Xiaomi Themes: what kind of program it is, how it works and why you need it

Introduction: Why Xiaomi built an app for themes

If you own a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphone, you’ve probably noticed an app called Themes on the menu, which many users ignore as unnecessary “decoration,” but it’s actually a powerful interface customization tool that can change not only wallpaper and icons, but also system fonts, animations, sounds and even notification styles.

Themes is Xiaomi's official service, integrated into the MIUI shell. It allows you to download and install custom themes created by both the company and third-party designers. It's important to understand that it's not just a wallpaper collection, but a full-fledged platform for personalizing the look of the device. However, many users have questions: is it safe to install themes from unknown authors? How to return the standard look if a new theme broke the interface? And why some themes are paid?

What is Themes on Xiaomi: the main features

Themes application performs several tasks at once:

• 🎨 Installation of design themes - changing icons, wallpapers, color schemes and system elements.
• 🔔 Customizing sounds – replacing ringtones, notifications and alarm clocks.
• 🖼️ Wallpaper and lock screen – a selection of static and dynamic wallpapers, including live (Live Wallpapers).
• 📱 Fonts - the ability to change the system font to one of the proposed options.
• 🔄 Automatic Update – Some themes are updated by developers and the app can notify you.

The MIUI feature is that the themes are not just skins, but full-fledged design packages that can dramatically change the appearance of a smartphone. For example, the iOS Style theme mimics the iPhone interface, and Dark Mode Pro offers advanced dark theme settings, while all changes are applied systemically — that is, affect not only the desktop, but also the settings, app menus and even some third-party programs.

Important: Some themes require permission to access files or special rights (for example, to change system icons).This is normal, but download themes only from the official Xiaomi store to avoid viruses.

Where to download themes for Xiaomi: official and third-party sources

There are three main ways to get new themes for your smartphone:

1. The official theme store (built into the Themes app) is moderated by Xiaomi, so the risk of a virus is minimal.
2. Third-party sites like MIUI Themes or XiaomiThemes. You can find unique themes here, but you can risk downloading a file with malicious code. Always check the reviews and the author's rating.
3. Forums and Telegram channels dedicated to MIUI, for example, in the 4PDA community, they often upload free ported themes from Chinese firmware, but this requires experience, since installation may require manual copying of files.

🔹 Security Warning: Never install.apk themes from unknown sources. Official themes are.mtz extension and installed via Themes app. APK “Setting theme” is 100% fraud.

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Before installing a theme from a third-party source, back up the current design in the Themes app settings (My Themes → Backup).

How to install a theme on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

Installation of themes from the official store is as simple as possible:

Open the Themes app

Select the "Subjects" or "Wallpaper" section

Find your favorite topic (you can use the search)

Click "Apply" or "Download"

Confirm the installation in the window that appears-->

If you downloaded a.mtz theme from the Internet, you can:

1. Copy the file to your phone’s memory (for example, to your Download folder).
2. Open the Themes app and go to My Themes section.
3. Click on the + (or “Import”) icon and select the downloaded file.
4. Confirm installation. If the theme requires additional permissions, grant them.

⚠️ Note: Some topics may not apply fully due to limitations MIUI. For example, if the theme changes system icons, but you have installed firmware without root rights, then the icons will remain standard, in which case only unlocking the bootloader and installing custom firmware will help (but this deprives you of guarantees!).

Themes problems on Xiaomi and how to solve them

Despite the convenience, Themes sometimes fails, and here are the most common problems and solutions:

• 🔄 The theme is reset after rebooting → Clear the cache of Themes in your phone settings. If it doesn't work, try using the theme again.
• 🚫 No third-party topics are set → Make sure the file is.mtz, not.zip or.apk. Also check if the installation is blocked by antivirus.
• 💰 Paid themes aren't bought → Check your Mi Account balance or your linked card. Sometimes changing your account region to India or Russia helps (but it can disrupt other services).
• 📱 After installing the theme, app icons disappeared → It's a bug of some themes. Return the standard theme to the settings or reboot the phone.

🔹 Critical error: if after applying the theme, the phone starts to brake or overheat, immediately return the standard design. Some themes contain animations that heavily load the processor «3D-Icons or dynamic wallpapers – they can drain the battery 15-20% faster.

⚠️ Warning: If you have installed a theme from an unverified source and the phone is behaving strangely (self-reboots, pop-ups with ads), immediately reset to factory settings. This may be a sign of infection with adware (adware virus), which masquerades as topics.

How to Create Your Theme for Xiaomi

If you don't like the solutions, you can try to make your own theme.

1. Computer with the installed MIUI Theme Editor (official tool from Xiaomi).
2. Knowledge of the basics of design – at least a basic understanding of working with layers in Photoshop or GIMP.
3. Developer account in Xiaomi (free, but requires confirmation by SMS).

The process of creating the theme includes:

• 🎨 Design of icons (size should be) 192×192 px MIUI 12+).

The finished theme can be uploaded to the official Xiaomi store and even made money from its sales, however, moderation takes up to 7 days, and not all themes are tested (especially if they copy the style of other brands, such as Apple or Samsung).

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Creating MIUI themes is not just creativity, it's also a way to monetize themes, and popular themes earn authors between 500 and 5,000 rubles a month (depending on the number of downloads).

Alternatives to Themes: Other Ways to Customize Xiaomi

If you lack the capabilities of the standard Themes application, you can use alternative methods:

• 📱 Launchers (like Nova Launcher or Hyperion Launcher) – allow you to change icons, animations and even gestures without changing the system theme.
• 🎨 Icon Packs (from Google Play) – icon packs that run on top of a standard launcher.
• 🔧 Xposed Framework (power users only) – allows for deep modifications MIUI, but requires root rights.
• 🖥️ ADB-commands – they can disable system restrictions (for example, allow installation of any themes).

Example of commands to unlock the installation of themes through ADB:

adb shell settings put global miui_use_custom_theme 1

⚠️ Attention: use ADB or Xposed can cause warranty loss and unstable phone performance.Before experimenting, make a full data backup via Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

FAQ: answers to frequent questions about Themes on Xiaomi