How to change wallpaper on Xiaomi Redmi 9: all the ways from standard to hidden

Xiaomi Redmi 9 is one of the most popular budget smartphones with a shell MIUI, which offers flexible personalization settings. Changing wallpaper on the desktop may seem trivial, but in reality, users often have questions: why not save wallpaper, how to install animated backgrounds or where to find hidden themes in MIUI. In this article, we will analyze all possible ways, from basic to advanced, including solving typical problems.

The Redmi 9 (M2003J15SC/M2003J15SS) is unique in that its firmware can vary by region (Global, China, EEA), which affects the availability of certain features, such as the Themes store. We take these nuances into account and show universal methods that work on any version of MIUI 12-14.

1. Standard wallpaper change via MIUI settings

The most obvious way is to use built-in shell tools, which are suitable for static wallpaper from a gallery or preset backgrounds.

1. Long click on the free desktop space → select “Wallpaper” (or “Themes” in some versions).
2. In the menu that opens, go to the tab “My Wallpaper” (for custom images) or “Preset” (for system backgrounds).
3. Select the image you like, adjust the scale and position, then click "Apply".

⚠️ Note: If you reset your wallpaper to standard after changing, check the settings of the Themes app. MIUI There's a bug where the background is reset after you reset. → Screen. → Wallpaper, not through a long tap.

Long press on the desktop → “Wallpaper”

Check the resolution of the selected image (recommended 1080×2340 for Redmi 9)

Disable Adaptive Wallpaper in the Settings of Thems If They Interfere

Apply changes and restart your smartphone to check-->

MIUI 14 added a "Super Wallpaper" feature, animated paralax-effect backgrounds, to activate them:

1. Go to the Settings → Wallpaper → Super wallpaper.
2. Download your favorite topic (you will need an Internet connection).
3. Apply wallpaper and wait until the animation download is complete (it can take up to 5 minutes).

2. Live wallpaper: how to install and customize

Live Wallpapers add speakers to your lock screen or desktop, and you can install them in two ways on Redmi 9:

Method 1: Through the MIUI Theme Store

The official theme store offers hundreds of free and paid live wallpapers.

1. Open the “Themes” app (icon with brush).
2. Go to the wallpaper tab» → «Alive».
3. Choose your favorite animation, download and apply.

⚠️ Note: On some firmware (for example, MIUI China: Theme Store Can Be Blocked Without VPN. If you don’t open a live wallpaper, try changing the region in the Xiaomi account settings or use it. VPN servers in India/Singapore.

Method 2: Third-Party Apps from Google Play

If there are few built-in options, install specialized applications:

• 🎨 Wallpapers Craft - live wallpaper with animation speed setting.
• 🌊 3D Parallax Background – The Depth Effect of Tilting the Phone.
• 🔥 Live Wallpaper Maker – Create your own animations from videos.

After installation:

1. Open the app and select wallpaper.
2. Click “Install Wallpaper” → select “Desktop” or “Block screen”.
3. In the MIUI settings, a warning about high battery consumption may appear - confirm the installation.

Standard (from gallery)

Live (animated)

Dark (AMOLED-optimized)

Photos of themselves

Other-->

3. Installation of wallpaper through the file system (for experienced)

If you want to manually replace the system wallpaper or set a background that is not displayed in the gallery, you can use the file system. This method requires root or ADB rights.

⚠️ Warning: Incorrect actions can lead to a failure of the shell MIUI. On the Redmi. 9 system wallpaper is stored in a folder `/system/media/theme/default/wallpapers/`, But replacing them without rooting is useless -- after you reboot, the changes will reset:

1. Connect Redmi 9 to your PC and enable USB Debugging (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times tap to unlock Developer Mode).
2. Copy the wallpaper to /sdcard/MIUI/wallpaper/ (create it if it is not available).
3. Restart your phone and select new wallpapers through the standard menu.

4. Problems with changing wallpaper and their solutions

Redmi 9 users often encounter common errors, and we'll look at the most common ones.

If the wallpaper is applied but looks blurry, check the zoom settings:

1. When choosing wallpaper in the editing menu, tap on the “Pruning” icon.
2. Turn off the Auto Scale option and manually stretch the image.
3. Save the changes.

💡

If the wallpaper on the lock screen and desktop are different, and you need to make them the same - in the wallpaper selection menu, click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select "Apply on both screens".

5. Hidden MIUI features for wallpaper

MIUI hides a few useful options that few people know about:

• 🔄 Wallpapering: Themes app has Automatic Change, which changes the background every day. To turn it on: Open Topics» → «Wallpaper. ⚙️ In the upper right corner, turn on the "Automan" and select the image folder.

Dark wallpaper for AMOLED:

AMOLED

Color filters:

Settings → Screen → Screen Colors

Another hidden possibility is to overlay the effects on the wallpaper, for example, you can add blur or gradient:

1. Choose wallpaper through a long tap on the desktop.
2. In the editing menu, tap on the “Effects” icon (magic wand).
3. Select "Blurr" or "Gradient" and adjust the intensity.

💡

Use the PNG format for transparency wallpapers – this will allow you to impose effects (such as blurring) only on a part of the background, leaving the interface elements clear.

6.Alternative launchers for enhanced capabilities

If standard MIUI facilities don't suit you, install a third-party launcher. Popular options for Redmi 9:

• 🚀 Nova Launcher – flexible customization of icon packs and wallpaper.
• 🎨 Lawnchair – lightweight launcher with support for adaptive wallpaper.
• 🔄 Action Launcher – automatic change of wallpaper on a schedule.

After installation:

1. Open the launcher and go to its settings.
2. Select "Wallpaper" → download or select from the gallery.
3. Adjust the effects (like paralax when scrolling).

⚠️ Note: Some launchers (such as Microsoft Launcher) conflict with gestures MIUI. If swipes stop working after installation, return to the standard launcher or turn off gestures in Settings. → System system → Gestures.

7. Optimizing wallpaper to save battery

Live wallpaper and dark themes affect Redmi 9 autonomy in different ways.

• 🔋 For AMOLED-Screens: Use black-dominated wallpaper (pixels are turned off, saving charge).
• ⚡ For live wallpaper: Turn off animation on the lock screen or reduce frame rate in wallpaper settings.
• 📉 For static wallpaper: Choose images without gradients – they require fewer resources for rendering.

To check the effect of the wallpaper on the battery:

1. Set wallpaper and use the phone for 2-3 hours.
2. Go to Settings → Battery → Battery Use.
3. Check if the System Interface or Wallpaper app with high consumption appears on the list.

💡

On the Redmi 9 with a Helio G80 processor, live wallpaper can increase battery consumption by 10-15%. If autonomy is critical, use static JPG backgrounds with optimized resolution.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing the wallpaper to Redmi 9