Choosing an animation to unlock the screen on Xiaomi smartphones may seem like a trifle, but in practice it affects not only aesthetics, but also the perception of the speed of the device. The two most popular options in MIUI — Starlight and Moon Peak — are radically different in visual style, smoothness and even power consumption. The first creates the effect of flickering particles, the second simulates a smooth “opening” of the screen, like the moon from behind the clouds.
Users often face a dilemma: whether to choose dynamic but more resource-intensive animation or minimalistic but less spectacular? In this article, we will examine the technical nuances of each animation, its impact on FPS (frame rate), autonomy and even psychological perception. And also show how to include hidden animation options that Xiaomi does not advertise in standard settings.
Spoiler: If you have a smartphone with a AMOLED- screen and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2/3 processor, Starlight will look amazing without loss of performance. Budget models (e.g. Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5) are better off looking at Crescent Peak — it loads GPU less and saves battery power by 3–5% per day.
1. Visual comparison: which is more beautiful?
Starlight is a dynamic 3D- animation where, when you unlock the screen, hundreds of small glowing particles appear to mimic the starry sky, and the effect is enhanced by smooth transitions and blurs that create the illusion of depth. On AMOLED- screens (such as in Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Mix Fold 3), the particles look particularly realistic due to the high contrast and support HDR10+.
The “peak of the crescent” is the exact opposite: it uses the minimalist 2D- effect, where a crescent appears in the center of the screen, which smoothly “opens” into the full moon. The animation is monolithic, without unnecessary details, making it versatile for any Xiaomi models, including the old ones (for example, the Redmi Note 10 Pro).
- 🌟 Star shine: Suitable for futuristic design lovers, but can distract from content.
- 🌙 Crescent Peak: Perfect for minimalists and those who appreciate unlock speed.
- 🔍 Hidden animation: MIUI 14+ features an undocumented Wave option that combines smoothness and originality.
Interesting fact: on smartphones with 120 Hz and above (for example, Xiaomi 14 Pro), the star shine is displayed in double detail - particles move smoother, without jerking. On screens with 60 Hz (budget models), the difference between the animations is almost invisible.
2. Performance impact: FPS, heating and lag
Any unlock animation is a load on the GPU. Starlight requires rendering hundreds of particles in real time, which can lead to:
- ⚠️ Fall. FPS 10-15% during animation (notably on weak chips such as Snapdragon 680).
- 🔥 Increase the temperature of the processor by 2–3°C with frequent unlocks (relevant for game scenarios).
- 🕒 Delay of 0.1–0.3 seconds when opening applications immediately after unlocking.
“Crescent Peak” in this regard is more gentle: it uses vector graphics that render in advance and do not load the GPU. Tests on Xiaomi 12T showed that the difference in unlock speed between the two animations can reach 0.5 seconds in favor of “Picy”.
| Parameter | Star-spotting | Crescent peak |
|---|---|---|
| GPU loading | High (up to 20%) | Low (up to 5%) |
| Unlock time. | ~0.8s | ~0.3 s |
| Battery consumption | +5% per day | +1% per day |
| Support for 120 Hz | Yes (optimized) | Yeah (no advantage) |
⚠️ Warning: On devices with MIUI 13 and below, Starlight can cause artifacts (flickering, particle loss) due to an outdated render. Update your firmware or use alternative launchers like Nova Launcher.
3. Autonomy: How does animation affect the battery?
You might think that half a second of animation can affect battery power? In practice, there's a difference, and it's noticeable when you're using your smartphone.
- 🔋 GPU (consumes ~0.5 W during rendering).
- 📱 AMOLED- A matrix (luminous pixels use energy even on a black background).
- 🔄 RAM (caching animation textures).
According to XDA Developers’ tests, 100 unlocks a day consumes up to 3 to 5 percent more charge than Crescent Peak. For comparison, one full smartphone reboot consumes ~2 percent of the battery. If you unlock your phone less often (for example, 20-30 times a day), the difference is reduced to 1-2 percent.
Tip for owners of POCO F5 or Redmi K60: If you like Star Shine but regret the battery, turn on the power saving mode in the MIUI settings (Settings → Battery → Modes).This will limit FPS animation to 60 Hz, reducing the load on the 40%.
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To check the actual battery consumption of the animation, use the AccuBattery app (discharge history section). Compare the graphs before and after the animation change.
4. How to change the unlock animation?
In MIUI 14/15, you can change animations through standard settings, but not all options are available by default.
- Open Settings → Screen → System animation.
- Select the Unlocking Animation item.
- Scroll down - there will be "Starlight" and "Crescent Peak."
If these items are not, then your firmware is cropped (relevant to global versions of Redmi).
Activate Developer Mode (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – tap 7 times)
Enable USB Debugging in Settings → Additional → For Developers
Connect to the PC and execute the command:
adb shell settings put global animation_lockscreen_style 2Reset the device-->
List of hidden ID animations for ADB:
- 0 - No animation
- 1 - Crescent Peak
- 2 - Star shine
- 3 - Wave (hidden)
- 4 – Spiral (only available on Xiaomi 13T and later)
⚠️ Warning: Changing settings through ADB may cause the launcher to crash if you type in the wrong ID. Before experimenting, back up through Settings → Memory → Backup.
5. Hidden chips and customization
MIUI allows you not only to choose between standard animations, but also to customize their parameters, for example, for "Starlight" you can change:
- 🎨 Particle color (via themes in Settings → Screen → Topics).
- ⚡ Animation speed (requires ADB- command: adb shell settings put global window_animation_scale 0.5).
- 🌌 Particle density (on some firmware available in Settings → Special Opportunities → Animation).
For Crescent Peak, customization is limited, but you can replace the crescent icon with your own through MIUI Theme Editor (unlocked bootloader required).
How to replace the animation icon?
On the Xiaomi 14 and Mix Fold 3, there is an exclusive feature called Dynamic Animation, where Star Shine responds to gestures. For example, if you swipe left to right, particles will move in this direction, creating a “wave” effect. Activated through Settings → Screen → Additional animation settings.
6 Problems and bugs: What breaks more often?
Both animations are generally stable, but each has typical bugs that depend on the model and version of MIUI:
| Problem. | Star-spotting | Crescent peak | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen flickering | Yes (60Hz) | No. | Turn on 90/120 Hz or roll back to MIUI 13 |
| Freeze-free getting stuck | Rarely. | No. | Clear the launcher cache (Settings → Applications → Launcher → Memory) |
| Not on AOD. | Yes. | Yes. | Disable AOD or use third-party apps like Always On AMOLED |
| Resets after update | Yes. | No. | Re-apply the settings through ADB |
The most common complaint about Starlight is artifacts on cut-out screens (like the Redmi Note 11 with a droplet).The animation particles can be cut off at the edges of the cutout, which looks unaesthetic.There is no solution other than to turn off the animation or use the theme without a cutout (like the Full Screen Display from the MIUI Theme Store).
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If the smartphone starts to warm or brake after changing animations, check the load on the GPU through the CPU Monitor app. If the download exceeds 30% in plain, return the standard animation.
7.Alternatives: third-party launchers and custom firmware
If you don’t like standard animations in MIUI, there are a few ways to replace them:
- 📱 Third-party launchers: Nova Launcher, Lawnchair or Hyperion support their unlock animations. Minus — they overlap the system, but do not replace them completely.
- 🔧 Castom firmware: LineageOS or Pixel Experience can install animations from Google Pixel (e.g. Pulse or Wave).
- 🎭 Magisk Modules: The MIUI Animation Changer module allows you to install animations from other versions of MIUI (e.g., Chinese firmware).
Example of installing animations through Magisk:
- Install Magisk and the MIUI Animation Changer.
- Download the animation file (e.g., animation_boot.zip for Starlight from Xiaomi EU ROM).
- Place the file in /sdcard/MIUI/animation/.
- Reset the device.
Important: on some firmware (for example, HyperOS for Xiaomi 14), third-party animations can conflict with system animations, causing bootloop. Before experimenting, make a backup through TWRP.
8.Conclusion: What to choose in 2026?
The final choice depends on the smartphone model and your priorities:
- 🌟 Star shine is fine if you have a flagship (Xiaomi 13/14, Mix Fold) with AMOLED 120 Hz and you appreciate visuals.
- 🌙 Crescent Peak is the best choice for budget models (Redmi, POCO) or if you care about speed and autonomy.
- 🔧 Custom solutions are relevant for enthusiasts willing to risk stability for the sake of uniqueness.
Critical Fact: On Xiaomi with MediaTek processors (like the Redmi Note 12 with Helio G99), Star Shine performs worse than on Snapdragon, due to weak GPU driver optimization. If you have MediaTek, test the animations during the day - if you notice lags, better go back to Peak.
And lastly, remember that unlock animation is just one of the little things that make smartphone interactions more enjoyable. If you're comfortable with standard animation, there's no point in changing things to minimize aesthetic gains.