Smartphone personalization is not just a fashion nod, it’s a way to make the device truly your own. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices often encounter the intrusive Mi Lock Screen system, which automatically changes images and shows news. However, the standard interface of the MIUI or HyperOS shell allows you to flexibly manage this process, if you know where to look for the right switches.
Many users want to see their favorite photos, family shots, or just a static high-resolution picture on a locked screen that won’t change every minute. Standard settings offer basic functionality, but deep dive in the theme and screen settings will be required to fully control the visual style. In this article, we’ll look at all the ways to replace the background, from simple methods to advanced settings.
You’ll learn how to turn off annoying ads, set up automatic image changes on schedule, and even make sure that the wallpaper changes every time you press the power button. Properly configuring Lock Screen is not only pleasing to the eye, but can save battery power by turning off unnecessary animations and network requests.
Standard change of wallpaper through system settings
The most obvious and quick way to change a static image is to use the built-in settings menu, which is suitable for those who want to set one particular picture and forget about it. First, you need to unlock the device and find the Settings app, which usually has a gear icon.
In the menu that opens, you should scroll down to the Wallpaper section. In some versions of the firmware, this item may be called Wallpaper and personalization. The system will offer several categories: Recommended, City, Nature or Abstraction.
⚠️ Note: When selecting images from the Recommended category, the system can automatically activate the Wallpaper Carousel function, even if you did not plan to.
If you want to use your own photo, you need to select the Local tab or click the + button in the corner of the screen. The file manager will open where you can select the image from the gallery. After choosing, the system will suggest framing the picture so that it fits perfectly on the matrix of your Xiaomi.
It is important to distinguish between two types of application: the lock screen and the main screen. When confirming the choice, be sure to click the Apply button and in the menu that appears, specify the lock screen. If you choose "Both screens", the picture is duplicated, which may not always be convenient for the perception of time and widgets.
Setting up wallpaper carousel and disabling advertising
Wallpaper Carousel is a MIUI shell feature that automatically uploads new images from the Internet, which many users find useful, but often complain about the abundance of advertising and the inability to put your photo in rotation, and to manage this, you need to go to the settings of the carousel itself.
Go to Settings → Wallpaper → Wallpaper Carousel. This is the content management center. In the Subscription section, you can choose the subject of images: sports, cars, landscapes or technology. The system will download new background packets when you connect to Wi-Fi.
- 📸 Update frequency: allows you to set the interval of the change of the picture (every hour, when the screen is turned on or daily).
- 🚫 Disabling advertising: in the settings of the carousel there is a “Get recommendations” switch that must be turned off to remove banner ads.
- 🖼️ Add your photos: the function “My albums” allows you to add to the rotation of personal photos from the gallery.
For those who want to get rid of the service completely, there is the option of turning it off. In the merry-go-round menu, you need to find a switch to turn on the wallpaper carousel and deactivate it, and then the lock screen will return to the standard static view you installed earlier.
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To quickly remove ads in the carousel, open any picture in preview mode, click three dots in the corner and select "Do not show similar topics."
It's worth noting that even if the carousel is turned off, some system themes can force Lock Screen to change, depending on the author of the theme downloaded from Themes. If the wallpaper changes on its own, check the active theme and reset it to the standard Classic if necessary.
Using the theme to change the style of the lock
The Themes Store in Xiaomi smartphones is a powerful tool that changes not only icons, but also system fonts, sounds and, of course, the lock screen. Some themes offer unique Always On Display and complex unlock animations not available in stock settings.
To find a theme with a suitable lock screen, open the Topic app. You can search for keywords such as "Minimal", "Clock" or "Nature." When viewing a topic, pay attention to screenshots: usually the second or third screenshot is shown by Lock Screen.
⚠️ Warning: Third-party themes may conflict with the latest Android or HyperOS updates, causing lags when unlocked. If the phone starts to run slower after installing the theme, it's best to delete it.
Once you download and apply the theme, the system will apply all of its components. If you only like the lock screen and don't want to change the icons, you can make a selective application. Go to the user profile in the theme store, click My Pages → Topics, select an active theme, click Set up and leave a tick only on the lock screen.
There's also a separate section called Components inside the theme store, where you can only download lock screen packages from different authors without affecting the rest of the interface, and this allows you to combine visual styles to create a unique configuration.
☑️ Checking before setting the topic
Creating a slideshow from personal photos
For those who don't trust the Internet and prefer to see only their own pictures, there is a feature for creating a local slideshow, which is ideal for digital photo frames when the phone is on the table, and you can implement this through a standard gallery or third-party widgets.
The most reliable way is to use the One Image or Photo widget on the desktop, but the settings are more limited for the lock screen. In some versions of MIUI, you can select the source of the Album in the carousel settings, where you should tick the desired folders with photos.
If standard functionality doesn’t work, Google Play apps like Lock Screen & Notifications come to the rescue, requiring permission to draw over other windows, but giving full control over which images will appear and in what order when the screen is turned on.
| Setup parameter | Standard Carousel | Third-party annex | Local album |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photo source | Internet (Xiaomi server) | Any (local/cloud) | Memory of the device |
| Traffic consumption | High-pitched | Depends on the settings. | Absent. |
| Advertising | Maybe (can be turned off) | Depends on the app. | No. |
| Difficulty setting up | Low. | Medium | Low. |
When using third-party solutions, it is important to monitor the battery resolutions. Xiaomi system aggressively unloads background processes, so for the slideshow application you need to set the mode of operation Without restrictions in the battery settings, otherwise the images will cease to change after an hour of operation.
Customize Always On Display and Widgets
On smartphones with AMOLED matrices, wallpaper replacement is often complemented by Always On Display (AOD) mode. Although it is technically not wallpaper, but the burning out of individual pixels, the visual perception of locking changes dramatically. You can set up AOD in the Settings → Lock screen menu.
Different watch and calendar styles are available in this section. Some styles are animated and respond to touch or notifications. Choosing Black style helps save energy, as most pixels remain off.
- 🕒 Schedule: You can set up the display AOD only at night or within 10 seconds of touching.
- 🔔 Display notifications: allows you to see message icons even on the screen turned off.
- 🖼️ Background image: for AOD You can also choose your picture, which will be visible in dark mode.
It's important to understand the difference between Always On Display and a regular lock screen. AOD runs at a minimum refresh rate and uses a limited palette to keep the matrix from damaging and planting the battery. Full-color wallpaper in this mode is not displayed.
Effect of AOD on the battery
The combination of a properly matched AOD and static wallpaper creates a premium feel. Experiment with the transparency of watch widgets so that they blend harmoniously with the chosen background without overlapping important image details.
Solving problems with the use of wallpaper
Sometimes users are faced with a situation when after choosing the image, it does not apply, looks stretched or quickly resets to a standard one. Often the reason lies in the file format or the operation of the system optimizer. Supported image formats: JPG, PNG, GIF (static).
If the image is low resolution, the system can automatically stretch it, which will lead to "grain" and pixelation. For modern screens with a resolution of FHD+ or 2K, it is recommended to use source sizes of at least 1080x2340 pixels.
⚠️ Note: Files with extension HEIC (iPhone photos may not be displayed correctly in the Xiaomi gallery without conversion. If the photo is not put on the wallpaper, first save it in the format JPG.
Another common problem is resetting wallpaper after rebooting, which can occur if the theme installed in the store takes precedence over system settings, in which case you either need to change the theme to a standard one, or re-apply the wallpaper already inside the theme settings menu.
It is also worth checking for system updates. In older versions of MIUI, there were bugs when the wallpaper carousel cache overflowed and blocked the change of background. Clearing the wallpaper carousel app cache through the Apps menu → All apps → Wallpaper carousel → Clean often solves the problem.
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If the wallpaper does not apply, check if you have a "Hard" theme from the store - it blocks system changes in the background.