Xiaomi smartphone owners often face the desire to personalize their device’s interface, making it not only convenient but also visually appealing. One popular request is to customize the widget or slider carousel, which allows you to quickly access news, weather and applications directly from the home screen or lock screen. The standard MIUI shell and the new HyperOS provide ample customization options, however, some features can be hidden or require activation through third-party solutions.
In this guide, we will take a look at how to put a carousel on Xiaomi in a variety of ways, from standard system tools to installing specialized applications. You will learn how to manage a notification slider, customize Google widget tape and use third-party launchers to achieve maximum effect. It is important to understand that the interface may vary depending on the firmware version and region.
Before we start making changes, it's worth noting that heavy graphics can affect the autonomy of the device. The widget carousel consumes RAM and battery power in real time, so it's worth using static images on older models. Let's look at the main ways to implement the desired functionality.
Staff capabilities MIUI and HyperOS
Modern versions of Xiaomi firmware already contain built-in tools for organizing content in the form of slides or tapes. Most often, users understand either the sidebar of widgets or changing wallpaper on the lock screen. To activate basic functions, you need to go to the system settings. Go to the Settings → Wallpaper and personalization section, where you access the main design parameters.
You can turn on the wallpaper carousel feature, which automatically changes the background image when you lock the screen, creating a slideshow effect. These are not really widgets, but visually create the feeling of a dynamic carousel. If your goal is a widget slider, then in MIUI 12/13/14 and HyperOS it is often integrated into the left screen or called by a swipe down. To control these elements, click and hold an empty space on the desktop.
In the menu that opens, select "Widgets"; the system will suggest adding widgets of old or new format; new widgets from Xiaomi are stylish and can be grouped. Importantly, not all widgets support automatic switching, some require manual leafing.
- 📱 Add widget: Press your finger on your desktop and select “Widgets” in the bottom menu.
- 🎨 Change of style: In the theme settings, you can change the appearance of standard interface elements.
- 🔄 Automation: Use scripts to change wallpaper on a schedule.
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The built-in MIUI tools allow you to create a basic carousel of wallpaper and widgets without installing additional software, which guarantees the stability of the system.
Setting up the wallpaper carousel (Lock Screen)
The closest out-of-the-box analogue of the carousel is the wallpaper carousel feature on the lock screen, which allows you to show different images with or without a brief description each time you turn on the screen. To activate this mode, open the Themes app or go to Settings → Wallpaper and Personalization → Wallpaper carousel.
Inside the menu, you can select the categories of images that will be displayed. The system automatically uploads new photos from the Xiaomi cloud. To get a deeper setting, click on the gear icon in the corner of the screen. Here you can adjust the change rate, turn on or off the display of text and select content sources. This creates a live carousel effect every time the gadget is in your hands.
Keep in mind that this feature requires an active Internet connection to work. If you want to use your photos, create an album in the gallery and choose it as a source in the slideshow settings, although the standard Wallpaper Carousel works with online content.
⚠️ Warning: Turning on the wallpaper carousel can increase traffic consumption and battery charge, as images are uploaded regularly.It is recommended to use Wi-Fi for initial cache download.
How to turn off advertising in the carousel?
Use of Google widgets and third-party apps
If standard tools aren't enough, widgets from Google and third-party developers come to the rescue. In the Android ecosystem, there's a concept called "Google Discover" or "Google Tape," which swipes right on the home screen, and it's a full-fledged news, weather, and task carousel. To activate it on Xiaomi, you need to go to your desktop settings.
Press and hold your finger on an empty desktop area, then select Settings (or gears). Find Google Ribbon or Google Discover and activate the switch. Now swipe left or right (depending on the launcher version) will open a smart tape. It's not exactly the same as full-screen swapping pictures, but functionally it's a powerful information carousel.
You can use apps from Google Play to create a real visual carousel of photos or widgets. A popular solution is to use slideshow widgets. Install an app, create a widget on your desktop, and it will cyclically change images. There are launchers that completely replace the Xiaomi interface, like Niagara Launcher or Smart Launcher, which have beautiful carousels built in.
- 🌐 Google Discover: Included in desktop settings, shows news and weather.
- 🖼️ Photo widgets: Apps like PhotoWidget let you browse through gallery photos on your desktop.
- 🚀 Third-party launchers: Complete interface replacement for unique user experience.
☑️ Checking widget settings
Advanced customization through themes and launchers
The most effective way to put a carousel on Xiaomi that will look really impressive is to use custom themes. MIUI Theme Store contains thousands of design options, many of which include unique lock screens with dynamic elements. Some themes change the watch widget or add a slider to switch tracks in the style of a carousel.
To install the theme, open the Topic app. Search for keywords like "carousel," "slider" or "dynamic." When choosing a theme, pay attention to lock screenshots. Once you install the theme, remember to use all the components, including the lock screen and the status bar. If the standard theme store doesn't offer the right one, you can use third-party theme stores, but this requires a more careful approach to security.
An alternative way is to install a third-party launcher, launchers like Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher 6 allow you to customize the tape of horizontal scroll widgets, which is visually very similar to a carousel, and after installing such a launcher, the system will suggest you set up the main screen, where you can add a "Photoflow" widget or similar.
| Method | Difficulty | Impact on the battery | Flexibility of setting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wallpaper carousel (staff) | Low. | Average. | Low. |
| Google widgets | Low. | Average. | Medium |
| Third-party launchers | Medium | High. | Tall. |
| Castomy themes | Low. | Depends on the topic. | Medium |
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When installing third-party launchers on Xiaomi, you may need to manually allow auto-start and work in the background, otherwise the widget carousel will stop updating after memory is cleared.
Solving problems with widgets
Often, users are faced with a situation where the carousel or widgets stop updating, freeze or disappear, this is due to the aggressive energy saving system MIUI. The system automatically "sleeps" the background processes, considering them unnecessary, in order for the widget carousel to work correctly, you need to exclude it from optimization.
Go to Settings → Applications → All Apps. Find the app that is responsible for the carousel (this can be “Themes”, “Wallpaper” or a third-party launcher). Click on Energy Saving and select No Limits mode. This is a critical step for the stable operation of any dynamic elements on the screen.
Also check permissions. Widgets need access to storage to upload photos and network access to update content. If you use Google widgets, make sure your account settings allow you to use data in the background. Sometimes it helps to just restart the device after all the settings.
⚠️ Note: If the widget stopped showing after the system update, try removing it from the desktop and adding it again.