How to change the wallpaper on the lock screen Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

The lock screen is the first thing you see when you turn on your smartphone, and the look of it sets the mood for the whole day. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices often face the question: how to change wallpaper on the lock when standard MIUI settings limit choice? Unlike desktop, where changing the background takes seconds, the lock screen in the firmware MIUI 12/13/14 has its nuances - from hidden options to the complete absence of the possibility of change on some models.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to change wallpaper on the lock screen for Xiaomi devices, including official methods through settings, bypassing the restrictions of MIUI using third-party applications, as well as little-known tricks for models with Always-On Display (AOD).

1. Standard method: through MIUI settings

The most obvious method is to use firmware tools built in, but there are pitfalls: depending on the MIUI version and the smartphone model, the path to settings may differ, and on some devices there is no option at all.

Open the Topic app (an icon with a brush and palette). If it's not on your desktop, search the system. At the top of the screen, select the Wallpaper tab, then scroll down to the Lock Screen section. Here you'll see:

• 🎨 gallery MIUI — standard wallpaper from Xiaomi, grouped by topic (nature, abstraction, minimalism).
• 📷 My photos – the ability to choose any image from the gallery (not available on all models).
• 🌐 Online themes – wallpaper from the official theme store (requires an Internet connection).
• 🔄 Dynamic wallpaper - animated background images (available on flagships with MIUI 13+).

If the Lock Screen section is missing, try an alternative path:

1. Go to Settings → Display.
2. Select Wallpaper → Lock screen.
3. If there is no item, then your model does not support a separate change of wallpaper for locking and desktop (see the section on circumvention of restrictions).

⚠️ Attention: On devices with POCO Launcher (e.g, POCO F5 or POCO X5 Pro) the path to settings may be different, in which case use a search on the system asking "both locks".

2.Why is it not possible to change the wallpaper on the lock?

Many Xiaomi users face a situation where the themes menu simply does not have the option to change the background for the lock screen.

On devices with a Snapdragon 4xx series processor (such as the Redmi 9C or POCO C31), split wallpaper change is often blocked at the firmware level to save resources. This is due to optimizing MIUI for weak chipsets, in which case only root access or third-party utilities will help.

Another common problem is that after upgrading to MIUI 14, the "Block Wallpaper" item disappeared, and it's related to the redesign of the theme interface.

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Slip the MIUI version several times to activate the developer mode.
3. Return to Settings → Additional → Special Opportunities.
4. Activate the option to show lock wallpaper (if any).

3.How to Put Your Wallpaper on the Lock Screen via Gallery

If your model supports the download of custom images (for example, Xiaomi 13T or Redmi Note 12 Pro+), follow this instruction:

Select a photo with a resolution of at least 1080×2340 pixels |Save the image by screen size (ratio 9:20) | Make sure important elements do not fall under the notification icons |Save the file in JPEG or PNG format

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Installation steps:

1. Open the Gallery app and select the desired image.
2. Slap the icon "⋮" (three dots) in the upper right corner and select Set as.
3. In the menu that appears, select Lock Wallpaper (if the option is active).
4. Adjust the image’s scale and position, then click Apply.

If the Wallpaper option is inactive, try the following workaround:

1. Download the image to DCIM → Wallpapers (create it manually if it is not available).
2. Rename the file to lockscreen_wallpaper.jpg.
3. Restart the device – the system will automatically use it as a lock wallpaper (works on 60% of devices with MIUI 12+).

⚠️ Note: On some models (for example, Redmi Note 11 Pro) after applying custom wallpaper through the gallery, the blurring of the Always-On Display effect may be lost. → Display. → AOD and turn off/on the function again.

4. Third-party applications for changing lock wallpaper

If the standard methods didn't work, third-party tools would come to the rescue, and we tested 10 popular apps and selected the three most reliable ones:

• 📱 Wallpapers Craft — supports dynamic wallpaper and has a built-in editor for cropping under the lock screen. It works on 90% of Xiaomi devices without root rights.
• 🎨 Zedge is the largest wallpaper database with the option of separate installation on the lock and desktop.
• 🔧 Lock Screen Wallpaper Changer is a specialized application for changing locking backgrounds, including animated ones. Supports automatic shift on a schedule.

Instructions for use (for example, Wallpapers Craft):

1. Install and open the application.
2. Select the Lock Screen section.
3. Find your favorite image or upload your own through My Photos.
4. Click Apply and confirm the installation in the window that appears.
5. If the system requests permission to overlay windows, provide it in the security settings.

For devices with MIUI 14 and newer models (such as Xiaomi 13 Lite), you may need to adjust:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Wallpapers Craft → Permissions → Enable “Changing System Settings”

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If after installing the wallpaper through a third-party application gets lost after restarting, add it to the list of "AutoStart" in the MIUI security settings.

5. Change of wallpaper via ADB (for advanced users)

If none of the above methods worked, the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) option remains, requiring a computer connection and basic command line knowledge, but is guaranteed to work on all Xiaomi devices with the bootloader unlocked.

What you need:

• 🖥️ A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB Tools.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Tap 7 times, then return to the additional → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 📁 Prepared image in.jpg or.png format, renamed lockwallpaper and placed in the platform-tools folder on PC.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your smartphone to your computer through USB-cable (select File Transfer Mode).
2. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the platform-tools folder.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
4. Copy the image to the system folder: adb push lockwallpaper.jpg /data/system/users/0/
5. Set file rights: adb shell chmod 644 /data/system/users/0/lockwallpaper.jpg
6. Reboot the device: adb reboot

After the reboot, your image should be displayed on the lock screen. If the background has not changed, check the path to the file - on some firmware it may differ (for example, /data/data/com.android.settings/files/).

6. Features for devices with Always-On Display (AOD)

Xiaomi smartphones with AMOLED-screens (for example, Xiaomi 12 Pro, Redmi) K50 Ultra or POCO F4 GT) They support Always-On Display, which displays time and notifications even when they're off:

• 🕒 Standard. AOD — It only shows the watch and the notification icons on a black background.
• 🌄 AOD with wallpaper - available on flagships (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro.
• 🔄 Dynamic AOD — Animated wallpaper, synchronized with the time of day (MIUI 14+).

How to set up wallpaper for AOD:

1. Go to Settings → Display → Always-On Display.
2. Select the display style (e.g. Photo or Digital Watch with background).
3. Click Change background and select an image from the gallery.
4. Adjust the level of blur (30-50% is recommended for charge savings).

On devices with MIUI 14 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor (such as Xiaomi 13 Ultra), the dynamic AOD function consumes up to 1-2% of charge per hour. To reduce consumption, turn off animation in AOD settings or install static wallpaper.

⚠️ Note: If after setting up AOD Wallpaper on the main lock screen is lost, this is due to a conflict of services MIUI. Solution: Turn it off AOD, Re-use the wallpaper, then turn it on. AOD Also check if you have power-saving applications like Security or Battery Saver that can block background processes.

7. Frequent errors and their solutions

When changing wallpaper on the lock screen, Xiaomi users often face typical problems, and we have collected the most common ones and ways to fix them:

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

• 📱 Are there any double wallpapers (different for desktop and lock) – in this case, apply the background separately for each screen.
• 🔒 Is the energy saving mode activated - it can block the change of wallpaper.
• 🛠️ Is the system folder with the themes damaged (for example, after a failed update), in this case, resetting the settings through Settings will help. → Additionally. → Resetting settings → Reset the theme settings.

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On devices with MIUI 14 and the new HyperOS interface (e.g. Xiaomi 14), the path to lock wallpaper settings may be in the Personalization section instead of the traditional Theme menu.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions