Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face the situation when unlocking a device instead of a static picture or a familiar lock screen, the system offers changing images with news and advertising integrations. This feature, known as the Wallpaper Carousel, was conceived by developers as a way to personalize and get relevant information, but in practice it is often perceived by users as intrusive advertising or a source of unnecessary energy consumption. Many are looking for ways to remove this element of the interface to return the standard look of the gadget.
Disabling this feature does not require superuser rights or complex technical manipulations. Just know where exactly the switch is hidden in the MIUI or HyperOS system. In this article, we will discuss in detail the algorithm for fully deactivating the service, and also consider the related settings that will help make the device more comfortable and clean of visual noise.
It’s worth noting that menu items may differ slightly from firmware to product, but the logic of the system remains the same across the brand ecosystem. Below are the current techniques that work on most of the current models released in recent years.
What is a wallpaper carousel and why it is needed
The wallpaper carousel is an integrated system service that automatically uploads and displays new background images every time you turn on your smartphone screen. Unlike regular live wallpaper, which is just animation, it downloads content from the Internet, often including sponsor logos, news headlines and banner ads. In fact, it is a manufacturer's monetization tool that allows you to show the user promoted content.
The feature was introduced to make the lock screen more dynamic and informative: the user can see beautiful landscapes, architectural shots or thematic collections without having to search and download pictures on their own. However, as practice shows, the usefulness of this feature is often overshadowed by its intrusiveness, advertising can appear at uncomfortable moments, and traffic is consumed in the background.
⚠️ Note: The service can consume mobile traffic even when Wi-Fi is off, as it requires a constant connection to upload new images and updates to content.
It's important to understand the difference between standard live wallpaper and carousel: the first is stored in the device's memory or is part of the theme, the second is a separate aggregator application that requires permission to access the network and system, which is why turning off the carousel often leads to a marked improvement in the autonomy of the gadget.
Step-by-step instructions for disconnecting through settings
The most reliable and correct way to remove annoying images is to use the standard system settings. This method does not violate the warranty and does not require the installation of third-party software. The algorithm of actions is quite simple, but requires care, since the desired item can be hidden in the submenu of the theme or lock screen.
☑️ Pre-switch check
First, you need to go to the theme management menu, which is the central repository of all the visual elements of your smartphone, find an app on your desktop called Themes and launch it, and note that the icon may look like a paintbrush or a T-pack.
Once you start the app, go to the user profile, which is usually a human silhouette button located in the lower right or upper right corner of the screen, and that's where the global visual settings, including carousel control, are located. Next, select the wallpaper carousel.
In the menu that opens, you'll see a switch called Turn on the wallpaper carousel. It should be active. Click on it to deactivate the function. The system may request confirmation of action or offer to leave the function for "best experience," but you have to insist on your own and choose the option to turn off. After that, the lock screen will return to its standard view.
- 📱 Open the Themes app on the main screen.
- 👤 Go to the profile section (human icon).
- 🎨 Select the menu item Wallpaper Carousel.
- 🚫 Turn the switch Include wallpaper carousel in the "Off" position".
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Disabling the function through the Themes application is a standard method and does not require resetting the device settings.
Alternative method through lock screen settings
In some versions of the HyperOS shell or recent MIUI updates, developers have repositioned the settings, moving the control of the carousel directly to the system menu of the phone settings. If you can't find the switch through the Themes app, it's worth checking this path. It may even be more priority in new firmware.
Go to the basic settings of your smartphone. Find a section called the Lock Screen. Depending on the device model, this item may be immediately on the main list or hidden inside the "Additional" tab.
Inside the menu, you should find Wallpaper Carousel or Glance (in global firmware versions), clicking on it will take you to the familiar service management menu. You should also find the activation switch and turn it off. If the switch is inactive (gray), it may already be disabled or blocked by the device administrator (in enterprise versions of the software).
| Parameter | Standard screen | With the carousel on |
|---|---|---|
| Image staticity | Image unchanged | The picture changes with each inclusion |
| Traffic consumption | Minimum | Increased (content download) |
| Advertising | Absent. | Advertising integrations are possible |
| Battery consumption | Basic | Increased (background processes) |
Once you make the changes, be sure to lock and unlock the screen to make sure the settings are applied. If the picture is still changing, try restarting the device. Sometimes the system takes time to clear the cache of old images.
Management of subscriptions and notifications
Even after the main function is disabled, the system may still have tails in the form of active subscriptions to certain categories of images or authorized notifications from the service. To ensure that you get rid of all manifestations of the carousel, you need to check additional settings inside the carousel application before turning it off.
Go to the carousel settings (via the Themes app or Lock screen settings as described above). Find the Receive content section automatically or similar. Make sure that check boxes are removed from all items related to news, recommendations and automatic updates. This will prevent the service from trying to resume in the background.
What happens if you just delete the app updates?
Notifications are also worth paying attention to. The service may have permission to show notifications even if it is turned off. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification Management. Find the Wallpaper Carousel app on the list and prevent it from showing any notifications. This will save you from pop-up messages suggesting that you turn on the feature again.
- 🔍 Check the settings inside the carousel app itself.
- 🚫 Turn off automatic content updates.
- 🔕 Prohibit the display of notifications for the service in system settings.
- 🗑️ Clear the cache of the carousel application through the "Applications" menu".
Impact on autonomy and productivity
Many users underestimate the impact of background services on the life of a smartphone from a single charge. Wallpaper carousel is not just a picture, it is a process that constantly hangs in RAM, periodically accesses the network and uses CPU time to process graphics. On budget models of Redmi or Poco with a less powerful battery, this can be tangible.
When you use a carousel, your smartphone is more likely to access the communication module, which is one of the most energy-intensive processes. In addition, constantly changing high-quality images requires the resources of the graphics accelerator. By disabling this feature, you free up the system resources that can be used for more useful tasks, such as navigator work or games.
⚠️ Note: On devices with a small amount of RAM (4 GB or less), background work of heavy design services can lead to more frequent unloading of other applications from memory.
It's been suggested that the carousel can affect the system's response rate when unlocked. If you notice micro-latency between pressing the power button and the password field, turning off the visual effects of the carousel can be a solution.
Possible problems and ways to solve them
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where after a shutdown the carousel continues to appear or the settings are reset by themselves.This can be due to data caching or theme conflict. First of all, try to clear the data of the Themes and Wallpaper Carousel application through the application management menu.
To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find the right app in the list, click Memory and select Clear (or Clear Data). Don't worry, it won't delete your personal photos or contacts, just your design settings and cache.
If the problem persists, check if you have a third-party theme installed that compels you to activate the carousel. Some of the themes from MIUI Themes store have built-in scripts that return this functionality. Try temporarily switching to a standard theme "Classic" or "Standard" and check the behavior of the system.
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If the carousel returns after each system update, back up the lock screen settings or use it. ADB-commands for complete freezing of the system package com.miui.personalassistant (requires caution).
In rare cases, a complete reset of your phone’s settings helps, but this is a last resort. Always back up important data before doing this. However, 99% of the time, it’s enough to just carefully check all the menu items described in the sections above, as Xiaomi likes to hide the switches in different places on the interface.