Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 is still a popular smartphone due to the balanced characteristics and flexible settings of MIUI. One of the “chips” of the firmware are live wallpaper – animated screensavers that respond to touch or change the appearance depending on the time of day. However, not all users like this effect: it can drain the battery faster, distract from work or just get bored with time.
In this article, you’ll find all the possible ways to turn off the Redmi Note 8’s live wallpaper, from standard MIUI settings to alternative methods for power users. We’ll also explore why animations can turn on spontaneously after updates and how to avoid it. If you want to return static wallpaper or just save battery power, read on.
Why the wallpaper can interfere: 3 key problems
Before we get to the instructions, it is worth understanding what exactly the animated screensavers on the Redmi Note 8 are doing.
- 🔋 Increased battery consumption – animation requires constant GPU operation, which increases power consumption by 5-15% (depending on the type of wallpaper).
- 🐢 Interface slowdown – on the budget Snapdragon 665 chipset, live wallpaper can conflict with other processes, especially if games or heavy apps are running in the background.
- 😵 Distraction – Constant movement on the screen tires the eyes and reduces concentration, which is critical for work or reading.
In addition, some users encounter a bug when live wallpaper is turned on voluntarily after updating MIUI. This is due to the fact that the system can reset the theme settings to factory settings. To solve the problem, not only disabling animation, but also fixing the current theme in the settings.
Method 1: Disconnect via standard MIUI settings
The easiest and safest method is to use the built-in MIUI 12/13/14 tools, which are suitable for most users and do not require super-user rights (root).
- Open the Themes app (the icon with a brush on your desktop).
- Go to Wallpaper section. → Live wallpaper.
- Click on the current wallpaper (they will be marked with a tick).
- At the bottom of the screen, select the option to Delete or Disable (depending on the MIUI version).
- Confirm the action and select static wallpaper from the gallery or standard options.
If the item Live wallpaper is not on the menu, try an alternative way:
Settings → Screen → Wallpaper → Select wallpaper → StaticTake a screenshot of the current wallpaper (in case of return)
Close all background applications
Connect your phone to charge (recommended)
Check the version of MIUI (Settings → About the phone)
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⚠️ Note: Some firmware may reset the theme color scheme after the live wallpaper is turned off. To avoid this, pre-save the current theme in Settings → Topics → My subjects.
Method 2: Resetting the launcher to factory settings
If the live wallpaper is not turned off through the Topics menu, the problem may lie in the launcher failure (desktop shell), in which case a soft reset without loss of data will help:
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find the MIUI Launcher (or Lawnchair if you use an alternative launcher) in the list.
- Select Warehouse → Clear data and Clear cache.
- Reboot the phone.
After the reboot, the system will suggest reconfiguring the desktop, so don't choose live wallpaper options when you're choosing wallpaper, just skip the step or specify a static image.
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If the app shortcuts are gone after the launcher is reset, don't panic! They're not deleted, they're just hidden. To get them back, hold your finger in the free desktop space and select Widgets → Application shortcuts.
| Method | Difficulty | Root is required. | Data resetting | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Through MIUI settings | ⭐ | ❌ No. | ❌ No. | 90% |
| Launcher reset | ⭐⭐ | ❌ No. | ⚠️ Partially (launcher only) | 85% |
| Removal via ADB | ⭐⭐⭐ | ❌ No. | ❌ No. | 95% |
| Shutdown via root | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ✅ Yes. | ⚠️ Maybe. | 100% |
Method 3: Removing live wallpaper through ADB (for experienced)
If the standard methods don't work, you can use the Android debugging bridge (ADB), which requires you to connect your phone to your PC, but doesn't need root rights.
- Activate Developer Mode: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times)
- Enable USB debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
- Connect the Redmi Note 8 to your computer and confirm your trust in the device.
- Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.maml This command removes the system application responsible for the live wallpaper.
Once you've done the command, restart your phone, and the live wallpaper will disappear from the selection menu, and the system will return to the standard static options.
⚠️ Note: Removing system applications through ADB It can lead to unstable work MIUI, If you make a mistake in the command, back up before you run through Settings. → Additionally. → Backup.
What if the ADB can’t see the device?
Method 4: Using third-party launchers
If you don't want to mess around with MIUI settings, you can just install an alternative launcher that ignores the system's live wallpaper.
- 📱 Nova Launcher – supports animation customization, but does not use live wallpaper MIUI.
- 🎨 Lawnchair is a lightweight open source launcher optimized for weak devices.
- ⚡ Hyperion Launcher – a minimalist interface without unnecessary effects.
After installation:
- Open a new launcher and select it as the default launcher.
- Go to the launcher settings and set static wallpaper through Desktop Style → Wallpaper.
- Turn off animations in the launcher settings (if they interfere).
The advantage of this method is that you not only get rid of live wallpaper, but also get a more flexible interface setting than in the standard MIUI launcher.
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The launchers don't remove the live wallpaper from the system, they just ignore it. If you go back to the standard MIUI launcher, the animation might come back.
Method 5: Radical solution - rollback of firmware
In rare cases, live wallpapers are not removed due to bugs in a particular version of MIUI. If you encounter such a problem, you can try to roll back to an older firmware where the animation is disabled by regular means. For example, MIUI 12.0.3 for the Redmi Note 8 this problem was not.
For the kickback:
- Download the firmware archive from Xiaomi’s official website (select the Redmi Note 8 model and region).
- Rename the file to update.zip and place it in the phone’s root directory.
- Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
- Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Select the firmware file.
- Confirm the installation and wait for the reboot.
⚠️ Warning: Firmware rollback erases all data from the device, including photos and apps.Be sure to back up via Mi Cloud or Google Drive before the procedure.
If you are not sure of your abilities, it is better to contact the Xiaomi service center - they will perform a rollback with a guarantee of maintaining the phone's performance.
How to prevent the re-inclusion of live wallpaper
Even after a successful shutdown, animation can return after the MIUI update. To avoid this, follow these tips:
- 🔄 Turn off automatic theme updates: Settings → Topics → Settings → Auto-update themes (turn off)
- 📥 Remove downloaded live wallpaper: Go to Topics → Wallpaper. → My wallpaper and remove all animated options.
- 🛡️ Block background processes: C Settings → Annexes → Application management → Topics Turn Off Auto Start and Background Activity.
If you are using MIUI 14 and above, check your Personalization settings – there may be a Dynamic Wallpaper option that includes animation automatically.
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Back up your favorite static wallpapers to the cloud (like Google Photos) so you can quickly restore them even after resetting.