Xiaomi’s MIUI 10 shell is known for its unique design and hidden features, including wallpaper carousel, which allows you to quickly switch between lock screen screen savers and desktop, but it’s not always easy to find — especially if you’ve recently upgraded or are using unofficial firmware. In this article, we’ll look at all possible ways to access the carousel, including alternative methods for different Xiaomi models.
It's important to understand that in MIUI 10, the wallpaper carousel interface may differ depending on the firmware version (stable/global/Chinese) and the device model. For example, on the Redmi Note 7, the path to settings will be one, and on the Mi 9, the other, and we took these nuances into account and prepared universal instructions that will help even if the standard method did not work.
What is a wallpaper carousel in MIUI 10 and why you need it
The wallpaper carousel is a built-in MIUI tool that allows you to view and change background images without having to go to the gallery or customize themes. Unlike the standard choice of wallpaper, the carousel offers:
- 🔄 Quick switching between uploaded images by swipe.
- 🖼️ Preview wallpaper in real time on the lock screen or desktop.
- ⚡ Dynamic wallpaper (on some models) with paralax effects.
- 📁 Access to Xiaomi Cloud Collections (when you connect to your Mi Account).
In MIUI 10, the carousel was partially hidden from the main menu, causing confusion among users, because Xiaomi was actively promoting its own Themes app, where wallpaper became a separate category, but the carousel itself remained in the system - it was simply moved.
Standard method: the path through the theme settings
The most reliable way to open a carousel is through the Topic app.
- Open the Themes app (icon with brush and palette).
- Go to the Wallpaper tab (usually the second on the left).
- At the top of the screen, tap the Carousel icon (circular arrow or slider icon).
- If there is no icon, scroll down to the My Wallpaper section and click Control.
Some firmwares may have a wallpaper editor instead of a carousel, in which case:
- 📌 Keep your finger in the free space of the desktop → Wallpaper. → carousel.
- 🔍 Use the search in the settings for the request "carousel" (in English firmware - "carousel»).
1. Update the Themes app in Play Market
2.Reboot the smartphone
3. Check for MIUI updates
4. Make sure that the developer mode is turned on (if you use informal firmware)-->
Alternative methods of access to the carousel
If the standard path doesn’t work, try one of these ways:
| Method | Action | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|
| Through screen settings | Settings → Lock screen → Wallpaper → Carousel | All models on MIUI 10 |
| Voice assistant | Say: "Open the wallpaper carousel" (only works on Chinese firmware) | Mi 8/9, Redmi K20 |
| ADB-team | adb shell am start -n com.android.themes/.activity.WallpaperCarouselActivity | Advanced users |
| Resetting theme settings | Settings → Applications → Topics → Storage → Clean up data | If the carousel is missing after the update |
On some models (e.g. Redmi 6/6A), the wallpaper carousel in MIUI 10 has been completely removed due to the optimization of firmware for weak iron, in which case it is only necessary to install wallpaper manually through the gallery or third-party applications.
Why can't the carousel open?
How to Add Your Wallpaper to the Carousel
To get your personal images to appear on the carousel, follow the following steps:
- Place wallpaper in the DCIM/Wallpapers or Pictures/Wallpapers folder on the internal drive.
- Open the Gallery app and find the image you want.
- Put it on him. → More. Three dots) → Set as wallpaper.
- Select Add to the carousel (the option will only appear if the carousel is active).
Important: the carousel supports images with a resolution of up to 2560×1440 and a weight of no more than 10 MB. If your photo is heavier, crop it in any graphics editor.
💡
To prevent wallpaper in the carousel from being cut, use an aspect ratio of 16:9 for the lock screen and 18:9 for the desktop.
Solving wallpaper carousel problems
If the carousel is not working or gives errors, check the following points:
⚠️ Attention: On firmware MIUI 10 Global Stable versions 10.2.1.0-10.2.3.0 was a bug that caused the carousel to display only standard wallpaper.+ or reset the application settings Themes.
- 🔄 Rebooting the device – sometimes helps with temporary failures.
- 📥 Cleaning the application's cache Topics (Settings) → Annexes → Topics → Memory. → Clear the cache).
- 🔧 Resetting the launcher settings (Settings) → Annexes → Launcher → Warehouse → Clear the data).
- 🌐 Changing the region to India in the theme settings (can open hidden features).
If the carousel never appeared after all the manipulations, check if it is disabled in Settings → Additional → Special features → Simplified mode. In this mode, many MIUI functions are turned off automatically.
Hidden features of the carousel in MIUI 10
Few people know, but the wallpaper carousel in MIUI 10 supports several hidden features:
- ⏱️ Wallpaper changer – you can adjust the background change according to the schedule (for example, in the morning and evening). → Settings → The driver.
- 🎨 Paralax effects – on some models (Mi 8 Pro, Mi Mix 3) 3D-effects of tilting the phone. Included in wallpaper settings → Effects.
- 🔒 Different wallpaper for desktop and lock – in the carousel you can assign separate background images for each screen.
- ☁️ Sync with Mi Cloud – if you are logged in to your Mi Account, carousel wallpaper will be available on all your Xiaomi devices.
Fun fact: Early versions of MIUI 10 (up to 10.1.1.0) supported live wallpaper from third-party developers, but due to performance issues, this feature was removed in subsequent updates.
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If you have a Redmi with a Snapdragon 4xx/6xx processor, some carousel effects (like paralax) can be turned off by default for resource savings.
Carousel wallpaper on custom firmware
If you use unofficial firmware (e.g. xiaomi.eu, LineageOS or Pixel Experience), access to the carousel may be limited.
- Install the original Themes app from Xiaomi (you can download from the 4PDA or XDA-Developers forum).
- Include in the developer settings the option Debugging by USB and execute the command: adb shell pm grant com.android.themes android.permission.WRITE_SECURE_SETTINGS
- Use alternative launchers (like Nova Launcher or Lawnchair) that support custom wallpaper widgets.
⚠️ Note: On the firmware of LineageOS and AOSP wallpaper-carousel MIUI It won't work, it's tied to Xiaomi's system libraries, and in this case, you just have to install wallpapers through the standard Android settings.