How to remove the kaleidoscope of wallpaper on the Xiaomi phone: the complete guide

The kaleidoscope effect on Xiaomi’s smartphone wallpaper is one of the most controversial features of the MIUI shell. For some users, dynamic animation when changing desktop pages becomes a pleasant visual accent, for others – an annoying factor that distracts from work and eats up battery power. If you fall into the second category, this article will help you understand why the wallpaper began to “float” and how to return a static display.

Complicating the problem, the path to disabling the effect may be different across MIUI versions (12 to 14+), and some models (such as the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ or POCO F5) lack a direct menu option at all, and we tested all the current methods on devices from 2022 to 2026 and put them together in a single guide, from standard settings to hidden commands for power users.

Why is Xiaomi getting a kaleidoscope of wallpaper?

The effect of “live wallpaper” with smooth flow of colors (kaleidoscope) is activated in MIUI for several reasons:

• 🔄 Automatic update MIUI. After installing a new firmware version (for example, with MIUI 13 on MIUI 14) the system may force animation to be included as part of an "updated design".
• 🎨 Install themes from the Mi Theme Store. Some themes (especially those in the Super Wallpapers category) contain built-in animation that cannot be disabled through standard settings.
• 🤖 Performance optimization: on weak devices (e.g. Redmi) 9A) The system sometimes includes animations to smooth transitions between screens.

It is important to note that on flagship models (Xiaomi 14 Ultra, MIX Fold 3), the kaleidoscope is often part of the company’s HyperOS interface and turns off differently than on budget smartphones. The effect can also manifest itself in different ways: someone’s wallpaper smoothly “floats” when swiping, others change colors when locking the screen.

Method 1: Disconnect via wallpaper settings (MIUI 12–14)

The most obvious method is to take advantage of the built-in personalization options, which works on most devices, except those that have custom themes with hard-to-repeat animations installed.

1. Press and hold your finger on the free space of the desktop.
2. From the bottom menu, select Wallpaper (or Themes if you use HyperOS).
3. Go to my wallpaper → select the current wallpaper (they will be marked with a tick).
4. In the upper right corner, click on the icon. ⚙️ (Settings) and find the switch Wallpaper animation or the kaleidoscope effect.
5. Move the slider to the off position and save the changes.

If you don't have an animation item, try changing the wallpaper to static: choose any picture from the gallery or standard MIUI wallpaper (for example, "Minimalism" or "Abstraction"). In 80% of cases, this removes the kaleidoscope effect.

Make sure that the wallpaper is not from the category "Super Wallpapers" |

Check if the theme is set with dynamic elements |

Update Mi Theme Store to the latest version|

Reboot your phone after the changes-->

Method 2: Resetting themes to factory settings

If the kaleidoscope appeared after installing a custom theme, simply turning off the animation may not be enough, in which case resetting the themes will help:

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to the Profile section (the person icon in the lower right corner).
3. Press on. ⚙️ (Settings) → Resetting the topics.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the standard theme to be applied.

After reset, check the wallpaper: if the kaleidoscope disappeared, the problem was in a side topic. To avoid re-emerging the effect, read the description before installing a new topic - look for references to "dynamic wallpaper" or "living elements".

⚠️ Warning: Resetting themes will return not only wallpaper, but also icons, fonts, transition animations to defaults. If you used custom icons (for example, from the Icon Pack Studio pack), they will have to be reinstalled.

Method 3: Disconnecting through hidden developer settings

On some devices (especially HyperOS), the option to turn off the kaleidoscope is hidden in the developer menu.

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Click 7 times in a row on the MIUI version (the notification “You became a developer” will appear).
3. Return to the main Settings menu → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Find the Windows animation or Transitions section and set the value No Animation (or 0.5x if full shutdown is not available).
5. Reboot the phone.

This method does not guarantee 100% results, as it does not directly affect the wallpaper, but often removes the accompanying visual effects. If the kaleidoscope is left, try combining this method with Method 1.

Method 4: Using third-party launchers

If the built-in methods didn't work, the radical solution is to install an alternative launcher, which would completely replace the standard MIUI interface, including wallpaper animation.

• 📱 Nova Launcher supports static wallpaper, flexible gesture and icon settings, and the free version is limited, but it's enough for our task.
• ⚡ Lawnchair is an open source lightweight launcher optimized for weak devices (Redmi) 8A, POCO C31).
• 🎨 Microsoft Launcher – Windows integration, minimalist design without unnecessary animations.

Installation instructions:

1. Download the launcher from Google Play (links: Nova, Lawnchair).
2. After installation, click "Home" and select the new launcher as the main one.
3. Set static wallpaper through the launcher settings (usually a long press on the desktop → Wallpaper).

The downside is that some MIUI features (like Second Space or App Lock) may not work properly, and you’ll also have to reconfigure widgets and folders.

💡

Before installing the launcher, back up your current desktop. Use the built-in Settings function → Additional → Backup or Swift Backup (root rights required).

Method 5: Manual removal of animations via ADB (for advanced)

If all previous methods failed, the last option is to turn off animations via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting your phone to your computer and basic command line knowledge. On some HyperOS devices (such as Xiaomi 14), this method can lead to a reset of network settings, so use it only if you are ready for risk.

Step-by-step:

1. Activate USB Debugging in Settings → For Developers.
2. Connect your phone to your PC through USB-cable (select File Transfer Mode).
3. Download ADB Tools and unpack the archive.
4. Open the command prompt (Win + R → enter cmd) and go to the folder with adb:

cd C:\platform-tools


adb devices

If the device appears in the list, enter a command to disable animation:

adb shell settings put global window_animation_scale 0


adb shell settings put global transition_animation_scale 0




adb shell settings put global animator_duration_scale 0

If the kaleidoscope is gone but other bugs (such as brakes when opening apps) appear, return the standard values by replacing 0 with 1.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 14+ HyperOS teams ADB This can be blocked by security policies, and in this case, try adding a flag. --user 0 Use Shizuku for each team or use it locally. ADB-access.

Comparison of methods: which way to choose?

To make the choice easier, we have collected the key pros and cons of each method in the table:

For most users, the best solution is a combination of Method 1 (wallpaper settings) and Method 2 (theme resetting). If you're not afraid of experimenting, try Nova Launcher - it offers maximum flexibility without risk to the system.

💡

On HyperOS devices (Xiaomi 13/14, MIX Fold 3), the kaleidoscope is often part of the system animation, in which case only a third-party launcher or a rollback of the firmware to an earlier version will help.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When you try to remove a kaleidoscope, users often face typical problems.

• 🔍 You can't see the "Wallpaper Animation" item. Check if you have Google's "live wallpaper" installed (e.g. Earth & Weather) that is managed through Google Wallpaper, not through Google Wallpaper. MIUI.
• 🔄 After the reboot, the kaleidoscope returns, which means that the animation is spelled out in the system settings. Try turning off auto-update themes in the Mi Theme Store. → Settings → Auto-update.
• 📱 The launcher is not installed. Some models (Redmi for China) have blocked the installation. APK From third-party sources. Allow it to Settings. → Annexes → Special access → Installation of unknown applications.
• 🔧 ADB Install the latest Xiaomi drivers from the official website and switch USB-file transfer mode (MTP).

If none of these methods worked, check if the kaleidoscope is part of the advertising module in the MIUI. Some firmware for India or Global region contain built-in animation that can only be removed by flashing on the Internet. EU-rum (e.g. xiaomi.eu).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions