How to change the screensaver on the Xiaomi TV

Modern Xiaomi Mi TV and Redmi TV are not just devices for displaying a video signal, but full-fledged multimedia centers running the Android TV operating system or PatchWall proprietary shell. When you are not watching the video, the screen goes into standby mode, showing a static image or slideshow. By default, the system offers standard landscapes or banner ads, which can quickly bored the owner and reduce the aesthetic appeal of the device in the interior.

Fortunately, the software platform makes it easy to personalize this aspect of the gadget. Changing the screensaver is an easy way to adapt the technique to your taste, turning a black rectangle into a decor element. In this guide, we will examine all the available customization methods, from standard system tools to advanced ways to install your own images.

Standard settings Ambient Mode in Android TV

Most Xiaomi TVs are based on a clean version of Android TV, where the screensaver feature is integrated directly into Google’s system settings. This is the most stable and recommended way for the manufacturer to change the visual design in downtime. To access the control, you need to go to the settings menu by selecting the Settings (cog icon) in the upper right corner of the main screen.

In the list of options that opens, you should find the System section, then go to the Screensaver (or Screensaver) subsection. This is where the main controls are for what will be shown on the screen after a few minutes of inactivity. The system offers several built-in options, including Google Photos, Art Gallery and Color Channel. Selecting any of these sources activates the corresponding stream of content.

⚠️ Note: If you select the source of Google Photos, make sure your Google account is linked to your TV and sync is enabled, otherwise the albums may not show up.

In addition, in this menu, you can adjust the time after which the TV will go into screensaver mode, as well as activate the screen dimming function after a certain period. OLED- or LED-The interface may be different for PatchWall models, but the logic remains similar: search for the Screen or Screensaver partition in the general settings.

Using Google Photos to Personalize

The most popular and functional customization method is integration with Google Photos cloud storage, which allows you to stream your personal images on a large screen, creating a digital frame effect, so that you first need to upload the desired images to the cloud via a smartphone or computer, forming a separate album, for example, called "TV Wallpaper".

After you've finished the album, go back to the settings for the Xiaomi TV screensaver. Select Google Photos and click "Set up" or "Select Albums." The system will offer a list of all available albums in your account. Check the one you created specifically for the TV to avoid unnecessary or random screenshots on the big screen.

In the slideshow settings, you can set the frame rate and select the transition effect between images. There are options for smooth dissolution, shifting or abrupt change of frame. HD-Photos, if available in the menu to ensure maximum clarity of the picture 4K-The quality of the source directly affects perception: blurred thumbnails will look bad.

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Use photos with at least a resolution 1920×1080 pixels, and for 4K-TVs are better to upload images 3840×2160, avoid scaling artifacts.

Installation of the screensaver through USB-accumulator

If the cloud services don't work for you or the Internet connection is unstable, you can use a local method of installing images. USB-flash drive formatted in the file system FAT32 or NTFS. Create a folder on the drive called Screensaver or Wallpapers and place your images in the format JPG or PNG.

Connect the flash drive to USB-In some versions of the firmware, the system will automatically prompt you to open media files. If this does not happen, use the built-in Media Player or File Manager app to find the folder with images. Unfortunately, the standard screen screen saver is not always able to directly scan. USB-drives as a source of slideshows in standby mode.

This feature often requires a third-party app, which we’ll talk about in the next section, or the use of the Translation feature from your phone. However, if your model supports reading media directly through the Sources –> USB menu, you can run a slideshow manually before leaving the room, although this will not be a full-fledged system saver that is automatically activated.

Application of third-party applications for screensavers

The Android TV operating system can be expanded with apps from the Google Play Store. There are many specialized programs that take over screen control in idle mode, offering features not available in basic firmware. One of the most popular solutions is the Screensaver or Aerial (for screensavers with drones).

Once you install this app, you need to assign it to the primary screenkeeper, and you do this through the Settings menu -> System system -> A screensaver where the name of the installed application is selected from the list of available sources, and within the application itself, you can configure the image sources, including the local network (NAS), FTP-servers or specific online galleries.

Some apps allow you to display useful information on the screen: time, weather, currency rate or news feed on top of the image. This turns the TV into a smart display. It is important to monitor resource consumption: complex animated screensavers can heat the TV processor, although in downtime the load is usually minimal.

⚠️ Warning: When installing apps from unknown sources (not through Google Play), always check their access rights.

Setting up the screensaver in the shell of PatchWall

Xiaomi TVs, which come with PatchWall (often found in versions for India and some CIS regions), have a unique screensaver system. Here, the lock screen is often an interactive tape with content recommendations, movie posters and news, rather than just a static picture.

To change the content displayed in standby mode, you need to go to the profile settings. In the section Personalization or Recommendations, you can specify preferences for film genres, which indirectly affects which posters will be played on the screensaver. Completely disabling the screensaver in PatchWall is sometimes more difficult than in a pure Android TV, because it is part of the manufacturer's advertising model.

For users who want to see only their photos, PatchWall also offers integration with Google Photos or Xiaomi Cloud. The path to customization can be different: often it is My apps -> Settings -> General -> Screensaver. If standard methods to remove advertising content fails, users often resort to installing launchers that replace PatchWall with the standard Android interface.

Compatibility table of formats and functions

When preparing content for a screensaver, it is important to consider the technical limitations of the TV: not all file formats are supported equally well, and some features depend on the version of the operating system. Below is a summary table that helps determine the optimal file settings.

Using PNG files can be justified if the image has text or graphics with clear boundaries, as this format does not lose quality when compressed. However, for photos, the JPG format remains optimal in terms of quality and file size, which is especially important when downloading through the cloud or storing on a limited-volume flash drive.

Troubleshooting and troubleshooting

During the setup process, users may encounter situations where the screensaver is not turned on, images are displayed incorrectly or the system ignores selected albums. When you first run the screensaver application, you may not have permission to access media files or location (for weather widgets -> Annexes -> All applications, finding the right one in the list and checking permissions.

Another common problem is the black screen instead of the screensaver, which can occur if the image source (e.g., network folder or cloud) is not available at the time of activation of the standby mode. USB-The drive is correctly defined by the system, and in some cases, it helps to reboot the TV by completely disconnecting the power supply from the mains. 1-2 minute.

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If the screensaver stopped working after the system update, try to clear the cache of the "Savence" application in the application settings or reinstall it.

Also consider energy saving modes. If the TV is on a strict power saving mode, it can block the launch of resource-intensive slideshows or reduce the brightness of the screen to a minimum, making the screensaver invisible. Turn off the economy mode in the system settings if you want to enjoy bright images in idle mode.