How to permanently disable the kaleidoscope of wallpaper on Xiaomi: 5 working ways

The automatic wallpaper change feature (called a “kaleidoscope”) on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones is often turned on by default after a MIUI update or when some themes are activated. While the idea of dynamic backgrounds may seem interesting, in practice it drains the battery, distracts from work and sometimes even causes the launcher to freeze with frequent wallpaper switches. Unfortunately, the manufacturer does not always provide an obvious way to turn off this feature — especially in the latest versions of the firmware.

In this article, we will discuss all the current methods of deactivating the kaleidoscope, including the standard settings of MIUI 12-14, hidden parameters of the developer and even the ADB team for power users. Separately, we will focus on the nuances for different models, from the budget Redmi Note to the flagship Xiaomi 13/14, where the logic of the function may differ. If you are tired of spontaneous change of backgrounds, read on.

Why does the kaleidoscope turn on on on its own?

In 80% of cases, automatic wallpaper change is activated without the user’s knowledge for the following reasons:

• 📱 Update MIUI: After installing a new firmware version (especially when switching from the MIUI 12 on 13/14) The system resets some theme settings to default values, including dynamic wallpapers.
• 🎨 Themes from Mi Theme Store: Many free themes (like "Super Wallpapers" or "Dynamic Earth") contain a built-in background rotation mechanism that can't always be turned off via the interface.
• ⚡ Battery Optimization: In some versions MIUI The function is included as part of a “power saving mode” ostensibly to reduce the load on the processor (which in practice gives the opposite effect).
• 🤖 Launcher failures: If wallpaper is reset to standard after rebooting or locking the screen, the fault may be a damaged cache of the com.miui.home application.

Interestingly, on devices with pure Android (such as the POCO F5 or Xiaomi 12T on global firmware), the problem is less common. The main focus is the Chinese and European versions of MIUI with pre-installed themes from Xiaomi.

Method 1: Disconnect via standard MIUI settings

To start with, the most obvious method that works on most devices running MIUI 12-14 is important: the path to settings may vary slightly depending on the model and regional firmware.

1. Open the Themes app (the icon with a brush on your desktop).
2. Go to Wallpapers (or Wallpapers on global firmware).
3. Select the current wallpaper (stick on the thumbnail).
4. In the preview window that opens, find the Autoshift (or Dynamic Wallpaper) switch and turn it off.
5. Confirm the changes by clicking Apply or Save.

If you don't have a switch, your current theme doesn't support dynamic change, in which case, try:

• 🔄 Change wallpaper to static (for example, from the Basic or Colors section).
• 📁 Install wallpaper from the gallery manually (long-term press on the desktop) → Wallpaper. → gallery).

⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Redmi Note 11 Pro)+) After disabling the kaleidoscope through the settings, it can turn on again after restarting. This is due to an error in the com.miui.thememanager service.

Method 2: Reset theme settings (if the kaleidoscope returns)

If the automatic wallpaper change is activated on its own, even after manual shutdown, the cause is often a damaged cache of the Topic app or a conflict with installed registration packages, in which case the reset will help:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Theme app (com.miui.thememanager) and tap it.
3. Select Warehouse → Clear cache and Clear data.
4. Confirm the action (this will remove all uploaded themes, but save wallpaper from the gallery).
5. Reset the device.

After the reboot:

• 🎨 Set wallpaper manually through Settings → Wallpaper or prolonged pressing on the desktop.
• 🚫 Do not install themes from the Mi Theme Store marked as "Dynamic" or "Live".
• 🔒 Turn off automatic theme updates in the Themes app settings.

Method 3: Disable via launcher settings (for POCO and global firmware)

On devices with a POCO Launcher launcher or global versions of MIUI (such as Xiaomi 12 Lite or Redmi 10 2022), the wallpaper kaleidoscope can be controlled separately from the Theme app to disable it:

1. Make a long press on the free place of the desktop.
2. Slip on the settings (cog in the lower right corner).
3. Select additional settings → Wallpaper and themes.
4. Find the option "Automatic Wallpaper Change" or "Dynamic Wallpaper" and deactivate it.
5. If you don’t have an option, go to Wallpaper Style and select Static.

On some firmware (e.g. MIUI 13 for POCO X3 Pro), the path may look like this:

Launcher settings → Appearance → Wallpaper → Display Mode → Static

💡

If the launcher does not have the option to turn off the kaleidoscope, try changing the launcher to a third-party one (for example, Nova Launcher or Hyperion). This is guaranteed to turn off dynamic wallpaper, but will require manual adjustment of icons and widgets.

Method 4: Disconnect via ADB (for power users)

If standard methods fail and the kaleidoscope of wallpaper continues to turn on after the reboot, the most radical way is to disable system components via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that requires a computer and basic command line knowledge.

Warning: improper use of ADB may cause some MIUI features to fail.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 14 and later, disabling the com.miui.thememanager package may disrupt the theme store and some visual effects. In this case, use the command to disable only dynamic wallpaper:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version. Go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers and turn on USB Debugging.

Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.

Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type:

adb devices

(Your device should be displayed. If not, install Mi USB Driver drivers.)

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


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

To disable only dynamic wallpaper (without consequences for the theme store):

adb shell settings put global dynamic_wallpaper_enabled 0

Once you've done the commands, restart the device. The kaleidoscope should disappear.

💡

If you reset your wallpaper to standard after using ADB, restore it manually through Settings → Wallpaper. Commands do not remove user backgrounds, but can reset the system display settings.

Method 5: Remove system applets (only for unlocked bootloader)

This method is suitable for users with an unlocked bootloader (Bootloader Unlocked) and a customized Recovery (TWRP) installed, it allows you to completely remove the components responsible for dynamic wallpaper, but it deprives you of warranty and can lead to unstable system operation.

If you are prepared for risk, follow the instructions:

1. Download the MIUI Debloater archive (or create your own list to delete).
2. Boot to TWRP (hold Power + Volume up when turned on).
3. Go to Advanced → File Manager.
4. Delete the following files (if any): /system/priv-app/MiuiDynamicWallpaper/system/priv-app/SuperWallpaper /data/app/com.miui.dynamicwallpaper-* (all folders with this prefix)

Wipe → Cache

⚠️ Note: Removing system applets may lead to update errors MIUI through OTA. Before the next update, you will need to restore deleted files or stitch the full package through Fastboot.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When you turn off the wallpaper kaleidoscope, you often have typical problems, and here are the most common ones and the ways you can solve them:

• 🔄 "After the reboot, the kaleidoscope returns": "The reason: com.miui.miservice restores default settings.Solution: Use ADB to disable it (Method 4).
• 📵 "Can't find the option to disable in the settings": "Cause: Your theme doesn't support manual dynamic wallpaper management. Solution: change the theme to a standard one (e.g., "Default" or "Basic").
• 🔋 "After the kaleidoscope is turned off, the battery discharges faster": "Cause: Maybe another process is running in the background (for example, in the background, com.miui.weather2 Solution: Check battery consumption in Settings → Battery.
• 🖼️ "Wallpaper is dropped on black screen": Reason: Launcher cache damaged. Solution: clear the data of the com.miui.home application (see Method 2).

If none of the methods worked, check:

• 📱 Version MIUI: On some beta firmware, the kaleidoscope is turned off only after a stable update is released.
• 🔄 Updates: Go to Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🛠️ System File Integrity: Use the Application "MIUI Hidden Settings (available on Google Play.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions