How to permanently stop the wallpaper carousel on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

Automatic wallpaper change on Xiaomi smartphones is a feature that is not popular with many users. Many users complain that the wallpaper carousel is not only distracting, but also consumes up to 15% of the additional battery per week due to background activity. If you are tired of constantly changing your desktop without your consent, this article will help turn off automatic rotation once and for all.

Compounding the problem, newer versions of MIUI 13/14 have more hidden settings than ever before. The manufacturer is pushing Xiaomi Wallpaper Carousel (formerly Themes), which automatically downloads and installs new wallpapers. We’ve tested all the current ways to disable on Redmi Note 12 Pro+, Xiaomi 13 Ultra and POCO F5 models – and are ready to provide working solutions for even the most stubborn firmware.

Why the wallpaper carousel turns on on itself

The main reason for automatic wallpaper change is the pre-installed Themes app (com.miui.miwallpaper), which is integrated into MIUI at the system level, and it performs three key functions:

• 🔄 Rotation of wallpaper - changes the background every 6-24 hours (interval is adjusted)
• 📥 Autoboot – downloads new wallpaper through mobile traffic or Wi-Fi
• 🎨 Personalization – selects wallpaper under the color scheme of the interface

MIUI 14 adds a new mechanism called Dynamic Wallpapers, which changes depending on the time of day or weather, which activates automatically when you first turn on your smartphone and can overwrite manual settings after system updates.

Another culprit is cloud sync (Mi Cloud), where if you're logged in to a Xiaomi account, the system can reset wallpaper settings after you reset or flash, even when you manually set a static background.

Method 1: Disconnect via theme settings (official method)

The easiest way to do this is to run 90% of Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO devices with MIUI 12-14.

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush and palette).
2. Go to Wallpaper section. → My wallpaper.
3. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Settings.
4. Turn off the switch Automatic wallpaper change.
5. Go back and manually set a static background by clicking Apply.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (MIUI 13 for POCO F4 GT) This item may not be available, so move on to the next one.

If the wallpaper changes after the shutdown, check:

• 📶 Background update - in Settings → Annexes → Application management → Topics → Mobile data disable Background data transmission.
• ⏳ Auto Update – In the same menu, ban Auto Update.

Method 2: Blocking through Application Permissions

If the standard shutdown does not work, you can deprive the Topic application of the rights to change the wallpaper:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find themes (com.miui.miwallpaper) and open its settings.
3. Select Permissions → Other permits.
4. Turn it off: 🖼️ Change of wallpaper 📡 Auto-start 🔄 Background work

Stop it.

🔹 Important: After this, the app will not be able to change wallpaper even after the reboot, but some personalization features (such as dark theme) may not work properly.

💡

If the permission list does not include the “Change Wallpaper” option, try updating the Themes app first via Google Play or App Gallery.

Method 3: Removing updates to the "Themes" app

Sometimes the problem is with the latest versions of the app, and you can go back to the factory version.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Themes.
2. Press three points (⋮) → Remove updates.
3. Confirm the action and restart the device.

On some firmware (MIUI 14 for the global version), this method blocks not only the carousel, but also access to the wallpaper gallery. In this case, you will have to set the background through the Gallery → Set as wallpaper.

Method 4: Using ADB for deep shutdown (for advanced)

If all previous methods fail, the system is disabled via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires a computer and enabled USB debugging, but is guaranteed to work on all versions of MIUI.

Instructions:

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version.

Settings → Additional → For Developers

USB debugging

ADB-tools

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.miwallpaper

This command completely disables the Themes app, including:

• 🎨 Wallpaper carousel
• 🔄 Dynamic wallpaper
• 📲 Theme widgets

To get it back, use:

adb shell pm enable com.miui.miwallpaper

Method 5: Alternative launchers (radical solution)

If you're tired of not only wallpaper, but also the MIUI interface in general, you can install a third-party launcher that ignores the system settings of the wallpaper.

• 🏆 Nova Launcher – supports fixed wallpaper, flexible grid settings and gestures.
• 🎨 Lawnchair – lightweight open source launcher, blocks wallpaper changes.
• ⚡ Hyperion Launcher – Optimized for Xiaomi, has built-in carousel lock.

After installation:

1. Open the launcher settings.
2. Find the Wallpaper or Personalization section.
3. Turn off Dynamic Wallpaper and Auto Update options.
4. Set a static background through the gallery.

⚠️ Attention: Some functions MIUI (For example, gesture control or reading mode may not work properly with third-party launchers. Before installing, back up your settings through Settings. → Additionally. → Backup.

💡

Third-party launchers are the only way to get rid of wallpaper carousels on devices with a locked bootloader (for example, global versions of Xiaomi).

What to do if nothing helps

If all of these methods fail, the problem may be:

1. Firmware with regional restrictions - on Chinese versions MIUI (for example, Xiaomi 13 China ROM) The wallpaper carousel is hard-wired into the system: 🌍 Install global firmware through the Mi Flash Tool. 🔓 Unlock the bootloader (officially through the [unlock.mi.com](https://unlock.mi.com)).

Viruses or modified software

Settings → Security → Scanning

Hardware restrictions

120 Hz

Redmi K60 Pro

Adaptive refresh rate

🔹 The last option - reset to factory settings:

1. Create a backup through Settings → About Phone → Backup.
2. Go to Settings → Additional → Resetting settings.
3. Select Delete all data (don’t forget to log out of your Mi! account).

After resetting, don't reset from the cloud, it can return the carousel. Set the wallpaper manually through the Gallery.

FAQ: Frequent questions about wallpaper carousel on Xiaomi