Where Xiaomi saves downloaded themes: full MIUI guide

Have you downloaded a new theme for your Xiaomi, but can’t find where it has gone? Or do you want to manually delete unnecessary files to make room? In this article, we’ll look at exactly where the themes are downloaded on Xiaomi, how to find them through the file manager, and what to do if the the theme is not applied after download.

MIUI stores themes in hidden folders, and the path to them depends on the firmware version and smartphone model. We'll look at the standard directories for all current versions (from MIUI 12 to MIUI 15), and explain why topics sometimes disappear after a system update. If you try to transfer themes to another phone or restore them after a reset, here you will find step-by-step instructions.

Standard ways to store themes on Xiaomi

By default, all downloaded themes are stored in the device's system memory.

/storage/emulated/0/MIUI/theme/

In this folder, you'll find subdirectories with unique identifiers for each theme (e.g., com.theme.id.12345). However, not all files here are editable without root rights.

• 📁 `.mtz` — Archives of topics (you can copy and transfer to another phone).
• 🖼️ `preview` — Preview images for displaying in the theme store.
• 📄 `config.json` — configuration file with theme settings.
• 🎨 `wallpaper` — wallpaper included in the theme.

On some models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro or POCO X4 Pro) the path may be different:

/data/system/theme/

This folder is only available with root rights or through ADB. If you don't see it in a standard file manager, it's okay to hide it to protect against random changes.

How to find downloaded themes through the file manager

To open a theme folder without additional tools, follow the following steps:

1. Open the standard File Manager (or install MiXplorer for advanced features).
2. Go to the internal memory (or Storage) section.
3. Enable the display of hidden files: click on three dots in the upper right corner → Settings → Show hidden files.
4. Scroll down to the MIUI folder and open it.
5. Find theme directory – all downloaded themes are stored here.

If you don’t have a MIUI folder, check the alternative paths:

• 🔍 /Android/data/com.android.themes/ — For themes installed through Google Play.
• 🔍 /storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/com.miui.theme/ — cash-box MIUI Themes.

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If you want to save a theme before resetting your phone, copy the folder with its ID (e.g. com.theme.id.12345) to your computer or cloud. After reset, return it back to /MIUI/theme/ and restart the phone.

Why topics disappear after MIUI update

Many users face a problem: once the firmware update is updated, the theme that they use is reset to the standard, and the themes that they download are dropped from the list, for three reasons:

1. Clean up the store’s theme cache: When you update, the system can delete temporary theme files from the /Android/obb/com.miui.theme/ folder.
2. Change folder structure: In newer versions of MIUI, the path to the themes may change (e.g., from /MIUI/theme/ to /data/system/theme/).
3. Theme ID conflict: If the theme was downloaded from a third-party source, its ID may match the system one, and after updating it is overwritten.

To avoid losing themes:

Back up /MIUI/theme/|Save the list of applied themes in your notebook |Check free space on your device (needs at least 1GB) |Disable automatic cache cleanup in your storage settings-->

Restore themes after updating can be in two ways:

1. Reinstall them from the MIUI Themes store (if they are still available).
2. Return the saved theme folder to /MIUI/theme/ and reboot the phone.

How to Remove Unnecessary Themes Manually

Over time, the theme folder can take up several gigabytes of memory. To make room, delete the unnecessary files:

1. Open the file manager and go to /MIUI/theme/.
2. Remove ID folders that you do not use (e.g. com.theme.id.67890).
3. Clear the store's cache with themes: Settings → Apps → Topics → Storage → Clear the cache.
4. Delete temporary files from /Android/obb/com.miui.theme/.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete folders with default or system names, this can cause a malfunction of the interface. Also do not touch files with the.mtz extension unless you are sure that they are related to unnecessary topics.

Transferring to another Xiaomi phone

If you want to use the same themes on a new device, follow the following steps:

1. On an old phone, copy a theme folder (e.g. com.theme.id.12345) from /MIUI/theme/ to your computer or cloud.
2. Connect the new phone and paste the folder into the same directory (/MIUI/theme/).
3. Reboot the new phone.
4. Open Settings → Themes and apply the transferred theme.

⚠️ Note: Theme portability only works between devices with the same version MIUI. If the new phone has a newer firmware, the theme may not apply due to changes in the structure of the system files:

• 🔄 Update theme through the store MIUI Themes.
• 📲 Set the topic through ADB (power-user).
• 🔍 Find a similar theme in the store for your version MIUI.

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Moving themes between devices with different versions of MIUI often leads to errors, and the most reliable way is to download the theme again from the official store.

How to download themes without MIUI Themes store

If you want to install a theme from a third-party source (such as the 4PDA forum or Xiaomi.eu), follow this instruction:

1. Download the theme file with the.mtz extension to your phone.
2. Move it to /MIUI/theme/ folder.
3. Reboot the phone.
4. Open Settings → Themes → Local and select the downloaded theme.

If the topic does not appear in the list, check:

• 🔹 Compatibility of the theme with your version MIUI (It's in the file description).
• 🔹 Integrity of the.mtz archive (try to download again).
• 🔹 Root rights (some topics require extended permissions).

To install themes through ADB, use the command:

adb install /path/to/file.theme.mtz

⚠️ Warning: Installing themes from unverified sources may contain malicious code. Before installing, check the file through VirusTotal or other antivirus services.

Solving theme issues on Xiaomi

If the topic doesn’t apply, looks crooked or causes errors, use these tips:

If the problem is not solved, try:

1. Reset the theme settings to standard: Settings → Themes → More → Reset the settings.
2. Update the firmware to the latest version (some bugs are fixed in new MIUI builds).
3. Contact Xiaomi through the Feedback app.

FAQ: Frequent questions about topics on Xiaomi