Owners of modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often strive to personalize the device to look unique and reflect the style of the host. One of the most effective ways to revitalize the interface is to install a dynamic background that automatically changes at specified intervals. This creates a sense of novelty every time you pick up the phone, and allows you to view your favorite photos without having to flip through the gallery.
The MIUI shell (and the new HyperOS) provide built-in tools to implement this feature, but they are not always obvious to the average user. Depending on the version of the operating system and the firmware region, the customization algorithms can vary significantly, which often causes confusion, and we will analyze all available methods, from standard system tools to advanced third-party solutions.
The changes in images can occur in different triggers: each time you turn on the screen, at a fixed time interval, or when you unlock the device. It is important to understand what kind of result you want to get, since this directly affects the choice of method of setting and battery consumption of the gadget.
Use of the built-in function "Carousel wallpaper"
The most naive way to get a changing background on Xiaomi smartphones is to use a system feature that can be called “Wallpaper Carousel”, “Glance” or “Slideshow Wallpaper Wallpaper” in different versions of firmware, which is deeply integrated into the locking system and desktop, ensuring smooth operation without the need to install additional software.
In the settings menu, you should find the section that designs the blocker and activate the switch that allows you to change images. The system will suggest selecting the categories of images that will be displayed: this can be landscapes, architecture, cars or abstractions. The algorithm independently downloads content from the cloud when you have an Internet connection.
⚠️ Warning: Wallpaper Carousel actively consumes mobile traffic as images are uploaded from the network. It is recommended to enable download only via Wi-Fi in the service settings so as not to overexpend operator limits.
To fine-tune your frame rate, go to the extended carousel settings, where you can set an update interval, for example, every 15 minutes or every time you turn on the screen, and some versions of the shell allow you to even select specific albums from the Mi Cloud cloud if you use the brand ecosystem.
Setting up a slideshow through the Google Photo app
If standard MIUI capabilities seem limited to you or you want to see your personal photos on your desktop, the best solution is to use the popular Google Photos app. This method allows you to create an automatic slideshow from selected albums that will update the desktop background. First, make sure that the application is updated to the latest version through the Play Market store.
Open the app and go to the Library section, then select Tools. In the list of available utilities, find Photo-style Wallpapers. Click on it and the system will suggest selecting an album or creating a new one that will add photos for rotation. This is ideal for those who want to see family photos, pets or travel.
☑️ Setting up Google Photos
Once you select the source of the images, the app will ask permission to change the wallpaper, and you agree with the request, and the background will begin to change, and the advantage of this method is in smart sorting algorithms: the app itself selects the best frames, cutting the excess to the format of the screen of your Redmi or Poco.
Creating a “Photograph” widget for the desktop
An alternative to replacing the background completely is to install a special widget that displays changing photos directly on the desktop without affecting the system wallpaper. This gives more freedom to combine interface elements. The standard Photos widget from Google or Xiaomi allows you to display a slideshow in a given area of the screen.
To add a widget, take a long tap over the empty desktop area and select "Widgets." Find "Photos" or "Google Photos" in the list and drag the desired size frame onto the screen. Inside the widget, you can customize the source of images by selecting a specific album from the device gallery.
| Parameter | Description | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency of update | Frame change interval (min/hour) | High frequency increases battery consumption |
| Source | Local Memory or the Cloud | The cloud requires an internet connection |
| Format | Statics or Live Photo | Video wallpaper consumes more CPU resources |
| Permission | Matching the screen matrix | Low resolution impairs visual quality |
The widget settings often have a random order option that mixes photos to make the change of frames less predictable, and you can also choose the display style: framed, without bezel, or with collage effect, which allows you to flexibly fit the element into the design of your interface.
The secret of high performance widgets
Application of third-party applications for dynamic wallpaper
When built-in functionality is not enough, specialized applications from the Google Play store come to the rescue, with the Wallpaper Engine (which requires installation on a PC for synchronization) and Video Live Wallpaper, which allow you to install not just changing pictures, but full-fledged video backgrounds or animated scenes.
To install video wallpapers, download the app, select a video file from your phone's memory, or use the built-in library. Once you select, click "Install" and confirm the action in the system window. Now, every time you turn on the screen or in the background, the video sequence will play.
⚠️ Attention: The use of video wallpapers and heavy animated scenes significantly increases battery consumption. On models with high refresh rate (120 Hz) screens, this can be especially noticeable.
Some apps, like Mutated Wallpaper or DayNight, allow you to change wallpapers depending on the time of day, and during the day the screen can be bright landscapes, and at night a dark theme with stars, and it's not only beautiful, but also functional, because it reduces the strain on the eyes in the dark.
Automation of background change through Tasker
For advanced users who like full control of the device, there is a powerful automation tool called Tasker, which can create a complex scenario that will change the wallpaper on a schedule, when you change location, or even when you receive a specific notification, which requires more deep customization, but gives you maximum flexibility.
Create a new profile in Tasker and select a trigger, such as Time or System Status. As an action (Task), specify Set Wallpaper and choose the path to the image folder. The script will cycle through the files in the specified directory, changing the background of the desktop or lock screen.
Profile: Auto Wallpaper Change
Trigger: Time (Every 1 hour from 08:00 to 20:00)
Task: Set Wallpaper
Action: Load Image from Folder /Pictures/Wallpapers/Random
Target: Home ScreenTasker allows you to implement logic that is not available with standard tools, for example, you can adjust the wallpaper change only when the battery level is above 20% to save energy in critical situations, and you can also link the change of background to the connection to the home Wi-Fi network.
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When setting up automatic wallpaper change via Tasker, create a separate folder with optimized images, which will speed up the script and prevent interface lags when switching.
Optimization and elimination
Despite the ease of setting up, users may face a number of problems: wallpaper does not change, the application is closed by the system or the battery quickly goes down, often due to the aggressive MIUI energy saving system, which kills the background processes responsible for changing images.
To fix this, look for an app that changes wallpaper in your battery settings (like Google Photos or Wallpaper Engine) and set the "No Limits" mode, which will prevent the system from forcibly stopping the process, and it's also worth checking the permissions: the application should have access to storage and, if necessary, geolocation.
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The main reason for stopping wallpaper change is energy saving. Be sure to remove the restrictions on the source application in the battery settings, otherwise MIUI will block it from working in the background.
If images are not displayed correctly (stretched or cropped), check the zoom settings in the wallpaper application. For screens with bangs or a cutout under the camera, you sometimes need to manually specify the display area so that important details of the picture do not overlap with the interface elements.