How to remove the Internet screensaver on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often encounter intrusive visual content that appears when they unlock the screen or lock menu.This phenomenon, often referred to as the "Internet screensaver," is an automatic change of wallpaper with inlays, news and offers, which annoys many users. MIUI system and the new HyperOS shell are set to receive this content by default to monetize budget devices.

Fortunately, the developers have made it possible to completely disable these functions, but they are not hidden in one place, but scattered across different sections of the settings. The wallpaper carousel, which is the name of the service responsible for changing pictures, can be disabled through both the standard menu and using deeper system settings. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the ways that will help you return a clean lock screen.

The following steps do not require any Root rights or complex software, all manipulations are done using the standard Android operating system with an add-on from Xiaomi. It is important to follow the steps carefully, since the names of items may vary slightly depending on the version of the firmware.

Disabling the wallpaper carousel through the lock screen settings

The first and most obvious step is to go to the standard display settings menu, and that's where the main switch is, which activates the automatic image download function, and you need to unlock the device and go to the Settings section, which is usually indicated by the gear ikon.

Next, you'll find the item that controls the look of the locked screen, and it can be called "lock screen" in different versions of firmware, "always on screen and lock screen" or simply "lock" in the menu, and the parameter you're looking for is often hidden under the name of the wallpaper carousel or Glance for Mi.

Once you go to the appropriate submenu, you'll see an active slider or turn on button. To remove the screensaver, you need to put this switch in an inactive state. The system can request confirmation of action, warning that beautiful pictures and news will no longer be displayed.

It is worth noting that even after the main feature is turned off, some residual interface elements may be saved, such as the "i" button in the corner of the screen or the next picture preview, and to remove them completely, you sometimes need to additionally disable the "View" or "Show Preview" option if such items are available in the current version of MIUI.

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If after disabling the wallpaper carousel advertising remained, try to clear the data of the application "Wallpaper carousel" through the menu of the Application → All applications.

Managing Permits and System Applications

In some cases, simply switching the toggler in settings is not enough, since the Wallpaper Carousel system application may have priority rights or cached data. To ensure a guaranteed result, it is recommended to limit the access rights of this component of the system, this is especially true for global firmware versions.

Go to the Settings menu and find the Apps section, then select All Apps or Application Management. The list that opens will look for the screensaver service, which can be called Wallpaper Carousel, Glance, Mi Browser (if the ad is coming through it), or the system name com.miui.wallpaper.

If you choose the right application, go to the "Other permissions" or "permissions" section, where you should prohibit network access (Wi-Fi and mobile data), geolocation and notifications. Without Internet access, the service will not physically be able to download the new "Internet screensaver".

• 🚫 Network: Completely ban access to data transmission.
• 🔕 Notifications: Turn off the possibility of showing pop-up windows.
• 📍 Geo-position: Disallow location to avoid targeted advertising.
• 💾 Memory: Clear the cache and app data to reset current settings.

⚠️ Note: Do not remove the system application "Carousel wallpaper" completely through ADB, This can lead to errors in the operation of the lock screen or a cyclic reboot of the device.

After changing the permissions, it is recommended to restart the smartphone, which will allow the system to apply new security rules and finally “muffle” the background processes responsible for downloading advertising content.

Disabling personalized recommendations and MIUI advertising

Advertising screensavers are often part of Xiaomi’s broader data collection and personalized advertising ecosystem, and to minimize intrusive content, you need to disable the MSA recommendation service (MIUI System Ads), a global setup that affects the entire system.

Find the settings for Password and Security or Fingerprints, Faces, and..., and look for the Access to Personal Data or Special Features menu inside this section, and here is a list of system services you want to find msa among.

The switch next to the msa needs to be turned off.The system will insist on waiting 10 seconds before shutting down, claiming that this will improve the user experience.You need to wait for the timer to end and re-press the switch off button.

Also worth checking is the settings of embedded apps like Music, Video, Explorer, and Downloads, each of which often hides a “Get recommendations” or “Show ads” item in the “Settings” section, and disabling these options will make smartphone usage much more comfortable.

Using Developer Modes and ADB for Advanced Users

For those who want to get the most out of the game and remove the screensaver on Xiaomi guaranteed, there is a method of using USB debugging and the command line ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you not just to disable, but to “freeze” or remove the system packages responsible for advertising.

To start, you need to activate the developer mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and click 7 times in a row on the MIUI Version (or OS Version). After the message “You became a developer”, go back to the main settings menu, find the “Additional” → “For developers”.

Turn on the USB Debugging Toggler. Then connect the smartphone to your computer with a cable. The PC must have ADB drivers installed. Open the command line or terminal in the ADB folder and enter a command to check the connection:

adb devices

You'll see a request on your smartphone for debugging permission from that computer -- click "Allow." If the terminal displays the serial number of the device, the connection is successful. You can now enter commands to remove the screensaver components.

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Using ADB allows you to remove system applications without Root rights, but requires caution: removing critical system components can lead to the phone being inoperable.

To remove the wallpaper carousel, use the following command:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.miwallpaper

If your goal is to remove specific advertising modules, you can also delete the com.miui.personalassistant package or com.mi.android.globalFileexplorer package (if the ads are in the Explorer).

Alternative methods: third-party launchers and applications

If the built-in MIUI tools seem too confusing, you might consider replacing the standard shell.Installing a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher) completely changes the desktop interface and often ignores the system settings of the Xiaomi lock screen.

However, it is worth noting that launchers only replace desktop. Android’s Lock Screen has deeper system privileges, and a standard launcher can’t always override it. There are specialized applications like Hi Locker or KLCK that completely replace Xiaomi’s standard lock mechanism to take full control of the lock screen.

• 🎨 Customization: You get full control of the design and widgets.
• 🚀 Performance: Lightweight launchers can speed up the performance of an old smartphone.
• 🔒 Security: Third-party blockers may not support fingerprint unlock as reliably as the system.

⚠️ Note: When installing third-party screen lock apps, the Android system will persistently warn of security risks.This is standard procedure, but you need to be sure of the source of the app download.

Using alternative solutions is a trade-off: You get rid of Xiaomi ads, but you get a different set of features and the possible instability of some gestures or notifications.

Frequent problems and their solution

When you turn off the Internet screensaver, you may encounter a number of difficulties, such as when you update the system, all settings may get lost, and the wallpaper carousel is activated again, which is the normal behavior of MIUI firmware, which requires you to re-execute the shutdown procedure.

Another common problem is having two profiles or modes of operation (for example, Standard and Simple) and settings only apply to the active profile, so if you switch between modes, you need to check the ad settings in each one separately.

It is also possible that a so-called “viral” screensaver may appear, which is actually the result of installing a malicious application from an unreliable source. If the screensaver appears on top of open applications or has a strange look, check the list of installed programs and remove suspicious utilities (often masquerading as “Memory Clearing”, “Flightlightlight” or “QR scanner”).

In conclusion, combating intrusive advertising on Xiaomi is a process that requires attention, but is completely accessible to everyone. By combining the disabling of system services, restriction of rights and the use of advanced tools, you can make the smartphone interface clean and convenient.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions