How to change wallpaper on Xiaomi Redmi: the complete guide

Personalizing the MIUI or HyperOS interface starts with the home screen where the user spends the most time. Replacing a standard image with a high-quality photo or dynamic animation can dramatically change the experience of a smartphone, making it unique and reflective of your style. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices have access to powerful built-in tools that do not require third-party launchers or complex manipulations.

But beginners often get confused about the variety of settings, not understanding the difference between installing a picture from a gallery and downloading a theme from a store. There is also a nuance to splitting the background for the lock screen and the desktop that isn’t always obvious. In this article, we’ll go into detail all the ways to change the visual design so you can manage your device professionally.

You don't need root rights or a computer connection to get started, all the features are built into the default system and are available immediately after unpacking the device, and the main thing is to understand the logic of the Android shell performed by engineers from a Chinese corporation.

Basic installation of the image from the Gallery

The simplest and most common method is to use your own photo or an image downloaded from the Internet, and when you open any image in the standard Gallery app, the system offers quick access to the installation function, which allows you to instantly evaluate how the image looks in real size before approving the changes.

Once you select the file you want, click on the three dots in the lower right corner or the "More" button. In the drop-down menu, select "Install as wallpaper." The system will immediately suggest two options: set the image only to the lock screen, only to the desktop, or both screens at the same time. This is a critical point, because users often want to see different images in these areas.

In the framing phase, look at the proportions. If the original photo is vertical, it will lie perfectly on the screen, but you have to move the horizontal one. Don't rush to crop, try to shift the frame so that important details are not covered by the watch widgets or application icons. Once the changes are confirmed, the system will apply the new background instantly.

• 📸 Open the desired photo in the Gallery app.
• ⚙️ Click the “More” menu and select “Install as Wallpaper».
• 🖥️ Specify the target screen: lock, desktop, or both.
• ✂️ Adjust the framing area and confirm the action.

⚠️ Note: When installing an image from your desktop, make sure that the bright elements of the photo do not merge with the color of the application icons, otherwise navigation will become uncomfortable.

It's worth noting that when you select the background for the lock screen, the system might suggest a depth effect, in which case the time and date will be partially overlapped by objects in the foreground of the photo, creating a beautiful three-dimensional effect, which works best with portrait shots, where the object in the foreground is clearly highlighted.

Using the “Themes” application for customization

Themes is the central hub for customization in the Xiaomi ecosystem, and it's not just static pictures, it's full packages of fonts, icons and, of course, high-quality wallpaper, and you just have to find an app called "Themes" on your desktop or in your Tools folder to access it.

Inside the app, go to the wallpaper tab below, and here the content is divided into categories: Recommended, New, HD, and others, and you can filter by type (static, video wallpaper) or subject (nature, abstraction, cars), and the image quality in the official store is usually higher than in random sources from the network, because they are moderated.

Once you have selected your favorite option, click Apply or Download. If the theme is paid, you will need a subscription or one-time payment, but most of the backgrounds are available for free. Once downloaded, the system will offer a preview. Here you can choose whether to apply the image to the lock screen or to the desktop (Home screen).

• 🎨 Launch the “Themes” app and go to the “Wallpaper” section».
• 🔍 Use filters to find the right style or resolution.
• ⬇️ Download the selected package and click "Apply».
• 📱 Select the target screen to set the background.

An important advantage of using a formal store is optimization. Wallpaper from Themes often have special resolution and compression that does not load the processor when scrolling through desktops. This is especially true for low-end models of the Redmi series, where RAM resources can be limited.

Setting up live and video wallpapers

Dynamic backgrounds make the interface lively and interactive. Xiaomi smartphones have two types of wallpaper: Live Wallpaper (react to touch or gyroscope) and Video Wallpaper (play video). To activate them, go to Settings, then Wallpaper or use the Themes app.

Video wallpaper can significantly affect battery autonomy. Continuous decoding of the video stream requires CPU resources and keeps the screen active even in a static state (unless it is optimized by the system).So if you notice that the smartphone began to discharge faster after installing the video background, it makes sense to return to a static image.

To activate live wallpaper, go to Live wallpaper in the background selection menu, which will provide a list of preset animations. Some of them respond to the tilt of the smartphone, creating a parallax effect. Others are complex simulations of physical processes or abstract color transfusions.

• 🎥 Open the wallpaper settings and select the category "Live wallpaper».
• ⚡ Check the impact of the selected animation on battery charge in test mode.
• 🔋 Limit background activity if necessary to save energy.

⚠️ Attention: Use of high-resolution video wallpapers (4K) On screens with a frequency of 120 Hz can cause micro-twitching interface on older models of Snapdragon processors.

For users who want maximum uniqueness, it is possible to install their own videos through third-party launchers or specialized widget applications. However, native MIUI tools provide better integration with the notification system and fingerprint unlock.

The function of "Wallpaper Carousel" (Glance)

Glance (formerly known as Wallpaper Carousel or Wallpaper Carousel) is a service that automatically changes the image on the lock screen every time you turn on a smartphone. Content is downloaded from the Internet and often contains interesting facts, news or just beautiful landscapes.

To enable this feature, go to Settings → Wallpaper → Wallpaper Carousel, where you can choose the subject of images, how often they change, and even subscribe to specific authors, and it's a great way to constantly get new visual experiences without having to manually search and download pictures.

Many users find this feature intrusive, as it can block widgets or interfere with quick access to the camera. If you don't like the constant change of pictures, the function can be easily disabled. Just switch the switch to the "Off" position in the same settings menu.

It's important to understand the difference between a regular live wallpaper and a carousel. The carousel only works on a lock screen and requires an active internet connection to download new content. Conventional live wallpaper works offline and can be installed on a desktop.

Creating a slideshow from personal photos

If you don't want a carousel that's automatic, but you want a variety of personal archives, you can create your own slideshow, and there's a built-in mechanism in the MIUI shell to do that, even though it's not hidden in the wallpaper menu, but in the lock screen settings.

Go to Settings → Lock screen. Find the theme store or slideshow (the name may vary depending on the software version). Here you can select an album from the gallery, photos from which will change each other every time you turn on the screen, this personalizes the device and allows you to see often photos of loved ones.

To set up a slideshow, do the following:

1. Open the lock screen settings.
2. Activate the “Slide Show on the Lock Screen” function.
3. Click on “Select an album” and select the folders you need.
4. Set the change interval (usually “Every time you turn on”).

This approach allows you to store hundreds of favorite moments in your phone’s memory that will flash before your eyes throughout the day, and it does not require a constant Internet connection, since all images are stored locally on the device.

Table of comparison of installation methods

To organize the information and choose the most suitable way for you, consider a comparative table of methods, which will help you to understand which option is best for your goals: battery saving, beauty or functionality.

As you can see from the table, classic static images remain the most energy-efficient option. If you prioritize smartphone lifetime from a single charge, avoid complex video backgrounds and heavy animations.

Optimization and problem solving

Sometimes, after installing a new wallpaper, users face problems: the image stretches, loses quality or quickly lands the battery; the quality of the image depends on its resolution. If you install a low-resolution photo on a high-pixel density screen (ppi), the system will try to stretch it, which will lead to “grain”.

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Always check the resolution before installing. For modern Xiaomi screens, the optimal resolution is at least 1080x2400 pixels.

For screens with high refresh rates (90 Hz, 120 Hz), it is recommended to use images in high quality JPG or PNG. Loss of quality formats can artefact when you quickly scrolle through desktops. It is also worth considering that dark wallpaper on AMOLED screens helps save energy, since the black pixels on such arrays are simply turned off.

⚠️ Avoid installing wallpaper with a bright white stripe at the top of the screen if you use your smartphone frequently at night – this can cause eye discomfort and lighting in the dark.

If you use a third-party app to install video wallpapers, make sure it is given the necessary permissions in the App menu. → Resolutions. Often the problem with black screens instead of videos is that you don't have access to files or you don't have the background.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Properly selected wallpaper not only decorate the interface, but can also visually hide the cutout under the camera or make navigation more comfortable due to the contrast of icons.