How to change the picture on the lock screen Xiaomi: all the ways (including hidden)

Xiaomi’s lock screen is the first thing you see when you turn on your smartphone, and the overall impression of the device depends on its appearance. Many MIUI users face a problem: the system offers a limited set of standard wallpapers, and replacing them with your own photos or pictures does not always work intuitively. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to change the image on the lock screen, from basic to hidden functions, which are not discussed even in the official guides.

The MIUI is different, because the interface changes depending on the firmware version and the device model. For example, on the Redmi Note 12 with MIUI 14, the algorithm differs from the POCO F5 on MIUI 13. We took these nuances into account and prepared universal instructions that will work for most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices in recent years. If you tried to change the wallpaper through standard settings, but nothing worked, here you will find alternative methods, including the use of ADB and third-party applications.

1. Standard method: through the theme settings

The most obvious method is to use the built-in Themes section, which works on all Xiaomi devices with MIUI 11 and later, but has limitations: some lock wallpapers are tied to system themes and do not allow you to choose arbitrary images.

Open the Topic app (the brush icon on your desktop). In the bottom menu, select Wallpaper, then go to the Lock tab. Here the system will suggest:

• 🌄 Standard Wallpaper – Xiaomi Collection, updated once a month.
• 📷 My wallpaper - here you can choose a photo from the gallery (if the option is active).
• 🎨 Dynamic wallpaper - animated options (not available on all models).

If the My Wallpaper tab is missing or inactive, it means that your version of MIUI is blocking manual image uploading, in which case move on to the following ways. Also note that some of the wallpaper in the Themes section can automatically apply the same style for both locking and desktop - this depends on the theme chosen.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 12.5 and older, when selecting wallpaper from the gallery, the system can crop the image to the screen format. If the picture does not fit into the frame, try to crop it in advance in any graphics editor (the aspect ratio should be 9:19.5 for most models).

2. Alternative method: through the gallery

If the Topics section doesn’t allow you to upload your own image, try doing it directly from the Gallery, which works on most devices, but may require you to pre-configure:

1. Open the Gallery app and select the desired image.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Set as.
3. In the menu that appears, select Wallpaper Lock (if such a item is missing, then your firmware does not support it).
4. Confirm the choice and crop the image according to the proposed markup.

If there is no Wallpaper lock, it means that MIUI limits the change of wallpaper through the gallery, in which case the following method will help - using the theme editor.

3. Theme Editor: Hidden MIUI Function

MIUI has a built-in theme editor that allows you to manually assign wallpaper to lock even if the standard methods don't work, a technique that requires a little more action, but is guaranteed to work on most devices:

1. Clutch the empty space on the desktop and select Wallpaper.
2. At the bottom of the screen, click on the Topic icon (brush icon).
3. Select any topic from the list (e.g. standard Default).
4. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Edit theme.
5. In the editor that opens, go to the Block tab and click Change Wallpaper.
6. Select the source: Gallery, Downloads or other storage.
7. Cut the image and save the changes.

Once saved, the new image will appear on the lock screen, which bypasses the limitations of the standard interface, but requires you to pre-download the image to the device's memory. If the theme editor is not in your version of MIUI, try updating the firmware or use the following method.

Download the picture to your phone (Downloads or Pictures folder)

Cut the image to an aspect ratio of 9:19.5 (e.g. 1080×2340 pixels)

Check if the file format is JPG or PNG (GIF is not supported)

Make sure the file size is less than 10 MB

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4.Use of ADB: for advanced users

If all previous methods have failed, the most reliable way is to change the wallpaper via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that requires connecting a smartphone to a computer and basic command-line knowledge, but it works even on locked versions of MIUI.

You'll need:

• 💻 A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (in Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI Press 7 times, then return to the Additional Settings → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🖼️ Prepared image in format PNG or JPG, renamed lockscreen_wallpaper and placed at the root of internal memory.

Follow the following commands in ADB:

adb shell


su




mount -o rw,remount /system




cp /sdcard/lockscreen_wallpaper /data/system/users/0/wallpaper_locked




chmod 644 /data/system/users/0/wallpaper_locked




reboot

Once the device is restarted, the new image will appear on the lock screen, a method that is guaranteed to work on all versions of MIUI, including Chinese firmware with limited settings, but requires caution - improper use of ADB can lead to system failures.

⚠️ Attention: If you are using MIUI Android-based 12 Or later, the path to the lock wallpaper may be different. In this case, replace the cp command with: cp /sdcard/lockscreen_wallpaper /data/system/users/0/wallpaper_locked_com.android.systemui Also make sure you have root rights, otherwise the su command won't work.

5 Third-Party Applications: Bypassing MIUI Restrictions

If you don't want to mess around with ADB, you can use third-party apps from Google Play, which bypass the limitations of MIUI and allow you to install any wallpaper on the lock screen.

To install wallpaper through these applications:

1. Download and install the selected application from Google Play.
2. Open it and select the image you like.
3. Click Install and select Lock screen only (if there is one).
4. Confirm the changes and restart the device (sometimes required for use).

Note that some apps (such as Muzei) may require additional permissions to work with lock wallpaper. If the image hasn’t changed after installation, check the application settings and permissions in Settings → Apps → Permissions Management.

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If you’re using a POCO Launcher or Xiaomi EU ROM, try changing the wallpaper first through standard settings – these firmware often have advanced lock options.

6. Features for different Xiaomi models

Depending on the Xiaomi model, the process of changing the lock wallpaper can have nuances, and we have collected key differences for popular lines:

• 📱 Redmi Note 10/11/12: They support dynamic wallpaper, but in MIUI 13 You may not have a manual download option. Use a theme editor or ADB.
• 📱 POCO F3/F4/F5: Have a separate wallpaper menu in the settings (Settings) → Wallpapers), but sometimes require a reset to apply changes.
• 📱 Xiaomi 12/13/14: V MIUI 14 Added the option Super Wallpaper (3D-effects), but they take up a lot of memory and can slow down animation.
• 📱 Black Shark 4/5: Gaming smartphones have stripped-down wallpaper settings - use ADB third-party.

On dual-screen devices (such as the Xiaomi Mix Fold), lock wallpapers are set separately for internal and external displays.

1. Go to Settings → Display → Double screen wallpaper.
2. Choose Lock (external) or Lock (internal).
3. Upload individual images for each screen.

If your model isn't mentioned in the list, try generic methods (via Themes or ADB). Most of the restrictions are not related to hardware, but to the MIUI version.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after successful wallpaper changes, Xiaomi users face challenges, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

• 🔄 Wallpaper resets after rebooting: This is related to the system cache. Clear the Topics app cache (Settings) → Annexes → Application management → Topics → Clear the cache).
• 🖼️ Picture cropped or stretched: Use images with a resolution that matches your screen (e.g, 2400×1080 For the Redmi Note 11).
• 🚫 No option "Block Wallpaper" in the gallery: This is a firmware restriction - use the theme editor or ADB.
• ⚡ Live wallpaper brakes the system: Turn off animation in wallpaper settings or select a static image.

If after all the manipulations the wallpaper has not changed, check:

1. Have no child lock or guest mode (they can block changes) installed.
2. Does the wallpaper application you have installed conflict with system settings (try to disable it).
3. Is the power saving mode on, it can limit background processes, including changing wallpapers.

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If none of these methods worked, try resetting the Themes app to factory settings (Settings → Apps → Themes → Storage → Reset).This often helps to return standard wallpaper changes options.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions