Personalizing your smartphone isn’t just a matter of aesthetics, it’s a way to make your device more comfortable and intuitive. When you pick up Xiaomi, you often want to change the standard gray call screen to something more vivid and personal. Owners of devices with a MIUI shell or the new HyperOS have the unique ability to install not only static images, but also full-fledged videos on incoming calls.
However, the installation process may vary depending on the operating system version and model of your Redmi or Poco. Standard system tools allow you to flexibly configure the visual accompaniment of calls, but sometimes hide the necessary options in non-obvious places of the menu. In this article, we will discuss all the available methods, including the use of built-in tools and third-party applications.
Before we make any changes, it's important to understand that installing video wallpapers can consume more battery life than a static picture. However, modern Snapdragon and MediaTek processors can easily do this without a noticeable impact on performance. Let's look at how to turn a boring waiting screen into a dynamic showcase of your taste.
Use of the built-in theme "Wallpaper on the call"
The easiest and most reliable way to change the design of an incoming call is to use the regular Themes app. Unlike third-party solutions, this method guarantees stable operation and no conflicts with the system. You do not need to look for hidden settings, since all the necessary tools are already integrated into the shell.
To start, open the Themes app on your smartphone. At the bottom of the screen, find a tab or section called Video Wallpapers, which is where the developers' official videos optimized for the background are collected, so you can choose your favorite video from the gallery or upload your own.
If you want to use your video, click on the profile icon or menu in the corner of the screen and select the option to download the local file. The system will automatically crop the video to the screen format and prompt you to select the moment you start playing, which is especially convenient if you want the call to start with the most spectacular frame.
💡
Use short videos up to 15 seconds long – they load faster and consume less battery when you make frequent calls.
It is worth noting that some themes may overlap with standard call wallpaper. If the video is missing after installing a new theme, check the settings of the specific theme in the Profile → Topics → Mine → Theme Settings. Make sure the video call feature is activated for the current design.
☑️ Pre-installing check
Configure through the Gallery app
An alternative method that is often overlooked is to directly install the wallpaper through a standard Gallery, which is ideal if you have just downloaded a beautiful video or created a collage and want to assign it to a call immediately without having to click on the menu.
Open the desired video or image in the Gallery app. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner or the "More" button in the action menu. In the list that appears, select "Install as wallpaper." The system will offer several options: "Wallpaper", "lock screen" and, importantly, "Wallpaper to call."
Once you select a point, the system can suggest editing the image, either by framing it or by applying filters. For video, a basic editor is available to select a starting point, which is critical for horizontal videos that need to be adapted to the vertical screen of a smartphone.
⚠️ Warning: When installing videos from the Gallery, make sure the file format is compatible. MP4 and GIF codeced H.264. Heavy files 4K Can cause delays when the call screen appears.
If the “Wallpaper to call” option is not in the menu, this may mean that the corresponding system plugin is not installed or disabled on your device, in which case you need to update the “Themes” and “Wallpaper” apps through the built-in GetApps store or Google Play.
Installation of video on a specific contact
Personalization can be not only general, but also individual, and imagine that the screen is lit up with a video of cats when mom calls, or abstraction when the boss calls, and it helps you instantly understand who is bothering you, without even looking at the name of the caller.
To implement this feature, open the standard Contacts or Phone app and go to the right person's card. Click the edit button (usually a pencil icon) and find the Video or Wallpaper box. In newer versions of MIUI, this item may be hidden under the additional "More" menu.
Select a video from the gallery or record a new one directly from the camera, the system will suggest cropping the frame so that the subscriber's face or important object is in the center of the composition, and after saving the incoming call from this contact, the selected video will be played.
If you globally turn off video playback when calling, then personal settings for contacts will cease to work.
Third-party applications for advanced users
The standard functionality is not always enough to implement complex scenarios, for example, if you want to install live wallpaper that responds to touch, or use specific file formats, in which cases the Google Play apps come to the rescue.
One of the most popular solutions is the Video Live Wallpaper app, which allows you to assign any video files as live wallpaper, which can be used as a background call, and the installation process requires several steps:
- 📲 Download and install the app for live wallpaper from a reliable source.
- 🎞️ Select the video file in the application and configure the playback parameters (sound, repeat, scale).
- ⚙️ Apply the settings as “Live Wallpaper” through the system menu.
- 📞 In the call settings, select the background source "Live wallpaper" or "System».
Another powerful tool is the True Phone Dialer & Contacts app, which is a complete replacement for the standard caller, which gives you a lot of control over the look of the call screen, and you can adjust the transparency, the position of the buttons, and of course, the background videos for each contact separately.
⚠️ Warning: Third-party caller apps require permission to access contacts and phone. read the privacy policy carefully before installing, as you trust the app to access your phone book.
Using third-party software can lead to increased battery consumption, as processes run in the background constantly, it is recommended to periodically check power consumption statistics and close unused applications.
Compatibility and requirements table
Not all features work the same on different smartphone models, and here is a table that will help you navigate your device’s capabilities based on the shell version and content type.
| Type of content | MIUI 12/13 | MIUI 14 / HyperOS | Permit required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Static photo | Supported | Supported | Any (min 720p) |
| Video (MP4) | Through the Topics app | Native support | 1080x1920 (9:16) |
| GIF animation | Limitedly. | Supported | Up to 5MB |
| 3D Effects | Only paid themes. | Part of the Hyper engine | Depends on the topic. |
As you can see from the table, owners of devices with the new HyperOS shell get enhanced native video support without the need to install additional plugins, but on older versions of MIUI functionality remains available through standard tools.
If your device doesn’t support the format, the system will automatically prompt you to convert the file or select a static frame from the video as a preview, which ensures compatibility even on budget models of the Redmi Note or Poco M series.
Problem Solving and FAQ
Users may face various difficulties in setting up: video is not played, sound is not working or wallpaper is flying off after rebooting, most often the problem lies in the power saving settings or application permissions.
Make sure that the Themes and Gallery app is allowed to run in the background. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find the application you want, select Battery, and set No Limits mode to prevent the system from turning off the playback process.
Why is the video of the call black?
Another common problem is the lack of sound when video calls. By default, the system can drown out background video so as not to interrupt the sound of beeps or ringtone. Check the media volume settings and make sure that the Themes app does not tick the "No Sound" box.
💡
The main secret of stable work of video wallpapers is the use of vertical rollers (9:16) and disabling the energy saving mode for system design applications.
If nothing works, try clearing the cache of the Themes app. Accumulated temporary files can cause conflicts when you download new resources. You can do this from the application management menu by selecting Memory → Clear the cache.