Personalizing the smartphone interface is not just a way to make the screen look more beautiful, but also the ability to quickly access important memories. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices often wonder how to bring favorite shots to the home screen without entering the gallery. Modern shells MIUI and HyperOS provide ample opportunities for visual design, but standard methods may not be obvious to beginners.
There are several ways to do this, from using standard system tools to installing specialized applications from Google Play. The choice of the specific method depends on what you want to see: random photos from the album, a static image or a complex mosaic of images. In this article, we will discuss all the options available in detail so that you can customize your smartphone as conveniently as possible.
Before you start, make sure that your device already has the necessary photos uploaded, the system will not be able to display what is not in the device memory or cloud storage, and it is worth deciding in advance whether you will use the built-in Mi Gallery or prefer the Google Photo ecosystem, since the algorithms of widgets are different.
Standard Gallery widget in MIUI and HyperOS
The easiest and most reliable way to display images on the desktop is to use the built-in Gallery app. Shells from Xiaomi usually have a pre-installed widget that allows you to display slideshows or static pictures. First, you need to unlock the screen and go to the main screen where there are no open applications.
Push two fingers across the screen, or tap and hold the empty area to go into edit mode. From the bottom menu, select Widgets. From the list that opens, look for the Gallery or Photos icon. Click on it to see the available sizes and display formats.
- 🖼️ Square widget: displays one photo, perfect for neat placement between icons.
- 📸 Rectangular (horizontal): shows a series of multiple shots, switching them automatically.
- 🎞️ Vertical list: convenient to view the event or album feed without opening the application.
⚠️ Note: Some global firmware versions may not have a standard gallery widget or may not work properly due to regional limitations.
After selecting the size, drag the widget to the free screen space. The system can suggest selecting the album from which the images will be displayed. If this does not happen automatically, click on the widget created and specify the source in the menu that appears. Most often, the default album is selected "Favorites" or "Recent ones".
Setting up the Google Photo widget
For users whose library is synced to a Google account, the native Google Photos widget is a great solution, featuring a smarter HR algorithm and often offering “This Day a Year Ago” or “Best Moments” that makes the desktop lively and ever-changing.
The installation process is similar to the previous one: go to the widget menu through a long press on your desktop. Search the Google Photos app in the list. Here you will see a variety of design options, from simple bezels to complex collages. Choose the one that best fits into the design of your icons.
One of the key features of Google's widget is that it can filter by people, places or topics, and by clicking on the added widget, you can customize its behavior, for example, you can only display photos that recognize the faces of your loved ones, or only pictures taken on vacation.
If the widget is displaying the wrong photos, check the sync settings in the app itself. Sometimes the cache is full and the widget shows old data, in which case cleaning the app cache through the smartphone settings menu will help.
Using third-party widgets for slideshows
Standard functionality doesn't always meet the needs of advanced users. If you want a full-fledged slideshow with music or specific transitions, you should turn to Google Play. There are many applications created specifically to decorate your desktop with dynamic content.
A popular solution is Photo Widget: Simple or PiP Widget, which allows you to create complex compositions, add calendars and watches over photos. Once you install this app, a new section will appear in the widget menu with its name. The principle of adding remains the same, but the functionality inside the widget will be much richer.
- 🎨 Customizable frames: the ability to change the color and thickness of the boundaries of the photo.
- ⏱️ Shift intervals: adjusting the display time of one frame from 5 seconds to 1 hour.
- 📂 Folder selection: the ability to select a specific folder in the file system, not just a gallery album.
It’s important to understand that an active slideshow on the home screen can consume more power. The battery will run out faster if the screen is updated frequently or if the widget uses animations. So when choosing an application, pay attention to feedback on optimization.
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Use widgets with a dark theme or a black frame on AMOLED-This will help save battery power, as the black pixels on such displays do not consume energy.
Creating live wallpaper from photos
Sometimes users don't need a separate widget, but they want the images to change against the icons, and in this case, the wallpaper comes to the rescue, and unlike widgets, they occupy the entire screen and do not overlap with other interface elements, creating an immersive effect.
Xiaomi smartphones have a built-in Themes app, and you can go to the Wallpaper section and select the Photos or Slideshow category, but standard live wallpaper functionality is often limited, and a more flexible option is to use the Video Live Wallpaper app or analogues that allow you to assign a video or set of photos as a lock and desktop background.
For installation of photo wallpapers through standard means:
- Open the Gallery and select the photo or album you want.
- Click the “More” button (three dots) and select “Install as wallpaper”.
- In the menu that appears, select “Wallpaper and slideshow”.
- Set the shift interval and click "Apply".
⚠️ Attention: Installing heavy high-resolution photo wallpapers can cause micro-twitching of the interface on older models of smartphones with little RAM. If you notice lags, it is better to go back to a static image.
This is especially true for lock screens, and you can set it up so that every time you turn on, you're greeted by a new image from your chosen album, which creates a sense of novelty without having to constantly change the widgets on your desktop.
Table of comparison of methods of displaying photos
To make it easier for you to choose the right option, we have organized the basic methods into a table, and here are the key differences that will help you make a decision depending on your priorities: battery saving, beauty or functionality.
| Method | Battery consumption | Flexibility of setting | Complexity of installation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Gallery widget | Low. | Medium | Low. |
| Google Photo widget | Medium. | Tall. | Low. |
| Third-party widgets | High-pitched | Maximum | Medium |
| Live wallpaper (Slide Show) | Medium/High | Low. | Low. |
As you can see from the table, the middle ground is often the Google Photos widget, which combines decent optimization with good functionality, but for maximum control over the appearance of the screen, enthusiasts will choose third-party solutions.
The secret to long widgets
Solution: widget not updated or black screen
Users sometimes face a situation where the widget is installed, but shows an old photo or even a black square. Most often the problem lies in the aggressive MIUI energy saving system, which “sleeps” the background processes to save charge.
To fix this, you need to go to the settings of the app that provides the widget (for example, "Gallery" or "Google Photos"). Find the AutoStart and enable it. Also in the "Battery" section for this application, you need to remove the restrictions of background activity. Without these permissions, the system will block the update of content.
☑️ Checklist of diagnostics widget
Another reason could be a crowded cache. If the Gallery widget has stopped responding to touch, try clearing its data. Go to Settings -> Apps -> All Apps -> Gallery -> Memory and click Clear Cache. This won't delete your photos, but reset the widget display settings.
In rare cases, the problem may be related to the theme of the design. Some third-party themes downloaded from the Themes store may not properly scale widgets. If after installing a new theme, the widget photo has disappeared or became opaque, try switching to a standard theme Classic or Default.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can you change the image every time you turn on the screen?
Why does Google Photos show the wrong pictures?
Does the photo widget affect the speed of the smartphone?
How to remove the widget if it is tired?
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Properly configuring the battery resolutions is key to the stable operation of any widgets on Xiaomi. Without this step, the system will constantly “kill” the process of updating the image.
To sum up, installing a photo widget on Xiaomi is a creative and simple process. Whether you choose standard tools or third-party apps, desktop personalization will make smartphone use more enjoyable. Experiment with sizes and sources to find the perfect balance between aesthetics and functionality.