Users of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often face a situation where new images start appearing on a locked screen every time the display is turned on. These are not standard static wallpapers, but a special service Wallpaper Carousel (or Glance), which is activated by default in the shell of MIUI and HyperOS. Many device owners perceive this as an intrusive advertising or simply an undesirable feature that consumes traffic and battery.
Fortunately, system settings allow you to completely deactivate this mechanism or replace it with a classic static image. The process of turning off is quite simple, but menu items can be called differently depending on the firmware version and regional specifics. In this article, we will discuss all the available ways to regain control of the appearance of your gadget and get rid of automatic changes in pictures.
It is worth noting that changing the lock settings does not affect the quality of the main interface, but significantly increases usability, eliminating the need to swipe banner ads or unnecessary design elements every time. Disabling the Wallpaper Carousel is the first step to customizing the interface MIUI/HyperOS So let's look at the algorithm of action in detail.
What is a wallpaper carousel and why it turns on itself
Often referred to as “live wallpaper” or “advertising,” the feature is officially called Wallpaper Carousel, a built-in app that automatically uploads new background images from the Internet every time a device wakes up. Xiaomi’s original vision was to provide a variety of visual content without undue effort on its part.
However, in practice, this service often works incorrectly: pictures may not load, remain black or, more annoyingly, contain advertising integrations. In addition, constant data loading and background processes can slightly increase battery consumption, which is why many experienced users prefer to turn off this feature immediately after buying a smartphone.
It's important to understand the difference between normal dynamic wallpapers (which move on the desktop) and Carousels on the lock screen. MIUI allows you to flexibly adjust these settings, but by default, global firmware versions often activate the service. If you see changing images when you turn on the screen, that's the work of this module.
Disconnection through the lock screen settings menu
The best and most common way to remove intrusive image change is to use the system settings menu, which does not require third-party software installation and ensures system stability. The algorithm may vary slightly depending on the version of the shell, but the general logic is maintained for all Redmi Note models.
First, you need to open the main app menu and find the Settings icon, then go to the visual design section. In older versions of MIUI, it could be simply called Wallpaper, but in current builds, the item you want is deeper. You need to find the Lock Screen section. This is where all the parameters that control the behavior of a smartphone in sleep mode are concentrated.
Inside this menu, look for a item called Wallpaper Carousel or Wallpaper Carousel, and when you go to it, you'll see a switch that activates or deactivates the service, and you can also have the option "Receive recommendations" or "Automatic updates." Disable all active switches.
☑️ Algorithm of disabling through settings
After doing this, it is recommended to lock and unlock the device to make sure that the image is static. If the image is still changing, you may have another type of dynamic wallpaper activated, which we will discuss below.
Management through the Topics app
In the Xiaomi ecosystem, not only the settings menu, but also the Themes system app, are responsible for the visual part. Sometimes settings changed in one place can conflict with settings set in another. If you can’t turn off the Carousel through the Settings menu, you should check the settings inside the theme app itself.
Run the Topics app on your smartphone. In the lower right corner or in the side menu (depending on the interface version), find the profile icon or My Pages button. In the list that opens, select the Wallpaper or Wallpaper Carousel section. More detailed settings can be available here, such as refresh rates or content sources.
⚠️ Note: In some regions, the Themes app may offer to install an additional plugin for the Carousel. If you want to get rid of the feature completely, make sure that you not only turn off the switchboard, but also prevent the application from accessing the network in the traffic settings.
You can also select a brand new static image from the Themes app, which will replace the standard one. Just select any picture from the gallery or the options you have and click Apply by selecting "Block Screen" option, which will force you to re-write the settings of the Carousel.
Why are the settings resetting?
Comparison of disconnection methods and their features
There are several approaches to solving the problem of changing wallpaper, and each of them has its own characteristics. It is important for users to understand which method will suit their situation, since the versions of the firmware HyperOS and MIUI may have different menu structure.
Below is a table comparing the main ways to control the lock screen, which will help you choose the best option based on your goals: completely shut down, replace the source of pictures or fine-tune.
| Method | Difficulty | Efficiency | Risks. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Through Settings. | Low. | Tall. | Absent. |
| Through the Topics app | Medium | Medium | Possible discharge |
| Traffic restriction | Tall. | Partial | No new pictures. |
| Change of region | Medium | Tall. | Changing services |
As you can see from the table, the standard path through settings is the most reliable. However, if the Carousel feature is not on the menu (as it happens on some global firmware, where it is replaced by Glance), you will have to look for alternative ways, in such cases, changing the region in the phone settings often helps.
Changing the region to India or Russia (depending on the current setting) sometimes hides or opens up additional menu items, but beware: changing the region can affect the performance of some system applications, such as Mi Browser or Mi Video, by changing their content feed.
Problems with advertising and third-party launchers
Often users confuse the system wallpaper carousel with advertising modules that can be embedded in the system or installed randomly along with free applications. If after disabling all lock settings, advertising still appears, it is worth checking the list of installed programs.
Malware or aggressive SEOs can embed their widgets on the lock screen. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps and look carefully at the list. Look for apps with suspicious names, no icons, or names like “Clean Master,” “Battery Saver” that you didn’t knowingly install.
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If the ads appear even after the Carousel is turned off, try running your smartphone in Safe Mode. If the ads disappear in this mode, then the third-party application that needs to be removed is to blame.
Also worth checking for permissions for system applications. Go to Settings → Privacy Protection → Special Permissions → Changing system settings. Make sure there are no redundant or obscure programs that are allowed to influence the system interface. Restricting rights for suspicious utilities often solves the problem.
Additional Personalization Settings
Once you've gotten rid of the intrusive image change, you can fine-tune the remaining settings. The MIUI and HyperOS shells offer a variety of lock screen options that have nothing to do with Carousel, but make smartphone use more convenient.
In the lock screen menu, you can configure widgets like pedometer, weather, or Bluetooth headphone status, which are useful and don't require a constant Internet connection to download heavy graphic content. You can choose the style of the watch, add a signature, or change the time font.
Special attention should be paid to the function Always On Display (Always on screen), available on the Internet. AMOLED-It allows you to display time and notifications on the screen off without the risk of pixel burnout, and the setting of this feature is also in the next menu and has nothing to do with the Wallpaper Carousel, so you can use it to save time.
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Competent setting of the lock screen allows you to combine aesthetics and functionality, removing unnecessary visual noise and leaving only important notifications.