How to return standard wallpaper to Xiaomi: 5 working ways

Standard wallpaper on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often look minimalist and optimized for the MIUI interface. However, after installing third-party themes or accidentally changing the background image, many users face the problem: how to return the original wallpaper? In this article, we will analyze all the current ways - from simple settings to restore through MIUI Themes and even reset the system.

It is important to understand that the process may differ depending on the version of the MIUI (12, 13, 14 or HyperOS) and the device model. For example, on the Xiaomi 13 Pro and Redmi Note 12, the path to wallpaper settings will be identical, but on older devices like the Mi 9T, additional actions may be required.

If you accidentally delete a standard wallpaper or it's gone after an update, don't worry. In 90% of cases, it can be recovered without losing data, and the key is to follow the algorithm and not skip the steps.

Method 1: Recovery through wallpaper settings

The most obvious and quickest method is to return the standard wallpaper through the built-in menu, which works on all Xiaomi devices with MIUI 10 and later, including the POCO F5 and Redmi K60.

Open the Themes app (Brush icon) or go to Settings → Wallpaper. Depending on the firmware version, you may open:

• 🎨 Wallpaper Gallery – here at the bottom of the screen there is a tab Standard or Basic.
• 📱 Preview – Swipe left to see all available options.
• ⚙️ Additional settings – click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Restore by default.

If the standard wallpaper is not on the list, try:

1. Restart your device – sometimes it helps you recover hidden system files.
2. Update the Themes app via Google Play or MIUI App Store.

⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Xiaomi Mi) A3 with Android One, standard wallpaper is stored in a folder /system/media/theme/default_wallpapers. Deleting files from here without root rights can cause failures.

Method 2: Use of the MIUI Themes application

The MIUI Themes app is the central hub for managing the visual design of a smartphone, which allows you to not only install new themes, but also return factory settings, including wallpaper.

Instructions:

1. Open the Topic app.
2. Go to My Topics (or Topics Management) section.
3. Find an active topic and click on it.
4. At the bottom of the screen will appear button Reset or Return to the standard – tap it.
5. Confirm the action and wait for the changes to be applied.

If there is no reset button, then the current theme is already standard.

• 🔍 Check the Recommended section – sometimes standard wallpaper is hidden there called Default or MIUI Standard.
• 📥 Download the official theme MIUI Default from the Theme Store (free).

Method 3: Resetting the launcher settings

If the standard wallpaper is lost after installing a third-party launcher (for example, Nova Launcher or Apex Launcher), the problem may be in the conflict of settings, in which case the MIUI Launcher launcher reset will help.

How to reset:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the MIUI Launcher (or just the Launcher) and open its settings.
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the data.
4. Confirm action. After that, the launcher will restart with factory settings, including wallpaper.

Important: This method will not only reset wallpaper, but also the location of icons on the desktop, folders and widgets. If you use a custom launcher, first go back to the standard through Settings → Home → MIUI Launcher.

⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Redmi) 9A) Resetting the launcher can cause a temporary interface lag. If the smartphone starts to slow down after the procedure, restart it.

Method 4: Manual copying of system files (for advanced ones)

If standard wallpaper has been removed or damaged, it can be manually restored by copying files from a backup or other device, a method that requires root rights or access to ADB.

Instructions:

1. Download the archive with standard wallpaper for your model (can be found on the 4PDA or XDA Developers forums).
2. Connect your smartphone to your PC and activate Debugging over USB (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times press to unlock the developer mode).
3. Use it. ADB file-copy /system/media/theme/default_wallpapers: adb push local_wallpaper.jpg /sdcard/ adb shell su mount -o rw,remount /system cp /sdcard/local_wallpaper.jpg /system/media/theme/default_wallpapers/ chmod 644 /system/media/theme/default_wallpapers/local_wallpaper.jpg reboot

Without root rights, you can try replacing wallpapers through a file manager with access to system folders (for example, Mixplorer or FX File Explorer), but this method does not work on all devices.

Method 5: Complete resetting of settings (last resort)

If none of these methods worked, the last option is to reset to factory settings, which will bring not only the standard wallpaper, but all the other parameters of the system back to their original state.

How to reset:

1. Back up important data (Settings → About Phone → Backup).
2. Go to Settings → Additional → Recovery and Reset.
3. Select Reset and confirm the action.
4. After the reboot, the device will be as new as the standard wallpaper.

Cons of this method:

• ❌ All user data (photos, messages, applications) are deleted).
• ❌ Re-configuring the smartphone is required.
• ❌ It does not help if the problem is in corrupted system files (flashing needs to be done).

💡

Before reset, write down your device's IMEI (dial *#06# in the dialer) to help restore access to the mobile network if the signal is lost after the reset.

Frequent problems and their solutions

When you restore standard wallpaper, users often encounter common mistakes.

Problem 1: There is no standard tab in the wallpaper list.

Solution: Update the Themes app to the latest version or manually install it from apkmirror.com.

Problem 2: After the launcher was dropped, the wallpaper didn't change.

Solution: Remove the Wallpaper app cache (Settings → Apps → Wallpaper → Storage → Clear the cache).

Problem 3: Standard wallpaper looks blurry or stretched.

Solution: Check the screen resolution in the display settings. If the wallpaper doesn't fit your resolution, download the original files for your model from the forums.

Problem 4: There are different wallpapers on the lock screen and desktop.

Solution: In wallpaper settings, select the option to Apply on both screens or manually set the same background.

💡

If none of these methods worked, check the integrity of system files through the “Security” application → “System Check”.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions