How to add an inscription to the lock screen on Xiaomi: all the ways and nuances

The lock screen on Xiaomi smartphones is not just a barrier against random clicks, but also a convenient place to display important information. Many users want to place personal text here: the owner's name, contact in case of loss, motivational phrase or even privacy warning. However, not everyone knows that the feature of adding arbitrary labels to MIUI has its own features - it is not available on all versions of the firmware and requires the right approach.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to place text on the lock screen, including official MIUI settings and workarounds for older versions. You will learn how to avoid common errors (for example, cropping long phrases or display failure after an update), as well as what alternative methods can be used if standard functionality is not available.

Before you start, check the firmware version: Setting path → About phone → MIUI version. This will help determine which of the methods described below is right for you.

Official method: configure via the “lock screen” in MIUI

The easiest and safest method is to use the built-in MIUI 12 and later tools, which works on most modern devices, including the Xiaomi 12/13, Redmi Note 11/12 and POCO F4/F5. The main condition is that the phone must have a global or European version of the firmware (Chinese builds often do not have this feature).

To add the inscription:

1. Open the Settings → Lock screen.
2. Select Text on the lock screen (or Lock screen Signature in some localizations).
3. Enter the desired text in the input field, limited to 30 characters (including spaces).
4. Click Save and check the result by locking the screen.

Important: text will appear at the bottom of the screen, under the clock and notifications. If you use wallpaper with a dark background, choose a light font in the theme settings, otherwise the inscription may merge with the background.

The text does not exceed 30 characters|Font contrasts with background|No spelling errors|Phone connected to charging (to avoid failures)-->

⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite) after upgrading to MIUI 14 The text function on the lock screen may disappear from the menu. In this case, try resetting the theme settings to the standard: → Theme → My subjects. → Reset to standard.

Alternative ways to use older versions of MIUI

If your smartphone is running MIUI 11 or older (relevant to the Redmi 9A, Xiaomi Mi A3 and other budget models), there may not be an official option to add text, in which case one of two solutions will help:

• 📱 Use of the Notes widget: Some versions MIUI So you can put a widget with text on the home screen, and then you can take a screenshot and set it as a lock wallpaper, and the negative is that the text is static and uneditable without re-creating the image.
• 🖼️ Third-party wallpaper editing: Apps like Canva or Photoshop Express allow you to overlay text on any image that can then be displayed as a background lock.

For the second method, we recommend:

1. Download a photo editing app (like PicsArt).
2. Select the wallpaper you want to use and add a text layer.
3. Keep the image in high resolution (at least 1080×2340 for most smartphones).
4. Set the resulting image as a background lock through Settings → Lock screen → Wallpaper.

Limitations and technical nuances

Even if you manage to add text, you should consider a few important points that affect its display:

On Always-On Display (AOD) devices, the text on the lock screen may not display correctly or duplicate. To avoid this, disable AOD in the settings: Settings → Lock screen → Always-On Display.

⚠️ Note: If you use third-party launchers (like Nova Launcher), they may conflict with the text display on the lock. MIUI pre-set.

Official setting in MIUI| Editing wallpaper | Notes Widget | Another method-->

How to remove the inscription from the lock screen

If the text is no longer needed or interferes, it is easy to delete.

1. Go to Settings → Lock screen → Text on the lock screen.
2. Remove all text from the input field and click Save.
3. If the text is left, restart the device – sometimes the changes are applied only after the reboot.

For text added through wallpaper:

• Install new wallpaper without inscription.
• Or edit the current image by removing the text layer.

If the inscription does not disappear even after resetting, try to clear the cache of the system:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Three points (menu) → Show system → Settings → Storage → Clear cache

Security: What can and can’t be written on the lock screen

The text on the lock screen is visible to anyone who picks up your phone, so it's important to balance utility with privacy.

• 🔑 Passwords, PIN-card-code.
• 📍 Exact home address or place of work.
• 📱 Full phone numbers (it is better to specify only the contact name for communication).

Here is what can and should be placed:

• 🆔 Name and surname of the owner (for example, "Phone of Ivan Petrov»).
• ☎️ Alternative number for communication (for example, “Return to the number”); +7 XXX XX XX»).
• ⚠️ Warning of Reward ("Refunds - 5000")₽»).

💡

If you lose your phone frequently, enter your lock screen not with a number, but with an email or social media account (e.g., “Take to Telegram: @yournick”), which will reduce the risk of spam to your primary number.

Problem Solving: Text is not displayed or cropped

If the text does not appear after saving or is displayed incorrectly, check the following points:

1. System Update: Make sure the phone has the latest version of MIUI installed. Check: Settings → About Phone → System Update.
2. Conflict of topics: Some custom themes from the Mi Theme Store may block text display. Try to return a standard theme.
3. Cache Error: Clear the Settings app cache as described above.
4. Active Power Saving Mode: In Ultra-Economic mode, some lock screen functions are turned off. Check Settings → Battery.

If the problem persists, try resetting the lock screen settings:

Settings → System → Resetting settings → Resetting the lock screen settings

⚠️ Note: On devices with an unlocked bootloader or custom firmware (such as LineageOS), the text function on the lock screen may not work stable, in which case the only reliable way is to edit the wallpaper.

Additional features: animation and custom fonts

For advanced users ready for experimentation, there are ways to make the text on the lock screen more dynamic:

• 🎨 Live wallpaper with text: Apps like KLWP Or the Wallpaper Engine (requires root) allows you to create animated wallpaper with changing text, for example, you can output the current date or weather.
• 🔤 Castomy fonts: With the Magisk module (for example, FontManager), you can replace the system font, which will affect the blocking text. MIUI.

Example of settings via KLWP:

1. Install KLWP from Google Play.
2. Create a new preset and add a text element.
3. Set up position and animation (e.g., smooth appearance).
4. Export as live wallpaper and set them on the lock screen.

💡

Using custom solutions (root, Magisk) will void Xiaomi's warranty and may lead to unstable system operation.

FAQ: Frequent questions about text on the lock screen