How to put your photo on the screensaver of the Xiaomi phone: 3 ways + optimization advice

The lock screen is the first thing you see when you turn on your smartphone, and it can become not just a functional element, but a real business card of your device, POCO And Mi, they often face the question of how to replace the standard screensaver with a personal photo, so that every time you unlock, you can enjoy your favorite shots, MIUI Offers several ways to do this – from basic replacement through the gallery to fine-tuning with paralax effects and dynamic wallpaper.

In this article, we will discuss not only the standard method of installing a photo on a screensaver, but also alternative options for those who want to go beyond the usual. You will learn how to avoid common mistakes (such as when an image is cropped or lost quality), what formats are supported, and how to make the wallpaper on the lock screen different from the desktop wallpaper. And for owners of older models (Xiaomi Mi 8, Redmi Note 7, etc.) we will give some recommendations for setting up through hidden menus. MIUI.

Image Preparation: Photo Requirements for Xiaomi Savers

Before installing a photo on the lock screen, it must be properly prepared. MIUI It automatically crops and zooms images, but if you don’t take into account key parameters, the result can be disappointing: important details will be off the screen, and the quality will deteriorate due to compression.

Here are the basic image requirements:

• 📏 Permission: minimum — 1080×1920 (Full HD), optimal — 1440×3200 (For modern models with camera cutouts. 13 Pro or Redmi K60 It is better to use the original wallpaper in resolution. 1220×2712.
• 🎨 Format: JPEG, PNG (transparently), WEBP. Files in format HEIC (iPhone) MIUI It doesn’t support them – they need to be converted.
• 🖼️ The aspect ratio is 9:20 or 9:19.18 (for devices with curved screens, such as the Xiaomi Mix 4). Standard 16:9 photos will be cropped on the sides.
• 🔍 Important details: place key elements in the center, retreating from the edges to the edges of the 10-15%. Otherwise, they will fall under notification icons or camera cutout.

If your photo does not meet the requirements, it can be adjusted using standard tools:

1. Open the image in the Gallery app.
2. Click Edit → Pruning.
3. Select the Wallpaper ratio (usually it corresponds to your phone screen).
4. Adjust the position of the frame and save.

⚠️ Note: If you use live wallpaper (for example, with paralax effect), MIUI automatically reduce the image quality to 720p To avoid this, turn off animation in wallpaper settings.

Method 1: Standard Replacement through MIUI settings

It is the simplest and most versatile method that works on all Xiaomi shell devices. MIUI 12-14 Instructions are suitable for Redmi models 9A to Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

Steps to install a photo on the screensaver:

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to Wallpaper (or Lock Screen in older versions) MIUI).
3. Select the Lock Screen (not to be confused with the Desktop!).
4. Click My Wallpaper or Gallery (depending on the MIUI version).
5. Select the desired photo and adjust the trimming area.
6. Confirm the choice with the Apply button.

If the lock screen option is not available, then your device has the "Sequal Wallpaper" feature (for lock screen and desktop) enabled to divide them:

1. On the Wallpaper menu, click three dots (⋮) top-right.
2. Select Wallpaper Settings.
3. Turn off the option of the same wallpaper for the lock screen and desktop.

Photos with permission not lower 1080p|

Disabled synchronization of desktop wallpaper and lock|

The aspect ratio is checked (9:20)|

Backup of current wallpaper (in case of failure)-->

In some models (for example, POCO F5 or Redmi Note 12) after installation of wallpaper may appear watermark MIUI To remove it, to remove it:

1. Back to Settings → Wallpaper.
2. Select Additional Settings.
3. Turn off the option to show information about wallpaper.

Method 2: Installation via the Themes app (additional effects)

Annex Topics in MIUI Not only can you download the finished wallpaper, but you can also set your images with extended effects: paralax, blur when scrolling notifications or animation when unlocking. This method is suitable for users who want to make the screensaver more dynamic.

Instructions:

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to the Wallpaper tab.
3. Press the badge. + or choose My wallpaper.
4. Upload a photo from a gallery or cloud.
5. Select the Lock screen and apply the changes.

Advantages of this method:

• 🎭 Paralax effects are available (image slightly shifts when tilted by phone).
• 🔄 You can configure background blur when notifications appear.
• 🎨 There is a built-in editor for color correction and contrast.

However, there are limitations:

• ⚠️ Not all models support animation (e.g. on Redmi). 10A effects may not work).
• ⚠️ When using live wallpaper increases battery consumption 5-10%.

Method 3: Use of third-party applications (for advanced users)

If you are not satisfied with standard methods (for example, you want to install them). GIF-animation or wallpaper with an iOS-style clock, you can use third-party apps. We recommend two proven options:

1.The Wallpapers Craft app

This app allows you to create dynamic wallpaper with time, weather or battery effects.Suitable for Xiaomi on Android 10+.

How to determine:

1. Download Wallpapers Craft from Google Play.
2. Choose a template or upload your photo.
3. Set up widgets (time, date, weather) and save wallpaper.
4. Apply them through the Wallpaper menu → My wallpaper.

Annex 2. KLWP Live Wallpaper Maker

For those who want complete control over the screensaver design (including animations, interactive elements, and even minigames), it requires root rights for some features.

Instructions:

1. Install KLWP and KLWP Live Wallpaper (two separate apps).
2. Create a new preset or import one ready-made from the community.
3. Customize items (for example, add a weather forecast or charge indicator).
4. Apply as a live wallpaper through Settings → Wallpaper. → Live wallpaper.

⚠️ Warning: Third-party live wallpaper can significantly increase battery consumption (up to) 15-20% If you notice overheating or rapid discharge, go back to the standard wallpaper.

Solving the problem: why the photo is not installed or displayed incorrectly

Sometimes when you try to put a photo on the screensaver Xiaomi, there are mistakes, let's look at the most common of them and how to fix them.

1.The image is cropped or stretched

It's because of the wrong balance of sides.

• 📱 Use a photo with the resolution corresponding to your screen (see table below).
• 🖼️ Manually trim the image in the editor (for example, Snapseed or Lightroom) taking into account the cutout under the camera.

2. Photo is not saved after restarting

Blame the cache of the system or a failure in the work MIUI. Help:

• 🔄 Reboot the phone.
• 🧹 Clear the Settings app cache (Settings) → Annexes → Application management → Settings → Clear the cache).
• 📲 Reset the wallpaper.

3. Low image quality

MIUI It compresses wallpaper to save memory:

• 📎 Save the original photo in the folder DCIM → Wallpapers (the system less often compresses files from there).
• 🔧 Turn off optimization in the developer settings (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 times) → Developer settings → Turn off optimization MIUI).

💡

If after installing the wallpaper on the lock screen appeared artifacts (blurred stripes, pixels), try to convert the image into a format. PNG It's often a compression problem that's solved by an online service (like Convertio.

Additional settings: how to make the screensaver unique

Simply replacing your screensaver photo isn’t enough if you want to truly personalize your Xiaomi. Here are a few chips that will take your lock screen to the next level:

1. Different wallpaper for desktop and lock

By default. MIUI synchronizes wallpaper to separate it:

1. Go to Settings → Wallpaper.
2. Press three points (⋮) → Wallpaper settings.
3. Turn off the same wallpaper for the lock screen and desktop.

2. Add widgets to the lock screen

On some models (Xiaomi) 12T, POCO F4 GT) You can place widgets right on the screensaver:

• 🕒 Watch widget (analog or digital).
• 🌡️ Weather widget with animation.
• 📅 Calendar or reminder widget.

To add a widget:

1. On the lock screen, swipe down (as to open the notification curtain).
2. Click Edit or Add a widget.
3. Select the desired element and set it up.

3. Animation when unlocking

V MIUI 13/14 You can configure a smooth transition between the lock screen and the desktop:

1. Open the Settings. → Display. → Animation of the system.
2. Choose Smooth or System by default.
3. Return to Wallpaper and enable the Animation option when unlocking.

💡

If after setting up the animation, the phone began to brake, turn it off or reduce the scale of effects in the developer settings (Settings) → Additionally. → For developers → The scale of window animation).

Security: How to protect personal photos on the screensaver

Putting a personal photo on a lock screen is not only aesthetic, it's also a potential privacy risk, so if your phone falls into the wrong hands, people will see your photo and in some cases be able to retrieve it from the device's memory. Here's how to minimize the risks:

1. Turn off the display of notifications on the lock

To hide the contents of the messages:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications → Lock screen.
2. Choose Not to Show Notice Content.

2.Ban access to the gallery from the lock screen

By default, MIUI You can swipe up the screensaver and you can swipe it right up to turn it off:

1. Open Settings → Screen Lock → More.
2. Turn off Quick Access to Camera and Gallery.

3. Use protected wallpaper.

If you are afraid that someone will copy your photo from the lock screen, do the following:

• 🔒 Install wallpaper through the Themes app with the option Wallpaper Protection enabled (available in MIUI 14).
• 📁 Save the original photo to a protected folder (Gallery) → Albums. → Protected).

⚠️ Note: Even after removing the wallpaper from the lock screen, their cached copy may remain in the folder /data/system/users/0/wallpaper. To completely erase it, you will need root access or reset settings.

FAQ: Frequent questions about setting up a screensaver on Xiaomi