How to create a theme for Xiaomi: from idea to installation MIUI

Creating your own theme for Xiaomi smartphones MIUI — It's not only a way to stand out from millions of users, it's also a chance to be creative, and unique wallpaper, stylized icons, custom fonts and animations can completely transform the interface of a device, making it truly "your" experience. But many people mistakenly believe that developing themes requires a deep knowledge of programming or design, but in fact, the process is accessible even to beginners - the main thing is to understand the tools and follow the proven steps.

In this article, we will take a detailed look at the whole way: from the generation of an idea and the preparation of graphic elements to the packaging of the theme in.mtz format and its publication in the Theme Store. MIUI. You'll learn what software to use for design, how to avoid common layout errors, and even how to capitalize on your themes. And for those who don't want to go into technical details, we've prepared simplified methods using pre-made templates.

It is important to understand that the topics for MIUI 14 and newer have stringent requirements for screen resolution and support for dark mode — a key point that novice developers often miss, POCO Xiaomi 13 is a masterpiece of personalization – let’s get started!

1.Preparation: What is needed to create a topic

Before you start designing, make sure you have everything you need, and without the right tools, it can be delayed or even failed.

• 📱 Xiaomi smartphone based on MIUI 12/13/14 (Any model from the Redmi Note will do. 10 Xiaomi 14 Pro.
• 💻 Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux It's not critical, but Photoshop or Illustrator is better. 8 GB RAM.
• 🎨 Graphic editors: Adobe Photoshop or GIMP (for creating icons and wallpapers) Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape (for vector graphics) Figma or Canva (for prototyping)
• 📦 MIUI Theme Editor – the official tool from Xiaomi for assembling themes (you can download on the official website).
• 📂 Xiaomi templates and guidelines (be sure to check the current requirements for resolution and formats!).

If you’ve never worked with graphics editors, don’t jump right into the deep end – start with simple tools like Canva or mobile apps like PicsArt. To test themes on a smartphone, you will need to turn on the developer mode and allow the installation of themes from unknown sources. → Version. MIUI (Press 7 times, then return to Additional → For developers and activate the option.

⚠️ Attention: Themes created for MIUI 12, may not be correctly displayed on MIUI 14 because of changes in the interface structure. Always specify the target firmware version when publishing.

Also, you should decide in advance on the style of the topic.

• 🌌 Dark themes with accent colors (e.g. purple or green)
• 🌿 Minimalism – clean lines, monochrome icons
• 🎨 Anime/manga - stylized as popular TV series
• 🖌️ Watercolor/drawn – hand drawing of elements
• 💎 Luxury/premium – gold accents, texture backgrounds

2. Icon design: rules and tools

Icons are the face of your theme, and their quality determines whether the theme will look professional or amateurish. Xiaomi has strict icon requirements:

• 📏 Permission: 192×192 px (for px) MIUI 14), format PNG transparently.
• 🎨 Style: All icons should be in the same style (e.g., flat or only) 3D).
• 🔍 Clarity: No blurring or artifacts when scaling.
• 📁 Complete set: minimum 150 required+ Icons (for basic applications).

If it is difficult to draw icons from scratch, you can use ready-made sets from such sources:

• 🔗 Flaticon (free vector icons, but check the license!)
• 🔗 IconFinder (paid but high quality)
• 🔗 MIUI Theme Resources (Official Templates from Xiaomi)

To simplify the work, use automatic tools:

• 🤖 Android Asset Studio (Icon Generator from Google)
• 🎨 Icon Kitchen (for massive change of icon style)
• 🖌️ ShapeShifter (Presets for Photoshop)

⚠️ Note: If you use other people’s icons, be sure to indicate authorship in the file. description.xml Copyright infringement can result in your theme being blocked in the store.

Example of the structure of the folder with icons:

icons/


├── com.android.contacts.png




├── com.android.settings.png




├── com.miui.gallery.png




├── com.miui.calculator.png




└──... (the remaining icons)

To speed up the process, you can download the template PSD with already marked layers under the icons MIUI. These types of forums are often posted on forums like XDA Developers or 4PDA.

💡

Use the Batch Rename tool in Adobe Bridge to quickly rename hundreds of icons to package.name.png (e.g. com.whatsapp.png).

3. Creation of wallpaper and interface elements

Wallpaper and background elements define the atmosphere of the theme, and it is important to strike a balance between originality and convenience. Xiaomi recommends the following formats:

• 📱 Lock screen wallpaper: 1080×2340 px (for most modern smartphones).
• 🌄 Desktop wallpaper: 1080×2160 px (consider the cutout for the front camera!).
• 🎭 Background for menus and notifications: 1080×1920 px, semi-transparent PNG.

You can use the following to create wallpaper:

• 🖼️ Pre-made textures from Unsplash or Pexels (free for commercial use).
• 🎨 Abstraction generators such as CoolHue 2.0 or Gradient Hunt.
• 🤖 AI tools like MidJourney or Stable Diffusion (specify the prompts with mention) MIUI theme, 4K, minimalistic).

Example of a prompt for wallpaper generation in Stable Diffusion:

ultra-detailed 4K MIUI theme wallpaper, dark purple and gold accents, futuristic neon lines, abstract geometric shapes, ultra HD, cinematic lighting, --ar 9:20

In addition to the wallpaper, the topic includes:

To check how the wallpaper will look on the screen, use the preview in the MIUI Theme Editor or special applications like Wallpaper Engine (there is a free version).

4. Work with MIUI Theme Editor: assembling theme

MIUI Theme Editor is Xiaomi's official software for.mtz themes, which can be downloaded from the official website (developers section), and is available in Chinese and English, but the interface is intuitive.

Step-by-step assembly instructions:

1. Create a new project: specify the title of the topic, version MIUI and screen resolution.
2. Import resources: Upload icons to the icons folder. Add wallpapers. Upload background elements to backgrounds.

Tune the colors.

Add fonts.

.ttf

Preview

Exports

.mtz

Important nuances:

• 📌 Version. MIUI: In the editor, specify the minimum supported version (for example, MIUI 14+).
• 🔍 Error Checking: Before exporting, the editor will show warnings (e.g., missing icons).
• 📦 Theme weight: should not exceed 50 MB (optimize images!).

If you have an Invalid theme structure error, check:

• File names are correct (e.g. com.android.dialer.png, not phone.png).
• Absence of Cyrillic characters in the paths to files.
• Compliance with the permissions requirements of Xiaomi.

All icons have the right names.|Wallpaper optimized for screen resolution|The color palette matches the design|Theme tested on a real device|File. description.xml Completed (title, author, version)-->

5. Testing the theme on a smartphone

Even if the theme is built without errors, this does not guarantee its correct operation on the device. Testing is a mandatory step that will help to identify:

• 🖼️ Icon distortions (such as pruning or stretching).
• 🎨 Color mismatch in dark/light mode.
• ⚙️ Display errors in the system menu.
• 🔄 Problems with animations (if any).

How to set a topic for testing:

1. Transfer the.mtz file to your smartphone (for example, via Mi Drop or cable).
2. Open a theme store. MIUI → Profile → My subjects. → Import.
3. Select your file and apply the theme.

Typical problems and their solutions:

For advanced testing, use the developer mode:

• Turn on Debugging. USB customized.
• Connect your smartphone to your PC and use the adb logcat to view error logs.

Example of a command for filtering logs by tag MIUI:

adb logcat | grep -i"miui.theme"

💡

Test the subject at least on 2-3 devices with different screen resolutions (e.g. Redmi Note) 11 Xiaomi 13 This will help identify scaling problems.

6.Publishing the theme in the Theme Store MIUI

If your theme is ready and tested, it can be published in the official Theme Store. MIUI. This will give you access to millions of users around the world, as well as the opportunity to earn money (Xiaomi pays authors for popular topics).

Step-by-step instructions for publication:

1. Register as a developer: Go to miui.com → For Developers → Theme Designer. Complete the questionnaire (you will need to link your Mi Account account).
2. Upload the topic: In your personal account, select Submit Theme. Fill in the metadata: name, description, tags, screenshots (minimum 3 pieces). Attach the file.mtz.
3. Moderation: Xiaomi checks the topics for compliance with the rules (no copyright infringement, no inappropriate content) Moderation time: 3 to 7 days.

Publication

• After approval, the theme will appear in the store.
• You can track the statistics of downloads and reviews.

Publication requirements:

• 📌 Uniqueness: Themes should not copy existing ones.
• 🖼️ Quality: All elements must be in high resolution.
• 📝 Description: English and Chinese (you can use an interpreter).
• 🚫 No Politics, No Violence, No Politics, No 18+.

How to make money on topics:

• 💰 Paid themes: Xiaomi allows you to set the price (from the $0.5 $5).
• 📊 Ratings and bonuses: bonuses are paid for high ratings and the number of downloads.
• 🎁 Partner Programs: Collaboration with Other Designers.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi blocks accounts for repeated violations of the rules (for example, for spam or plagiarism). If your topic is rejected, correct the comments and submit again - the number of attempts is unlimited.

💡

Add hashtags in English and Chinese to your subject (e.g. #DarkTheme #) to increase visibility in search.

7. Alternative means of disseminating topics

If your theme hasn’t been moderated in the official store or you want to distribute it yourself, there are several alternative ways:

• 🌍 Forums and communities: XDA Developers (part of Xiaomi Themes) 4PDA (topic MIUI) Reddit (r/XiaomiThemes)
• 📱 Telegram channels: Channels like @MIUIThemes or @XiaomiCustom. Bots for automatic distribution of topics (for example, @ThemeLoaderBot).
• 💾 File sharing: Download.mtz to Google Drive, Mega or MediaFire and share the link.
• 🛒 Platforms for Sale: Gumroad or Sellfy for Sale Patreon Themes for Exclusive Subscriber Themes.

Advantages of alternative distribution:

• ✅ No strict moderation (you can experiment with the design).
• ✅ Quick feedback from users.
• ✅ Possibility of monetization without restrictions Xiaomi.

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Smaller audience compared to the official store.
• ❌ The risk of theft of the topic (always add watermarks to previews!).
• ❌ Lack of technical support from Xiaomi.

Example of a post to post on the forum:

[TEMA] My new theme, "Neon Dark" for MIUI 14


📌 Description: Dark theme with neon accents, 200 + icons, unlock animation.




📥 Download: [link to Google Drive]




📸 Screenshots: [Integrated]




🔧 Requirements: MIUI 14+, permission FHD+




💬 Reviews and bagreports welcome!

8. Tips for Promoting and Monetizing Topics

Creating a theme is only half the battle, and in order to get noticed and downloaded, you have to present it and promote it properly.

• 📸 High-quality screenshots: Take screenshots on a real device (not an emulator!) Show all the key elements: icons, wallpaper, menus. Use Lightroom for color correction.
• 🎥 Video presentation: Record a short video (15-30 Download it to YouTube or TikTok with the hashtag #MIUITheme #Xiaomi.
• 📢 Collaboration: Write to popular bloggers who review topics for Xiaomi. participate in competitions from Xiaomi (e.g., Xiaomi, MIUI Theme Design Contest).
• 💰 Monetization: Sell exclusive versions of themes (e.g., with additional icons) and add donat options to your description (QIWI, Paypal, make money on your social media ads.

Example of a successful promotion strategy:

1. Post the topic in the official store and forums.
2. Create an Instagram post with the hashtag #XiaomiThemes #MIUIDesign.
3. You run targeted advertising on an audience interested in Xiaomi and customization.
4. Collect feedback and finalize the topic according to the wishes of users.

If you plan to do the creation of themes professionally, consider the following automation tools:

• 🤖 Scripts for batch processing of icons (Python) + Pillow).
• 📊 Analytics: Use Google Analytics to track clicks on download links.
• 📧 Email newsletter: collect a subscriber base for announcements of new topics.

💡

The most popular topics in MIUI — Dark with accent colors and minimalist. Analyze trends in the official store to create content that is in demand.

FAQ: Frequent questions about creating themes for Xiaomi