed a new theme on your Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO, but it was too bright, uncomfortable, or started to slow down the system? Or just want to return to the familiar factory interface? In this article, we will explore all possible ways to disable themes on devices with a MIUI shell — from standard settings to hidden features for power users.

The process of resetting the theme may vary depending on the firmware version (MIUI 12/13/14/15) and the smartphone model. We will look at universal methods that work on most devices, including Xiaomi 13/14, Redmi Note 12/13, POCO F5/X5 and others.

Important: Some themes change not only wallpaper and icons, but also system fonts, animations, and sometimes even framework-res.apk, the interface core, which can cause disruption if the theme was installed from an unverified source. At the end of the article, we will give recommendations on how to avoid such problems in the future.

1. Standard reset theme through MIUI settings

The easiest way to get back to factory design is to use the built-in MIUI Themes tools, which work on all current firmware versions and does not require super-user rights.

Instructions:

• 📱 Open the “Themes” app** (icon with brush and palette).
• 🔍 In the lower menu, select the “My” section (or “Profile” in older versions).
• 🎨 Scroll up to the Current Theme block** and click on it.
• 🔄 In the window that opens, select the option “Reset to Standard Theme” (or “Restore by Default»).
• ✅ Confirm the action by pressing “OK”** in the dialog box.

After that, the smartphone will restart (without rebooting on some models), and the interface will return to the factory view. If this method does not work, move on to the next method.

⚠️ Note: On some devices with MIUI 14+ The reset option may be hidden, in which case try to apply any other theme from the official directory first, and then return the standard one.

2. Remove theme through the application manager

If a standard reset didn’t work, it’s possible that the theme was installed as a separate application (e.g., via an.mtz file), in which case it can be removed through system settings.

How to do this:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search bar, type “Themes” or the name of the installed theme (for example, “Dark Mode Pro”).

Once removed, restart the device. If the interface is not restored, try applying the standard theme manually through the Topics app** (see previous section).

3. Reset through Safe Mode (if the theme blocks the system)

In rare cases, an incorrectly installed theme can cause freezes, launcher departures, or even an endless reboot. If you can't use your smartphone properly, try booting up in Safe Mode.

How to turn on Safe Mode on Xiaomi:

• 🔄 Press the power button until the off menu appears.
• 👆 Hold the “Switch Off” option (or “Reboot” on some models) and hold for 3-5 seconds.
• ✅ There will be a suggestion to go to safe mode - confirm.

In Safe Mode, all third-party themes and applications will be disabled.

1. Remove the problematic topic through Settings → Apps (see Section 2).
2. Restart the device in normal mode.

⚠️ Warning: In Safe Mode, some features (such as a fingerprint or Face Unlock) may not work.

4. Complete resetting of settings (if nothing helps)

If the theme has changed system files and previous methods have failed, the last option is factory reset, which will delete all data from the device, so use this method only as a last resort.

How to reset:

1. Create a backup of important data (photos, contacts, messages).
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Select Reset All Settings (not to be confused with Network Settings Reset!).
4. Enter the password from your Mi Account (if required).
5. Confirm the action and wait for the process to be completed.

Once reset, the device will reboot with clean firmware and a standard theme, and the downside of this method is the loss of all user data, so only use it if other methods have not worked.

5. Delete theme through ADB (for advanced users)

If you’re familiar with Android Debug Bridge (ADB), you can try removing the theme manually through the command line.This method is suitable for those that aren’t removed in standard ways.

Instructions:

1. Enable USB debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times, then go back to Additional Settings → For Developers).
2. Connect your smartphone to your PC and open the command line (or Terminal on Mac/Linux).
3. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices should appear the name of your device.
4. Find out the name of the theme package: adb shell pm list packages | grep theme
5. Delete the theme by command (replace com.example.theme with the real name of the package): adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.example.theme

If the command is successful, restart the device. This method works even for system themes, but it requires caution - do not remove standard MIUI packages!

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Before working with ADB, make a backup through the command adb backup -apk -shared -all -f backup.ab. This will save all applications and their data in case of error.

6 How to avoid problems with topics in the future

To avoid hangings, artifacts or undeletable themes, follow these guidelines:

• 🛡️ Install themes only from the official store MIUI Third-party.mtz files may contain malicious code.
• 📱 Check other users’ reviews before installing a new theme – especially pay attention to complaints about brakes or crashes.
• 🔄 Update your firmware regularly. MIUI Improved compatibility with theme.
• 📦 Backups before you experiment with design, and this will be done with the built-in Backup app** or Google Drive.
• 🚫 Avoid those that change system fonts or animations – they most often cause lags.

If you like customization but are afraid of crashes, try alternative launchers like Nova Launcher or Hyperion Launcher, which allow you to change icons and wallpaper without risk to the system.

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Official themes from the catalog MIUI Compatibility testing is carried out, while third-party MTZ-files can contain errors or even viruses. Always give preference to proven sources.

FAQ: Frequent questions about resetting themes on Xiaomi