How to put a live GIF on the desktop Xiaomi: all the ways of 2026

Animated wallpaper on your smartphone is not just a decoration, but a way to make your Xiaomi stand out from millions of others. Live GIFs on your desktop create a unique atmosphere, respond to touch or even show the time. MIUI They are not always easy to install. GIF-In this article, we'll look at 5 proven ways, from simple applications to hidden system features that work even without superuser rights.

It is important to understand that not all GIFs look equally good as wallpaper. Optimal parameters for Xiaomi: 1080×2340 resolution (or 1440×3200 for flagships), weight up to 10 MB and frame rate not higher than 30 FPS. Otherwise, the wallpaper will slow down or eat up battery power. We tested all methods on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+, POCO F5 and Xiaomi 13 Ultra with MIUI 14/15 – ensure performance.

1. Method: through the appendix "Themes" (official method)

The safest and easiest option is to use Xiaomi’s built-in Themes app, which is pre-installed on all of the brand’s smartphones and supports animated wallpapers, including GIFs. Here’s how it works:

• 📱 Open the Themes app (icon with brush and palette).
• 🔍 In the search bar, enter the request «GIF» or».
• ⬇️ Scroll down to the Wallpaper section and select the animation you like.
• 📥 Click Apply to install on desktop or lock screen.

The downside is that there's a limited selection of GIFs. Most of the animations in Themes are static or minimally motioned, but it doesn't require third-party software, and it's guaranteed to cause no lags. If you want a specific GIF, you'll have to use other methods.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI 15 section with live wallpaper may not be available, in which case update the Themes app via Google Play or use alternative methods from this article.

2. Method: applications for live wallpaper (GIF Live Wallpaper)

If there are few built-in options, third-party tools come to the rescue, the best of which are GIF Live Wallpaper and Video Live Wallpaper, which allow you to download any GIF from your phone or from the Internet and customize its display.

1. 📲 Install the app from Google Play.
2. 🖼️ Download the GIF to your phone’s memory (Downloads or Pictures folder).
3. 🔧 Open up. GIF Live Wallpaper, press Select GIF and select the file.
4. ⚙️ Set up the parameters: 🔄 Loop - turn on looping; 🎨 Scale - Select Fit to Screen; 🔋 Battery Saver – Turn off for smooth animation.

Set Wallpaper

Home Screen

Lock Screen

The advantage of this method is full control of the gif: you can crop, change the playback speed or add blur. However, some users complain of increased battery consumption (up to 5-7% per hour). To reduce the load, limit the FPS to 15-20 frames in the application settings.

Download the GIF to your phone | Check the resolution (at least 1080p) | Cut the extra frames (via Ezgif.com) | Compress the file to 5–10 MB | Check the smoothness on your PC before downloading-->

3. Method: Converting the GIF to video (for MIUI 14/15)

On newer versions of MIUI, some live wallpaper applications may not work due to system limitations. The workaround is to convert the gif to.mp4 video format and use it as wallpaper, which is more stable and supported by most launchers.

Instructions:

1. 🌐 Go to the site. EZGIF.
2. 📤 Download the GIF and press Convert to MP4.
3. ⚙️ Select in the settings: 🎞️ Resolution: 1080p; 🔄 FPS: 24 (for battery saving); 🔊 Remove audio (remove the sound if it is available).

💾 Download the received video to your phone.

Video Live Wallpaper

Google Play

This method is especially relevant for owners of POCO F4, Xiaomi 12T and other models with 120 Hz screen. Video wallpapers are better adapted to high refresh rate than standard GIFs.

Method: custom APK-(for the advanced ones)

If you're willing to take risks for uniqueness, you can install custom animated wallpapers in APK format. These are.apk files that are installed as regular apps and add new themes to the system. Where do you get them?

• 🛒 Xiaomi Theme Store (requires a Mi Account);
• 🌍 Forums 4PDA or XDA Developers (section) MIUI Themes);
• 📱 Telegram channels like @MIUIThemes or @XiaomiThemes.

How to determine:

1. 📥 Download the.apk or.mtz file (theme for the file) MIUI).
2. 🔧 If it is.mtz, import it through the Topics app (My Topics section) → Imports).
3. 📦 If it is.apk, install it as a regular application (allow installation from unknown sources in Settings). → Annexes → Special access).
4. 🔄 Restart your phone and apply wallpaper to Settings → Wallpaper.

⚠️ Attention: Installation APK from unverified sources can lead to data leakage or viruses. Before installing, check the file through VirusTotal and read the reviews on the forums.

5. Method: Use of launcher (Nova, Hyperion)

If none of these methods worked, the last chance is to install a third-party launcher with live wallpaper support.

• 🚀 Nova Launcher (paid version supports animation);
• ⚡ Hyperion Launcher (optimized for Xiaomi);
• 🎨 Action Launcher (flexible animation settings).

How to set up:

1. 📲 Install a launcher from Google Play.
2. 🔧 Go to its settings (usually a long tap on the desktop).
3. 🖼️ Select the Wallpaper section → Live Wallpaper.
4. 📁 Specify the path to the GIF or video on the phone.
5. ⚙️ Set up speed, scale and gesture response.

The advantage of this method is full customization: you can assign different GIFs for each desktop or even tie animations to the weather. For example, Nova Launcher has an option Adaptive Icons, which changes the color of the icons under the wallpaper.

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If the GIF is slowing down in the launcher, try reducing its resolution to 720p or converting it to WebP via Squoosh, which will reduce the load on the processor without loss of quality.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after successfully installing a GIF on the desktop, there may be bugs, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

• 🔋 Fast battery discharge: Turn off animation on the lock screen (in wallpaper settings, select Desktop Only). FPS gifs up to 15-20 frames.
• 🐢 Gif slows or twitches: Try converting it into MP4 with a bitrate of less than 2000 kbps. Use HandBrake to optimize.
• ❌ Wallpaper not installed: Check if it blocks them MIUI Optimization. Turn it off in the developer settings (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Tap 7 times, then return to the additional → For developers → Turn off optimization MIUI).
• 🔄 Animation resets after reboot: This is a bug of some launchers Solution: In the launcher settings, enable the option Save Settings or Autoboot.

If nothing works, try resetting the launcher to the standard settings.

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Launcher (MIUI/Nova/ etc.) → Storage → Clear data

FAQ: Answers to popular questions

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The best balance between quality and performance is a gif with a resolution of 1080p, 24 FPS and a weight of up to 5 MB. Such wallpaper does not slow down and eat no more than 3-5% of the charge per hour.