How to disable the screensaver on Xiaomi Redmi 9: the complete guide

Owners of the popular Xiaomi smartphones often encounter intrusive visual content that the system offers as an “improvement” of the user experience. On the Redmi 9 model, this is especially noticeable, since the MIUI shell by default includes many features for personalization, which are actually advertising modules. Users may notice that when you lock the phone, random pictures appear, and sometimes even entire news feeds that take up useful space and distract from the main use of the gadget.

Understanding how to properly adjust screen settings is essential for anyone who wants a clean interface without unnecessary noise. In this article, we will take a closer look at all possible sources of unwanted images and provide step-by-step instructions for deactivating them. You will learn to distinguish between system wallpaper, wallpaper carousel and widgets to fully control what is displayed on your display.

⚠️ Note: Some system themes may return screensaver settings after a firmware update, so it is recommended to periodically check the menu items below.

Differences between types of screensavers in MIUI

Before you start disabling functions, it is important to clearly understand what elements of the interface you are concerned about, because in the terminology of Xiaomi there are several similar concepts. Often users confuse static wallpaper, dynamic carousel and lock screen, although they are controlled through different system services.

The wallpaper system carousel is a service that automatically changes the background image on the lock screen every time the display is turned on, which draws images from the manufacturer's online catalog or local gallery, creating the effect of constantly updating the storefront. Unlike conventional wallpaper, which is static, the carousel requires an active Internet connection to download new content and can consume traffic in the background.

⚠️ Note: Disabling the wallpaper carousel does not affect the operation of the main system wallpapers of the desktop, which are customized separately through the gallery.

On the other hand, there are widgets and a Widget Tape that swipes to the left of the home screen, which can display news, weather, app recommendations, and other information that many consider visual debris. Understanding this difference is critical, because disabling one component does not deactivate the other, and you will need to set up multiple sections to completely clean the Redmi 9 interface.

Disabling the wallpaper carousel through settings

The most common source of floating images is the wallpaper carousel feature, which is built into the Security or Themes system app. To get rid of it, you'll need to go to the lock screen settings where the switch of this feature hides, a process that's quite simple, but requires care, as item names may vary slightly between versions of MIUI.

Algorithm of action

Once you find the Settings menu → Lock screen → Wallpaper carousel (the path can vary), you will be offered several options. You can not only turn off the function completely, but also adjust the refresh rate or select specific categories of images if you do not want to remove the screensaver completely.

Control of lock screen and widgets

The lock screen in Redmi 9 is not just a picture, but a complex interactive area, rich in widgets and shortcuts. In addition to the background, you can display pedometer widgets, battery status, weather or news headlines. Removing excess elements significantly speeds up the unlocking of the device and makes the interface more minimalistic and convenient for everyday use.

To edit the contents of the lock screen, you need to go to the Settings menu → Lock screen. In this section, you will find options for managing widgets to the left and right of the unlock slider. The system allows you to choose which applications will display their information in that place, or completely clear these areas of any content.

Customization of widgets

MIUI

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Use dark static wallpaper for the lock screen - this significantly saves battery power on the screen. AMOLED-screens and reduces the risk of pixel burnout.

And you should also look at the Google Discover, which is to the left of the first desktop, and to remove it, you just need to pinch the empty space on your desktop, go to the settings and turn off the display of the feed, and this action will hide the news stream and leave only your applications.

Configuring the “Themes” application and system services

The central node of visual style management in Xiaomi smartphones is the Themes app, which often loads banner ads and offers that users perceive as system screensavers. Deep customization of this application allows you to disable advertising personalization and stop (push) notifications of new designs.

To start, open the Themes app and go to the user profile by clicking on the person icon in the lower right corner. Then select Settings at the top of the screen. Here you are interested in the section related to updates and recommendations. Disabling the Receive Recommendations and Update Themes automatically option will significantly reduce information noise.

⚠️ Note: Complete removal of the system application "Themes" is impossible without root-rights, but it can be disabled through application settings, which will hide its icon and stop background processes.

Inside the theme settings, you should also check the “Show Ads” option or similar if it is available in your firmware version. Advertising IDs allow the company to target content, so resetting or disabling them is an important step for privacy. Once you make changes, it is recommended to restart the device so that all settings take effect correctly.

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Disabling recommendations in the Topics app is a key step to getting rid of intrusive advertising throughout the MIUI system.

Using third-party launchers for full customization

If standard MIUI tools don’t achieve the minimum of minimalism you want, a third-party launcher is a great solution. Launcher is an application that completely replaces the desktop interface, lock screen and application menu. Popular options like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher give the user full control over every pixel of the screen.

Installing an alternative launcher ignores many of the limitations imposed by the manufacturer. You can customize any gestures, change the icon grid, remove unnecessary indentations and, most importantly, completely replace the lock screen with your own or disable it altogether. This is a radical but very effective way to turn the Redmi 9 into a device with a pure Android experience.

Installation process

Google Play Market

Xiaomi

Additional methods of blocking advertising and screensavers

For advanced users who want to make the most of their device, there are deeper methods of cleaning the system, including working with advertising identifiers, disabling system services through the use of adware. ADB and the use of special DNS-These are the methods that require caution, but they give the cleanest result.

One effective way to do this is to use a private DNS. By changing the DNS settings in the connection menu, you can block requests to the network-level ad servers. Go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS and type in the address of a trusted blocker, such as dns.adguard.com. This action does not require the installation of additional applications and works immediately after saving.

It is also worth checking the "Special Opportunities" section in the settings. Sometimes the various chillers and accelerators preinstalled in the system have their own floating windows and screensavers. Disabling unnecessary services in this menu will help remove pop-ups and background activity that can be interpreted as an unwanted screensaver.