How to make wallpaper brighter on Xiaomi smartphones: from settings to editing

Dim wallpaper on the Xiaomi screen spoils the entire impression of the smartphone - even the most beautiful pictures lose expressiveness if their brightness is not enough. AMOLED-screens (for example, in Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi Note 12 Pro)+), where dark colors can dissolve in black backgrounds, or on budget models with mediocre color reproduction, but the good news is that you can fix this without changing the device.

In this article, we will discuss 7 working methods, from basic screen settings to professional image editing. You will learn how to match wallpaper for a particular Xiaomi model, what parameters affect the perception of brightness, and why sometimes the problem lies not in the picture, but in the system settings. All methods are tested on current versions of MIUI 14/15 and are suitable for Redmi, POCO and Mi smartphones (including Xiaomi 14, Redmi Note 13 and others).

1. Customization of brightness and contrast of the screen

Before you edit the wallpaper, check the basic parameters of the display. Often the problem is solved in just 2 clicks. Let's start with the obvious - brightness adjustment:

1. Open the Settings → Display.
2. Move the Brightness slider to the extreme right position (or activate Auto Brightness if you are in a well-lit room).
3. Enable the option to Improve Contrast (available on most MIUI 12+ models).

Nana AMOLED-screens (for example, in Xiaomi 13 Ultra or POCO F5 Pro) also include Saturated colors in the same section, which increases the depth of black and makes the colors more juicy, which visually "raises" the brightness of the wallpaper.

Important! If after this manipulation, the wallpaper still seems dull, the problem may be the color profile. Go to Settings → Display → Color Mode and choose Saturated over Standard or Splendid for the Eye.

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Redmi) 10C or POCO M5) You may not have the option to improve contrast, so skip it and move on to the next method.

2.Use of "Live Wallpaper" with dynamic illumination

If static wallpapers look faded, try Xiaomi's dynamic (live) wallpapers, which automatically adjust to lighting and even the time of day, creating an extra brightness effect. Here's how to turn them on:

• 📱 Long press on the desktop → Wallpaper. → Live wallpaper.
• 🌅 Select a theme marked Dynamic (e.g. Dawn, Ocean or City Lights).
• ⚙️ Press Settings (cog icon) and activate Adaptive Brightness.

This method works especially well on Xiaomi flagships (e.g. Xiaomi). 12T Pro or Mix Fold 3, where you can support HDR-It's a live wallpaper effect. It's a budget model, like Redmi. A2+) The choice of themes is limited, but even standard options visually refresh the screen.

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If there are few options in the live wallpaper gallery, install the official Xiaomi Wallpapers app from Google Play - there are exclusive themes with improved color reproduction.

The downside of the method: dynamic wallpaper consumes an additional battery (about 3-5% more per day).If autonomy is critical, use them only when connected to a charge.

3. Editing wallpaper in the standard annex "Gallery"

Not everyone knows, but the built-in Xiaomi Gallery has basic tools to increase the brightness of images. It's a quick way to fix the wallpaper directly on the phone without resorting to third-party programs.

1. Open the wallpaper in the Gallery and click Edit (pencil icon).
2. Select the Settings tab (or Tools in older versions of MIUI).
3. Move the sliders: 🔆 Brightness - on +20–30% 🎨 The contrast is on +15–20% 🌈 Saturation, by +10-15% (don’t overdo it or the colors will become unnatural).

Save the changed image and set it as wallpaper.

A critical nuance: if the gallery is brighter, artifacts (noise, pixelation) can appear in dark areas. To avoid this, use the original wallpaper in high resolution (at least 1080p).

Download the image in maximum resolution | Check the format (JPEG/PNG without compression) | Make a backup of the original | Cut to screen resolution-->

4. Third-party applications for brightening

If built-in tools aren't enough, use specialized applications. 5 Popular solutions and selected top-3 in the ratio of efficiency and simplicity:

For most Xiaomi users, we recommend Snapseed – it is free, does not require registration and allows you to point to increase the brightness of individual sections of wallpaper (for example, brighten the dark corner without affecting the rest of the picture).

1. Open the wallpaper in Snapseed and select Tools → Curves.
2. On the chart, raise the middle point of the curve upwards (this will increase the brightness of the average tones).
3. Go to Selective Correction, add a dot to the dark area and increase the exposure.
4. Keep the result in JPEG with 100% quality.

To find the perfect wallpaper, follow these rules:

1. For AMOLED-screens: choose images with black backgrounds and bright accent colors (e.g., space with stars, neon lines on a dark background). AMOLED turned off, which creates the effect of “glowing” colored elements.
2. For IPS (LCD): Avoid dark wallpaper, it will look gray. Give preference to light or pastel tones with high contrast.
3. For screens with high refresh rate (90/120/144Hz): Use wallpapers with smooth gradients or animations (such as abstract waves) to emphasize smooth scrolling.

If you don’t want to search for wallpaper manually, use the automatic selection in the Xiaomi Themes app (preinstalled on most devices).

6.Calibration of the screen through the engineering menu

For advanced users willing to take risks, there is a way to manually calibrate the screen through an engineering menu, which allows you to fine-tune the gamut, color temperature and brightness, but it takes care - the wrong parameters can worsen the picture.

Instructions for Xiaomi on a Qualcomm processor (most Redmi/POCO models):

1. Open the Phone app and type the combination: ##36446337## (some firmware may not work – alternative: #4636## → Hardware testing).
2. Select Display (or Screen).
3. In the Color Calibration section, experiment with the following parameters: Saturation – increase Contrast by 5–10% – increase Sharpness by 10–15% – leave by default (the change can add noise).

Save the settings and restart the smartphone.

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The changes to the engineering menu apply to the entire interface, not just the wallpaper. If after you calibrate the colors look non-natural, reset to the factory settings.

⚠️ Note: On devices with MediaTek processor (e.g. Redmi) 12C or POCO C55) The engineering menu may be missing or have a different access code. Don't try to enter random combinations, this can cause the system to crash.

7. Hardware restrictions: when nothing helps

If you've tried all the methods, but the wallpaper still looks dull, the problem may be the hardware limitations of your model.

• 🔋 Old or Cheap: Xiaomi's budget models (e.g. Redmi) 9A or POCO C31) fitted IPS-In this case, even the perfect wallpaper will appear faded in bright light.
• 🛠️ Wearing matrix: Over time AMOLED-screens lose brightness due to pixel burnout (especially if light wallpaper is often used), you can check this with the burn-in test (see the Screen Test app on Google Play).
• 🔄 Unofficial firmware: Castom assembly MIUI (For example, xiaomi.eu or Pixel Experience may not handle color profiles correctly.

If the screen is to blame, there are two options:

1. Use contrasting wallpaper with a minimum number of semitones (for example, black and white or with bright monochromatic blocks).
2. Contact the service center to replace the display module (relevant for devices older than 2-3 years).

On new flagships (for example, Xiaomi 14 Ultra) the problem of hardware limitations is extremely rare – it is usually associated with incorrect settings or poor-quality wallpaper.

Frequently asked questions