Modern Xiaomi Mi TV and Redmi TV smart TVs run on Android TV or PatchWall, making the screen a multimedia center, but many users find that the device displays standard banner ads or boring hours while on standby, ignoring the owner’s personal preferences.
UI personalization is not just a matter of aesthetics, but also a way to make interaction with technology more comfortable. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to put a screensaver on a Xiaomi TV using built-in system features, third-party applications and advanced customization methods through ADB.
It is worth noting that customization options may vary depending on the regional version of the firmware (Global, India, China) and the year of the model release. APK-We will look at all the relevant ways so that you can choose the most suitable for your situation.
The standard features of the Android TV and PatchWall system
The first thing to start with is to learn the built-in functionality. Xiaomi’s TV operating system offers a basic set of options for setting up the waiting screen, although it is often hidden in the depth of the menu or limited to regional settings. The standard mechanism allows you to choose the sources of images, but does not always allow you to upload your own photo directly from the gallery without using third-party tools.
To access the basic settings, go to Settings → Devices and Preferences → Screensaver. Here, the user can choose between an Android logo, color panels or a slideshow from Google Photos. If you want to use your images, the Google Photos option is the most stable standard solution.
However, if you have a PatchWall shell, which is common in Russian and Indian versions of TVs, the menu may look different. In this case, the system aggressively promotes partner content, and the standard screensaver can be replaced with an ad unit. In such cases, you should look for Settings → General or Additional settings, where sometimes the switch to the classic Android mode is hidden.
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Use a Google account with pre-loaded albums – this is the fastest way to activate slideshows without using flash drives.
It is important to understand the difference between live wallpaper and static screensaver. Live wallpaper works constantly on the home screen, consuming processor resources, whereas the screensaver is activated only after a certain period of inactivity. For Xiaomi TVs with a diagonal of 43 inches and above, using heavy live wallpaper can lead to micro-interface delays.
Using the Google Photos app for slideshows
The most reliable and free way to install your photos on the screensaver is to integrate with Google's cloud service. USB-drive in the port of the TV, which preserves the aesthetics of the device and frees up ports for other needs, for example, connection USB-hub.
The adjustment process is as follows:
- 📸 Upload your desired images to the album on Google Photos from your smartphone or computer.
- ⚙️ On the TV, go to Settings. → Devices and preferences → Screenshot.
- 🔗 Select the Google Photos option and log in to your account.
- 🖼️ Select a specific album that will be displayed in standby mode.
The advantage of this method is that you can change the screensaver images remotely. Just add a new photo to the album on your phone, and after a while it will appear on the screen of the Xiaomi Mi TV Stick.
Xiaomi TVs support 4K resolution (3840×2160), but Google Photos can compress images for fast loading. For best results, it is recommended to upload original photos with high bitrate to the album.
Installation of the screensaver with USB-storage
If your internet speed is unstable or you prefer to store media files locally, use the USB-This is also a good solution for models where access to Google services is limited or unconfigured. You'll need a file system-formatted drive. FAT32 or NTFS.
Unlike smartphones, Xiaomi TVs don't have a built-in file manager with a "Saveshower" feature in the standard sense. So just inserting a flash drive is not enough. You need to use special gallery apps that can work in screensaver mode. One popular solution is the Screen Saver app or similar utilities from the Google Play Store on TV.
Procedure for local installation:
- Create a folder on the flash drive called Screensaver (or any other, but in Latin) and place images there.
- Connect the drive to a USB 2.0 or 3.0 TV port.
- Install a slideshow app from the app store.
- In the application settings, specify the path to the folder with images on an external medium.
☑️ Preparation USB-storage
Note the image format. Xiaomi TVs are best at JPEG files with sRGB color space. Using formats like HEIC (from iPhone) or WebP can cause the TV to fail to decode the image, and a black square or error appears on the screen.
| Parameter | Recommended value | Maximum support | Impact on productivity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permission | 1920×1080 | 3840×2160 (4K) | High resolution requires more RAM |
| File format | JPG / JPEG | PNG / BMP | PNG with alpha channel can slow down |
| Shift interval | 3-5 minutes | 60 minutes. | Frequent shifts load the processor |
| File size | 5MB | 20 MB | Large files are loaded for a long time |
Third-party applications for screen customization
When standard tools are not enough, third-party developments come to the rescue from the Google Play store. For Xiaomi TVs, there are specialized applications that completely replace the system screensaver, offering advanced functionality: support for video backgrounds, displaying weather, time in various styles and even news feeds.
One of the leaders in this niche is the Fliqlo app (as ports for Android) or Screen Saver for Android TV. These programs allow you to configure the turn-clock display, which looks stylish on large diagonals. Installation is standard: search in the store, install button, start and setup.
However, be careful with resource-intensive applications: low-end Redmi TVs or older Mi TVs can have just 1GB or 2GB of RAM. Installing a “heavy” screensaver with video effects can cause the system interface to slow down even when watching regular TV.
Risk of installing unknown APKs
There are also apps that let you display information from smart home sensors if you have a Mi Home ecosystem set up, which turns the TV into a giant control panel that shows the temperature in the room or the status of the light bulbs when you're not watching a movie.
Advanced configuration via ADB and command line
For power users who want to gain full control of the device, there is a method of configuring through ADB debugging (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to implement system commands that are not available through a conventional remote interface, you need a computer that is on the same Wi-Fi network with the TV, and an installed utility ADB.
The first step is to activate the developer mode. To do this, go to Settings → About TV and press 7 times on Build Number. Once the message "You became a developer" will open the menu for developers where you need to enable debugging over USB (or over the network).
Connecting to a TV from a computer with the adb connect command IP_The address of the TV, you can control the settings of the screensaver, for example, you can force a specific component of the screensaver to run:
adb shell am start -n com.android.dreams.basic/.ColorPickerOr turn off the standard screensaver completely if it annoys:
adb shell settings put secure screensaver_components""💡
Using ADB gives maximum rights, but requires caution: one incorrect command can lead to a software failure of the system.
In addition, some teams may conflict with PatchWall system updates, so it is recommended to back up important data before experimenting.
Troubleshooting and troubleshooting
When setting up, users often find that the screensaver is not turning on or is not working correctly. One of the common problems is the "Energy Saving" function. If the General → Energy Saving settings set a screen-off timer, it can intercept control from the screensaver by simply extinguishing the screen in 5-10 minutes.
Another problem is the screensaver's "departure" in seconds. This often happens if the system memory is clogged. Cleaning the cache in the App menu → All Apps → Screensaver → Clearing the cache often solves the problem. It's also worth checking if the TV is too old version of the date and time, which can cause security certificate conflicts when trying to upload photos from the cloud.
⚠️ Warning: Do not leave the TV on with a static screensaver for maximum brightness for hundreds of hours. LED and OLED Xiaomi matrix is protected from burnout, the risk of residual image retention with prolonged display of fixed elements (logos, watches) still exists.
If nothing works and the TV persists in displaying ads instead of your photos, it may be the regional firmware that is to blame, and in these cases users sometimes resort to installing Global ROM through firmware reflashing, but this is a complicated procedure that requires unlocking the bootloader.