How to change the picture on the lock screen Xiaomi Redmi 9: 5 ways

The lock screen of the Xiaomi Redmi 9 is the first thing you see when you unlock a smartphone, and the overall impression of the device depends on its design. Many users want to personalize the phone, but do not know how to quickly and error-free change the background image. Unlike desktop wallpaper, the lock screen setting in MIUI has its own nuances: resolution restrictions, automatic blurring, and even resetting after updates.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways, from standard MIUI 12/13/14 tools to circumventing restrictions through ADB and third-party apps. You’ll learn how to avoid blurring, where to download wallpaper in the correct resolution for Redmi 9 (including Redmi 9A/9C/9T models), and what to do if changes don’t apply. And for those who like experimentation, we’ve added instructions for installing dynamic wallpaper on the lock screen.

Why the standard method doesn’t always work

Owners of Xiaomi Redmi 9 often find that after selecting a new background through the gallery, the picture on the lock screen remains the same or is displayed blurred. MIUI:

• 🔍 Automatic blur: The system enforces the blur effect on lock wallpapers if their resolution does not match the screen (optimally — 1600×720 for Redmi 9).
• 📱 Separate settings: B MIUI Desktop and lock screen wallpapers are set up separately, but many users miss this point.
• 🔄 Cache system: After updating the firmware or resetting settings MIUI Can reset custom wallpaper to standard.
• 🚫 Theme Limitations: If you use a third-party theme from the Mi Theme Store, it can block changing lock wallpapers.

Important: On the Redmi 9 with MIUI 14 and later, the option of separate wallpaper selection for locking and desktop is unstable – sometimes the system ignores the changes before rebooting.

Before you go to radical methods like ADB, try a simple algorithm:

Make sure that the image is in JPG/PNG format with a resolution of 1600×720

Turn off the theme in settings (Settings → Theme → My theme → Standard)

Clear the cache of the gallery (Settings → Applications → Gallery → Storage → Clear the cache)

Restart your phone before changing the wallpaper-->

Method 1: Standard Replacement through MIUI settings

This is the safest method that works on all versions of Redmi. 9 (including 9A/9C/9T). The instructions are relevant to MIUI 12–14:

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to the Lock Screen section (or Wallpaper → Lock screen in new versions of MIUI).
3. Click Change Wallpaper. → select the source: 🖼️ Gallery – to upload your image. 🌄 Wallpaper. MIUI — background. 🎨 Live wallpaper - dynamic backgrounds (requires) MIUI 13+).
4. After selecting the image, the system will suggest using it for: 📱 Lock screen; 🏠 Work desk; 🔄 Both screens.

Select only "Block screen"

Confirm the changes with the Apply button.

If after that, the picture didn't change.

• Reboot the phone.
• Check if the Power Saving mode is on (it can block wallpaper updates).
• Make sure that the image is not HEIC or WEBp – MIUI does not support them for wallpaper.

💡

If the image blurs, try cutting it to the exact resolution of the screen (1600×720 pixels) in any graphics editor (for example, Pixlr or Photoshop Express).

Method 2: Use the "Themes" app (Mi Theme Store)

The official Theme app not only allows you to download the finished themes, but also to set the wallpaper separately from the rest of the design elements, which is suitable if you want to quickly apply professionally designed background images.

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to the Wallpaper section in the lower menu.
3. Select a category (e.g. Abstraction, Nature, Minimalism).
4. Slip on your favorite picture → Apply → Select only the lock screen.

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ Wallpaper optimized for Redmi 9 resolution (no blurring).
• ✅ There are categories with animated wallpaper (required) MIUI 13+).
• ✅ Possibility of previewing.

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Limited selection of free wallpaper.
• ❌ Some topics require a subscription to a Mi Account.

Once a week.

Once a month

Only when buying a new phone

Never change.-->

Method 3: Install wallpaper via ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don’t work (for example, after the MIUI update, the settings have reset), you can apply wallpaper via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires connecting the phone to a computer, but is guaranteed to work on any version of MIUI.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
• 📱 Included Debugging by USB Redmi 9 (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to tap → Developer → Debugging by USB).
• 🖼️ Image in.jpg or.png format, renamed lockscreen.jpg and placed at the root of the phone's internal memory.

Instructions:

1. Connect Redmi 9 to your computer via USB (select File Transfer mode).
2. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with ADB.
3. Execute commands in order: adb devices adb shell su mount -o rw,remount /system cp /sdcard/lockscreen.jpg /data/system/users/0/wallpaper_lockscreen.jpg chmod 644 /data/system/users/0/wallpaper_lockscreen.jpg reboot

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB It can cause your phone to malfunction. If you're not sure what you're doing, skip this.

After the reboot, the new image will be applied to the lock screen. If the image has not changed, check:

• File path correctness (in some versions of MIUI, the path may be different).
• File permissions (Chmod 644 is mandatory!)
• Image format (JPG/PNG only, without transparency)

Method 4: Third-party applications for wallpaper

If you lack standard MIUI features, you can use third-party apps from Google Play.The best options for Redmi 9 are:

How to use wallpaper through a third-party application:

1. Download and install one of the apps above.
2. Choose your favorite picture and download it in full resolution.
3. Click Install → select Lock Screen (if you have one).
4. If the application does not offer direct installation, save the image to the gallery and use Method 1.

⚠️ Note: Some apps (e.g. Zedge) may request permissions to access notifications or geolocate.

Method 5: Dynamic wallpaper on the lock screen

Starting with MIUI 13, Redmi 9 has support for live wallpaper (animated backgrounds) for the lock screen, but by default there are only a few options available.

1. Download the Video Live Wallpaper or 3D Parallax Background app from Play Market.
2. Choose video or animation (MP4 or GIF format, up to 15 seconds).
3. Cut the video to the screen resolution (1600×720) right in the application.
4. Click Install → Select the Lock screen.
5. In MIUI settings, go to Lock Screen → Live Wallpaper and activate the set background.

Important nuances:

• 🔋 Dynamic wallpaper increases battery consumption by 5-10%.
• 🎥 The video should be short (optimally 5-10 seconds in a cycle).
• 🚫 On the Redmi. 9A With 2 GB of RAM, animation can slow down.

💡

To save charge, turn off live wallpaper in Battery → Power Saving Mode or use them only when connected to charging.

Problem Solving: The picture does not change or blur

If after all the manipulations, the wallpaper on the lock screen remains the same or is displayed incorrectly, check the following points:

Additional steps if nothing helps:

1. Reset the lock screen settings: Settings → System → Reset settings → Reset the lock screen settings.
2. Check if root rights are set, they can block system changes.
3. If the problem has occurred after the MIUI update, try to roll back to the previous version via Fastboot.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing the wallpaper to Redmi 9