Personalizing a mobile device is not just a fashion, it's a necessity for every wearer of a modern gadget. When you pick up a smartphone, the first thing you see is a lock screen, which creates the first impression and sets the tone for all further interaction with the operating system. The standard settings pre-installed by the factory often seem boring or overwhelmed with unnecessary information that the user does not use in everyday life.
Owners of Xiaomi’s MIUI-powered devices or the new HyperOS have the most customizable interfaces, allowing them to change everything from static images to dynamic widgets, fonts, and even notification behaviors, but despite the abundance of features, many users are limited to changing wallpapers, unaware of the hidden capabilities of the menu.
In this article, we will discuss how to edit the lock screen on Xiaomi to make it convenient, stylish and functional. You will learn where professional design tools hide, how to remove unnecessary advertising and adjust the display of critical information without the need to unlock the device. A deep understanding of these settings will turn your smartphone into a unique tool, fully adapted to your personal habits.
Basic setting of wallpaper and design style
Starting with the most obvious, the background screensaver, Xiaomi offers an integrated theme store, which is a powerful editing tool. To access the basic settings, you need to go to the Settings menu. → Wallpaper and personalization: Here, the user can select a static image from the gallery or download a new file from the Internet.
But the magic is in the Online Themes section, and if you click on the icon, you're in a catalog where you can find designs that completely change the style of the lock screen, some themes add special design watches, change unlock animations, and even add new controls.
⚠️ Warning: When installing third-party themes from unofficial sources or dubious sites, there is a risk of malicious code being introduced. Use only the built-in Themes app or proven resources.
For those who prefer minimalism, the system offers Classic mode, which is devoid of unnecessary embellishment, leaving only time, date and notifications. Switch between styles from the wallpaper selection menu, where the option is often “Default” or “Classic” is often offered, this solution is ideal for users who appreciate speed and no visual noise.
Using Wallpaper Carousel for Dynamic Content
One of the most popular features in the MIUI and HyperOS ecosystem is the Wallpaper Carousel, which allows you to automatically change the background image every time you wake up the screen. To activate this feature, go to Settings → Lock the screen and find the Wallpaper Carousel, and you can choose between nature, architecture, art or abstraction.
The main advantage of the carousel is not only the visual diversity: the lock screen can display interesting facts, news, quotes or even promotional offers from partners, the user can flexibly adjust the frequency of updates and theme of the content, which turns the lock screen into an information panel that remains relevant at any time of the day without human intervention.
It is worth noting that the wallpaper carousel consumes additional traffic, as images are downloaded from the network. If you save mobile Internet, it is recommended to enable download only via Wi-Fi. Also in the settings of the service you can turn off the display of advertising cards, leaving only beautiful pictures, which will make using the feature more comfortable.
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In the wallpaper carousel settings, you can select "Receive notifications for new sets," which will allow you to be the first to hear about new collections of images from your favorite authors.
Configure widgets and quick access
Modern lock screen is not just a picture, but a functional interface. Xiaomi devices can place widgets that allow you to interact with the system without entering a password. To edit these elements, tap and hold your finger in the free space of the lock screen (if the theme allows), or go to Settings → Screen Lock → Widgets.
You can use a quick app launch, weather, currency, pedometer or calendar, you can drag and drop, resize or completely remove unnecessary ones, and you can have a Runner or Shortcut widget that allows you to instantly open your camera or voice recorder, which is especially valuable in situations where you count for seconds.
- 📱 Labels: Camera and Flashlight – located at the corners of the screen, activated by swipe or press.
- 🌤️ Info widgets: Weather, date, lunar calendar – displayed next to the clock.
- 🏃 Fitness: Steps, pulse, distance – useful for owners of fitness bracelets Mi Band.
- 🎵 Media: Managing music playback from Spotify, Yandex.Music or local files.
It's important to understand that the number of widgets available depends on the operating system version and the theme you install. Some third-party themes may block standard widgets from the system, replacing them with their counterparts. If you can't find the right item, try temporarily switching to standard design.
☑️ Set up the perfect lock screen
Working with Notifications and Privacy
Flow management is a critical aspect of settings. The lock screen often becomes a source of data leakage if you don't configure the notifications correctly. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification format. Here you can choose how the system will display incoming messages.
Classic Mode displays the full text of a message directly on a locked screen. This is convenient but not safe in public places. Android Mode hides content by showing only the name of the application and the number of messages. For maximum privacy, this is the option, especially if you often leave your phone unattended.
Also on the screen lock menu is the feature "Show notifications when the screen is off," which allows you to see icons of new messages when the display goes out, which helps save battery power, since the screen does not light up completely, but only slightly highlights the indicator or shows a minimalist icon.
⚠️ Note: If your device has two-factor authentication configured via SMS, If you can hide the text from the banks, the attacker who gets access to the locked phone can see the confirmation code.
Advanced Customization: Fonts, Watches and Always On Display
For users who don't have a lot of standard settings, Xiaomi offers deep customization through the theme store. Here you can change not only the picture, but also the style of the watch. Digital, analog, second hand or text, the choice is huge. Some watches even have a color scheme that adapts to wallpaper.
The feature is always on display (AOD). It is available on devices with AMOLED-screen. AOD It allows you to display time, date and notifications on the screen off, consuming a minimum amount of power. AOD You can access the Settings menu → Lock screen → Always On Display.
In this section you can:
- 🕒 Select the design of the dial for the mode AOD.
- 📅 Add a schedule of meetings or pedometer.
- ⏱️ Set up a work timer (always on schedule or 10 seconds after touching).
- 🎨 Create your own drawing for AOD, color-pattern.
Secrets of Always On Display
Changing the system font also affects the lock screen. In the Themes app, go to the Fonts section, where you can download and install thousands of free fonts. Once you install and reboot the device, the new font will apply to the entire system, including the clock on the lock screen, making it more readable or stylized.
Solving problems and resetting design settings
Sometimes, after you install a new theme or update your system, the lock screen may not work correctly: widgets disappear, time is displayed incorrectly, or the sensor reacts with a delay. In such cases, cleaning the data of the Themes and Screen Lock application helps. Go to Settings → Apps → All applications, find the right one and click Clear → Clear all data.
If the problem persists, a specific theme may conflict. Try applying the standard Classic or Default theme preinstalled. This will return all settings to factory values. It is also worth checking for system updates, as newer versions of MIUI often fix bugs associated with rendering graphics.
The table below shows the main problems and ways to solve them:
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Wallpaper doesn't change. | Cache error or denial of access | Clear the cache of the Gallery and Themes app |
| Widgets don't work. | Incompatibility of the topic | Switch to the standard theme of design |
| The screen goes out too fast. | Sleep timer settings | Check the settings → Screen and brightness → Sleeping mode |
| No, Always On Display | Screen type (LCD) or disabled | The function is only available on AMOLED, check in the settings |
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Resetting theme settings to standard values is the fastest way to eliminate visual glitches and interface display errors after a failed customization.
⚠️ Note: When cleaning system applications, do not confuse the “Clean” button with the “Delete” button. Removal of system components can lead to unstable smartphone operation.