How to make changing wallpaper on Xiaomi

Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones have powerful displays and flexible interface personalization capabilities. One of the most popular features is the automatic change of background images on the lock screen, which allows the device to look new every time you pick it up without requiring manual user intervention.

The built-in MIUI system and its successor HyperOS offer a native tool called the Wallpaper Carousel, which not only changes pictures, but can also display useful information, news or promotional offers depending on your settings, but many users have difficulty trying to activate this feature or turn off intrusive advertising.

In this guide, we will take a look at all the nuances of working with dynamic backgrounds, learn how to properly adjust the source of images, change the frequency of their updates and solve typical problems when images stop switching.

What is a wallpaper carousel and how it works

The wallpaper carousel is a system application integrated into the MIUI shell, which is responsible for loading and displaying a collection of images on the lock screen. Unlike standard live wallpaper, which are video files, the carousel works with a set of static high-resolution photos.

The principle of operation is to periodically download a new data package from the cloud storage of Xiaomi servers. After downloading, the images are stored in the device's cache. When the user turns on the smartphone screen, the system selects a random or sequential image from the downloaded collection.

It's important to understand that this process requires an active Internet connection to initially download content. Without a network connection, new images will not appear, although previously uploaded images can continue to be displayed.

• 🖼️ Automation: the system itself updates the gallery without user involvement.
• 📡 Online Content: Access to thousands of professional photos from around the world.
• ⚙️ Flexibility: the ability to choose specific categories such as nature, architecture or cars.

⚠️ Warning: Wallpaper carousel consumes mobile traffic. If you have a limited plan, it is recommended to enable download only via Wi-Fi in the application settings.

How to turn on and set up the wallpaper carousel

The interface may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI or HyperOS, but the logic of actions remains the same for all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models.

First, you have to go to the personalization section, and that's where the basic interface looks, and that's where the lock screen and desktop behavior is controlled.

Next, select the item that changes the images, and in some versions of the firmware it can be called "Wallpaper Carousel", in others it can be called "Wallpaper Changers", and after you enter the menu, you need to activate the switch.

Once turned on, the system will suggest selecting preferred categories, whether landscapes, cities, animals or abstractions, and the choice of categories directly affects which images will appear on your screen.

You can also set the change rate from this menu, and you can choose when you want to change your picture, whether it's every time you turn on, once an hour or once a day, so you can control the diversity of the visual range.

Subscription management and removal of advertising

One of the most annoying things about a standard carousel is the presence of ad units, and often between beautiful landscapes, banner ads pop up offering to install apps or buy products, and fortunately, you can get rid of that.

To turn off ads, you need to find the carousel settings for "Receive recommendations" or "Recommendations," which is the setting for showing promotional materials, and turning it off makes the image feed clean.

And then there's the concept of "Subscriptions" inside the carousel, which allows you to get content from specific authors or on certain topics more often, and subscription management is also on the merry-go-round menu.

It is important to periodically check updates to the carousel app itself through the GetApps store or Google Play. New versions often change the mechanisms of advertising and how to block it.

• 🚫 Disabling recommendations: removes banner ads from the tape.
• 📥 Subscription Management: Allows Content Authors to be Selected.
• 🔄 Update: ensures the relevance of advertising protection mechanisms.

⚠️ Warning: After updating the firmware settings, the carousels may reset. Check the "Get recommendations" again if the ad appears after the system update.

Using third-party applications to change background

If you don’t like the built-in capabilities of Xiaomi, you can always turn to third-party solutions. App stores offer a variety of programs that can replace the standard carousel with more functional counterparts.

Popular launchers and widgets often have their own wallpaper-changing mechanisms, which can take images from your personal gallery, from cloud services like Google Photos, or from specialized online libraries.

Using third-party software gives you more control over the process, you can set the exact shift time, transitions between images, and even tie the wallpaper change to geolocation or time of day.

However, it is worth remembering the resource consumption: Third-party applications can consume more battery power, as they work in the background and constantly monitor the time or other triggers to change the picture.

When installing such programs, carefully read the permissions they request. Gallery and Internet access is necessary, but requesting access to contacts or microphone should be alert.

Comparison of wallpaper change methods

To make it easier for you to choose the right way, let’s compare the basic methods. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages that should be considered when setting up a smartphone.

The built-in carousel is the most optimized for the system, but is limited in customization options. Third-party applications are more flexible, but may have a worse impact on autonomy.

As you can see from the table, for most users, the best option is a standard solution, which provides a balance between functionality and energy efficiency.

If you need specific features, such as changing wallpaper on a schedule or synchronizing with the weather, then you should consider alternatives.

Problem Solving: Why Wallpaper Doesn't Change

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the carousel stops working, the image freezes in one frame and does not respond to the screen, and there may be several reasons for this.

First of all, check the Internet connection. If new images have not been uploaded in advance, the carousel has nothing to show, and you should also make sure that the settings do not limit the change only through Wi-Fi, and you are in the mobile coverage area.

The second common cause is an overcrowded app cache.System services may "fall asleep" to save power, and the upgrade process may be suspended.

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If the carousel is getting stuck, try temporarily switching the theme to standard, and then returning yours. This often restarts system personalization services.

The problem may also be a lack of free memory, which requires tens of megabytes of free space to temporarily store files.

In rare cases, cleaning the wallpaper carousel application data through the application management menu helps, which will return the settings to the factory and download fresh content.

• 📶 Network Check: Make sure you have stable internet access.
• 🧹 Cache Clearing: Make room for new files.
• 🔋 Energy saving: check if the system limits background activity.

⚠️ Note: When cleaning the carousel application data, all downloaded categories and settings will reset. You will have to re-select themes and enable the function.

Impact on autonomy and productivity

Many people wonder how much the changing wallpaper puts on the battery, and in the case of the native Xiaomi carousel, the impact is minimal, and the processor only works for a fraction of a second when the screen is turned on.

The main consumption (resources) occurs when you download a new package of images. If you use 4G/5G mobile Internet, modem works more actively, which can lead to a slight heating of the case.

Using live wallpaper (video backgrounds) affects the battery much more, because it requires constant rendering of graphics.

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Native wallpaper carousel practically does not affect the time of the smartphone from one charge, unlike video wallpapers and heavy third-party widgets.

If you notice a sharp drop in autonomy after turning on the feature, it is most likely not the wallpaper itself, but some system bug or conflicting application.

To maximize savings, you can set the change rate to "Once a day" or "When charging" so you can enjoy the variety without worrying about battery power.