Personalization of the smartphone interface begins with the appearance of the lock screen, which the user sees first when waking up the device. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco gadgets often encounter an intrusive feature “Wallpaper Carousel”, which automatically changes images, or simply want to set their own high-quality photo from the gallery. Standard algorithms of the MIUI system and the new HyperOS sometimes hide the necessary switches, making the process unobvious to beginners.
In this guide, we will take a closer look at all the ways to manage static and dynamic images on a locked screen, not only to upload your pictures, but also to completely disable advertising recommendations, which are often masquerading as system functions. Properly customizing your visual style will make smartphone use more comfortable and aesthetic, eliminating unnecessary information noise.
It is worth noting that the layout of the menu may vary slightly depending on the version of the operating system and regional firmware (Global, China, EEA).However, the basic logic of working with the section “Wallpaper and personalization” remains the same for all modern models of the brand.
Standard installation of static image through settings
The most reliable and classic way to install your favorite photo is to use the built-in system menu, which ensures that the image is properly scaled and fixed to the lock screen, without affecting the desktop if you do not need to. First, unlock the device and find the standard Settings application on the desktop, which is usually indicated by the gear.
In the list of options that opens, you need to scroll down to the look section. It can be called differently in different versions of the shells, but most often the item you want is called "Wallpaper and personalization." Sometimes this feature is brought to a separate application called "Themes", which is preinstalled on all devices of the brand.
After you enter the menu, select the Wallpaper category. The system will offer several preset collections, but we need the My Photos section or the plus button to add a new image. Choose the desired image from the gallery, fram it if necessary and click the installation button. In the dialog box that appears, it is critical to select the Lock Screen option so as not to replace the desktop background.
⚠️ Note: If the image looks blurry or stretched after installation, then its resolution does not correspond to the pixel density of your display. 1080x2400 hotspots.
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Use photos with dark shades for the lock screen – this significantly saves battery power on the screen. AMOLED-Displays because the black pixels are turned off.
Managing wallpaper carousel and disabling advertising
Many users want to know how to change the lock screen picture on Xiaomi because they are annoyed by the ever-changing background with brand logos and news notes.This feature is called “Wallpaper Carousel” (Glance) and is often turned on by default when a smartphone is first launched.It not only changes pictures, but also shows advertising blocks that can interfere with perception.
To get rid of automatic image change, go back to Settings → Wallpaper & Personalization → Wallpaper Carousel. Here you will see a switch that activates this function. Transfer it to the "Off" position. After that action, the lock screen will stop updating itself, and you can set one static image that will please the eye constantly.
If you like the idea of changing pictures but don't like advertising, you can try to customize sources. Some firmware versions offer subscriptions to specific thematic collections without a news feed. However, it's not always possible to completely remove ad integrations from the carousel, so many experts advise you to simply turn off this feature for the sake of cleanliness.
- 📸 Personal photos: the ability to see photos of family, pets or travel every morning.
- 🎨 Art collections: access to professional works of designers through the theme store.
- 🚫 No Advertising: A static picture will never offer to download a game or read a news story.
- ⚡ Resource savings: no background download of new images via mobile Internet.
Using the “Themes” application for deep customization
The power of Xiaomi’s ecosystem is revealed through the Themes app, a separate software suite that allows you to change not only wallpaper, but also fonts, icons, notification sounds and even animations. It often makes sense to look here to set a unique image.
In the Topics app, go to the bottom menu and select Wallpaper, and you have a huge catalog of images that are categorized by category: nature, abstraction, cars, celebrities, and the peculiarity of this method is that many of the wallpapers here have dynamic effects or high resolution, specifically tailored to the screens of the brand's smartphones.
To install your own photo through this app, click on the profile avatar in the lower right corner, then select My Pages → Wallpaper. Click on the plus icon to add an image from the phone's memory. Once you select the photo, the system will suggest effects or filters, which allows you to edit the picture before installing without using third-party editors.
The Secret of Living Wallpaper
Customization of third-party widgets and color depth
Modern MIUI 14 and HyperOS shells have brought new features to the lock screen, including support for large-sized widgets. When choosing a picture, it is important to consider that part of the space will be occupied by hours, dates and notifications. Incorrectly selected photos can make text unreadable.
It is recommended to use images with a pronounced depth of color or a blurred background (bokeh effect). In such cases, the system time font looks contrasting and stylish. If you set a photo with fine details throughout the area, the system can automatically darken the area under the clock, which sometimes looks unnatural.
Also worth paying attention to the image format: vertical shots (portrait orientation) are best suited, as they fill the entire screen without trimming important parts, horizontal landscapes will have to be framed, and there is a risk of losing key objects of the composition along the edges.
| Parameter | Recommended value | Impact on the view |
|---|---|---|
| Permission | Minimum 1080x2400 px | Clearness and lack of pixelation |
| File format | JPG or PNG | Compatibility and quality of compression |
| Orientation | Portrait (vertical) | Completely fill the screen without trimming |
| Color scheme | Contrast or dark | Readability of time and notifications |
☑️ Pre-installing check
The solution: why the picture does not change
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where seemingly all actions are done correctly, but the image on the lock screen does not change or resets to a standard one after rebooting. Most often the problem lies in the access rights conflict or the operation of the energy saving function, which blocks the application of new theme settings.
The first thing to do is to check if the antivirus or built-in protection limit on changing system files is worth it, and make sure that the device has enough free memory, so if the memory is full, the system may not be able to cache a new high-resolution image for the lock screen.
Another common reason is the de-synchronization of your Mi Account account. If a theme or wallpaper was downloaded through a theme store, it may require an active Internet connection to display it correctly at the time of application. Try switching from Wi-Fi to mobile Internet or vice versa, then repeat the installation procedure.
⚠️ Note: If you use third-party launchers or lock-in apps, they can intercept control of the system screen, in which case you need to change the picture in the settings of the third-party application, not in the system.
Features of work in HyperOS and new versions of MIUI
With the release of the HyperOS operating system, the blocker algorithm has changed, allowing widgets to be placed directly on the lock screen, requiring more careful background selection, and the image now plays the role of a substrate, and its brightness can be automatically adjusted by the system to improve the readability of the widgets.
The new versions also changed the way to setup. Now the most common schema is: Settings → Always on screen and lock screen. Here are all the switches associated with the behavior of the device in sleep mode. This section contains the wallpaper selection button, which replaces the old input through the Themes app for basic settings.
An important feature is the separation of profiles, which allows HyperOS to customize different wallpapers for different modes of operation (such as “Sleep” or “Work”), if such profiles are created, which allows you to automatically change the atmosphere of the smartphone depending on the time of day or geolocation, which is a powerful tool for personalization.
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In the new versions of MIUI and HyperOS, lock screen settings are made in a separate subsection of the Always On screen menu, which makes it easier to access basic functions without logging into the theme store.