How to remove the theme on Xiaomi phone: a complete guide to reset MIUI design

We changed the theme to Xiaomi, but it turned out to be too bright, slows down the system or just annoying? To remove the installed design in several ways - from a standard reset through settings to radical methods like cleaning the data of the Theme application. In this article, we will analyze all working options for smartphones on MIUI 12/13/14, including the Redmi Note 10/11/12 models, POCO X3/X4/X5 and the flagships Mi 11/12/13.

The main problem for users is that they don't know that the theme on Xiaomi is multi-layered: wallpaper, icons, fonts and system sounds. There's no simple Android deletion, but there are workarounds. Some require super-user rights, others work without any further manipulation. We'll start with the safest methods and get to the radical ones, with warnings of the possible consequences.

⚠️ Note: If you have used third-party themes from unverified sources (not from the official store) MIUI Themes, their removal can cause a malfunction of the launcher, in which case you will need a complete reset of the settings.

1. Reset theme through standard MIUI settings

The easiest way to return the standard design is to use the built-in reset function. This method works on all Xiaomi devices with MIUI 11 and later, including Redmi 9/10/11, POCO F3/F4 and Mi 11 Lite.

Open the Topic app (Brush icon) and go to My Themes. Here you will see an active theme marked Used. Click on it and select Reset to Standard or Back to Factory (wording depends on the MIUI version). The system will suggest confirming the action — agree. In 10 to 30 seconds, the interface will be updated, and all elements (icons, fonts, sounds) will return to their original appearance.

• 📱 It works on: all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 11–14.
• ⏱️ Execution time: 1-2 minutes.
• ⚠️ Restriction: does not remove custom wallpaper and screensavers.

If there is no Reset button, then the theme was manually installed (via APK or ADB).

2. Removing theme through the cleaning of the application data

When a standard reset fails, you can force the cache and theme app data to be cleaned, which removes all the downloaded designs, returns the system to the factory settings, and it's important that you have to reconfigure the wallpaper and screensavers after the procedure.

Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management and find Themes (or Themes in English firmware). Open the app page and select:

1. Clear the cache (deletes temporary files);
2. Clear the data (resets all the theme settings).

After the phone restarts, the theme will be deactivated, but some elements (such as wallpaper) may remain. They will have to be manually changed in the Screen → Wallpaper section.

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If the theme is still active after cleaning the data, try restarting the phone in Safe Mode (press the power button → Restart in Safe Mode) and this will turn off all third-party add-ons.

3. How to remove a theme through ADB (for power users)

If the theme is installed as a system application (e.g. via APK or MIUI Theme Editor), it can be removed using Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that requires connecting the phone to a computer and basic command line knowledge.

First, enable USB Debugging in the developer settings (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – press 7 times, then return to Additional Settings → For Developers). Connect your phone to your PC, open the terminal and type in:

adb devices

If the device is selected, execute the command to delete the theme (replace package.name with the real theme identifier, which can be found through adb shell pm list packages | grep theme):

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 package.name

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB Do not delete packets called com.android.theme or com.miui.theme, which are system components!

4. Hidden MIUI settings: reset via engineering menu

MIUI firmware has a hidden engineering menu where you can reset the theme without losing data. This method doesn't work on all models, but it's worth trying if standard methods didn't work. Open the Phone app and type in the combination:

##3646633##

In the menu that opens, go to Hardware Testing → Version Info. Here, find MIUI Version and click on it 10 times. The hidden option Reset Theme will appear - select it and confirm the reset.

If the engineering menu doesn't open, your Xiaomi model doesn't support this method, and the alternative is to use the MIUI Hidden Settings app from Google Play, but it requires root rights.

5. Complete resetting: a radical solution

If the theme is so deeply integrated into the system that it cannot be removed by other means, the last option is -hard reset, which erases all data from the phone, including photos, contacts and installed apps. Be sure to back up your phone before the procedure via Settings → Google → Backup or Mi Cloud.

To perform the discharge:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Choose to erase all data.
3. Enter the password (if installed) and confirm the action.
4. Wait for the reboot (it will take 5-15 minutes).

After reset, the phone will return to the factory firmware with the standard MIUI theme. All third-party designs, including icon and font plugins, will be removed without recovery.

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A complete reset is the only way to remove themes installed through custom firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.eu or Pixel Experience).

6 How to avoid problems with topics in the future

To avoid having to remove topics, follow simple rules:

• 🛡️ Install themes only from the official store (MIUI Themes Store. APK They may contain viruses or may conflict with the system.
• 🔄 Check reviews before installation – if users complain about brakes, it is better not to download the topic.
• 📱 Use light themes without animations (like Minimal Black or Stock White) that are less loading on the processor.
• 🔧 Regularly clean the theme app cache through Settings → Annexes.

If you like custom icons or fonts, but don’t want to risk system stability, use launchers like Nova Launcher or Hyperion Launcher, which allow you to change the design without interfering with MIUI system files.

FAQ: Frequent questions about resetting themes on Xiaomi