Wallpaper carousel on Xiaomi: the principle of operation, configuration and secrets of use

Wallpaper carousel on Xiaomi smartphones is one of those chips that make the interface MIUI It's unique. It allows you to automatically change your desktop background on a schedule, depending on the time of day or even the weather. But how does it work? Can you customize it to your preferences? And why sometimes the wallpaper stops updating?

If you just bought a Redmi smartphone, POCO Or Xiaomi, and they noticed that the background of the screen changes by itself -- don't worry, it's not a virus. It's a wallpaper carousel built into the firmware. MIUI 12/13/14. In this article, we'll look at how it works, how to set it up, and what to do if something goes wrong, and we'll also uncover some secrets that are not even written in the official manuals.

What is a wallpaper carousel on Xiaomi and why you need it

Wallpaper Carousel is a service from Xiaomi that automatically uploads and installs new background images to the desktop. Unlike static wallpaper, which you pick once and forget, the carousel makes the interface dynamic.

• 🌅 Change depending on the time of day (morning/day/evening/night).
• 🌦️ Adjust to the weather (sun, rain, snow).
• 📅 Update on schedule (every day, week or month).
• 🎨 Use thematic collections (nature, cities, abstractions).

The carousel is activated by default on most new Xiaomi devices, but it can be turned off or reconfigured. The main advantage is that you don't have to manually search and install new wallpapers. The system does this itself, based on your preferences. But there are pitfalls to the feature: it consumes traffic, can slow down when the Internet is weak, and sometimes resets.

Interesting fact: in MIUI 14 carousels are smarter, and it analyzes which wallpapers you leave most often, and it picks up similar ones, and in some regions, like China, exclusive collections are available that are not in global firmware.

How the carousel works: technical details

From a technical point of view, the wallpaper carousel is part of the service. MIUI Themes, which is the design of the system, works on the following principle:

1. The smartphone connects to Xiaomi servers and downloads a packet of wallpaper (usually this is the case). ZIP-archive with images in resolution suitable for your screen).
2. The system analyzes the current conditions: time of day, geolocation (for weather), user settings.
3. Based on this data, the most suitable background is selected and applied on the desktop.
4. If automatic updates are enabled, the process is repeated on schedule.

All the wallpaper is stored in a folder. /sdcard/MIUI/WallpaperCarousel/. And there's cached versions and temporary files, and the size of one "particle" of wallpaper is usually less than 50–100 MB, but if the carousel lasts a long time, the folder can grow to several gigabytes.

It's important to understand that the carousel is not just a slideshow of pre-loaded images, but it interacts with other Xiaomi services, such as:

• 🌍 Weather – to select wallpaper according to current conditions.
• ⏰ With the clock - to change the background by the time of day.
• 📡 S MIUI Cloud – to synchronize settings between devices.

💡

If the carousel is slowing down, try clearing its cache. → Annexes → Application management → Topics and click "Clear Cache".

How to turn on or off the wallpaper carousel

The carousel is activated by default on new devices, but it can be easily turned off or turned on if it has been deactivated.

1. Open the settings of your smartphone.
2. Go to the Wallpaper (or Topics) section → Wallpaper, depending on the version MIUI).
3. Select the wallpaper carousel tab (can be called Dynamic wallpaper or Wallpaper Driver).
4. Activate or deactivate the switch at the top of the screen.

If you want not just to turn off the carousel, but to remove all the wallpaper loaded by it, do the following:

Remove the cache in the settings of the application "Themes"|

Turn off the carousel in the wallpaper menu|

Delete the folder /sdcard/MIUI/WallpaperCarousel/ via file manager|

Reset the device-->

In some models (for example, POCO F5 Xiaomi 13, the path to settings may be different. If you don't find the wallpaper carousel section, try it:

• 🔍 Use search in settings (swipe down on the main settings screen and type "wallpaper").
• 📱 Update the firmware - in old versions MIUI function may be concealed.
• 🌐 Change region to China – the carousel works more stable there (but requires a Mi Account account).

Setting up a carousel: how to make it "own"

Xiaomi's wallpaper carousel doesn't just turn on and off, it can be flexibly customized to your preferences. Here are the basic settings that are available to the user:

1. Selection of wallpaper collection

By default, the system loads random wallpaper from the Xiaomi database, but you can choose a specific topic:

• 🌿 Nature -- forests, mountains, lakes.
• 🏙️ Cities - architecture, streets, skyscrapers.
• 🎨 Abstraction – geometric patterns, gradients.
• 🐾 Animals – cats, dogs, wildlife.
• 🚀 Space - stars, planets, galaxies.

To select a collection:

1. Go to the wallpaper settings (Settings) → Wallpaper. → Wallpaper carousel).
2. Click on Collections or Themes.
3. Choose your favorite category and save the changes.

Frequency of wallpaper change

You can adjust how often the wallpaper will be updated:

• ⏳ Every hour is for those who like to change frequently.
• 🌞 Once a day is the best option for most people.
• 📅 Once a week, if you don’t want to update too often.
• 🔄 Manually – the wallpaper changes only after your confirmation.

To change the frequency, go to the carousel settings and select the Update Frequency.

Adaptation to the time of day and weather

One of the most interesting features is the automatic change of wallpaper depending on:

• ⏰ The day is dark, the day is dark, and the day is dark.
• 🌤️ Weather: If it rains, the background will turn blue or gray.
• 📍 Geolocations: Local collections are available in some regions (e.g. wallpaper with views of your city).

To enable this function:

1. In the settings of the carousel, find the Adaptive Wallpaper section.
2. Activate the switches for the time of day and weather.
3. If necessary, provide access to geolocation and weather.

💡

If adaptive wallpapers don't work, check if geolocation services are enabled for the Weather and Themes app. Without this, the system won't be able to determine your location and current weather conditions.

Why the wallpaper carousel does not work: common problems

Sometimes the carousel stops updating the wallpaper or disappears from the settings altogether, and here are the most common reasons and ways to eliminate them:

1. No Internet connection

The wallpaper carousel requires constant access to the network, as new background images are downloaded from Xiaomi servers.

• 📶 Mobile Internet is disabled – connect to Wi-Fi.
• 🔌 Weak signal – check the connection speed.
• 🌐 Traffic blocking – some providers or VPN Can block access to Xiaomi servers.

To check if traffic is blocked, try:

1. Disable VPN (if you use it).
2. Switch from mobile data to Wi-Fi (or vice versa).
3. Check if the traffic saving mode is included in the settings.

2.Outdated version MIUI

In older versions of firmware (below) MIUI (12) the carousel may be unstable or not at all:

• 🔄 Update the firmware through Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 📦 If you don’t have any updates, try to upgrade to global or European firmware (via Fastboot or Recovery).
• ⚙️ Install the latest version of the Themes app from the Mi App Store.

3. Memory deficit

If there's not enough space on the device, the carousel may refuse to download new wallpaper.

• 📁 Free space in the Settings section → Warehouse.
• 🗑️ Cache of the Topics app (clean it as described above).
• 📂 folder /sdcard/MIUI/WallpaperCarousel/ — if it weighs more 1 GB, remove its contents.

4. Failure of the service Topics

Sometimes the problem lies in the Topic app itself, so you can restart it.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Topics.
2. Press Stop (Force Stop)
3. Then press the Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
4. Reset the device.

⚠️ Note: If you use custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), the wallpaper carousel will not work.This feature is closely integrated with Xiaomi services and requires the original MIUI.

Secret chips carousel wallpaper, which few people know

Xiaomi's wallpaper carousel hides a few non-obvious features that could make it even more convenient.

1.Use of their wallpaper in the carousel

Many people think that the carousel only works with Xiaomi wallpaper, but it's not. You can add your own images:

1. Create a folder with wallpaper on the device (for example, /sdcard/Pictures/MyWallpapers/).
2. Place images in your screen resolution (for example, 1080×2400 For the Redmi Note 11).
3. In the carousel settings, select My Wallpaper and specify the path to the folder.

The system will randomly select wallpaper from your collection, the main thing is that the images are:

• 📏 The right permission (otherwise they will stretch or cut).
• 🖼️ In format. JPG or PNG.
• 🔍 Without watermarks (otherwise, the carousel may ignore them).

2. Synchronization of wallpaper between devices

If you have multiple Xiaomi devices (like a smartphone and tablet), you can sync wallpapers via the Mi Cloud:

1. Make sure that theme sync is enabled on both devices (Settings) → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud → Synchronization → Topics).
2. On the first device, set up the carousel as you like.
3. On the second device, turn on the carousel - it will tighten the same settings.

This is convenient if you want to have the same style on all your gadgets.

3. Hidden wallpaper collections

V MIUI There are hidden collections of wallpaper that are not displayed in the main menu:

1. Open the Topic app.
2. Go to Wallpaper.
3. In the search box enter: hidden - will show hidden collections. secret - will open exclusive wallpaper. miui14 — Collections available only in the latest version.

Some of these wallpapers may be blocked by region, but they can still be downloaded manually.

4. Carousel on lock screen

By default, the carousel works only on the desktop, but it can be activated for the lock screen:

1. Go to Settings → Lock screen.
2. Pick Wallpaper.
3. Activate the wallpaper carousel option (if available).

Note that on the lock screen wallpaper can be updated less often, so as not to consume battery power.

💡

If you want the wallpaper on the desktop and lock screen to match, turn on the option "Sync Wallpaper" in the carousel settings.

How to completely remove the wallpaper carousel and free up space

If you decide you don't need a carousel, you can not only turn it off, but also completely remove it, freeing up space on the device.

1. Disconnection through settings

The easiest way is to deactivate the function:

1. Go to Settings. → Wallpaper. → Wallpaper carousel.
2. Turn off the switch.
3. Select static wallpaper manually.

This will stop the loading of new wallpaper, but the already downloaded files will remain in the memory of the device.

2. Deletion of cache and carousel files

To make room, delete the folder with wallpaper:

1. Open any file manager (such as Mi File Manager).
2. Cross the path. /sdcard/MIUI/WallpaperCarousel/.
3. Delete all files and folders inside.

If the folder is not deleted, it may be used by the system.

• Restart the device in Safe Mode (press the power button) → Restarting in Safe Mode).
• Repeat the removal attempt.

3. Disabling the Themes service (for advanced users)

If you want to completely block the carousel and its associated processes, you can disable the Themes system application. MIUI, Do it at your own risk and risk:

1. Activate Developer Mode (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI → press 7 times).
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Turn on Debugging. USB and connect the device to the PC.
4. Use it. ADB, To disable the application: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.themes

To get it all back, follow the command:

adb shell pm enable com.android.themes

⚠️ Attention: Disabling the Themes application can cause malfunctions in the launcher, widgets and other interface elements.

FAQ: Frequent questions about wallpaper carousel on Xiaomi