Creating themes for Xiaomi: from idea to installation on a smartphone

The theme of the Xiaomi smartphone is not just a background pattern, it is a complete solution that changes the icons, fonts, animations and even sound effects of the system. → You get bored online and the paid options seem too expensive, why not create your own unique theme? In this article, we will discuss the entire process - from preparing the design to downloading the theme to the system through hidden settings. MIUI.

It’s important to understand that creating themes for Xiaomi requires not only creativity, but also technical skills. You’ll work with graphic editors, archivers, and even console teams. If the topic is successful, it can be shared with other users through the MIUI Themes Store (subject to the rules of moderation).

What you need to create themes on Xiaomi

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

Minimum requirements:

• 📱 Smartphone Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO on MIUI 12 and above (some features may not work on older versions)
• 💻 Windows computer 10/11 macOS (for ease of work with graphics and archives)
• 🎨 Graphic Editor: Adobe Photoshop, GIMP (free), Figma or Krita
• 📁 Archivist: WinRAR, 7-Zip Bandizip (for working with.mtz files)
• 🔧 ADB-tools (for manual installation, if the standard method does not work)

You will also need a theme template – it can be downloaded from official sources (for example, from the forum). XDA Developers) or use a theme from the theme → Local as a basis. Please note: if you plan to publish a topic in MIUI Themes Store must comply with community rules (no violence, pornography, political motives, etc.).

⚠️ Note: On devices with a locked bootloader (most Xiaomi smartphones out of the box), some theme installation methods may not work.In this case, you will need to unlock through the Mi Unlock Tool, which resets all data on the phone.

Structure of the topic MIUI: What files should be changed

The theme for Xiaomi is an archive with the.mtz extension, inside of which are folders with resources. To properly modify a theme, you need to understand the structure.

The most important folders are icon and wallpaper. Without them, the theme simply won't load into the system. The other elements (fonts, animations, sounds) are optional, but add uniqueness. MIUI Google Sans or add custom notification sounds in.ogg format (this is the only supported format for themes).

If you modify an existing theme, don’t delete files from the miui folder, which is responsible for compatibility with system components, and changing these files can cause a launcher crash or other errors.

Step-by-step instructions: how to create your theme

Now, let's get to the practice, we're going to create a theme from scratch using a standard template, and the whole process takes 2 to 5 hours depending on the complexity of the design.

Step 1: Download the theme template

The official template can be found on the forum XDA Developers or in telegram channels dedicated to MIUI-For example, here's a link to a template for MIUI 14 Download the archive and unpack it into a separate folder.

Step 2: Edit the icons

Open the icon folder in the graphics editor. Here are the icons for all standard applications (com.android.contacts.png, com.android.settings.png, etc.) Your task is to replace them with your own designs, saving:

• 🎯 Size 192×192 px (for px) MIUI 14+)
• 🖼️ Transparent background (PNG-32)
• 🔤 Original file names (otherwise, the icons will not fit)

If you don’t want to draw icons from scratch, you can use generators like Android Asset Studio or download ready-made sets from Flaticon (make sure the license allows commercial use if you plan to publish a theme).

Step 3: Add wallpaper

The wallpaper folder should contain two files:

• wallpaper.jpg – wallpaper for the desktop
• lockwallpaper.jpg – wallpaper for the lock screen

Recommended authorization — 1080×2340 px (for most modern Xiaomi smartphones) If you use wallpaper with an abstract pattern, you can trim them to the desired size in Photoshop (Image). → Canvas Size).

Step. 4: Customizable description.xml

Open the file. description.xml In any text editor (for example, Notepad)++). You need to prescribe here:

<theme>


<name>The name of your topic</name>




<author>Your name or nickname</author>




<version>1.0</version>




<applyVersion>MIUI 14</applyVersion>




<preview>preview.png</preview>




</theme>

The preview.png file is a thumbnail of your theme that will be displayed in the Topics menu. → Local, preview sizes: 400×240 px.

All icons are sized. 192×192 px and transparent background

Wallpaper corresponds to the resolution of the screen of your smartphone

File. description.xml well-filled

Theme preview (preview.png) added to the root folder

-->

Step 5: Archive theme in.mtz format

Select all files and folders of your theme, right-click and select Add to Archive (in WinRAR or 7-Zip). In the archiving settings:

• Specify the format ZIP
• Choose the best compression method or maximum.
• In the "Archive Name" field, write the name theme.mtz (for example, my_theme.mtz)

Now, we're going to move the.mtz file to the smartphone and install it.

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If you get an error "Inadmissible format" during archiving, try renaming the archive extension from.zip to.mtz manually through "Rename" in the Explorer.

How to install a custom theme on Xiaomi

There are three ways to install themes: through the standard menu, through the ADB And we'll take each of them down through third-party apps.

Method 1: Through the "Themes" menu (the easiest)

This method works on most Xiaomi devices without root rights:

1. Copy the.mtz file into a folder MIUI/theme on the internal memory of the smartphone.
2. Open Settings → Themes.
3. Go to the Locals tab.
4. Click on your topic and select Apply.

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

• 📁 Is the path right (MIUI/theme, Not download)
• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone and check again.
• 📋 File. description.xml filled in

Method 2: ADB (if the standard method does not work)

If the theme is not installed through the menu, you can use the ADB. For that:

1. Turn on USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times on the version to unlock the developer menu).
2. Connect your smartphone to your PC and execute the command: adb push C:\path\to theme\theme.mtz /sdcard/MIUI/theme/
3. Then apply the theme through Settings. → Topics → Local.

If ADB Does not recognize the device, install the Mi drivers PC Suite or check the connection by USB (Select the File Transfer Mode).

⚠️ Note: Some firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.EU) may have different paths to themes: /data/system/theme/. In this case, root rights will be required to copy files.

Method 3: Through Third Party Applications

Apps like this MIUI Theme Editor (available on the XDA) They allow you to install themes without manually copying files, but they require additional permissions and may not work on the latest versions. MIUI. Use them only if the first two methods do not work.

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The most reliable way to install - through the menu "Themes" → Local". ADB Third-party applications are only needed if the standard method refuses to work.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Even if you do everything according to the instructions, the topic may not be set or displayed correctly. Here are the most common problems and solutions:

If after applying the theme, the smartphone began to slow down or overheat, this may be due to:

• 🖼️ Too heavy wallpaper (permission higher) 2K)
• 🎨 Complex animations in icons (for example, GIF instead PNG)
• 🔄 Conflict with other modifications (for example, custom launcher)

In this case, return the standard theme and optimize the graphics (reduce the resolution of the wallpaper or simplify the design of the icons).

How to publish your topic in MIUI Themes Store

If your topic is successful, why not share it with other users? MIUI Themes Store allows you to upload custom themes, but you have to go through moderation:

1. Register the developer account on the official website (it will require a link to the phone number).
2. Download the.mtz archive through the Theme Upload section.
3. Fill in the information about the topic: 📝 Title (English and Chinese) 🎨 Category (minimalism, dark, play, etc.) 📋 Description (you can in Russian, but it is better to duplicate in English) 🖼️ Preview (minimum 3 screenshots)

Send it to moderation. The test period is 3 to 7 days.

Important: Xiaomi prohibits:

• 🚫 Using someone else’s work without permission (e.g. icons from other topics)
• 🚫 Political, religious or provocative symbols
• 🚫 Advertising or links to third-party resources

If the theme is moderated, it will be available to millions of users. MIUI Popular themes can even be rewarded through Mi Credit (but only available to Chinese accounts).

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Before publishing, test the topic on 2-3 different Xiaomi devices (for example, on the Redmi Note) 12 Xiaomi 13). This will help to avoid complaints of incompatibility.

Alternative ways to customize Xiaomi

If creating themes seems too complicated, there are simpler ways to change the look of a smartphone:

• 🎨 Icon Packs: Install a Nova Launcher or Hyperion launcher and apply an icon pack from the Play Market (like Whicons or Delta).
• 🖥️ KWGT-Widgets: Create custom widgets with Kustom Widget (it takes time to learn, but the result is impressive).
• 🌓 Dark subject. + Emphasis: B Settings → Screen. → Dark theme can be turned on dark mode and adjust the accent color.
• 🔧 Magisk modules: Magisk and MIUIz module can be used to modify the interface in depth (requires an unlocked bootloader).

If you want to go a step further, consider custom firmware like Pixel Experience or LineageOS, which completely change the interface to stock Android, but require unlocking the bootloader and can deprive you of some of the features. MIUI (For example, the Second Space or the Game Turbo).

⚠️ Attention: Installing custom firmware resets all data on the phone and can result in a loss of warranty.Before firmware, make a backup through Settings → Additionally. → Backup.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions