How to put your photo on the lock screen Xiaomi Redmi 8: 3 proven ways

The lock screen of Xiaomi Redmi 8 is the first thing you see when you turn on your smartphone. Standard wallpaper from MIUI quickly get bored, and personalized photos make the phone unique. However, not all users know how to properly set their image on a locked screen, especially if we are talking about models with a shell MIUI 11/12, where the interface of settings periodically changes.

In this article, you will find three working methods for installing photos on the lock screen, including hidden MIUI features that are not obvious at first glance. We will also discuss why sometimes the image is not used, how to circumvent the limitations of the system and which photo formats are best used for the perfect display. If you want your Redmi 8 to look stylish, read on.

Why are standard wallpapers on the lock screen not suitable?

Smartphone manufacturers, including Xiaomi, often put abstract wallpaper or banner ads on the lock screen.

• 🎨 Uniform corporate identity – all Redmi devices look the same out of the box".
• 📱 Performance optimizations – system wallpapers take up fewer resources than custom wallpapers.
• 💰 Service promotions – sometimes offers from Mi Store or partners are displayed on the lock screen.

However, such wallpapers have several disadvantages:

• 🔄 Fast eating – standard images get boring in a couple of days.
• 👀 Lack of personalization – your smartphone is no different than millions of others.
• 📉 Poor quality – System wallpapers are often compressed and lose details on high-resolution screens.

Fortunately, MIUI makes it easy to replace them with any image you like, and the key is to know where to look for the settings you want and how to avoid common mistakes.

Method 1: Install photo through the theme settings

The easiest and most formal way is to use the built-in Themes section, which is available on all versions of MIUI, including those installed on Redmi 8.

1. Open the Themes app (the icon with a brush on your desktop).
2. Go to the section My wallpaper → Lock screen.
3. Click Add Wallpaper and select Gallery.
4. Select the desired photo and confirm the choice with the Apply button.

If the My Wallpaper section is missing, update the Themes app via Google Play or Mi App Store. On some firmware, the path may be slightly different:

Topics → Wallpaper → Lock screen → Gallery

Note that if you use a dark theme, the system can automatically darken the selected photo, to avoid this, before installing the wallpaper:

• 🌓 Turn off automatic theme switching to Settings → Display. → Dark mode.
• 🖼️ Choose a picture with contrasting colors – it will look better in any background.

Select an image with a resolution of at least 1080×2340 (for Redmi 8)

Cut off unnecessary elements (use the built-in MIUI editor)

Check contrast (dark photos are not visible on the AMOLED-screen)

Save a copy in.jpg or.png format

-->

Method 2: Use of gallery (alternative method)

Not everyone knows, but MIUI allows you to install wallpaper on the lock screen right from the standard Gallery, and this method works even on older versions of firmware:

1. Open the gallery and find the photo you need.
2. Slip it on it, then press the button. ⋮ (three points) in upper right corner.
3. Select Set as → Lock screen wallpaper.
4. If necessary, trim the image and save the changes.

This is convenient because it doesn't require a hidden menu search, but it has a limitation: some versions of MIUI 12+ block this feature if password or fingerprint protection is enabled, in which case the system will suggest unlocking the phone first.

If the button is set as missing:

• 🔄 Reboot your phone – sometimes it helps you get back hidden options.
• 📥 Update the Gallery app to the latest version.
• 🛠️ Check if storage rights for the gallery are disabled in Settings → Annexes → Management of rights.

💡

If the photo on the lock screen looks blurry, try to increase its resolution to 1440×3200 pixels (for Redmi 8 with a cutout under the camera).

Method 3: Manual file copying (for power users)

If the first two methods don't work, you can manually replace the system image of the lock screen, which requires root rights or ADB, but gives you full control over the wallpaper.

1. Connect Redmi 8 to your PC and enable USB Debugging (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times tap on version, then go back to Additional → For Developers).
2. Download ADB Tools and unpack the archive.
3. In the command line (Windows) or terminal (Mac/Linux) run: adb devices Make sure the device is defined.
4. Copy your photo (call it lockscreen.jpg) to /data/system/users/0/: adb push lockscreen.jpg /data/system/users/0/
5. Reboot your phone: adb reboot

⚠️ Warning: This method can reset some system settings before executing commands:

• 📱 Make a backup of the data through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.
• 🔋 Make sure the battery is above 50%.
• 🔒 Disable the lock with a pattern lock or PIN-code for the duration of the operation (can be returned after rebooting).

If the photo is not used after the reboot, check the file access rights:

adb shell chmod 644 /data/system/users/0/lockscreen.jpg

What formats and photo permissions are best used?

Not all images look equally good on the lock screen, so that the photo looks clear and occupies the entire screen without distortion, follow the recommendations:

To crop the photo under the screen Redmi 8 can be used:

• 📱 Built-in editor MIUI (When installed through the Themes or Gallery).
• 💻 Programs for PC: Photoshop, GIMP or Paint.NET.
• 🌐 Online services: Canva (paper wallpaper for smartphone) or Fotor.

If you want to avoid notification icons and time, select the Themes → Wallpaper → Lock screen style → Minimalist. This hides some of the interface elements, leaving only the background.

What to do if the photo is not installed?

Sometimes users have problems changing the wallpaper on the lock screen, and here are the typical errors and their solutions:

If none of these methods worked, try:

1. Reset the Topic settings to standard (Settings → Applications → Themes → Storage → Clear Data).
2. Install an alternative launcher (e.g. Nova Launcher) that supports lock wallpaper change.
3. Check if the charge saving mode is on – it can block changes to the interface.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI For Redmi 8 (especially Chinese versions), the lock wallpaper change function is disabled at the system level, in which case only flashing to the global or European version of the software will help.

How do you get back the standard wallpaper?

If you change your mind and want to return the original wallpaper, do the following:

1. Open Topics → Wallpaper. → Lock screen.
2. Select the Standard or Recommended section.
3. Use any system wallpaper (e.g. MIUI Default or Abstract).

If there is no standard wallpaper in the list:

• 🔄 Restart your phone – sometimes it brings back hidden options.
• 📥 Reinstall the update for the Themes app via Google Play.
• 🗑️ Remove custom wallpaper from the folder /MIUI/theme/.data/ (You will need a file manager with root rights).

On Chinese firmware, standard wallpaper may not be available due to regional features, in which case download the official MIUI Default theme from the Mi Theme Store.

💡

Redmi 8 can’t have different wallpapers for the home screen and lock screen through standard settings, and it will require third-party apps like Wallpaper Changer or Muzei.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing the wallpaper to Redmi 8