How to remove photos from the lock screen on Xiaomi smartphones: all ways

The lock screen on Xiaomi smartphones is not just a protection against accidental clicks, but also a business card of your device. However, not always the chosen photo or wallpaper pleases the eye: whether it is a randomly installed image, an outdated photo or just a desire to change the environment. Unlike many other manufacturers, MIUI offers several ways to manage the background of locking, from standard settings to hidden features that not all users know about.

In this article, we will discuss all the current methods of removing or replacing photos on the lock screen for Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices based on MIUI 12, 13 and 14 (including versions for the global and Chinese markets).

Before you start, consider that some methods require administrator rights or file system work. If you are a beginner, we recommend starting with basic instructions and then moving on to advanced techniques.

1. Standard method: through lock screen settings

The easiest and safest method is to use the built-in MIUI tools. It is suitable for most devices, including the Xiaomi 11/12/13 series, Redmi Note 10/11/12 and POCO F3/F4/F5. The main condition: the smartphone must be installed official firmware without major modifications.

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to Lock Screen (or Lock and Protect on some models).
3. Select the Lock Screen Wallpaper or Lock Background.
4. Click on the current image and a gallery or selection menu will open.
5. At the bottom of the screen, tap the Remove icon (basket) or select a new photo from the options offered.

If you don't have the Remove option, it means the system is using the default wallpaper.

• 📱 Select any other image from the gallery (even a black background) and then go back to the menu and try to delete it.
• 🔄 On some firmware, you need to first disable the lock effects in the same menu (Effects or Animation option).
• 🔍 If there is no Wallpaper lock screen, check the Topic section - there may be a separate setting.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI For the Chinese market (e.g. Xiaomi Mi 10 China) ROM) The path to settings may be different.Look for Passwords & Security → Lock screen settings.

2.Disposal of wallpaper through the "Themes" app

The Themes app in MIUI not only changes the design of the system, but also manages the backgrounds of the lock screen, which is useful if the standard settings do not allow you to delete the image or it is “stuck” after updating the firmware.

How to drop wallpaper:

1. Open the Themes app (brush icon on your desktop).
2. Go to the My profile tab (the person icon in the lower right corner).
3. Tapping on the current topic (usually displayed as Current or Default).
4. Scroll down to the Lock Screen section and click Change.
5. Select a standard background (such as Black or Gradient) and apply it.

If you still have an old photo after this, try:

• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone – sometimes changes are only applied after a reboot.
• 🎨 Install any other theme (like Dark Mode) and then return to the standard one.
• 🗑️ Manually remove the theme app cache via Settings → Annexes → Application management → Topics → Clear the cache.

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If the Themes app does not have a Lock Screen section, update it via Google Play or Xiaomi's official website. Outdated versions may not support this feature.

3. Delete via file manager (for power users)

If standard methods don’t work, you can manually delete the wallpaper file from the system folders, which requires access to root folders (root is not needed, but you will need a file manager with administrator rights, such as MiXplorer or Solid Explorer).

Instructions:

1. Install a file manager with support for system folders (e.g. MiXplorer from XDA Developers).
2. Cross the path: /data/system/users/0/wallpaper_info.xml or (for new versions) MIUI): /data/system/users/0/wallpaper
3. Delete the files wallpaper_info.xml, lockscreen_wallpaper or keyguard_wallpaper (They are responsible for the background of the blockage).
4. Reset the device.

Once you restart, the system automatically resets the wallpaper to the standard wallpaper, so if the files are not deleted, then your file manager does not have enough rights.

• 🔧 Use it. ADB To delete files (command: adb shell rm) /data/system/users/0/wallpaper_info.xml).
• 📲 Install Magisk and Root Explorer for full access.
• ⚠️ Back up your wallpaper folder before deleting to avoid crashes.

⚠️ Attention: Deleting system files can lead to a cyclic reboot or reset of wallpaper on the desktop. If after manipulation, the smartphone began to glittle, reset settings through Settings → The phone. → Resetting settings (without deleting data).

4.Use ADB for wallpaper dumping (no root)

ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is a debugging tool that lets you control your smartphone through your computer, and it can reset the lock wallpaper even if other methods don't work, and it doesn't require root rights, but it needs USB debugging enabled and drivers installed.

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install Platform Tools on PC.
2. On your smartphone, turn on Developer Mode (7 times tap on the Assembly Number in Settings) → About the phone) and activate the debugging USB.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and type in the command line: adb devices (should display your device).
4. Execute the command to reset the wallpaper: adb shell cmd wallpaper clear --user 0
5. Reboot your smartphone.

If the team doesn’t work, try an alternative:

adb shell settings delete global lock_screen_wallpaper

These commands will remove the binding of the current wallpaper, and the system will substitute a standard background. For POCO models with custom firmware, an additional command may be required:

adb shell settings delete secure lock_screen_wallpaper_enabled

5. Reset the lock screen settings (last resort)

If none of these things work, you'll reset your lock screen settings, and this method will bring back all the settings to the factory, including your password, fingerprints, and wallpaper, and the phone data (photos, apps) won't be affected, but all your personal lock settings will be deleted.

How to perform the reset:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Slip on Resetting (or Backup and Reset).
3. Select Lock Reset or Security Reset.
4. Confirm the action with a password (if requested).

After discharge:

• 🔐 You will need to reset the unlock (PIN, graphical).
• 🖼️ Wallpaper lock screen will be reset on the standard (usually a gradient or black background).
• ⚙️ All lock effects (e.g. Always-on Display) will also be disabled.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Mi 11 Ultra or Redmi) K50) Resetting lock settings may lead to temporary blocking of your Mi Account. If you forget your account password, this method is not recommended.

6. Features for different Xiaomi models

Depending on the smartphone model and the MIUI version, the process of removing photos from the lock screen may differ, and in the table below we have collected key nuances for popular devices:

On devices with a MediaTek processor (such as Redmi 10 or POCO M4 Pro), after manually deleting the wallpaper files, the error "System settings are stopped" may occur, in which case only a complete reset will help.

7 Why the photo is not deleted: common problems and solutions

Sometimes users are faced with the fact that the photo on the lock screen is not deleted or returned after rebooting.

• 🔄 System cache: Clear the cache in Settings → Annexes → Application management → Settings (three points) → Clear the cache).
• 📱 Update MIUI: After the firmware update, the old wallpaper can recover. Try resetting the lock settings.
• 🔒 Protection from changes: On some firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.eu) the lock wallpaper is protected from changes. → Additionally. → Data protection.
• 🖼️ Faulty file: If a photo is broken (for example, after editing), the system may not allow it to be deleted, the solution is to replace it with another image and then delete it.

If the problem persists, check:

• 🛠️ Viruses: Some malicious apps block wallpaper change.Scan your device through Google Play Protection or Malwarebytes.
• 📦 Topics Conflict: Remove all installed themes through Settings → Annexes → Topics → Delete the data.
• 🔧 Firmware errors: On beta versions MIUI The solution is to roll back to a stable version.

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If the photo comes back after all the manipulations, most likely the problem is a system failure, in which case only a complete reset (with loss of data) or flashing through Fastboot will help.

FAQ: Frequent questions