Owners of modern Xiaomi smartphones often seek to personalize the device interface, going beyond standard static images. Dynamic wallpaper allows you to turn the lock screen into an ever-changing gallery, displaying favorite shots, landscapes or photos of the family. This feature is especially relevant for devices running on the shells of MIUI 12, 13, 14 and the new HyperOS, where the visual component plays a key role in the user experience.
Implementing a slideshow on a desktop or lock screen does not require installing third-party applications, as the necessary functionality is already built into the system. However, many users face difficulties in finding the right settings, since they are often hidden in specific sections or have non-obvious names. In this guide, we will discuss in detail all available ways to activate the image carousel.
To get started, you’ll need access to a gallery and a basic understanding of the settings menu structure.The action algorithm may vary slightly depending on the Android operating system version and the specific smartphone model, whether it’s a budget Redmi Note or a flagship Xiaomi 14.
Image preparation and system requirements
Before you start setting up automatic background changes, you need to properly prepare the source material. The system has certain requirements for the format and resolution of files, ignoring which can lead to incorrect display or stretching of the picture. The optimal solution is to use photos in JPG or PNG format with a resolution corresponding to the matrix of your screen.
It is recommended to create a separate folder in the gallery in advance, where you will collect all the images planned for use in the slideshow, which will simplify the process of selecting the source in the system settings and prevent random screenshots or memes from hitting the main screen. File organization is a key step that is often missed by beginners.
- 📸 Choose high quality photos so they look good on a high-pixel density display.
- 📁 Create a dedicated album "Wallpaper" in the gallery for quick access.
- ⚖️ Make sure important image details aren’t cropped off by the edges of the screen (consider the notch under the camera).
- 🔋 Check that the device has enough free memory to caching images.
It is worth noting that the system can scale images on its own, but it is better to use files with an aspect ratio close to 19.5:9 or 20:9, typical for modern Xiaomi smartphones.
Customization of the carousel through the system theme "Carousel of wallpaper"
The most efficient and native way to change multiple photos is to use the built-in wallpaper carousel service, which is integrated directly into the shell and offers the most flexible settings for intervals and sources. To activate the function, you need to go to the device settings menu.
Find the section that's dedicated to personalization. Depending on the firmware version, it can be called Wallpaper, Themes, or it can be inside the Lock Screen, and that's where the switch is hiding, allowing you to activate slideshow mode instead of static image.
☑️ Checking the carousel settings
Once the toggler is activated, the system will prompt you to select the source of the images, you can subscribe to the categories offered by the service, or more importantly for our task, select Local Images, which will open access to your gallery, where you can mark a previously prepared album.
⚠️ Note: When selecting local images, make sure you give the Themes or Carousel app permission to access media files, otherwise the list of photos may be empty.
You can also adjust the frame rate on this menu, and you can also use the options, every 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, every time you turn on the screen, depending on your preferences and your desire to see new images more often.
Use of the "Photo" widget on the desktop
If your goal is to see the changes in photos directly on the desktop, not just on the lock screen, the best solution is to use the Gallery widget, which allows you to create a kind of digital photo frame that occupies part of the screen and cyclically re-examines the selected pictures.
To install the widget, you need to pinch the empty area on the desktop with your finger before the edit menu appears. At the bottom of the screen, select Widgets (or Add). In the list that opens, find the Gallery or Photos app.
The system will offer several options for the widget design, from a miniature grid to a large single photo. Choose the style that best fits into your interface. After dragging the widget on the screen, the configuration menu will open.
- 🖼️ Select the album that will be displayed in the widget.
- 🔄 Set the update interval (usually automatically).
- 🎨 Choose the style of the frame or leave the image on the entire widget block.
- 📏 Change the size of the widget by pulling the edges so that it occupies the desired area.
It’s important to understand that the widget consumes more battery life than static wallpaper, as it’s constantly active in the background. However, for modern Xiaomi processors, it’s a negligible load and it shouldn’t significantly affect battery life.
Comparison of methods of displaying slideshows
Users are often confused about whether to use wallpaper carousels or widgets, and each method has its own specifications and application scenarios, and to help you decide, we have compiled a comparative table of key features.
| Characteristics | Wallpaper carusole (lock screen) | Gallery widget (Work Table) | Static wallpaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery consumption | Low (active only when the screen is turned on) | Medium (constant widget activity) | Minimum |
| Shift frequency | Customizable (by timer or on) | Automatic (when updating the widget) | It doesn't change. |
| Interactivity | Minimum (view only) | High (you can open the photo in the gallery) | Absent. |
| Impact on FPS | Absent. | Possible reduction in heavy topics | Absent. |
As you can see from the table, you'd better use a carousel on the lock screen to save energy, but if the desktop aesthetic is more important than a couple percent of the charge, the widget is a great decoration.
Secrets of Battery Optimization
Also, consider that widgets may not work smoothly on some custom themes from the GetThemes store, and in such cases, returning to a standard theme often solves the problem of updating images.
Setting up intervals and sources in MIUI 14 and HyperOS
Newer versions of Xiaomi’s shells, such as MIUI 14 and HyperOS, have improved their media algorithms, allowing for fine-tuning of which photos will be rotated, and allowing the system to analyze the content of the images.
The wallpaper carousel settings menu often features the AI-based recommendation feature. If activated, the smartphone will offer photos that it thinks are the best quality (like photos with faces, without blurring), which is handy if you don't want to manually sort the gallery.
To manually adjust sources, go to Settings → Wallpaper → Wallpaper Carousel → My images. Here you will see a list of all the albums. Activate only the ones you want to use, and deactivate system folders like Screenshots or WhatsApp Images to avoid visual noise.
- 🧹 Regularly clean the album of unsuccessful shots so that they do not fall into rotation.
- 🔒 Check your privacy settings: some photos may be hidden in a “Closed Folder” and will not be available for wallpaper.
- ☁️ Make sure sync with Xiaomi Cloud or Google Photos is complete if the albums are stored in the cloud.
An interesting feature of HyperOS is the improved work with deep sleep applications. If the carousel stopped updating after the system update, check whether the restriction on background activity for the Theme application is worth it.
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Use black and white high contrast photos to create a live wallpaper effect without battery consumption. They are less attention-grabbing and look stylish.
Solving problems with photo updates
Despite the system’s fine-tuning, users may find themselves in a situation where images stop changing or are displayed in low resolution, most often the problem lies in aggressive battery optimization, which “sleeps” the process of changing wallpaper.
The first thing you need to do is check your energy saving settings, look for wallpaper carousels or topics in the application list, and set up Unlimited mode, which allows the system to freely update content even in the background.
⚠️ Warning: If after resetting the settings or updating the firmware, the carousel stopped working, try clearing the cache of the "Themes" application through the Application menu → Application management.
Another common problem is changing the orientation of the screen, and if you use different orientations (vertical and horizontal), the system may not properly frame them, and ideally, all images in the set should be the same orientation.
In rare cases, reinstall updates to the Themes app through the GetApps store helps. Make sure you have the latest version of the system components responsible for personalization installed.
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Main conclusion: The stable operation of the slideshow depends on the correct permissions for background work and the absence of energy saving restrictions for Xiaomi system applications.