How to Make Floating Wallpaper on Xiaomi: A Complete Guide to Secrets

What is a floating wallpaper and why you need it on Xiaomi

Floating (or “live”) wallpapers on Xiaomi are dynamic background images that respond to gestures, device tilt, or time of day. Unlike static images, they create a depth-and-motion effect, making the MIUI or HyperOS interface more interactive, for example, when a phone is tilted, clouds on the screen can float to the side, and stars can flicker in sync with real time.

Floating wallpaper technology became especially popular after the release of MIUI 12.5, when Xiaomi integrated support for Live Wallpapers at the system level. This feature is now available on most models - from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra. But not all users know how to activate hidden animation modes or install third-party live wallpapers without risking performance.

In this article, we will explore all the ways to create floating wallpapers, from standard MIUI tools to manual installation through ADB and apps from Google Play, and also explain how to avoid common mistakes that cause animation to slow down or disappear after updating the system.

Official floating wallpaper in MIUI and HyperOS: where to look and how to turn on

Starting with MIUI 12, Xiaomi has added a built-in gallery of live wallpaper, but not all users notice this section.

1. Open the Settings → Wallpaper.
2. Go to the tab Live wallpaper (on some firmware it is called Dynamic).
3. Choose your favorite option (for example, Ocean, Space, or Clock).
4. Click Apply and select where to display: Lock Screen, Home Screen, or both.

In HyperOS (new firmware for Xiaomi 14 and Redmi) K70) The algorithm is similar, but new categories have been added: 3D-effects and interactive. For example, wallpaper Energy reacts to finger touch, creating waves of light.

Check the version of MIUI/HyperOS (Settings → About the phone)

Free up at least 500 MB of memory

Disable the power saving mode (Settings → Battery)

Reboot your phone before setting up-->

Important nuance: official live wallpaper Xiaomi optimized for AMOLED-On the screens, on the devices with IPS (Like Redmi. 10A) And animations can look less fluid, and colors can look faded. It's not a bug, it's a feature of technology.

⚠️ Warning: If after using live wallpaper the phone started to warm up, check the settings of the Battery partition → Application power consumption: sometimes the system mistakenly refers to animation as a "background process" and limits its performance.

Hidden floating wallpaper: how to unlock hidden options

Xiaomi often hides some of the live wallpaper from users, leaving it in system files.

1. Install a file manager with root rights (such as MiXplorer) or use ADB.
2. Cross the path: /system/media/theme/default/wallpaper/live_wallpaper/
3. Copy files with the.apk or.kwlp extension into the Download folder.
4. Install them as normal applications.

Among the hidden wallpaper often come across exclusive options, for example:

• 🌌 Supernova - Animation of a Star Explosion When Unlocked;
• 🌊 Deep Ocean – Fish and Bubbles that Respond to Inclination;
• ⚡ Electric Storm – Lightnings synchronized with notifications.

On Xiaomi 13T Pro and later hidden wallpaper is encrypted, so extracting them will require modified software like Magisk. Without root rights, you can try to find these wallpapers in the archives of topics on the XDA Developers or 4PDA forums.

Third-party applications for floating wallpaper: TOP-5 with pros and cons

If you don't have many built-in options, you can install live wallpaper from Google Play, and we tested 15 apps and selected the best ones:

Check reviews before installing: some wallpapers (such as those from Zedge) may contain banner ads that appear directly on the home screen. ADB-clamp-board:

adb shell pm hide com.android.chrome

Tip: If after installing third-party wallpaper, the screen starts to twitch, try turning off the option Hardware Acceleration in the app settings. This will reduce the smoothness of the animation, but eliminate the lags.

💡

To save battery power, adjust the live wallpaper so that it only activates when the screen is unlocked. To do this, select Power Saving or Interaction Only mode in the wallpaper settings.

How to create your own floating wallpaper: step-by-step instructions

If you want a unique wallpaper, you can make it yourself from a video or a GIF.

• 📱 Xiaomi smartphone on the MIUI 13+ or hyperos;
• 💻 Computer with Adobe After Effects or CapCut;
• 📁 Video Live Wallpaper app (from Google Play).

Step 1: Video preparation

Shoot video that lasts 10–30 seconds in 1080×2340 (for most Xiaomi) or 1440×3200 (for Xiaomi 13 Ultra).

• 🔄 Fluid (smooth transition between the beginning and the end);
• 🎨 Without abrupt transitions (otherwise, the seam will be noticeable");
• 📉 Optimized by weight (no more than 50 MB).

Step 2: Convert to live wallpaper

1. Transfer the video to your phone.
2. Open the Video Live Wallpaper app.
3. Select video, trim and adjust the settings: 🔄 Loop Mode → Smooth; 🎚️ Quality → High (1080p); 🔋 Battery Saver → On.

Set Wallpaper

💡

For smooth animation, the video should have a frame rate of at least 30 FPS. If the source is removed from 60 FPS, convert it to 30 FPS - this will reduce the load on the processor.

Step 3: Optimization

If the wallpaper brakes:

• Reduce the video resolution to 720p.
• Turn off background animation in settings (Settings → Additional → Background animation);
• Use the Greenify app to freeze unnecessary processes.

Floating Wallpaper Problems on Xiaomi and How to Solve Them

Even after setting it up properly, the live wallpaper can malfunction, and let's look at the typical errors and how to fix them:

If the wallpaper disappears after the reboot, the problem may be optimizing MIUI.

1. Open Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization
2. Find an app with live wallpaper and select No Limits.
3. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Note: On some firmware (for example, MIUI Global Stable for Redmi Note 11: Floating wallpapers may conflict with Second Space. If the animation has disappeared after activation, disable the second space or move the wallpaper to both profiles.

Floating wallpaper on Xiaomi with Always-On Display: secret chips

On Always-On Display devices (Xiaomi 12 Pro, 13 Ultra, 14), floating wallpaper can be integrated into the lock screen so that it can be displayed even when it is off.

1. Set wallpaper through Settings → Always-On Display → Style → Live wallpaper.
2. Choose a version with minimal animation (such as a particle clock).
3. Activate the option to Show at notifications.

Secret life hack: if the list does not have suitable wallpaper, download APK-Always-On wallpaper file from APKMirror (e.g. com.miui.aod.wallpaper) and manually install it.

Important: On HyperOS, the Always-On function works differently than on MIUI. Here, the wallpaper is not animated in the off state, but supports a dynamic clock (for example, the dial changes depending on the time of day).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions About Floating Wallpaper on Xiaomi