How to permanently disable the wallpaper carousel on Xiaomi Redmi 8: the full guide

Wallpaper carousel on Xiaomi Redmi 8 is one of the most controversial shell features MIUI, It automatically changes the background of the desktop every few hours, and for some users, it's a convenient way to diversify the interface, for others, it's a real headache. Unexpected image changes distract, eat up traffic, and can even slow down a smartphone when it’s actively synchronized with Xiaomi servers. MIUI It is not always possible to completely deactivate this function.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways to disable the carousel, from simple changes to the phone menu to advanced methods using ADB and editing system files. It’s important to understand that the effectiveness of the methods depends on the MIUI version (Redmi 8 is most common version 11-13) and regional firmware. If you use the global or Chinese version of the software, some menu items may differ, we’ve taken these nuances into account in the instructions.

Why Carousel Wallpaper May Be a Problem

At first glance, automatic wallpaper change seems to be a harmless thing, but in practice it creates several serious inconveniences:

• 🔋 Increased battery consumption: background wallpaper synchronization process with Xiaomi servers consumes up to 5-7% of the charge per day (according to tests on Redmi 8S) MIUI 12).
• 📶 Unauthorized traffic: The carousel downloads new wallpapers via the mobile Internet, even if you have not given permission to do so.
• 🖼️ Imposing Content: Xiaomi sometimes slips advertising or themed wallpapers (such as for holidays) that can’t be removed without disabling the entire feature.
• ⚙️ Launcher conflicts: If you use a third-party launcher (Nova, Apex), the carousel can reset your wallpaper settings.

According to a survey of Redmi 8 owners, 68 percent of users want to turn off the carousel but don’t know how to do it correctly, and many people just put static wallpaper through third-party apps, but that doesn’t solve the problem completely — the background process still works.

Method 1: Disconnect via standard MIUI settings

The simplest method, which works on most versions of MIUI 11-13, but it has a limitation: it doesn't shut down the carousel completely, it only stops the automatic wallpaper change. The background process can still consume resources.

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to Wallpaper section. → Wallpaper carousel.
3. Press the gear. ⚙️ in the upper right corner and select the carousel settings.
4. Turn off the slider Automatic change of wallpaper.
5. Go back and manually select a static background from the gallery.

If there's no Customization item, your version of MIUI hides it, in which case, try an alternative route:

1. Hold your finger on the free space on the desktop.
2. Choose Wallpaper. → carousel.
3. At the bottom of the screen, tap the Control and turn off the automatic shift.

⚠️ Attention: Some firmware after turning off the carousel through Themes may reset wallpaper to standard when rebooting the phone. MIUI, which is corrected only by completely shutting down the function (see Methods 3-5).

Method 2: Remove carousel wallpapers through file manager

This method is suitable for users who still have the carousel running even after the settings are turned off, and we will manually remove the loaded wallpaper so that the system cannot use it.

1. Install a file manager with access to system folders (such as MiXplorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.miui.miwallpaper/files/wallpapers
3. Delete all files in this folder (they have the.jpg or.png extension).
4. Reboot the phone.

After that, the system will not be able to download new wallpapers for the carousel, but the folder can re-fill after updating MIUI or resetting settings. To prevent this, create an empty file in this directory called.nomedia:

1. In the file manager, click Create a file.
2. Enter the name.nomedia (the point at the beginning is mandatory!).
3. Save the file in the wallpapers folder.

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If after removing the wallpaper, the carousel still tries to download new ones, disable the permission to the Warehouse for the Themes app in the application settings, this will completely block access to the wallpaper folder.

Method 3: Disconnect via ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a deep-tuning tool for Android, which completely disables the carousel at the system level, but requires a connection to a computer.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB (You can download from the official Android website).
• 📱 Included Debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap to unlock the developer menu, then additionally → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 Cable USB (preferably original).

Instructions:

1. Connect Redmi 8 to your computer and confirm the debugging permission on your phone.
2. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the adb folder.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
4. Run the command to disable the carousel: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.miwallpaper This command deactivates the system application responsible for the wallpaper.
5. Reboot the phone.

To return the carousel back, use the command:

adb shell pm enable com.miui.miwallpaper

⚠️ Note: Disabling the system application through ADB This can lead to unstable operation of some functions. MIUI, If you have any interface problems after you run the command, return the application to its original state by the command above.

Method 4: Editing system files (root access)

The most radical method that is guaranteed to shut down the carousel forever is to delete the system files that are responsible for its operation, but this will require root access, which will void the warranty and can lead to unstable phone operation.

Instructions for users with root:

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Go to /system/priv-app/MiuiWallpaper
3. Delete or rename (add.bak at the end) the following files: MiuiWallpaper.apk MiuiWallpaper.odex (if any)

Reboot the phone.

After that, the wallpaper carousel will be completely removed from the system, and to return it back, you just need to restore deleted files from the backup or reflash the phone.

⚠️ Attention: Deleting system files without a backup can lead to a bootloop (locked phone reboot).Be sure to create a backup through the phone before performing the operation. TWRP Or Mi Flash Tool.

Method 5: Using third-party launchers

If you don't want to dig into the system settings, you can simply "cheat" MIUI by installing a third-party launcher. Most alternative shells (Nova, Apex, Lawnchair) ignore the wallpaper carousel from Xiaomi and allow you to set a static background.

Best launchers for Redmi 8:

• 🌟 Nova Launcher – the most flexible, supports gestures, icons and wallpaper fixation.
• 🎨 Lawnchair is an open source lightweight launcher optimized for Xiaomi.
• ⚡ Hyperion Launcher – fast and minimalist with support for themes MIUI.
• 📱 POCO Launcher – the official launcher from Xiaomi, but without a wallpaper carousel.

How to install and configure:

1. Download the launcher from Google Play (like Nova Launcher).
2. After installation, click the Home button and select the new launcher as the main one.
3. Press your finger on your desktop → Wallpaper → select a static image from the gallery.
4. In the launcher settings, turn off the option of Change Wallpaper (if any).

The advantage of this method is that not only do you get rid of the carousel, but you also get additional customization options, but note that some MIUI features (like Double App or One-Hand Mode) may not work properly with third-party launchers.

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The launcher side is the only way to get rid of the wallpaper carousel completely without risk to the system, but they can conflict with proprietary MIUI features such as Super Wallpaper or Animation Effects.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

When you turn off the wallpaper carousel, you often have typical problems, and we've collected some of the most common ones and ways to solve them:

• 🔄 Carousel returns after update MIUI Solution: After the update, re-execute the disconnection through ADB or delete the wallpaper files again. Xiaomi sometimes resets the settings of system applications.
• 📵 It's not working. ADB-Solution: Make sure that the debugging is done USB It's enabled, the drivers are installed, and in the command line, you're in the folder with adb.exe. Try reconnecting your phone.
• 🔒 No access to system folders Solution: Use a root-access file manager (such as MiXplorer) or get superuser rights through Magisk.
• 🖼️ Wallpaper resets on standard solution: It's a bug MIUI. Try installing wallpaper through a third-party launcher or disable Warehouse permission for the Theme app.
• ⚡ Phone braked after turning off carousel Solution: Return default settings via ADB (adb shell pm enable com.miui.miwallpaper or reset the cache to Settings → Annexes → Topics → Warehouse → Clear the cache.

If none of these methods worked, your version of MIUI may have unique limitations.

1. Check for firmware updates (Settings → About Phone → System Update).
2. Contact the official forum Xiaomi (en.miui.com) with the MIUI version and phone model.
3. Consider flashing on custom firmware (such as LineageOS or Pixel Experience), where the wallpaper carousel is not by default.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions