Xiaomi smartphone owners often want to personalize their device as much as possible, turning the standard interface into a unique visual experience. One of the easiest but most spectacular ways to revive the lock screen and desktop is to adjust the automatic change of background images. This not only pleases the eye, but also allows you to see a new picture every time you activate the screen, creating a sense of freshness of the interface without unnecessary effort on the part of the user.
MIUI and the new HyperOS offer built-in tools to implement this feature, but their customization may not be obvious to beginners. In this article, we will take a closer look at the system’s regular tools, such as Wallpaper Carousel and Glance, and look at the capabilities of third-party applications for those looking for more advanced control over content.
Before you start setting up, it’s worth noting that the choice of method depends on your smartphone model and the region for which it is released. Global versions of firmware may differ from Chinese or Russian builds, but the basic principles of system services remain similar.
The standard function of "Wallpaper Carousel" (Glance)
The main tool for automatic image change in the Xiaomi ecosystem is a service that in different versions of the firmware can be called “Wallpaper Carousel” or Glance for Mi. This feature is often activated by default on the lock screen and downloads content from the Internet, including news, advertising and beautiful landscapes.
To activate or reconfigure, you need to go to the Settings menu → Lock screen. This is where the switch that turns on the wallpaper carousel is hidden. If you want the images to change themselves, this slider has to be active, but many users find that the images are not updated or changed too rarely. In this case, it is worth checking the settings of the connection to the network and the availability of free space in the cache of the system.
It is important to understand the difference between a lock screen and a desktop. The regular Carousel is primarily focused on the lock screen. If your goal is to dynamically change the background on the desktop (home screen), then this is more difficult to implement with standard MIUI tools and often requires the use of the theme “Limitless screen” or third-party launchers, which will be discussed below.
⚠️ Note: In some regions, Glance can display banner ads along with beautiful pictures. If you are annoyed by advertising, in the Carousel settings, find the “Recommendations” or “Get Updated Content” item and turn it off, leaving only a change of static images from the selected category.
Users who appreciate minimalism can customize the category filter, allowing you to choose the subject of the images: nature, cities, animals or art, this helps to avoid unwanted content and makes changing the wallpaper predictable and pleasant, and pay attention to the frequency of updates: in some versions of the firmware, you can choose the interval at which the image will change.
Set up automatic change through the “Themes” app
The second powerful tool that is often ignored is the standard Theme app, which has a feature inside it to create slideshows from your own photos or download new packs of automatic-rotation wallpaper, ideal for those who want to see personal photos from the gallery on the screen, rather than random pictures from the Internet.
To set up a change in your photos, open the Themes app and go to your profile (the person icon in the corner). Find the Wallpaper or My Wallpaper section. There is often a "Create a slideshow" button or the option to add a folder to Carousel. By selecting an album from the gallery, you can direct the system to use the images from this particular source for the lock screen.
The advantage of this method is that you have complete control over the content, you decide which photos you're going to show, and you don't have to worry about the quality of the picture or the presence of watermarks. In addition, the Themes app allows you to customize the transition effects between images, adding animations to the appearance, which makes the process more smooth and visually appealing.
- 📸 Personal Gallery: The ability to use your own photos for personalization.
- 🔄 Intervals: Adjust the time of each slide (usually with each screen activation).
- 🎨 Effects: Adding animation transitions between images.
It’s worth noting that using a large number of high-resolution photos in a slideshow can slightly increase battery consumption, as the system has to constantly decode new images. However, on modern Snapdragon and MediaTek processors used by Xiaomi, this load is almost invisible to the user in everyday scenarios.
☑️ Setting up the carousel from the photo
Use of widgets and live wallpaper
For those who want dynamic content on the desktop, not just on the lock screen, widgets and live wallpapers are a great solution. Unlike static images, live wallpapers can be video or interactive animation that responds to touch or gyroscope phone.
There's a huge live wallpaper section available in the Xiaomi theme store, many of which are free. To install them, go to Themes → Wallpaper → Live. You can find animated scenes from movies, abstract color gushes, or even simulated current weather outside the window, and you can install them in one click, and then they start working automatically.
Also worth mentioning are widgets, which don't change the wallpaper entirely, but Photos or Gallery widgets can take up a large part of the screen and broadcast a slideshow, which creates the effect of an ever-changing interface, and by combining live wallpaper and widget with a photo, you can maximize the diversity of visual design.
| Type of content | Where does he work? | Battery consumption | Difficulty setting up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wallpaper carousel (Glance) | Lock screen | Low. | Minimum |
| Slideshow from Them | Lock screen | Medium. | Low. |
| Live wallpaper | Desktop | High-pitched | Minimum |
| Third-party launchers | Desktop | Depends on the settings. | Tall. |
When using live wallpaper, it is important to keep in mind resource intensity. If you have an entry-level model or a battery is already worn out, active animation on your desktop can lead to a faster discharge of the device during the day.
Third-party applications for automation
If standard MIUI functionality isn't enough, Google Play apps come to the rescue, and there are many customized programs that can change wallpapers by schedule, location, or even time of day, and the leaders in this niche are apps like Wallpaper Changer or Murals.
These apps allow you to create complex scenarios, like you can set up a wallpaper every 15 minutes using images from a specific folder, or upload new images daily from Unsplash or Wallhaven, which provides almost limitless customization options that are not available in stock firmware.
However, installing third-party software requires permissions, which require access to a gallery, the Internet, and often permission to display over other windows, and can run in the background, requiring them to be removed from the battery optimization list, otherwise Xiaomi will force the wallpaper change process to save energy.
⚠️ Warning: When installing wallpaper change applications from unknown sources, be sure to check the permissions requested. If a simple wallpaper changer requires access to contacts or a microphone, this is an excuse to abandon the installation to avoid leaking personal data.
A popular solution is also to use automatizers like MacroDroid or Tasker, which can create a macro: "If it's 9:00, set the wallpaper from the Work folder, if it's 18:00 from the Home folder," which takes time to set up initially, but the result is worth it for those who like to have complete control.
How to prevent MIUI from killing the wallpaper change app?
Problems with updating and their solution
Xiaomi users often face a situation where the settings seem to be turned on, but the wallpaper stops changing, most often due to the aggressive energy saving policy of the MIUI system, which seeks to save battery power by turning off the background activity of applications, including system services responsible for the carousel.
To solve this problem, you need to manually check the battery settings for the Wallpaper Carousel or Themes app. Go to Settings → Battery → (cog or menu) → Special features (the path may vary depending on the OS version). Make sure that the system design services have no restrictions on background work.
Another common cause is crowded cache: If the carousel service accumulates too many temporary files, it may stop updating content correctly, in which case cleaning the app cache through the application management menu will help. Don't be afraid to clear the cache - your personal settings and selected categories will not be affected, only temporary image files will be deleted.
- 🔋 Energy saving: Check whether the Ultra regime is worth the stringent restrictions.
- 🗑️ Cash: Clear temporary files of the “Themes” or “Wallpaper” application».
- 🌐 Network: Make sure that data downloads via mobile internet are allowed if Wi-Fi is unstable.
It’s also worth checking for updates to the system itself: Newer versions of HyperOS and updated MIUI often refine the carousel’s functionality, and a bug that prevents wallpaper change may already be fixed by the company’s engineers.
Comparison of methods and final recommendations
The way you automatically change wallpaper depends on your priorities: stability, diversity or resource savings. Glance's regular carousel is "put and forget" but with the possible availability of advertising. Your photos through the Themes app are the best balance between personalization and performance. Third-party apps are the choice for enthusiasts willing to put up with a little more battery consumption for unique features.
For most users, the best option is a combination of built-in tools. Setting up the carousel on the lock screen through the system menu gives an excellent result without the need to install extra software. If you need a change on your desktop, then live wallpaper from the official theme store will be the most secure and beautiful solution.
Remember to re-evaluate your settings periodically.What worked perfectly after buying a phone may need adjustments a year from now due to system updates or changes in your tastes. Xiaomi's interface flexibility makes it easy to switch between methods while experimenting with the look of the device.
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For maximum performance, use static high-resolution wallpaper instead of live ones, if battery power is more important to you than animation. Static picture consumes almost no power of the processor and GPU.
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The best way for most is to use the built-in “Wallpaper Carousel” with a category filter, since this does not require the installation of third-party software and minimally affects the autonomy of the smartphone.