How to put a photo on Xiaomi: wallpaper, screensaver and gallery - full instruction

Have you just taken a stunning shot on your Xiaomi and want to use it as a desktop wallpaper, lock screensaver or just save to the gallery? or maybe you need to transfer photos from another device? In this article, we will analyze all possible ways to work with images on Xiaomi, Redmi smartphones, POCO Black Shark – from basic to advanced.

Regardless of whether you are using MIUI 12, MIUI 13 or the new HyperOS, the process of installing photos has its own nuances, we took into account all the firmware versions and features of different product lines, so that the instructions fit even for outdated models like the Redmi Note 5 or flagships like Xiaomi 14 Ultra. And if you encounter errors when downloading images, at the end of the article there is a section with solutions to the most common problems.

1. How to put your photo on Xiaomi wallpaper

The most popular request is to use a personal photo as a background image. MIUI This is done in literally 3 taps, but there are a few hidden features that not everyone knows about, such as setting up background blur on the lock screen or applying dynamic wallpaper (on supported models).

Here is a step-by-step guide for all firmware versions:

• 📱 Open the Gallery app and select the photo you want.
• 🔍 Click on the icon. ⋮ (three points) in lower right corner → Choose Set How to Install.
• 🖼️ There will be a menu with options: Desktop wallpaper - background of the main screen; Wallpaper lock screen - screensaver when blocking; Wallpaper on both screens - background synchronization.
• ✅ Confirm the choice – the image will be automatically cropped to screen resolution.

Select an image with a resolution not lower 1080p|Check the aspect ratio (16:9 or 18:9 for most Xiaomi)|If necessary, cut off the extra elements in the editor.|Keep a copy of the original in case of error-->

In the models with AMOLED-screens (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi) K60 Pro recommends using dark wallpaper to reduce battery consumption, and if your photo is too light, you can turn on a dark theme for icons in the wallpaper settings (Settings) → Wallpaper. → Additional settings).

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If the wallpaper is gone or does not fit in size, try to manually crop the image in the Gallery editor. → Edit → Pruning. Use the ratio for the perfect result. 1080×2340 (full HD+) or 1440×3200 (for 2K).

2.Transfer photos to Xiaomi from other devices

Often, users are faced with having to flip photos from an iPhone, an old Android smartphone or a computer, and there are several reliable ways to do this, from wireless to wired, and consider each one with speed and compatibility in mind.

Method 1: Transmission by cable (USB)

The fastest and most versatile method, but requires USB-cables that support data transmission (not all charging cables are suitable!) Connect your smartphone to a PC or other device, then:

1. On Xiaomi, in the notification curtain, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
2. Open this computer on your computer. → Find the Xiaomi device in the list.
3. Go to the Internal Storage folder → DCIM → Camera (or create your own folder).
4. Copy photos from the PC to the selected directory.

Method 2: Wireless transmission (Mi Drop, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct)

If you don’t have a cable, use the built-in tools:

• 📲 Mi Drop (pre-installed on most Xiaomi): Open the app on both devices; Select Send on the original smartphone and Receive on Xiaomi; Confirm Wi-Fi transmission (speeds up to 10MB/s).
• 🔵 Bluetooth: Turn on Bluetooth on both devices; pair them in the Settings menu → Bluetooth; Select a photo → Share. → Bluetooth. ⚠️ Note: Bluetooth is only suitable for transmission 1-2 Photos – when sending albums, the speed drops to 100 KB/s.

Cable. USB|Through Mi. Drop/Wi-Fi Direct|Cloud services (Google Photos, Mi Cloud)|Bluetooth|Another way.-->

Method 3: Cloud services (Google Photos, Mi Cloud, Telegram)

Ideal for backup or sync between devices, such as Google Photos automatically creates copies of all images in their original quality (up to 15 GB free) to transfer photos:

1. Install Google Photos on your old device.
2. Upload photos to the cloud (wait for sync to complete).
3. On Xiaomi, log in to the same Google account → Open Google Photos → download the right pictures.

Mi Cloud (built-in cloud Xiaomi) works similarly, but has a limit of 5 GB. But here there is a function "Gallery Backup", which automatically uploads new photos (Settings) → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery).

3. How to make a photo a screensaver of the lock screen

Unlike the desktop wallpaper, the screensaver locks in MIUI It has additional security and design settings, such as adding weather widgets, notifications or even animations when unlocked (on supported models).

Installation instructions:

1. Open the Settings → Lock screen.
2. Select the lock screen wallpaper → My wallpaper.
3. Click Gallery and select a photo.
4. Cut the image (if necessary) and save it.

On devices with Always-On Display (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T Pro or Redmi K50 Ultra) can be configured to display the photo even when off:

• 🌙 Go to Settings. → Always-On Display and Style of Locking;
• 🔄 Select the Lock screen style → Photo Photo;
• 🖼️ Upload the image and adjust the brightness of the display.

4. editing photos before installation

Sometimes you have to prepare a picture before you put it on wallpaper or screensaver. MIUI There's a built-in editor with basic features, but for advanced tasks, it's better to use third-party applications.

Built-in gallery editor

Open the photo in the gallery → Click Edit. Available tools:

• ✂️ Cutting and turning – changing the aspect ratio;
• 🎨 Filters – pre-installed styles (e.g. Vivid, Mono);
• 📊 Correction - brightness, contrast, saturation;
• 🖌️ Retouching – removal of defects (on some models).

For wallpaper, you should use a Blurred filter to hide the app icons on your desktop, and if the photo is too dark, increase the exposure to the screen. +10–15 units.

Third-party editing applications

If built-in tools aren’t enough, install one of these apps:

On Xiaomi devices with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor (such as Xiaomi 13), editing in Lightroom is 30% faster thanks to optimization for Qualcomm.

5. Photo Problems on Xiaomi and Their Solutions

Sometimes, when you're working with images, you get errors: photos don't get set up as wallpaper, they don't show up in a gallery, they lose quality, and we've collected some of the most common problems and ways to fix them.

Problem 1: Wallpaper is moving or stretching

This is because of the different sides of the screen and the image.

• Cut the photo manually in the editor to your screen resolution (see the table below);
• Turn on the option to fit under the screen when choosing wallpaper;
• Use special wallpaper for Xiaomi (download themes).

Problem 2: Photos are not displayed in the gallery

The causes can range from cache failure to file corruption.

• 🔍 Make sure that the files have the extension.jpg,.png or.webp;
• 🗑️ Clear the gallery cache: Settings → Annexes → gallery → Warehouse → Clear the cache;
• 🔄 Reset the device;
• 📁 Check if the photo folder is hidden (in the gallery) → Albums. → Hidden).

⚠️ Note: If the photos are missing after the update MIUI, Try to restore them through Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery → It'll only work if the synchronization was previously enabled.

Issue 3: Low quality wallpaper

MIUI It automatically compresses wallpaper to save memory:

• Use images with a resolution not lower 1920×1080;
• Turn off compression in the theme settings: Settings → Wallpaper. → Additional settings → Quality of wallpaper → High;
• Save the original photo in the folder DCIM → Wallpapers.

6. Hidden functions of working with photos in MIUI

Many users do not know that the MIUI There are hidden possibilities for working with images, such as creating a collage right in a gallery, setting up automatic sorting by face, or even hiding photos without third-party apps.

Function 1: Hidden albums

To hide personal photos from prying eyes:

1. Open the gallery. → Choose a photo;
2. Press. ⋮ → Move it to a hidden album;
3. To access the hidden photo, enter a password or fingerprint.

Function 2: Automatic facial recognition

MIUI It can group photos by people, like in Google Photos:

• 👤 Go to the gallery. → People;
• 🔍 Wait for the system to analyze the photo (it can take up to 10 minutes);
• 🏷️ Push on your face. → Add a name for a convenient search.

Function 3: Quick creation of collages

In the gallery you can combine several photos into one collage without third-party applications:

1. Select 2-9 photos;
2. Press. ⋮ → Collage;
3. Choose a template (grid, vertical, horizontal);
4. Save the result.

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Hidden albums in MIUI Not encrypted – when connecting to a PC through USB Hidden photos will be visible in the.hidden folder. Use third-party apps like KeepSafe or Vaulty for reliable protection.

7. Optimizing Photo Storage on Xiaomi

Photos take up the lion's share of the memory of the smartphone. To avoid running out of space, use these tips:

• ☁️ Automatic Download to the Cloud: Enable Settings → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → gallery → Autoboot; Select Quality (Original or High); Remove Local Copies after download (Option Free Space).
• 🗃️ Storage optimization: In Google Photos, enable Free up space – this will delete local copies, leaving thumbnails; Use the format HEIF (in camera settings) – it takes up 2 times less space with the same quality.
• 🧹 Cleanup of duplicates: Install Files by Google; Go to Cleanup → Duplicates; Delete unnecessary copies.

On micro-devices.SD (For example, Redmi Note 11 can transfer photos to a memory card:

1. Open the files. → Images;
2. Select the folder. DCIM;
3. Press. ⋮ → Move it → Memory map.

⚠️ Note: When transferring the photo to SD-The map may be missing from the gallery. To fix this, go to Settings. → Warehouse → Memory map → Internal memory and choose Format as internal (data will be erased!).

FAQ: Frequent questions about photos on Xiaomi