How to install wallpaper on the desktop of the Xiaomi phone: 5 proven ways

Why Xiaomi Wallpaper Is More Than Just a Picture

The desktop of a smartphone is the first thing you see when you unlock a device. On Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO shelled MIUI And not only does wallpaper decorate the screen, it also affects the perception of the interface, the speed of the system, and even the battery consumption. AMOLED-Displays save up to 15% charge, and dynamic themes can slow down animations on weak chipsets.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to change wallpaper on Xiaomi, from standard MIUI 14 tools to hidden functions and third-party applications. We will pay special attention to the nuances for different models, from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra. You will also learn how to avoid common mistakes, for example, when the wallpaper “moves” when scrolling or loses clarity on screens with 2K resolution.

Before you get to the instructions, check the version of MIUI in Settings → About Phone. This is what makes certain features available. For example, MIUI 13 and older introduced support for live wallpaper with paralax effect, and MIUI 12.5 only allowed them to be installed via workarounds.

Method 1: Standard wallpaper change via MIUI settings

The simplest method, which works on all Xiaomi smartphones regardless of model, is suitable for installing static wallpaper from a gallery or built-in MIUI collection.

Instructions:

• 📱 Long pressing on the free space of the desktop → pick Wallpaper.
• 🖼️ At the bottom of the screen will appear a panel with categories: My wallpaper, Live wallpaper, Super wallpaper (on flagships) and Themes.
• 🔍 To upload your own image, click My Wallpaper → Gallery and select a photo.
• ✅ Set up the framing area (shift or zoom the image) and click Apply.

Important: if the wallpaper looks blurry, check its resolution. For modern Xiaomi with FHD+ and 2K screens, the optimal aspect ratio is 1080×2400 or 1440×3200 respectively. Otherwise, the system automatically stretches the image, losing quality.

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If the gallery does not have suitable wallpapers, use the WallpapersCraft service - there is a section with pictures for the resolution of your Xiaomi screen.

Method 2: Install live wallpaper (including hidden options)

Live Wallpapers add dynamics to the desktop, but can increase battery consumption by 5 to 10 percent. In MIUI 14, they can be installed in two ways:

1. Through the standard menu: 📱 Long press on the desktop → Wallpaper. → Live wallpaper. 🌊 Choose your favorite option (for example, Ocean, Hours or Weather). ⚙️ Some models (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro) have additional animation speed settings available.
2. Through the Topics app: 🎨 Open the Topics app → wallpaper → Alive. 🔓 There are exclusive options that are not in the standard menu (for example, wallpaper with effect). 3D-paralax).

On budget models (Redmi 10A, POCO M5), live wallpaper can work with lags. In this case, we recommend turning off animation in Settings → Additional → Special Effects → System Animation by selecting the value No Animation.

Method 3: Using themes from the MIUI store

The Themes app in MIUI offers thousands of free and paid wallpapers optimized for specific models, with the main advantage of automatic adjustment to the screen resolution and the color scheme of the system.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Themes app (an icon in the form of a palette).
2. Go to the Wallpaper tab → select the category (Nature, Abstraction, Games, etc.).
3. 🔍 Use the filter by resolution: for Xiaomi 12T And newer pick. 2K, For the Redmi Note 11 — FHD+.
4. 📥 Click on your favorite image → Download → Apply.

Note that some themes change not only wallpaper, but also icons, fonts, and notification sounds. If you only need wallpaper, after applying the theme, go to Settings → Design → Fonts / Icons and return the standard values.

Method 4: Installation of wallpaper through third-party applications

If there are few built-in options, you can use third-party apps, the best ones are:

• 🌄 Zedge – more than 10 million wallpapers and live themes with permission sorting.
• 🎨 WallpapersCraft – wallpaper without ads, optimized for AMOLED.
• 🖥️ Backdrops – minimalist wallpaper with support for dark theme.
• 🤖 Muzei – automatically changes wallpaper from art museum collections.

How to install wallpaper through Zedge:

1. Download the app from Google Play.
2. Select a category (e.g. 4K Wallpapers for flagships).
3. Click on your favorite image → Set wallpaper → select Desktop or Lock Screen.
4. ⚠️ Allow the app to access storage if wallpaper does not apply.

⚠️ Attention: Some applications (e.g, KWGT) They allow you to create interactive wallpapers with widgets. MIUI If you've installed this wallpaper, you've got to stop your phone, clear the cache in Settings. → Annexes → KWGT → Warehouse → Clear the cache.

Method 5: Super Wallpaper (only for Xiaomi flagships)

Super Wallpapers – exclusive feature for flagship models (Xiaomi) 11/12/13/14 series, MIX 4, They use the phone's gyroscope to create a gyro. 3D-tilt-in.

How to turn them on:

1. Long press on the desktop → Wallpaper → Super wallpaper.
2. Choose one of the themes: Mars, Earth, Moon or Abstraction.
3. 🔄 Wait for download (file weighs) ~50–100 MB).
4. 📱 Apply wallpaper and check the effect by tilting the phone.

Super wallpaper consumes up to 20% of the extra battery due to the constant operation of the gyroscope. If you notice a quick discharge, turn them off in Settings → Battery → Optimization → Super Wallpaper.

Battery charge > 30%|Free space in memory > 200 MB|Other live wallpapers disabled|The gyroscope is enabled in the settings-->

Solving problems: Wallpaper is not installed or moving out

Even after installing the wallpaper correctly, Xiaomi may not behave properly.

If the wallpaper is not installed at all, check:

• 📂 Access to storage for Wallpaper or Gallery application.
• 🔄 Updates MIUI (In some versions there are bugs with wallpaper).
• 🛠️ Root rights or modified firmware (may block system functions).

⚠️ Note: On some models (Redmi) 9A, POCO M3) After resetting the settings, the wallpaper is reset to the standard wallpaper. To avoid this, save the image you like to the folder. DCIM → Wallpapers – the system will load it automatically.

FAQ: Frequent questions about wallpaper on Xiaomi

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For maximum performance on Xiaomi, use static wallpaper in your model's screen resolution. Live and super wallpaper are suitable for flagships, but can slow down budget devices.