How to change the background when calling on Xiaomi: all the ways for MIUI 14 and 15

Introduction: Why change the background when you call?

Every time your Xiaomi receives an incoming call, you see a standard background with a MIUI logo or abstract pattern. But few people know that this background can be easily replaced with your own photo, gradient or even an animated image, a feature that not only personalizes the interface, but also helps you identify important calls more quickly - for example, by setting different backgrounds for contacts from family and work.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to change the background when calling on Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones running MIUI 14/15. You’ll learn how to use built-in settings, third-party apps and even hidden firmware features. And also why new wallpapers sometimes don’t apply and how to fix it.

Important: customization options depend on the MIUI version and the device model. For example, animated backgrounds are available on the Xiaomi 13 Pro, and only static ones are available on the budget Redmi Note 12.

Method 1: Using standard MIUI settings

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI tools. It works on most devices, including Xiaomi 12/13/14, Redmi Note 11/12 and Poco F4/F5.

1. Open the phone application (pipe icon).
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Settings.
3. Go to the Incoming Calls section → The background of the bell screen.
4. Choose one of the proposed options: 🌄 Standard Wallpaper – Gradients and Abstractions from Xiaomi 📷 Gallery - any of your photos 🎨 Color - monochrome background (not available on all models)

Confirm the choice and check how the screen looks when you make a test call (you can call from the second phone).

On some devices (such as Xiaomi 13 Ultra), the Animated Background option is also available on this menu, which allows you to set dynamic wallpaper that responds to touch, but it requires MIUI 15 or later to activate it.

Update the Phone app in Google Play

Make sure that the photo in the gallery has a resolution of at least 1080×1920

Turn off the energy saving mode (it can block animations)

- Restart your phone if the new settings don’t apply-->

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI for POCO (for example, Poco X5 Pro) the path to settings may be different.Look for the call screen section in the main settings menu of the phone, not in the Phone app".

Method 2: Using MIUI Themes

If the built-in options seem sparse, try setting up a theme with a custom background for calls.This method works on all devices with MIUI 12 and later, including the Redmi 10 and Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite.

1. Open the Topic app (Brush icon).
2. In the search bar, enter the call background or call screen request.
3. Choose your favorite theme (pay attention to the rating and number of downloads: 🌌 "Cosmic Call – Animated Space Wallpaper 🌿 "Nature Ring – backgrounds with natural motifs 🎶 "Music Vibes – dynamic wallpaper to music

Apply

Once you apply the theme, the background will change automatically, and the disadvantage of this method is that you can't selectively change the background of the call without affecting the rest of the interface, but the themes often offer unique animations that are not available in the standard settings.

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If the background has not changed after installing the theme, clear the cache of the Phone application in the settings (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Phone → Clear the cache).

Method 3: Third-party applications for customization

For advanced users who need unique effects (e.g., for example, 3D-We've tested a few of these, and we've selected the most reliable ones:

• 📲 Call Screen Studio - allows you to create custom backgrounds with text prompts (for example, the name of the caller in large font). MIUI 14 without root rights. GIF, Cons: Advertising in the free version
• 🎨 Calls Blacklist & Call Screen – In addition to spam blocking, offers 50+ Pros: Integration with contacts Cons: requires permission to access calls
• 🔧 Tasker + AutoInput is for power users, allows you to dynamically change the background depending on the time of day or contact.

Check reviews before installing – some apps may conflict with MIUI and cause the screen to freeze when you call. We recommend testing them first in Do Not Disturb mode.

Call Screen Studio|Calls Blacklist|Tasker|No, no more standard features-->

⚠️ Note: Apps like Zedge or WallpapersCraft, despite the large selection of wallpapers, do not support changing the background when calling on Xiaomi.

Method 4: Manual System Files Replacement (for Advanced)

If you’re willing to take risks for a unique background, you can manually replace the system files that control the call screen, a method that requires an unlocked bootloader and root rights, and is only suitable for devices on MIUI 13 and below (on newer versions, Xiaomi has tightened protection).

Here is a brief guide (details depend on the model):

1. With Root Explorer, go to /system/priv-app/InCallUI/.
2. Find files with the.png or.jpg extension that are responsible for the background (usually this is the case). incall_background.*).
3. Copy them on your computer and edit them in Photoshop or GIMP, keeping the original resolution.
4. Return the files by setting permissions 644 (r-w-r--r---).
5. Reset the device.

This method gives full control over the appearance, but has critical drawbacks:

• 🚨 Risk of "bricking" the device in case of error
• 🔄 After updating MIUI change
• ⚖️ Xiaomi warranty breach

Problems and Solutions: Why the Background Doesn't Change

Sometimes users find that new background settings are not applied, and here are the most common reasons and ways to eliminate them:

If none of the methods helped, try resetting the settings of the application "Phone":

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the phone and press Warehouse.
3. Select Reset Settings (do not delete data!).

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On devices with MIUI for POCO (for example, Poco X4 Pro) sometimes helps switch to the standard Xiaomi launcher before changing the background. POCO Launcher.

Bonus: How to set different backgrounds for different contacts

You want your mom to have a background with flowers and your boss a strict gradient? MIUI has a hidden function of linking backgrounds to contacts. Here's how to activate it:

1. Open Contacts and select the contact you want.
2. Click Edit (pencil icon).
3. Scroll down and find the Call Screen section (on some models it is hidden - tap three dots in the corner).
4. Select the background and upload the image from the gallery.
5. Save the changes.

This feature doesn't work on all devices. If there's no Call Screen partition, try an alternative method:

• Create contact groups (e.g., “Family”, “Work”).
• In the settings Phone → Incoming calls enable the option Color group.
• Assign each group a unique background color.

On Xiaomi 13T and later, Dynamic Background is also available, which automatically selects the color scheme of the call screen based on the contact avatar. To enable it, go to Settings → Display → Color Scheme → Adaptive Colors.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions