You’re trying to find a themes folder on your Xiaomi smartphone, but the standard file manager doesn’t show the files you want? This is no surprise: the manufacturer hides the system directories from users to prevent the theme from being accidentally deleted. However, access to the theme folder is still possible – and in this article we’ll explain how to do this on different versions of MIUI, including the latest MIUI 14/15.
It's important to understand that the theme storage structure has changed with the release of new firmware, and if all the themes were in one place before, now they are distributed across multiple folders depending on the type (system, downloaded from Mi Theme Store, custom), we will analyze all possible locations, and also explain why some files may be missing even after manual search.
Why theme folder is hidden from the user
Xiaomi is deliberately restricting access to system folders for two key reasons:
- 🔒 Damage protection: Incorrectly deleting or editing theme files can cause interface failures, including launcher "outages" or complete inoperability MIUI.
- 🛡️ License Restrictions: Many of the items in the official store are copyrighted and their copying or distribution violates the terms of use.
- 🔄 Automatic control: The system itself optimizes the storage of themes, removing unused files when memory is scarce.
However, power users often need access to this folder — for example, to back up a favorite theme before resetting your phone or to manually install custom designs.
Backup of topics|Setting custom themes|Delete unnecessary files|Structure study MIUI|Other-->
Where to search for theme folder on different versions of MIUI
The folder location depends on the firmware version and the theme type, and the following is the current path table for the latest MIUI versions (tested on MIUI 12-15):
| Type of theme | The way to the folder | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (systemic) | /system/media/theme/default | Root rights are required to access. No editing is recommended! |
| Downloaded from Mi Theme Store | /data/system/theme/ | The folder only appears after installing at least one theme. |
| Castomic (manually installed) | /sdcard/MIUI/theme/ | It can be absent – it is created automatically at the first manual installation. |
| Cash tem (temporary files) | /data/data/com.android.thememanager/cache/ | It is cleaned by the system when there is a lack of memory. |
Starting with MIUI 14, some of the themes are stored encrypted in the /data/app/~~themes/ folder. These files have the.mtz extension (for old themes) or.tz extension (for newer forms), and can only be extracted using special tools, which we will discuss in the next section.
⚠️ Attention: Folder /data/ unavailable without root rights or ADB-Patents to access it through a standard file manager will result in a "Permission denied" error.
How to Access theme Folder Without Root Rights
If you don’t have root access on your device, use one of the proven methods:
Method 1: Through ADB (loss of guarantee)
This is an official method that does not require unlocking the bootloader:
- Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
- Enable USB debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
- Connect the phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell ls /data/system/theme/ This will display a list of installed themes.
To copy the theme on PC, use:
adb pull /data/system/theme/[name folder theme] C:\themes\Replace [name folder topics] with the real name from the list.
Install ADB-PC drivers|Enable debugging on USB phone-on|Connect your phone to the original cable|Check the connection with the adb device command-->
Method 2: Through a root file manager (requires unlocking)
If you have a bootloader unlocked and Magisk installed, use managers like Root Explorer or Mixplorer:
- 📁 Open the manager and move along the way. /data/system/theme/.
- 🔍 Find a folder with the title of the topic (for example, com.example.theme1).
- 📋 Copy the folder to a safe place (for example, on the SD-map).
⚠️ Note: Removing files from /data/system/theme/ This can cause the current theme to crash. Always back up before changes!
💡
If you want to save a theme before resetting your phone, export it through the Themes app: open the theme → click three dots → select Export. The file will be saved to /sdcard/MIUI/theme/.
How to Reserve and Restore Themes
In order not to lose your favorite design when resetting or updating your firmware, follow this instruction:
Backup
- Copy the theme folder from /data/system/theme/[name theme] to your PC or cloud.
- If the theme is installed from the Mi Theme Store, export it through the Themes app (see tip above).
- For custom themes (.mtz files), simply copy the file from /sdcard/MIUI/theme/.
Post-discharge recovery
After resetting to factory settings:
- Move the saved theme folder back to /data/system/theme/ (root required).
- For.mtz files: Open Themes app → Local → select a file.
- If the theme does not apply, restart the phone.
Important: Themes from MIUI 13 and later may not work on older firmware versions due to changes in the design of the files.
Frequent problems and their solutions
When you use theme, you're going to see some common errors, and here's how to fix them:
| Problem. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Theme folder is not available in /data/system/ | There are no themes in the store. | Install any theme from the Mi Theme Store, the folder will appear automatically. |
| Error "Permission denied" when accessing | No root rights or ADB-access | Use it. ADB-commands or unlock the loader |
| Theme does not apply after recovery | Incompatibility of MIUI versions | Update your firmware or find a theme version for your MIUI |
| Disappeared downloaded themes after the update | The system cleared the theme cache. | Reinstall themes from the store or restore them from backup |
If graphical glitches have arisen after applying the theme (for example, icons are not displayed), do:
adb shell pm clear com.android.thememanagerThis will reset the theme manager settings without deleting the files themselves.
What to do if the theme has broken the interface?
How to remove unnecessary topics and free up space
Over time, the /data/system/theme/ folder can take hundreds of megabytes to clear.
Method 1: Through the Themes app
- Open Themes. → My subjects.
- Click and hold on to an unnecessary theme → select Delete.
- Confirm the action.
Method 2: Manual cleaning (requires root)
Delete the folders to those from:
- /data/system/theme/ – downloaded themes
- /sdcard/MIUI/theme/ - custom.mtz files
- /data/data/com.android.thememanager/cache/ - cache
⚠️ Note: Do not delete the default folder in /system/media/theme/ — This will cause the system launcher to fail!
💡
Cleaning your themes folder regularly can free up to 1-2GB of storage, especially if you’re experimenting with design often.
Alternative ways to manage topics
If accessing the theme folder is too complicated, consider alternative methods:
- 🌐 Mi Theme Editor (Windows): A program to create and edit themes without access to system folders. Download from the official Xiaomi forum.
- 📱 Xiaomi’s Themes app: Allows you to export and import.mtz themes without root rights.
- 🔧 Magisk modules: Modules like this MIUI Theme Manager expands the possibilities of working with themes.
For power users: If you want to modify system themes, learn the.tz file format (starting with the.tz file format). MIUI These files are: ZIP-archives with modified extensions containing:
- description.ini - metadata topics
- preview/ - Preview images
- res/ - resources (icons, wallpaper, fonts)
To unpack, rename the file to.zip and open it with any archiver.