How to change the theme in the wallpaper carousel on Xiaomi

Modern Xiaomi smartphones offer users a variety of personalization options, one of the most notable being the lock screen wallpaper frame, which often comes from Glance, which automatically changes the background images every time you turn on the device screen. For many gadget owners, this is a nice addition, but often requires changing the subject or completely disabling intrusive advertising integrations.

Owners of Redmi and Poco devices may find themselves in a situation where standard settings seem hidden or scattered across different menus. Changing the source of images or switching between categories requires care, as the MIUI and HyperOS interface is constantly updated. In this article, we will detail all available methods for managing content on the lock screen, from official system settings to using third-party utilities for advanced users.

It's worth noting that image-selection algorithms can be aggressive, offering content that doesn't always match the user's tastes, which is why it's important to know where the controls are, and we'll look not only at the standard menu paths, but also at the nuances that will help you avoid accidentally installing unwanted apps or themes.

Standard settings of the carousel in MIUI and HyperOS

The first and most obvious way to manage content on the lock screen is to set up the system settings of the smartphone itself. In recent Xiaomi shells, this section has changed to become more functional, but also more confusing for beginners. To get to the desired menu, you need to go to Settings, then select Wallpaper and find the Wallpaper Carousel section, and this is where the main controls are concentrated.

Within this menu, the user can see the current status of the function. If it's active, the system will suggest selecting the categories of images that will be displayed. This can be landscapes, architecture, animals or abstractions. The selection algorithm works based on preferences that you set manually, so carefully adjusting the categories directly affects what you see on the screen.

⚠️ Note: In some regions, the firmware menu may be called "Glance" or "Screen Lock", depending on the specific version of the software and the geographic location of the device.

Additionally, this section often hides the possibility of subscribing to specific channels or sources, especially for global firmware versions where content is aggregated from various affiliate networks, and disabling redundant sources helps reduce the load on RAM and speed up unlocking the device.

Configure categories and content sources

Deep customization involves not just turning on or off a function, but fine-tuning what gets into the rotation. It allows you to select specific tags that define visual style. For example, if you only like minimalist images, you can deselect all categories, leaving only the relevant ones, which creates a sense of personalized interface.

It’s important to understand that content sources can be both local and networked. Networked sources require a constant internet connection to upload new high-resolution images. If you’re using mobile traffic, be careful, as downloading heavy files in the background can quickly exhaust your data plan.

• 🌐 Images are downloaded from the cloud, providing constant variety, but require the internet.
• 📂 Local Gallery: Using your own photos to ensure privacy and no advertising.
• 🎨 Thematic packages: Special kits from Xiaomi that can be updated periodically.

Switching between these modes is done through the tumblers in the carousel settings, and some users prefer a hybrid mode where system pictures alternate with personal photos, which allows you to save the element of surprise without losing touch with the pleasant moments of life.

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Use Wi-Fi to initially upload a large number of images so you don’t waste mobile traffic on the first day of using the feature.

Using the Topics app to change style

The Themes is the central hub for changing the look of a smartphone, including the lock screen. You can find not just static wallpaper, but whole dynamic themes that change the style of the carousel. Unlike system settings, the Themes app offers content created by community designers, which ensures uniqueness.

To find the desired style, use a search by keyword, such as “carousel”, “slider” or “lock screen”. Search results often contain topics that completely replace the standard Glance mechanism with your own, setting such a theme requires application, after which the changes take effect immediately.

When installing themes from third-party sources or regional stores (such as Indian or Russian), make sure that the theme version is compatible with your Android version. Incompatibility may cause the lock screen to display incorrectly or completely stop responding to touch.

Disabling advertising in the wallpaper carousel

One of the main reasons users tend to change the theme or settings of the carousel is intrusive advertising. Often, promotional materials or recommendations for installing apps appear in the bottom corner of the lock screen, and fortunately, most of these features can be turned off while still allowing the wallpaper to change.

To do this, you need to go to the carousel settings and find the item responsible for "Recommendations" or "Receive updated content", which often stops the loading of banner ads. However, in some firmware versions, the ad module is built deeper and requires the service to be disabled through the developer menu or special devices. ADB-team.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling system advertising services may result in unstable operation of the Security application or inability to update themes.

Also worth checking is the permissions for the msa application (MIUI System Ads), which restricts its access to the network or disables it from the application management menu often helps to reduce the number of pop-ups, which is safe for system stability, but requires careful attention when finding the right item in the process list.

Alternative methods through third-party applications

If Xiaomi’s standard tools don’t meet your needs, you can always turn to third-party developers. There are many apps in the Google Play store that implement advanced wallpaper carousel functionality, often allowing you to customize shift intervals, sources (such as Unsplash or Bing) and transition effects.

A popular solution is to use widgets or launcher apps that take over the lock screen.They can offer smoother animations and no binding to a Xiaomi account. However, it is worth remembering that installing a third-party launcher or lock manager can consume more battery power due to constant operation in the background.

• 📸 Wallpaper Changer: Allows you to create complex schedules for changing images.
• 🖼️ Muzei: A well-known live wallpaper application with the ability to customize sources.
• 🔒 Custom Lock Screen: Apps that completely replace the standard lock screen Xiaomi.

When using such solutions, the standard Xiaomi carousel should be turned off to avoid conflicts. Two applications trying to manage the same system resource (lock screen) can cause a cyclical reboot or an interface freeze.

Problem Solving and Frequent Errors

Users may experience various problems during the setup process: the carousel stopped working, images do not load or the lock screen is displayed black. Most often this is due to a lack of memory in the application cache or network connection failures. Clearing the cache of the application Wallpaper or Glance in the application management section often solves the problem.

Another common mistake is the access rights conflict: If you deny an app access to storage or network, it will not be physically able to download new images. Check Settings → Apps → All Apps → Wallpaper → Permissions and make sure all the necessary switches are active.

In rare cases, the problem may be in a crowded storage. The carousel requires space for temporary storage of downloaded images. If free space is critically small, the function may automatically shut down or not work correctly. Release at least 100-200 MB can return functionality.

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Resetting the lock screen settings to factory values often helps if no other methods work, but it will bring back a standard set of wallpaper.