Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a situation where the background image on the lock screen changes on its own, without the user’s knowledge, due to built-in Glance or Wallpaper Carousel services, which are activated by default in the shells of MIUI and HyperOS. This feature is designed to diversify the visual experience, showing news, beautiful landscapes or advertising, but many users are annoyed by it.
Fortunately, the developers have provided full control over this process. Xiaomi allows you not only to stop automatic rotation of images, but also completely remove the service responsible for their upload. In this guide, we will discuss all the current methods that will help you return a static image and free RAM from unnecessary processes.
Consider both standard system settings and deeper methods of removing system applications. It is important to understand that menu item names may vary slightly depending on the firmware version and installation region, but the logic of actions remains the same for all models, whether it is a budget Redmi or a flagship Mi.
Disabling the function of the wallpaper carousel through the settings
The easiest and safest way to stop the change of pictures is to use the regular menu of the smartphone, which does not require superuser rights and does not violate the warranty, you need to find the section responsible for the lock screen, where the automatic boot switch hides.
Go to the main settings of the device and find the Lock Screen or Always On Screen and Lock Screen. This is where the visual management is located. If you have a global firmware version installed, look for the Wallpaper Carousel section.
Once you log in, you'll see a switch that activates or deactivates the function. Turning off the wallpaper carousel slider instantly stops new images from loading and returns a static picture you manually installed. However, in some versions of the shell, simply turning off the toggler may not remove the cache of images that have already been downloaded.
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Before changing the lock screen settings, take a screenshot of the current configuration to quickly return everything as it was if necessary.
In some cases, the system may require confirmation of action: If after turning off the function, images continue to flash, perhaps a third-party service is activated or the theme has its own mechanism for changing the background.
Removal of the Glance and Carousel System Application
If simply turning off the feature doesn't give the desired result or you want to get rid of the service taking up space in memory forever, it can be removed.The Glance and Mi Wallpaper apps are system-based, but on modern versions of Android they can be deactivated or removed through settings.
Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. In the list, find an app called Wallpaper Carousel, Glance, or Lock screen magazine. Click on it to open the details. Here you will need a button called Delete or Disable.
☑️ Check before removing the service
It is worth noting that on some devices, the delete button may not be active, in which case, try to first click Stop, then Clear the data, and only then try to delete. ADB-The teams that will be discussed below.
⚠️ Warning: Be careful when removing system components. Removing critical services can cause unstable interfaces. Only wallpaper-related components are removed.
Setup through the “Themes” app
Often, the source of intrusive background changes is not the system setting, but an active theme. The MIUI shell allows themes to dictate their terms, including changing the wallpaper on the lock screen.
Open the standard Themes app. Go to the user profile (the person icon in the corner) and select My Themes. Make sure you have a classic or Defult theme activated. Third-party themes often contain built-in background change scripts.
Even if you use a standard theme, go to its settings inside the app, there may be a separate checkbox, Change Wallpaper on the lock screen, uncheck the box to prevent the theme from making changes to the visual style without your request.
There is also a section on Online Resources or Selections in the Topics app, sometimes subscribing to certain categories can trigger automatic content downloads, and unsubscribe from all active subscriptions in this section for the purity of the experiment.
Using ADB for Advanced Users
For those who want to securely remove the wallpaper change service when standard methods do not work, there is a method through Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires connecting a smartphone to a computer and having basic command line skills.
First, activate Developer Mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly press 7 times on either MIUI Version or OS Version. Then, in the advanced settings, turn on “Debugging on USB.” Connect your phone to your PC and type a command to delete the package:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.miwallpaper
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.personalassistantOnce the commands are executed, the service will be removed for the current user. Importantly, this action is reversible only by completely resetting the settings or re-installing the package, so make sure that you enter the packet names correctly. For HyperOS, the packet names may differ, for example, contain the word glance.
List of packages for different regions
Comparison of wallpaper deactivation methods
The choice of method depends on your technical training and the desired result. Below is a table that will help you determine the best way to solve the problem for your situation.
| Method | Difficulty | Efficiency | Risks. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Through settings | Low. | Medium | Absent. |
| Deletion of the annex | Medium | Tall. | Minimum |
| ADB team | Tall. | Maximum | Medium (entry error) |
| Change of subject | Low. | Low. | Absent. |
As you can see from the table, standard settings are enough for most users. However, if you want a clean system without unnecessary processes, uninstalling through ADB is the best result. The choice is yours, but remember the balance between functionality and minimalism.
Keep in mind that removing system components can affect widgets if they are tied to the same service. Always check the functionality of widgets on the desktop after manipulating system applications.
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The most reliable way is comprehensive: disable in the settings, change the theme to a standard one and, if necessary, remove the service through ADB.
Frequent problems and their solution
Even after all the instructions are followed, nuances may arise, such as wallpaper being reset after a system reboot or update, this happens if the configuration file is corrupted or if a firmware update restores deleted system files.
If your settings are reset, try clearing the Gallery and Themes app cache. Sometimes there is a conflict between these services, and check if Traffic Savings mode is on, which can block new wallpapers from loading, but not turn off the mechanism of changing them.
⚠️ Note: After a major firmware update (e.g., switching from a MIUI 13 by 14) the carousel settings can be activated again. Check this item every time you update the system.
In rare cases, the problem lies in a third-party launcher. If you use Nova Launcher or similar applications, check their internal settings. They may have their own "Wallpaper Change" feature, which overlaps Xiaomi's system settings.