How to put your wallpaper on Xiaomi: full instructions

Personalization is the first thing that many users start with when they buy a new smartphone. Standard images preinstalled by the manufacturer often want to be replaced with something more personal and unique. Owners of the Chinese company's devices have the widest customization options, but MIUI and the new HyperOS have their own features that can confuse the newcomer.

The process of replacing the screen background seems trivial, but in the Xiaomi ecosystem it hides a lot of hidden features. You can not just choose a static picture from the gallery, but also run a complex scenario "Wallpaper Carousel", which will change images according to schedule or events.

In this article, we will look at all the ways you can set your own images, look at both standard methods through the gallery and advanced settings through the design menu, and learn how to activate dynamic effects and avoid common mistakes when a photo is cropped or looks blurry.

Basic installation of the image from the Gallery

The easiest and most obvious way that most Redmi and Poco owners use is to use the standard Gallery app, which doesn't require an internet connection or any additional software installation, just so that the photo is already stored in the device's memory.

Open the Gallery app and select the album where your image is located. When viewing the photo in the full screen, click on the "More" button (usually three dots in the lower right corner or swipe up). In the menu that opens, select Set as wallpaper. The system will suggest selecting the screen area: lock, desktop or both screens at the same time.

Importantly, when you install it on your desktop, it automatically applies the parallax effect, which means that the image will shift slightly when the icons move. If you want to avoid distorting the edges of the picture, use the framing feature that will appear before the final confirmation.

⚠️ Attention: Horizontal photos may be cropped by the system when you install a lock screen in portrait mode. Always check the final result in preview mode before using.

For users who value minimalism, it is possible to install “live” wallpaper directly from files if they have a supported format, although this is less common with Android tools than with specialized applications. However, static images in high-resolution 4K work more stable and consume less battery power.

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Use images with a resolution of at least 1080×2400 pixels to avoid loss of quality and the appearance of “grain” on the smartphone screen.

Use of the Themes app and the Mi Themes store

The central element of personalization in Xiaomi devices is the Themes system app, which is not just a picture catalog, but a powerful shell management tool, and you can find both ready-made design kits and individual wallpaper packages created by the community.

To find your own options, go to the Profile tab below (a human icon), and then select the Wallpaper section, where the Local tab is available, where you store all the images you've ever installed or downloaded, but the main strength lies in the online directory.

You can use search filters in the directory, like Abstraction, Nature or Technology, and what's unique about the store is that many of the wallpapers here have built-in animations or are responsive to touch, and it's automatically downloaded, and when you load, the Apply button becomes active.

• 🎨 Online directory: Thousands of free images updated daily.
• 📂 Local Storage: Quick access to previously used options without file search.
• 🎬 Video wallpaper: Support for dynamic content with high detail.

It is worth mentioning that to work online directory you need to log in to the Mi Account. If the account region is installed incorrectly (for example, Russia when choosing China), some functions may not be available or work with restrictions.

Setting up the wallpaper carousel (Glance)

One of the most talked-about features is the Wallpaper Carousel, which can be called Glance or simply Carousel in different regions, and automatically changes the image on the lock screen, showing news, weather and beautiful photos every time you turn on the screen.

To activate this mode, go to Settings → Wallpaper. Here you will see the wallpaper carousel. Inside the menu, you can select the source of images: these can be recommended images from MIUI, your own albums from the gallery, or even content from social networks, if such integration is supported in your version of firmware.

The main advantage is the ability to fine-tune the frame rate, you can set the update each time you turn on the screen or at a certain time, and there is also a feature called Smart Sort, which analyzes which pictures you miss and which you leave.

Activation path: Settings → Wallpaper → Wallpaper carousel → Include

But there are critics, too, and some users feel that it overloads the lock screen and consumes additional traffic, and fortunately, you can turn off the newscast in the settings and leave only the backgrounds changing.

⚠️ Warning: Wallpaper carousel can consume mobile traffic to upload new images. It is recommended to enable Wi-Fi-only download in the feature settings.

Advanced settings: Slideshows and timers

For those who like dynamics but don’t want to use the standard Carousel, there is the option of customizing the slideshow through third-party apps or built-in Live Wallpaper features. Newer versions of HyperOS have added support for more complex scenarios.

You can create your own album in a gallery, call it, for example, "Slide Show," and put up to 30 photos in it. Then, in the wallpaper settings, choose this album as the source. The system will cycle through the images. The frame-change interval is usually 15 minutes to 1 hour, but that depends on the Android version.

It's important to get the files right. All the images in the album should be the same orientation. If you mix portrait and landscape photos, the system will either stretch them or add black fields, which will spoil the impression. The optimal use of vertical shots with an aspect ratio of 20:9.

Also worth paying attention to is the Dark Theme feature in combination with wallpaper, which is that some dynamic wallpapers automatically change their color scheme depending on the time of day or the dark theme on the system, which creates a pleasant visual effect and protects the eyes.

Comparison of image formats and sources

When you think about how to put your wallpaper on Xiaomi, users often get lost in formats. Which is better: download a ready-made themes package, take a photo from the Internet or take a picture yourself? Each source has its pros and cons, which we put into a table for clarity.

As you can see from the table, your own photos are unique but require manual preparation. Theme store offers a balance between quality and convenience, as images there are already adapted to the camera cutout and fonts of the system. Third-party applications such as the Wallpaper Engine or Zedge open access to a huge database, but require additional software installation.

And video wallpaper, which looks spectacular, but consumes a lot more power, and if you're critical to smartphone autonomy, you might want to use high-resolution static images or simplified animations.

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The best choice for daily use is static high-resolution wallpaper from a personal gallery, as it does not affect performance and battery.

Frequently encountered problems and their solution

Even with a simple installation procedure, users may encounter difficulties, most often with screen resolution or software bugs of a particular firmware version, and understanding the reasons will help quickly return the smartphone to an attractive look.

The first common problem is blurry, which happens when you try to put a low-resolution image on a high-pixel density (PPI) screen, and the system stretches a small image, and it loses clarity, and the solution is one: search for the source as high as possible.

The second problem is image shifting, and often the center of the composition is closed by watch widgets or application icons, and MIUI has a preview mode when you install it, where you can move the picture up or down, choosing the optimal position before the final application.

• 🔍 Blurring: Use a photo of at least 1080 pixels on the lower side.
• 📐 Trimming: Consider the position of the camera cutout and dynamic island.
• 🔄 Application Failure: Restart the device if the Apply button does not respond.

Sometimes it happens that after updating the wallpaper settings system, the wallpaper settings get lost, and a standard stub appears on the lock screen, in which case re-installing through the Settings → Wallpaper menu helps, rather than through the gallery.