Personalizing a smartphone is the first step a new owner takes after unpacking the device. Standard images preinstalled by the manufacturer often seem boring or quickly annoying, requiring replacement with brighter and more relevant shots. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices face a variety of customization options, but not all of them are obvious to the beginner, especially given the constant changes in the interface of the shells of MIUI and the new HyperOS.
The process of replacing wallpaper may seem trivial, but the system offers deep customization capabilities that go beyond just installing a single static picture. You can set up automatic image switching, use live wallpaper, or even download unique themes from a global catalog. Understanding these mechanisms allows you to turn the lock screen into a personal gallery that will please the eye every time you turn on the display.
In this guide, we will take a closer look at all the ways you can change your visuals, focusing on hidden settings and methods to combat intrusive advertising, which sometimes appears as a “card” instead of the usual wallpaper, learn how to manage a gallery, customize a slideshow, and return the classic look to the blocker if it has been changed by system updates.
Basic installation of wallpaper through the system gallery
The easiest and most common way to change the image on a locked screen is to use the standard Gallery app, which does not require an Internet connection or downloading additional applications, since the functionality is built into the Android core with the MIUI shell.
Once you have selected the image, the system will offer several applications: install only on the home screen, only on the lock screen, or both. It is critical to choose the right item, otherwise the desired image may only appear on the desktop, and the lock screen will remain unchanged. In new versions of firmware, the interface may be slightly different, but the logic remains the same for all models.
If you want to use high-quality photos, make sure that the resolution matches or exceeds the resolution of your display. Stretching a low-quality picture will lead to “grain” and artifacts, which will spoil the overall impression of the device. For modern screens with a refresh rate of 120 Hz and high resolution, it is better to use sources in high-bitrate JPG or PNG format.
⚠️ Note: When installing wallpaper from a gallery, the system may automatically suggest "improvement" of an image or apply a filter. If you need the original, carefully check the preview before final confirmation, as processing algorithms can change the color reproduction.
It's worth noting that this is ideal for static images that you want to see all the time, it doesn't require additional permissions from the system and works even in flight mode, but if you're looking for more dynamic content, you should look at the company's built-in services.
Using the “Themes” application to change the design
Xiaomi’s official content store is a powerful tool that users often underestimate, preferring third-party solutions. Inside the Themes app, there is a huge catalog of not only complete system designs, but also individual wallpaper sets, including specialized packages for the lock screen. Here you can find both free and paid options from professional designers.
To find the content you want, you need to go to the bottom menu of the app and select the category "Wallpaper", filters allow you to sort content by popularity, date of addition or rating, and a unique feature of this section is the ability to preview how the wallpaper will look on the lock screen, taking into account the widgets of the watch and notifications.
The installation process takes a few seconds and requires a stable connection to the server. Once the package is loaded, the system will automatically apply changes. If you downloaded the whole theme but want to leave only wallpaper from it, you can use the theme management menu: go to the profile, select an active theme, click “Configure” and only check the box on “Block screen wallpaper”.
- 🎨 A huge selection of author's works, inaccessible in the standard gallery.
- ⏱️ Possibility of installing live wallpaper with animation when unlocking.
- 🔄 Automatic update of the collection in the section "Recommended».
Sometimes, after updating the system, the theme directory may not work correctly or take a long time to load, in which case it helps to clear the app cache through smartphone settings or switch the region to the “Additional” menu to a country with less restrictions, such as India or Indonesia, although this is rarely required for basic wallpaper loading.
Slideshow settings and wallpaper carousel functions
One of the most useful features in Xiaomi’s ecosystem is the Wallpaper Carousel (known in some regions as “Glance” or “Wallpaper”), which allows you to automatically change the image on the lock screen every time you wake up, creating the effect of constant updating and eliminating the need to manually search for new images.
The settings are in the Settings menu → Always on screen and lock screen → Wallpaper carousel. Here the user can choose the categories of images that interest him: nature, cities, art, sports or abstractions. The algorithm selects content based on your preferences and frequency of views.
But there's a downside to this feature: In some regions and firmware versions, Carousel can broadcast advertising content or news cards that overlap part of the image. If your goal is to change beautiful pictures cleanly without ads, you need to carefully check the settings inside the carousel service itself and disable items related to Recommendations or News.
For those who want to create their own slideshow without using Xiaomi cloud services, there is an alternative path through standard wallpaper. The wallpaper selection menu often has a "Wallpaper slideshow" or similar item that allows you to select a specific folder in the phone's memory.
⚠️ Warning: Wallpaper Carousel consumes additional traffic and may slightly increase battery consumption due to the constant loading of content in the background.If you save charge, it is better to use a local slideshow from the gallery.
Managing subscriptions inside the carousel also allows you to disable specific image sources, for example, if you strongly dislike animal pictures or political news, you can remove them from the feed, making personalization more comfortable.
Removing Advertising and Returning Classic Wallpaper
Many users are faced with a situation where, after updating, standard wallpaper is replaced with promotional materials or images with partner logos, which is not a virus, but a feature of the Carousel service, which could be activated automatically, and you can force the service to turn it off.
To do this, you need to go to the lock screen settings and find the wallpaper carousel (or "Glance") switch. After it is turned off, the system will prompt you to select a static image. If you have already selected a picture, but the ad returns, perhaps the "Get content online" function is activated, and it also needs to be deactivated in the theme or carousel settings.
In some cases, especially on global firmware versions, the ad units can be built deeper, and resetting the theme settings to the standard Classic through the Themes app → Profile → My Themes → Classic helps. This action will bring all system images back to factory ones, removing any modifications.
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If you see ads on the lock screen even after you turn off the carousel, check the cleaner or antivirus apps installed from third-party developers, often the ones who implement their screen locks with ads.
You have to distinguish between carousel ads and system notifications. If pop-ups appear on the lock screen, it's not wallpaper, it's the application work. In this case, you need to go to Settings → Notifications and status bar and limit the rights to display for suspicious programs.
Comparison of methods: statics, live wallpaper and carousel
The choice of design method depends on your priorities: performance, aesthetics or variety. Each of the methods has its own technical features and impact on the smartphone, understanding these differences will help you choose the best option for your use case.
Static wallpapers are the choice of maximum autonomy. They don't require CPU time to render, they don't use the Internet. Live Wallpapers create beautiful animations, but they can consume up to a point. 10-15% More energy per day, especially on AMOLED-screens where individual pixels are lit.
The wallpaper carousel is in the middle, it doesn't load the GPU like a live wallpaper, but it requires periodic access to the network. Below is a comparison table that will help you decide on your choice.
| Parameter | Static wallpaper | Live wallpaper | Carousel (Glance) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery consumption | Minimum | High-pitched | Medium. |
| Use of memory | Low. | Medium/High | Low (cache) |
| The Necessity of the Internet | Not required | Only when downloaded | Required constantly |
| Diversity | Depends on the user. | Restricted to recruitment | Automatic. |
When choosing live wallpaper from the store, pay attention to their optimization. Poorly written animation code can cause micro-freezes when unlocking or heating the case at the top of the smartphone, where the processor is located.
☑️ Check before installing live wallpaper
Working with live wallpaper and video background
Xiaomi’s modern smartphones with AMOLED-matrixes are perfect for displaying live wallpaper. Deep black and high contrast make animations truly impressive. However, installing video as a background requires certain rules to be followed, so as not to turn the phone into a “brick” due to overheating or discharge.
Built-in support for video wallpapers in MIUI 13/14 and HyperOS allows you to install short clips from the gallery. To do this, you need to click on the camera icon or select the appropriate file format, the system will automatically trim the video to the desired aspect and create a looped file.
It is important to remember that long, high-resolution (4K) video files can take up a significant amount of RAM, which can lead to background applications being more often unloaded from memory, with 1080p for video wallpapers lasting up to 15 seconds.
Where to find quality live wallpaper?
If after installing live wallpaper smartphone started to work slower, try to reduce the refresh rate of the screen in the display settings or turn off the animation of the windows. This partially compensates for the load on the graphics accelerator.
Frequent problems and their solution
Despite the simplicity of the process, users may encounter bugs, such as the clock may become unreadable after installing new wallpapers due to the similar background color and numbers. In such cases, HyperOS usually suggests that the widget area be automatically darkened, but if this does not happen, just select another photo with a more contrast center.
Another common problem is wallpaper reset, which often happens if an image file is corrupted or moved, so one solution is to copy the original file to a secure folder (e.g., create /Pictures/Wallpapers) and reset the wallpaper from there. Don't use files from the temporary messenger folders.
Sometimes a black screen instead of wallpaper indicates a crowded system interface cache. Cleaning the Themes and Wallpaper app cache through the app management menu usually solves the problem. If nothing helps, resetting all settings to factory will return the standard image, but will require reconfiguration of the phone.
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The most common cause of wallpaper problems is a damaged image file or a third-party launcher conflict.
Remember that some “heavy” themes may conflict with the current version of Android. Always check for the theme compatibility, especially if you’ve recently updated your firmware but continue to use the old design package.