Gallery widget on Xiaomi: how to set up, change and fix errors

The gallery widget on Xiaomi smartphones is a convenient tool for quickly accessing your favorite photos and videos directly from the home screen. However, many users face difficulties in setting it up: the widget does not appear, photos are loaded incorrectly, the interface works with delays. In this article, we will analyze all the nuances from the basic installation to fine customization, including solutions to typical problems.

Feature of the gallery widget on MIUI This means that any changes in the settings of the application (for example, hiding albums or disabling cloud sync) will automatically affect the content of the widget. MIUI 14 and later, the algorithm for displaying photos differs from older versions, where the widget could work unstablely.

If you are using a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO base MIUI, This instruction is suitable for all models, from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra.The main condition is that the device must be installed official firmware (global or Chinese version). MIUI.

1.How to add a gallery widget to the main screen

The process of adding a widget to Xiaomi is almost no different from other Android devices, but there are several nuances associated with the shell. MIUI. If you have never worked with widgets before, follow the step-by-step instructions:

1. Unlock the screen and go to any free desktop (if all screens are full, create a new swipe to the left).

2.Push and hold the empty space on the screen until the settings menu appears.

3. At the bottom of the screen, select "Widgets" (on some versions) MIUI It could be called Widgets).

4. Scroll down to the Gallery section (or Gallery in English firmware).

5. Select the desired widget size (for example, 4×2 or 2×2) And drag it on the screen.

Once added, the widget will automatically upload the latest photos from the main album. If the screen doesn't update, try restarting the device or clearing the cache of the Gallery app (more on this in the error section).

Make sure that there are at least 1 photo in the gallery.

Update the Gallery app in the Play Market

Check the available space on the device (minimum 500 MB)

Turn off the power saving mode for the Gallery app»-->

2. Customization of displayed photos

The widget shows random snapshots from all albums by default, but you can customize it to your preferences, such as displaying only photos from your last vacation or hiding screenshots.

1.Tap the gallery widget on the home screen - the Gallery app will open.

2.In the upper right corner, press three dots (⋮) and select "Settings».

3. Go to the section "Widget" (or Widget settings).

Here you can:

• 📁 Select an album – only display photos from a specific folder (e.g. Camera or Downloads).
• 🔄 Change order – sort by date (new/old) or randomly.
• 🖼️ Customize the cover – choose the main photo to display on the widget.
• ⏱️ Content Update – set the automatic update interval (from 1 hour to 1 day).

If the album you want isn't on the list, make sure it's not hidden. → Albums. → Hidden albums and uncheck the folder, and check if the sync with Mi Cloud is disabled, without it, photos from the cloud will not appear in the widget.

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If the widget displays the wrong photos, try manually updating its data: press the widget, select Update (if the option is available), or restart the Gallery app.

3. Change in size and style of widget

V MIUI Gallery widget supports several display options - from compact 2×1 (one photograph before the large one 4×4 (collage 4–6 To change the size of the image:

1. Press the widget on the screen and wait for the appearance of the frame with dots in the corners.

2. Pull the corner markers to enlarge or shrink the widget.

3. Release your finger - the changes will apply automatically.

The style of display depends on the version MIUI:

On HyperOS devices (e.g. Xiaomi 14 or Redmi) K70) The gallery widget can automatically adjust the color gamut to the wallpaper thanks to the Dynamic Wallpaper function. If this effect does not work, check if the option is included in the Settings. → Wallpaper. → Dynamic wallpaper.

4. Solving problems with the gallery widget

If the widget doesn't update, shows a black screen, or gives an error, the reasons can vary from firmware bugs to conflicts with other applications.

The widget does not display photos

This is most often related to:

• 📵 Absence of permissions – check if access to the storage is allowed for the Gallery application (Settings) → Annexes → Permits).
• 🗑️ Damaged cache – clear the gallery cache in Settings → Annexes → gallery → Warehouse.
• 🌐 Internet disabled – if photos are stored in Mi Cloud, the widget will not be able to upload them without the network.

The widget brakes or takes off

Performance problems are usually addressed by:

• 🔄 Rebooting the device – sometimes background processes block the widget.
• 📉 Disabling animations - in Settings → Special facilities → Remove animations.
• 🛠️ Update MIUI — In new versions, bugs with widgets are often fixed.

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If the gallery widget stopped working after the update MIUI, Try resetting it: remove the widget from the screen, clear the data of the Gallery application and add the widget again.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO F5) Gallery widget can conflict with running battery-saving apps like "Security" or "Battery Saver." Add "Gallery" to the auto-run exception list.

5. Personalization of the widget: hidden opportunities

In addition to the basic settings, the MIUI There are a few hidden features for customizing the gallery widget:

Customize gestures: You can swipe a widget for quick action.

1. Press the widget and select Gesture Settings (not available on all models).
2. Set an action on the swipe up/down (such as opening an album or launching a camera).

Use alternative launchers: If the standard widget doesn't suit you, install a third-party launcher like Nova Launcher or Lawnchair. They support Google Photos widgets, which often run more stable than your native ones.

Create a smart album: In the Gallery app, you can create a Smart Tag Album (like “The Beach” or “Selfie”) and then link it to a widget.

1. Open the Gallery and go to the Albums section.
2. Press. + → Smart album.
3. Set criteria (dates, location, people) and save.
4. In the widget settings, select the created smart album.

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If you often take pictures of the same people, turn on the facial recognition feature in the gallery. The widget will automatically upload photos of these people if you select the appropriate smart album.

6.Alternative gallery widgets for Xiaomi

If the standard widget is not satisfied with the functionality or design, consider third-party solutions.-3 alternatives compatible with MIUI:

To install the widget from Google Photos:

1. Install an app from the Play Market.
2. Open it and wait for the photos to sync.
3. Add the Google Photos widget to the home screen (similar to the standard widget).
4. In the widget settings, select an album or theme (such as “Best Pictures” or “Recent”).

⚠️ Note: When using Google Photos, the widget will consume more traffic as photos are uploaded from the cloud. If you have limited Internet, turn off automatic sync in the app settings.

7. Optimizing widget performance

The gallery widget, especially in large size, can consume additional resources of the device.

• ⚡ Limit the refresh rate - in the widget settings set the interval no more than 1 time in 6 hours.
• 🗃️ Eliminate heavy albums – do not link video folders to the widget RAW-photo.
• 🔋 Turn off background activity for the gallery in Settings → Battery → Optimizing the battery.
• 📶 Use adaptive brightness – a widget with dark wallpaper consumes less energy on the AMOLED-screen.

On devices with MIUI 14+ And the HyperOS gallery widget is optimized by default to save battery, but only if you turn on Smart Battery mode in your power settings. If that mode is turned off, the widget can consume up to 5-7% of its charge per day when you're in active use.

To verify the actual consumption:

1. Go to Settings → Battery → Battery Use.
2. Find the Gallery app in the list.
3. Look at the percentage of expenditure in the last 24 hours.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the gallery widget on Xiaomi