Personalizing the interface is the first step that makes a new smartphone truly yours. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices often face the desire to replace the standard image with something brighter or more functional. However, the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS offer many nuances that are not obvious at first glance.
In this article, we will take a look at all the available ways to change the background, from basic settings to advanced methods using third-party applications, learn how to customize the Wallpaper Carousel, create slideshows from personal photos, and even activate hidden themes that are not available in the standard menu.
Basic change of static image through settings
The easiest and most obvious way to change the visual design is to use the built-in menu of the system, which does not require an Internet connection or installing additional software, just go to the Settings → Wallpaper section, where the system will offer several categories of images.
Here, the user can choose pre-installed collections from Xiaomi, which often change with the firmware update. It is important to note that when choosing an image, the system will suggest applying it either to the lock screen, to the desktop, or to both screens at the same time, giving flexibility in setting, allowing you to separate the static picture on the home screen and the dynamic one on the lock screen.
If you want to use your own photo, the algorithm is a little different. You have to open the Gallery app, select the image you want, and click on the three dots in the bottom corner or the "More" button. In the menu that appears, you have to select "Install as wallpaper," which ensures that the image is cropped and scaled correctly to your display resolution.
⚠️ Note: When you install a photo as wallpaper, the system may suggest a filter or blur effect. If you want to keep the original color rendering, be sure to turn off these effects before confirming.
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Use images with at least a resolution 1080x2400 pixels to avoid the appearance of compression artifacts AMOLED-screens of flagship models.
Remember, standard wallpapers consume less energy than complex animated options. If you are critical to the autonomy of the device, a high-quality static image is the best choice. In addition, dark wallpaper on AMOLED-matrixes helps save battery power, since the black pixels in such screens are simply turned off.
Setting up the wallpaper carousel (Glance) on Xiaomi
One of the most popular features in the MIUI ecosystem is the Wallpaper Carousel, which automatically changes the images on the lock screen every time you turn on your smartphone, creating a sense of novelty without the need for manual intervention.
To activate or configure this feature, go to Settings → Lock Screen. Here you will find the Wallpaper Carousel switch. Once activated, the system will start downloading new images from the cloud when connecting to Wi-Fi. The user can choose thematic packages: nature, cities, art or sports.
- 🖼️ Frequency Adjustment: In the carousel settings, you can set how often the images should change - with each screen turn on or every few hours.
- 📶 Download mode: Images are only available via Wi-Fi to avoid wasting mobile traffic.
- 🔒 Interactivity: Some wallpapers from the carousel support interaction, for example, allow you to start a game or read a news story just by touching the screen.
Many users complain about the intrusiveness of this feature, especially the advertising nature of some images. However, you can only completely turn it off through deep settings or ADB, but standard means simply select “No” in choosing a carousel theme or turn off the switch in the menu.
It's important to understand that Wallpaper Carousel works regardless of the normal desktop background settings. It only affects the lock screen. If you want the desktop to change automatically, you'll need a third-party app or wallpaper widget that supports a slideshow.
Using the “Themes” application to expand opportunities
The Theme Store is the central hub for customization in Xiaomi devices, where you can find not just static pictures, but entire design packages that include icons, fonts and, of course, unique screensavers. Some themes contain live wallpapers that respond to touch or time of day.
To find the right design, open the Themes app and go to the Wallpaper tab, where you can sort by category: 3D, Video, Static. Video wallpaper is especially impressive on high refresh rate displays such as 120Hz.
The installation process is simple: click on your favorite theme, select Download and then Apply.The system will suggest choosing where to apply the changes., some premium themes may be paid or require viewing ads to unlock.
⚠️ Warning: Installing themes from unverified sources or third-party theme stores may result in in-system advertising or unstable interface performance.
Hidden possibilities of the store themes
Also available in the Themes app is the Create Theme, a tool for advanced users to assemble their own design package using their own images and sounds, and while this takes time, the result is the ultimate uniqueness of the device.
Set up live wallpaper and slideshow
Live wallpaper is animated backgrounds that bring the interface to life. Unlike static images, it can display weather, time, or abstract visuals. On Redmi and POCO devices with powerful processors, such wallpaper works smoothly without causing lag.
To customize a slideshow of your own photos that will change on the desktop, standard tools are difficult to use. Here comes the widgets. Add a widget "Gallery" or "Photo" to the desktop, select an album and adjust the frame rate, which will create the effect of a constant change in the background.
The specifications for live wallpaper are higher. They use GPU resources and can increase battery consumption. If you notice that your smartphone starts to discharge faster or heat up more after installing video wallpapers, you better go back to a static image.
- 🔋 Optimization: Live wallpaper often turns off automatically when battery power drops below 15-20%, retain.
- 🎨 Quality: Video wallpapers must be optimized for screen resolution, otherwise they may look blurry.
- ⚙️ Compatibility: Not all live wallpapers are compatible with the “Always On Display” mode).
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Live wallpaper is a great way to personalize, but their use on budget models with a small amount of RAM can lead to slowing down the interface.
There are also specialty apps from the Google Play store, such as Video Live Wallpaper, that allow you to set any video from the gallery as a background, which gives you complete freedom of creativity, allowing you to use any videos you have taken or downloaded from the network.
Comparison of screen personalization methods
To make it easier for you to choose the right method, we have prepared a comparison table that will help you assess the pros and cons of each method depending on your goals and device model.
| Method | Battery consumption | Difficulty setting up | Visual effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Static photo | Minimum | Low. | Standard. |
| Wallpaper carousel | Medium (traffic) | Low. | High (diversity) |
| Live wallpaper (Themes) | High-pitched | Medium | Maximum |
| Slideshow (Widget) | Medium. | Medium | Personal. |
You can see from the table that the balance between beauty and performance is easy to find. For flagship models like the Xiaomi 14 or POCO F6, any method is suitable. For budget devices in the Redmi Note series, it is better to limit yourself to static images or a rare change through the carousel.
The choice of method also depends on how often you look at the lock screen.If the smartphone is often lying upside down or used in pocket mode, complex background settings can be a waste of resources.
Frequent problems and their solution
When changing the screensaver, users may encounter a number of difficulties: often the image is stretched, cropped or looks fuzzy, this is due to the mismatch of proportions of the picture and the screen of the smartphone. Modern phones have elongated screens with an aspect ratio of 20:9, while many photos are taken in 4:3 or 16:9.
Another common problem is the inability to use theme or wallpaper, which can be due to a crowded cache of the Themes app or a lack of access rights, in which case cleaning the cache through the application menu or restarting the device helps.
☑️ Diagnostics of wallpaper problems
If you lost your widgets or icons after changing the wallpaper, you may have accidentally activated the Pocket mode or changed the desktop grid, and you can return everything to place through the screen settings (Settings → Desktop), where you can reset the grid or turn off additional functions.
⚠️ Attention: If the interface becomes unstable after installing a third-party theme, press the power and volume button (or keep your finger on the off button for a long time, depending on the model) to call the recovery menu, and try resetting the theme to standard through Safe Mode if the system is in place. Allows, or removes, the problematic application through settings.
In rare cases, especially on global firmware, some features of the Chinese version of MIUI may not be available. In this case, changing the region in settings (Settings → Additional settings → Region) to “India” or “China” may unlock hidden features, but it can also affect the operation of some services.