How to find and turn on the wallpaper carousel on Xiaomi Redmi: all ways for MIUI 12-15

You just bought a new Xiaomi Redmi or updated your firmware, but you can’t find the famous wallpaper carousel — the same gallery with dynamic and static backgrounds that used to be swiped across the screen? Don’t be surprised: in the latest versions of MIUI 14 and MIUI 15, Xiaomi has moved this section deep into the menu, and on some models it has completely hidden it behind additional gestures. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to find the wallpaper carousel on Redmi Note 12/13, Redmi 10/11, POCO and other devices — from the standard to hidden gestures.

Compounding the problem, MIUI changes with each new firmware, and the manufacturer doesn't always document these changes. For example, MIUI 13 opened the carousel with a long tap on the desktop, and MIUI 15 can open this gesture in a different menu. We tested all methods on current versions of the software (2026) and identified those that work on 95% of Xiaomi devices — including budget models and flagships.

Before you get to the instructions, check two things: 1 You have the latest version of MIUI installed (update to Settings → About Phone → System Update). 2 There are no third-party launchers on the screen (like Nova Launcher or Apex) – they block system gestures.

1. Standard method: long tap on the desktop

This is the most obvious method that works on most Xiaomi Redmi devices with MIUI 12-15.

• 📱 For MIUI 14/15: long-tail (3–4 seconds) in an empty space on the desktop → Select Wallpapers. If the menu doesn't appear, try tapping closer to the bottom of the screen.
• 🔄 For MIUI 12/13: swipe with two fingers on the screen from the bottom up (as when you open the notification bar, but with two fingers.
• ⚙️ If it doesn’t work: check if your gestures are turned off in Settings → Desktop → Additional settings → Desktop gestures.

On some models (e.g. Redmi Note 11 Pro+), a long tap can open a widget menu instead of wallpaper, in which case move on to the next method.

2. Through theme settings (Theme Store)

If the standard gesture doesn't work, you can open the wallpaper carousel through the Theme Store system app, which is universal and works even on custom firmware:

1. Open the “Themes” app** (icon with brush and palette).
2. Go to the Wallpapers tab in the lower menu.
3. At the top of the screen, select Carousel or My Wallpaper.
4. If there is no carousel, tap the icon. ⋮ (three-point) → Settings → Turn on the option to show the carousel on the desktop.

Important: On some devices (e.g. POCO X5), the Wallpaper tab may be called Backgrounds or Wallpaper Carousel. If the Themes app is missing, install it from Google Play (officially called Mi Theme Editor).

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If the Theme Store doesn’t have a Wallpaper tab, upgrade the app to the latest version or clear its cache in Settings → Apps → Application Management → Topics → Memory → Clear the cache.

3. Hidden path: through desktop settings

On devices with MIUI 14+, Xiaomi hid access to the carousel in the launcher settings, which works even if the gestures are turned off:

1. Hold your finger on any empty space on your desktop.
2. In the menu that appears, select Desktop Settings (Home screen settings).
3. Scroll down and find the Wallpaper or Wallpaper Carousel section.
4. Activate the Show Carousel Switch and select the source of the wallpaper (e.g. System or Google Wallpapers).

On some firmware (for example, MIUI EU) This section can be called Dynamic Wallpapers or Live Wallpapers. If you don't have an option, you're not using the carousel at the system level. №5.

4.Alternative launchers: if the system carousel is not available

If none of the above methods worked, the problem may be the firmware itself, in which case installing a third-party launcher with support for wallpaper carousel will help.

• 🌈 Microsoft Launcher: Built-in wallpaper gallery with support for Bing Wallpapers (daily automatic updates).
• 🖼️ Nova Launcher: allows you to connect plugins for dynamic wallpaper (for example, Muzei or Wallpaper Engine).
• 📱 POCO Launcher: Optimized for Xiaomi devices, has a built-in carousel (even if the system is disabled).
• 🔄 Action Launcher: Supports gestures for quick wallpaper switching (swipe on the app icon).

How to determine:

1. Download the launcher from Google Play.
2. When you first start, select it as the default launcher.
3. Go to the launcher settings → Wallpaper or Wallpaper.
4. Activate the option of Carousel or Wallpaper Driver.

On devices with MIUI 15 and later system carousel may conflict with third-party launchers. To avoid bugs, before installing, disable the option "Data Protection" in the settings MIUI (Settings → Confidentiality → Special permits → Data protection).

5. Advanced method: Incorporating the carousel through ADB

If the wallpaper carousel is disabled at the system level (for example, on the Chinese versions of Redmi or after manual removal of the Themes application), it can be forced to activate via the system. ADB-This method requires a connection to the PC and enabled debugging. USB.

Step-by-step:

Install Xiaomi drivers on PC (download from the official website)

Download Platform Tools from Android (link)

Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission-->

adb shell settings put global wallpaper_carousel_enabled 1


adb shell am start -n com.android.themes/.activity.WallpaperCarouselActivity

Transcript of commands:

• The first team includes the system flag of the carousel.
• The second team forcibly opens a hidden wallpaper menu.

If the carousel does not appear after completing the commands, try restarting the device. On some firmware (MIUI China) you may need an additional command:

adb shell pm enable com.android.themes

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Using ADB is the only way to return the carousel on devices with the remote Theme app or custom firmware like LineageOS. However, after resetting or updating MIUI, the procedure will have to be repeated.

6. Removing common problems

Even if you can open the carousel, there can be bugs: the wallpaper does not change automatically, the carousel slows down or disappears after the reboot.

Additional advice:

• 🔋 If the carousel is slowing down, clear the Topic app cache and restart the device.
• 📶 To automatically change wallpaper, turn on Mobile data for background processes in traffic settings.
• 🛠️ On Redmi with MIUI 12 and below may need to roll back the update of the Topic app to version 1.0.5.0.

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If you use Redmi with NFC, avoid installing wallpaper from unverified sources – they may contain malicious scripts that interfere with contactless payments.

7. Xiaomi models that may not have carousels

Not all Xiaomi Redmi devices have a built-in wallpaper carousel, and here is a list of models where it is not available by default or works with limitations:

• 📵 Redmi 9A/9C/10A: budget models with reduced firmware (MIUI The carousel may be switched on only through ADB.
• 🇨🇳 Redmi for the Chinese market (CN ROM): Carousel blocked without linking to Mi Account.
• 🔧 Custom firmware devices: LineageOS or Pixel Experience, for example, do not support Xiaomi’s system carousel.
• 📱 POCO M3/M4/M5: Instead of a carousel, a simplified wallpaper menu is used from POCO Launcher.

On these devices, we recommend using third-party solutions:

• Google Wallpapers (official app with daily wallpapers)
• Wallpaper Engine (paid, but with animation support)
• Backdrops (minimalist wallpaper with manual shift setting).

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On the Redmi 9A and similar budget models, the system wallpaper carousel is missing due to memory limitations, and Xiaomi offers static wallpaper from the gallery instead.

FAQ: Frequent questions about wallpaper carousel on Xiaomi Redmi