How to change the wallpaper on the desktop of the Xiaomi phone

Personalization is the first thing a user does after buying a new smartphone. Changing the wallpaper allows you to instantly transform the appearance of the operating system, making it unique and pleasant to the eye. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices have access to powerful tools for the shell MIUI and HyperOS, which offers much more features than standard solutions of competitors.

The process of replacing the background may seem trivial, but there are many nuances in the Xiaomi ecosystem: you can install a static image from the gallery, choose live wallpaper with animations or even download a video file. The flexibility of settings allows you to adapt the device to any preferences, whether it is minimalism or bright dynamic scenes.

In this article, we will take a look at all the ways you can change your visuals, how to use embedded themes, where to look for quality images, and how to adjust their display on different screens, and it is critical to understand the difference between applying a picture to a lock screen and a desktop, as the system often offers different settings for these areas.

Use of the built-in “Themes” application

The most popular and functional way to change design is to use the Theme app pre-installed, and this is where most of the content created by both the official designers and the community of users is concentrated, so you have to open the wallpaper section and switch to the appropriate tab at the bottom of the screen.

The app interface allows you to sort content into categories, making it much easier to search. You can choose wallpaper, HD, or Video to see thousands of design choices. Matching algorithms often offer personalized recommendations based on your previous choices, which helps you find something more quickly.

• 🎨 Open the Topics app on the desktop.
• 📂 Go to the bottom tab with the name Wallpaper.
• 🔍 Use filters to search by color or category.
• ⬇️ Click Download button on selected image.
• ✅ Click Apply and select the target screen.

It’s worth noting that some of the wallpapers in the catalog may be paid or require you to view ads before downloading.This is a normal monetization practice for theme developers. However, free content is more than enough to completely change the look of your Xiaomi smartphone.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party themes from the directory, carefully check the permissions they request.Some themes may try to access contacts or location without an obvious need to.

Installation of image from the Gallery

Often users want to see a lock, travel or screenshot taken before, and you don't need a built-in themes catalog, and the MIUI shell gallery has a powerful built-in editor that allows you to quickly set any image as a background.

The installation process is simple: open the photo, click on the menu (usually three dots or more) and select “Set as wallpaper.” The system will automatically prompt you to crop the image, which is an important step, since the aspect ratio of the photo may not match the resolution of your phone’s display.

When you framing, you can move your viewpoint, choosing which part of the photo will be displayed on the lock screen and which will be displayed on the desktop. Once confirmed, the system will apply the settings. If the result does not suit, the procedure can be repeated instantly.

• 🖼️ Open the desired image in the Gallery app.
• ⚙️ Press the button More and select Set as Wallpaper.
• ✂️ Adjust the boundaries of framing with your finger.
• 📱 Choose where to apply: Lock screen, Desktop or Both screens.

Setting up live and video wallpapers

Owners of smartphones with AMOLED-And the screens will appreciate that you can set the video as a background, which makes the interface live and interactive, and unlike static images, video wallpaper can respond to touch, or it can be played back in a loop when you unlock the device.

To install video wallpapers, you can use the “Video” section in the Themes app or download your own file through settings.

There's also a wallpaper carousel feature that automatically changes the images on the lock screen at a certain frequency, so you can enjoy the variety without manual intervention, and you can adjust the sources and the frequency of the change in system settings.

⚠️ Attention: Heavy installation 4K-video as wallpaper can cause slowing of the interface on budget models of smartphones with a small amount of RAM.

Working with Dark Mode and Always On Display

Modern versions of the HyperOS and MIUI 14 offer deep integration of wallpaper with system functions. One of the most useful is the adaptation to a dark theme. When you turn on night mode, the system can automatically darken bright wallpaper, making it less contrasting and pleasing to the eyes in the dark.

Also available on supported devices is Always On Display (always on screen). Wallpaper for this mode must be specially prepared: have a black background and clear contours, so as not to burn out pixels and save charge. You can create your own AOD-Photos from the photo through the “Themes” app» -> Profile -> Create a theme -> AOD.

To activate adaptive functions, you need to go to the display settings, and you can find the "Adaptation of colors for wallpaper" switch or similar options that change the color of the notification curtain and icons depending on the dominant background color.

• 🌙 Turn on Dark Theme in the Notification Curtain to Check Adaptation.
• ⏰ Configure Always On Display in the Lock Screen section.
• 🎨 Use the Adaptive Colors function to harmonize the interface.
• 🔋 Watch the battery indicator when using complex animations.

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To maximize energy savings on AMOLED-Use completely black static wallpaper – black pixels on such arrays are simply turned off and do not consume energy.

Solving problems with display and quality

Sometimes, after installation, the wallpaper may look blurry or not cropped correctly, often due to the difference in resolution between the source file and the screen matrix, the system tries to stretch or compress the image, which leads to loss of quality (compression artifacts).

To avoid this, try to use images with a resolution equal to or greater than your screen’s native resolution (for example, for FullHD+, look for images at least 1080x2400 pixels).

If the wallpaper floats when you scroll through your desktops, check the animation settings. Some themes have a default parallax effect that moves the background at different speeds relative to the icons, which you can turn off in the theme settings or by choosing a static style.

Settings -> Wallpaper and personalization -> Transition effects

In this menu, you can choose how the background will behave when you navigate, and choosing the option “No” or “Static” will remove unnecessary movement and can slightly improve performance on older devices.

Third-party applications for advanced users

If Xiaomi’s standard functionality isn’t enough, Google Play offers a variety of alternatives, with apps like the Wallpaper Engine allowing you to stream wallpaper from PC to phone, and Backdrops offering exclusive collections from artists.

When using third-party software, it is important to give the necessary permissions to access the storage and, in some cases, overlay on top of other windows (for live wallpaper). Without this, the functionality of applications will be limited. Be careful with applications that require too many access rights.

Some users prefer to install entire launchers (desktop shells) like Nova Launcher or Niagara.They completely replace Xiaomi's standard interface, providing their own, often more flexible, tools for managing wallpaper and widgets.

⚠️ Note: Installing launchers from unknown sources can lead to unstable system operation or full-screen advertising.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

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Use native MIUI tools for maximum stability, but don’t be afraid to experiment with the gallery to create a unique style.