How to put any photo on the Xiaomi desktop: instructions for MIUI 14 and 15

You've just taken a stunning shot on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 or downloaded a cool image from the Internet, and now you want to see it every time you unlock your phone? Setting wallpaper on your desktop and lock screen in Xiaomi, POCO and Redmi smartphones seems like an easy task - but only as long as you don't face the non-obvious limitations of MIUI. Why does the system keep you from picking some photos? How to get around the vertical wallpaper limit? And why did your favorite background pictures disappear after upgrading to MIUI 15?

In this article, you’ll find 5 proven ways to install wallpaper on Xiaomi, from the standard method to bypassing restrictions through the file system. We’ll break down the nuances for different models (including the POCO F5 and Mi 13), explain how to avoid cropping images, and show you how to make animated wallpaper from Live Photos. And if you like to change the background every day, at the end you’ll get a bonus: how to automate changing wallpapers using apps.

1. Standard method: through MIUI settings

The most obvious method is to use the built-in MIUI tools. It is suitable for most models, including the Redmi 10/11, POCO X5 and the flagships of the Mi series.

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush and palette).
2. Go to Wallpaper section. → My wallpaper.
3. Click From the Gallery and select the photo you want.
4. Adjust the framing area (if necessary) and click Apply.
5. Choose where to install wallpaper: on the desktop, Lock screen or both at once.

⚠️ Attention: MIUI It automatically crops the photos to the aspect ratio of the screen. If your image is vertical (for example, a portrait photo), the system can only offer a central part.

Some firmware (especially MIUI 14 for the European region) may not have the Topic section.

1. Hold your finger on the empty space on the desktop.
2. In the menu that appears, select Wallpaper.
3. Follow steps 3-5 from the instructions above.

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If the gallery doesn’t show the photo you want, check if it’s saved to the DCIM/Camera or Pictures folder. MIUI sometimes ignores images from the messenger boot folders.

2.Why is MIUI not allowing you to install some photos?

Many Xiaomi users face a problem: when trying to select photos from the gallery, some images simply do not appear in the list of available.

• 📏 Inappropriate permission: MIUI filters images with the resolution below 720×1280 (for HD-screens) or 1080×2340 (full HD+).
• 🔍 File format: only.jpg,.png and.webp are supported..heic files (from iPhone) or.bmp need to be converted.
• 📁 Storage folder: the system ignores images from the folders of messengers (WhatsApp Images, Telegram) and some cloud services.
• 🔒 Access rights: if the photo is downloaded through the browser in incognito or protected DRM, MIUI He won't show it.

MIUI 15 introduces an additional limitation: if a photo weighs more than 10MB, the system will suggest compressing it before installation, which can degrade the quality, so large images are better pre-optimized manually (for example, through Lightroom or Snapseed).

3. How to install wallpaper without cropping (for vertical photos)

MIUI by default stretches or trims photos to occupy the entire screen. If you need to keep the original proportions (for example, for portrait shots or art with pixel accuracy), use this method:

Download Wallpaper Set & Forget (Free on Play Market)

Open the photo in the editor and trim it to a ratio of 9:19.5 (for most Xiaomi)

Save the image in.png format with a resolution of at least 1080×2340

Turn off Adaptive Wallpaper in MIUI settings (if any)

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If you do not want to install third-party applications, you can bypass the restrictions through the file system:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and copy the photo to /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Wallpapers (create it if not).
2. Rename the file so that the name does not contain Cyrillic or spaces (for example, wall_1.png).
3. In the phone, go to Settings → About phone and 5 times click on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode.
4. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
5. Connect your phone to your PC and use it ADB-Command: Adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.SET_WALLPAPER After that, the gallery will be able to choose your photo without cropping.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO X5 Pro) after use ADB Wallpapers can be reset when you restart. To fix them, go to Settings after installation. → Annexes → Application management → Launcher and clear cache.

4. Installation of animated wallpapers (Live Wallpapers)

MIUI supports live wallpaper, but installation depends on the firmware version and availability of Google services. Here are 3 working ways:

• 🎨 Through Google Wallpapers: Download Google Wallpapers (required) GMS). Select Live Wallpaper (e.g. Earth or Weather) and click Set Wallpaper and select Lock Screen or Home Screen.
• 📱 Through Themes Store: Open Themes → Wallpaper. → Live wallpaper. Download your favorite animation (free options are usually marked with a green label) Apply it with a long press on your desktop.

Through third-party applications

Download KLWP Live Wallpaper Maker or Wallpaper Engine (requires root for full functionality).These apps allow custom animations, but can reduce performance on weak smartphones (such as Redmi 9A).

On the POCO F4 and Xiaomi 12T with MIUI 14, live wallpapers from Google Wallpapers can slow down.

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Performance Mode.
2. Choose High Performance (this will increase battery consumption but eliminate lags).

5. Automatic change of wallpaper on schedule

If you're bored with the same background, you can set up automatic wallpaper changes.

• 🔄 Wallpaper Changer — changes wallpaper over time or when you unlock it. Supports folders and cloud services.
• 🌄 Muzei Live Wallpaper – smoothly changes background images from selected sources (such as photos from Unsplash or your gallery).
• 📅 Daily Wallpaper – installs new wallpaper every day from Bing collections, NASA National Geographic.

To set up an automatic change in Wallpaper Changer:

1. Select a folder with images (for example, Pictures/Wallpapers).
2. Set a shift interval (every hour, day or when unlocking).
3. Turn on the option to trim the screen size to avoid distortion.
4. In the Additional settings, mark Apply to the lock screen.

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi with MIUI 13 and below, some applications for automatic wallpaper change may conflict with the system launcher. If the application icons are missing after installing the new background, restart the phone or reset the launcher settings (Settings) → Annexes → Launcher → Warehouse → Clear the data).

6. Problem Solving: Wallpapers are not installed or dropped

If after all the manipulations, the wallpaper does not want to “get used to” on your Xiaomi, check these points:

If none of these methods helped, try resetting the launcher settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the MIUI Launcher (or POCO Launcher for POCO devices).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the data.
4. Reboot the phone.

Then try resetting the wallpaper, and if the problem persists, you may have a corrupted system file called com.miui.home, and that's where you can just flash it through Fastboot or call the service center.

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On Xiaomi with unlocked bootloader, you can install a custom launcher (for example, Nova Launcher or Lawnchair), which gives more freedom in customizing wallpaper, including support for animations and adaptive backgrounds without cropping.

FAQ: Frequent questions about wallpaper on Xiaomi