Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 is still a popular smartphone due to its balanced characteristics and support for MIUI. But even owners of this device are faced with the question: how to change the desktop when the standard wallpaper is tired and new ones are not installed correctly? In this article, we will analyze all possible methods, from basic settings to circumventing the limitations of the system.
The Redmi Note 5 is a feature that runs on MIUI, Xiaomi’s proprietary shell, which sometimes behaves in an unpredictable way, such as cutting the wallpaper in a different way than you want or not allowing you to install live wallpaper at all. We tested all methods on current firmware versions (including MIUI 12.5 and MIUI 14 for those who have updated informally) and highlighted those that work stably.
1. Standard method through MIUI settings
The most obvious method is to use built-in tools, which is good if you don't want to use live wallpaper or custom solutions, but just want to refresh the screen.
Open the Topic app (an icon with a brush and palette). If it's not on your desktop, search the system (Settings → Search).
- 📱 Select the Wallpaper section in the lower menu.
- 🔍 Scroll down to My Wallpaper or Local if you want to upload your image.
- 🖼️ Click on your favorite image → Apply → Choose where: on the lock screen, desktop or both.
- ⚙️ If the wallpaper is cut curved, tap the Settings icon (cog) and manually adjust the framing area.
Important: MIUI has a bug, and sometimes when you use wallpaper, the system drops the labels on the desktop, remember where they are, or take a screenshot before you change them.
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If there is no wallpaper tab in the Topics section, update the app via Google Play. Older versions of MIUI hide this item.
2. Installation of wallpaper through the gallery
If you want to put your photo as a desktop, the easiest way to do it is through a standard gallery, which works even on the oldest versions of firmware.
Instructions:
- Open the gallery and find the image you want.
- Slip it, then click on the three dots in the upper right corner (or the More button).
- Select Set How → Desktop wallpaper.
- Adjust the framing area (if necessary) and confirm.
Tip: For best results, use images with a resolution of 1080×2160 (aspect ratio 1:2). This is the native screen resolution of the Redmi Note 5, so the wallpaper will not stretch or crop.
Why does MIUI cut the wallpaper incorrectly?
3. Live Wallpaper: How to Get Around the Limits of MIUI
By default, the Redmi Note 5 doesn't support live wallpapers due to performance optimization, but there's a workaround:
Download the Live Wallpapers Picker app from Google Play (or similar, for example, 3D Parallax Background), which allows you to install animated wallpapers bypassing system limitations.
- 📲 Open the app and select your favorite live wallpaper.
- 🔧 Press Set Wallpaper → Choose Home Screen.
- ⚠️ If the wallpaper does not apply, restart the phone.
⚠️ Warning: Live wallpaper increases battery consumption by 10-15%. On the Redmi Note 5 with its 4000 mAh battery, this is not critical, but if you notice a quick discharge, go back to the static wallpaper.
| Wallpaper type | Support for MIUI | Impact on the battery | Need third-party software? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (static) | Yes. | No. | No. |
| Live Wallpapers (Live Wallpapers) | No (limited) | Average (+10-15%) | Yes. |
| Interactive (with a reaction to tap) | No. | High (+20%) | Yes. |
| Video wallpaper | Partially (only through the Appendices) | Very high (+30%) | Yes. |
4.Use of third-party launchers
If you don’t like the limitations of MIUI Launcher, you can install an alternative launcher, such as:
- 🚀 Nova Launcher – flexible customization of icons and wallpaper.
- 🎨 Action Launcher – Support for Adaptive Wallpaper.
- ⚡ Lawnchair is an open source lightweight launcher.
After installation:
- Open the launcher app.
- Click Home and select the new launcher as the main one.
- Go to the launcher settings → Wallpaper and select the desired image.
The advantage of this method is that many launchers allow you to turn off the wallpaper trimming and use full-size images, for example, in Nova Launcher, it is done like this:
Settings Nova → Desktop → Wallpaper size → “No cropping”5. Problems and solutions
When changing wallpaper to Redmi Note 5, users often encounter typical errors.
- 🔄 Wallpaper resets after rebooting: Clear the Themes app cache (Settings) → Annexes → Application management → Topics → Clear the cache).
- 🖼️ Image stretched or pixelated: Use resolution wallpaper 1080×2160 or turn off the trim in the launcher settings.
- ⚙️ No Apply button in the Gallery: Update the Gallery app or use a file manager (e.g. Solid Explorer) to install wallpaper.
- 📵 Live wallpaper doesn't work: Make sure there are no restrictions on the wallpaper app in the battery settings (Settings) → Battery → Optimizing the battery → All applications → Find yours. → Turn off optimization).
⚠️ Warning: If the app shortcuts are missing after the wallpaper changes, don't panic. They're not deleted, they're just reset. Restore them manually or through backup (if you use them). MIUI Backup).
Check the image resolution (optimally 1080×2160)
Update the "Themes" and "Gallery" apps
Clear the cache of the "Themes" app
Reboot the phone.
Try installing wallpaper through a third-party launcher-->
6. Hidden MIUI features for wallpaper
In MIUI, there are several non-obvious features that will help customize the desktop:
- 🌈 Color accents: In Settings → Display. → Color scheme can be enabled to automatically adjust the colors of the interface for wallpaper (does not work on all versions). MIUI).
- 🔄 Automatic wallpaper change: Themes app has a section of Wallpaper where you can configure background rotation on schedule.
- 📂 Hidden wallpaper: In a folder /MIUI/theme/default_wallpaper/ (Available through file manager with root rights, standard wallpaper is stored MIUI, which cannot be removed through the interface.
There is a bug on Redmi Note 5 with MIUI 11 and below: when you turn on the Color Accents feature, the theme may fly. To return it, go to Settings → Themes → My Theme and apply it again.
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If you want unique wallpaper, try generators like the Wallpaper Engine (for PCs) or Canva (for mobile devices), which allow you to create backgrounds for a specific screen resolution.
7. Alternative sources of wallpaper
Don't want to use the standard wallpaper from Themes? Here's where you can find quality backgrounds:
- 🌍 WallpapersCraft – Wallpapers sorted by resolution (select 1080×2160).
- 🎨 Unsplash Wallpapers – Free High Quality Photos.
- 🤖 Wallrus - an app with AI-generating wallpaper under your screen.
- 📱 Wallpapers by Google – official app with daily updates.
When downloading wallpaper, pay attention to the license. Most services allow the use of images for personal use, but prohibit commercial use.