The lock screen is the first thing you see when you unlock Xiaomi, and its appearance directly affects the overall impression of the smartphone. Standard wallpaper from MIUI quickly squash, and user backgrounds allow you to personalize the device to your style. However, not everyone knows that setting the lock background on Xiaomi has nuances, from firmware versions to restrictions on animated wallpaper.
In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to change the background, from standard MIUI 14 tools to circumventing restrictions through ADB and third-party apps. We’ll focus on the challenges faced by owners of Redmi Note 12, POCO F5 and other new models where the wallpaper customization interface has changed, and you’ll learn how to save your favorite wallpaper when resetting your phone and why some images refuse to be installed on the lock screen.
Method 1: Standard background change via MIUI settings
The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI tools. It works on all modern Xiaomi smartphones, including the Redmi 13C, POCO X6 Pro and Black Shark 6. The main condition: your device must be on the firmware MIUI 12 or newer (on older versions, the path to settings may differ).
To change the background:
- Open the Settings app (cog icon).
- Go to the Lock Screen section (or Wallpaper → Lock screen on some models).
- Click Change Wallpaper or Select a background.
- Select the source: 🖼️ Gallery - your personal photos 🌄 Standard Wallpaper – a collection from Xiaomi 🎨 Live wallpaper – animated background drawings (not available on all models)
Apply
Image resolution of at least 1080×2340 pixels
File format: JPG or PNG (GIF is not supported by default)
Free space in memory (MIUI caches wallpaper)
Power saving mode is turned off (can block changes)
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On some devices (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Ultra), after selecting the background, the system will suggest applying it only to the lock screen, only to the home screen, or both at the same time.
⚠️ Note: On smartphones with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Xiaomi 14 or X-rays) POCO F5 Pro) Dark wallpaper reduces battery consumption. Avoid bright white backgrounds, which increase the display power consumption by 15-20%.
Method 2: Quick replacement through the gallery
If you change wallpaper frequently, it’s more convenient to use the gallery’s context menu, which works on all devices with MIUI 13/14 and allows you to set the background in 3 clicks:
- Open the Gallery app and find the image you want.
- Tap the photo and hold your finger for 1-2 seconds to create a context menu.
- Select Set as → Lock screen wallpaper.
- Adjust the framing area (if necessary) and confirm the choice.
This method is convenient for spontaneous change of background, but has a limitation: if the image is too small (for example, 800×600 px), the system will automatically stretch it, which will lead to loss of quality. The optimal resolution for modern Xiaomi is 1080×2400 px (for devices with a cutout for the front camera).
Once a week.
Once a month
Only when buying a new phone
Never change.
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On models that support Always-On Display (such as the Xiaomi 13T Pro), the background of the lock screen is automatically optimized for display in AOD mode. Bright colors may not display correctly - use dark or monochrome wallpaper.
Method 3: Live Wallpaper and Animations
MIUI supports live wallpapers, but with a number of limitations. On most Xiaomi devices (except flagships), animation only works on the home screen, and the lock screen remains static.
- Install a third-party app for live wallpaper (such as Wallpapers Craft or KLWP Live Wallpaper Maker).
- In the application settings, select the option Apply to the lock screen (if available).
- Some apps (like Video Live Wallpaper) will need to provide permission to Overlay over other windows in Android settings.
| Xiaomi model | Support for live wallpaper on lockdown | Whether ADB is required |
|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi 14 / 14 Pro | Yes (partially) | No. |
| Redmi Note 12 Pro+ | No. | Yes (for compulsory inclusion) |
| POCO F5 | Only through third-party applications | No. |
| Black Shark 5 Pro | Yes (full support) | No. |
For devices without official support for live lock wallpaper (e.g., Redmi Note 11), you can use the ADB command:
adb shell settings put global lock_screen_live_wallpaper_enabled 1After completing the command, restart your smartphone. Please note that this method can lead to increased battery consumption (up to 5-7% per hour in standby mode).
Why don’t the live wallpapers work on the lock?
Method 4: Use of MIUI Themes
MIUI themes allow you to change not only wallpaper, but also icons, fonts, transition animations. Many themes include unique backgrounds for the lock screen that are not available in the standard gallery.
- Open the Topic app (Brush icon).
- In the Recommended or Top section, select your favorite topic.
- Click Apply - the background of the lock will change automatically.
If you like only the background from the theme, and the rest of the elements (icons, fonts) do not suit, you can extract the wallpaper manually:
- Download the topic from the topic → Mine. → Loaded.
- Connect your smartphone to your PC and follow the path /sdcard/MIUI/theme/[name theme].
- Find the background file (usually) lockscreen_wallpaper.jpg) And copy it to the gallery.
- Set the background using the standard method (see Method 1).
⚠️ Attention: Some topics from the store MIUI Themes contain ads or collect data about the device. Before installing, check other users' reviews and the theme rating (optimum: 4.5).+ star).
Method 5: Manual change through ADB (for power users)
If standard methods do not work (for example, on custom firmware or after resetting), you can change the background through ADB. This method is suitable for all Android 10+ devices, but requires a connection to a computer.
Instructions:
- Install ADB Tools on PC (you can download from the official Android website).
- Turn on USB Debugging on your smartphone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times to activate Developer Mode), then go back to Settings → Additional → Developers → Debugging on USB.
- Connect your phone to your PC and type in the command: adb shell cmd overlay enable com.android.systemui
- Copy the selected image to /sdcard/Pictures/Wallpapers/ and rename it to lockscreen.jpg.
- Use the command to use the background: adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.WALLPAPER_CHANGED
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Before using ADB, back up your current wallpaper and copy files from /data/system/users/0/wallpaper (root rights required).
Frequent problems and their solutions
Even after successful background changes, Xiaomi users are faced with bugs, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:
| Problem. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The background does not change after application | Cash systems or conflict themes | Clear the cache in Settings → Apps → App management → Wallpaper and reboot the phone. |
| Image stretched or cropped | Inappropriate background resolution | Use wallpaper with a resolution of 1080×2400 px (for most models) or trim by hand in the editor. |
| Live wallpaper is slowing down | Productivity constraints MIUI | Turn off animation in the battery settings (Settings → Battery → Performance Mode). |
| Background resets after update | Resetting MIUI settings | Save a copy of the background to the Xiaomi Cloud or on the cloud SD-map. |
If none of the methods worked, try resetting the lock screen settings:
- Go to Settings → System → Resetting settings.
- Select Reset the lock screen settings (does not delete data!).
- After restarting, repeat the background setting.
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On devices with an unlocked bootloader, the lock screen background can be reset each time it is turned on, and this involves checking the integrity of the system, setting up custom recovery (such as TWRP) and flashing a wallpaper patch.