How to remove pictures from the lock screen on Xiaomi: the complete guide

The lock screen on Xiaomi smartphones is not just a protective barrier, but also a business card of the device. MIUI It automatically uploads beautiful wallpaper, banner ads or gallery photos that are displayed every time you unlock them, but not everyone likes this feature: some prefer a minimalistic black background to save charge. AMOLED-displays, others want to get rid of intrusive advertising, and still others just tired of the chaotic change of pictures.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can remove images from the lock screen on Xiaomi, Redmi, Poco and Black Shark devices, from standard MIUI 12-14 settings to hidden features and workarounds for stock and custom firmware. You’ll learn how to turn off automatic wallpaper change, remove banners, return the classic black screen, and even block access to your photos. Instructions are adapted to the latest versions of the software and take into account the features of different product lines.

Why do the images appear on the lock screen?

Before we get to the bottom of this problem, it's important to understand why, and at MIUI, there are several mechanisms that are responsible for displaying content on the lock screen:

• 🖼️ Topics MIUI — The system automatically downloads wallpaper from the theme store, including dynamic and animated options.
• 📸 Gallery – Photo of the Day or Memories can pull up your personal shots.
• 💰 Banners – in some regions (especially China and India) Xiaomi embeds ads directly into the lock screen.
• 🔄 Random wallpaper change – an option that cyclically changes background images from pre-loaded packets.

On devices with global firmware (for example, Redmi Note 12 Pro)+ 5G Xiaomi 13 Lite is usually only active themes and gallery, while the Chinese versions (Mi 11 Ultra, Black Shark 5 Pro) can add ads. MIUI settings can be reset – so pictures can appear again even if you previously disabled them.

Method 1: Disabling automatic wallpaper change in the theme settings

The simplest and most obvious method is to deactivate the random wallpaper change feature through the standard theme menu, which works on all Xiaomi devices regardless of the model and firmware region.

Instructions:

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush and palette).
2. Go to My profile → Settings (cog icon in the upper right corner).
3. Find the item Automatic change of wallpaper and turn off the slider.
4. Go back to the main themes menu and select the Lock Screen section.
5. Click on the current wallpaper and choose Black or Solid from the options offered.

If your version of MIUI does not have the option "Automatic wallpaper change" in the theme settings, try an alternative way:

Settings → Display → Lock screen → Style → Select a static background

⚠️ Note: On some devices (Poco) F4 GT, Redmi K50 Pro) after the automatic change is disabled, the wallpaper can still be updated periodically, this is due to the work of the service com.miui.gallery, which scans the folder. DCIM The solution is the solution, see Method 3.

Method 2: Removal of banner ads (for Chinese firmware)

Users of Chinese firmware devices (such as Xiaomi 12S Ultra or Redmi K60 Pro) often encounter ads on the lock screen, these banners are downloaded through the msa service (Mi System Ads) and can appear even when the themes are turned off.

To remove the advertisement:

• 🔧 Go to Settings. → Memory. → Cleaning (or Settings) → Annexes → Application management).
• 🔍 In the search bar, type in msa and select the Mi System Ads app.
• ⚙️ Click Disable (if the button is active) or Remove Updates.
• 🚫 Go back to the main settings and open the settings. → Notifications → Turn off the Recommendation slider on the lock screen.

If Mi System Ads is not listed in the application list, try an alternative method via ADB (requires a PC connection):

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.systemAdSolution

⚠️ Note: Disabling msa may cause some system services to fail, such as Mi Video or Mi Browser. If errors occur after deactivation, return the settings back or follow the command: adb shell pm install-existing com.miui.systemAdSolution

Method 3: Blocking access to the gallery for the lock screen

If your lock screen displays personal photos from the gallery, the problem is with the Photo of the Day or Memories feature, which scans DCIM, Pictures and Downloads folders to select the best shots for the background, and you can turn it off in two ways.

Method 1: Through Gallery settings

1. Open the Gallery app.
2. Slip on three dots in the upper right corner and select Settings.
3. Go to the Lock screen and turn off the slider Show photos.
4. For reliability, also deactivate Memories and Recommended Albums.

Method 2: Restriction of access rights (for MIUI 13+)

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Lock screen → Rights → Disable “Storage”

Important: On some devices (e.g. Xiaomi 13T Pro), after the rights are restricted, the lock screen may start displaying a black background with artifacts, in which case, return the rights and use Method 1.

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If the photos keep popping up, check the MIUI/Wallpaper/Carousel folder in the internal storage, and delete all files from it (pre-backup) – this will reset the wallpaper cache.

Method 4: Use of third-party launchers and themes

If standard methods don't work, you can go a workaround by installing an alternative launcher or custom theme that overrides lock screen settings, a method that's suitable for users who aren't afraid to experiment with the interface.

Option 1: Installation of a third-party theme

• 🎨 Download a theme with a minimalistic lock screen from the official Theme Store (for example, search for “black lockscreen” or “minimal lock screen").
• 🔄 Apply the theme and restart the device.
• ⚙️ After application, check the settings in the Topics → My profile. → Lock screen – some themes may automatically include wallpaper changes.

Option 2: Launchers with lock customization

For a full customization of the root-free lock screen, we recommend Hyperion Launcher, which allows you to install static wallpaper and turn off dynamic elements. If you are ready for more radical measures, consider installing custom firmware (for example, Xiaomi.eu or Pixel Experience), where the problem with intrusive wallpaper is solved at the system level.

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The side launchers may conflict with MIUI system services, especially "Security" and "Optimization." Before installation, disable auto-clean memory in the battery settings.

Method 5: Radical measures - resetting settings and firmware

If all previous methods have failed, there are two extreme options: resetting the settings to the factory or flashing the device, which are guaranteed to remove all the wallpaper imposed, but have their own risks.

Resetting settings (without data loss):

Settings → About the phone → Reset settings → Reset interface settings

This method will return the lock screen to the "out of the box" state, but it will not affect your files and applications.

1. Do not update the Themes app through Google Play.
2. Turn off automatic wallpaper change immediately (see Method 1).
3. Remove the cache of the Lock Screen application in the settings.

Reflashing to custom software:

For experienced users, the best solution would be to install an informal firmware, for example:

• 📱 Xiaomi.eu – European build without advertising and Chinese services.
• 🤖 Pixel Experience – pure Android with minimalistic lock screen.
• ⚡ LineageOS – stable firmware with open source.

Instructions for firmware through TWRP:

1. Unlock the bootloader (officially via the Mi Unlock Tool).


2. Install TWRP Recovery.




3. backup the current firmware.




4. Switch ZIP- custom firmware file.




5. Clear Dalvik/Cache.

⚠️ Warning: Firmware overwrite warranty and may lead to device blinking if errors occur.On some models (Xiaomi) 12T, Redmi Note 11 Pro+) You need to unlock Anti-Rollback, otherwise the phone will stop turning on.

Additional Advice and Frequent Mistakes

Even after successfully removing images from the lock screen, users often face a recurrence of the problem, and here are the key points to avoid the reappearance of wallpaper:

• 🔄 Updates MIUI: After the system update, the settings may reset. Always check the lock screen after the update.
• 📲 App cache: Periodically clear cache Themes, Gallery and Lock Screen.
• 🚫 Google Services: Some wallpapers are downloaded via Google Wallpapers. disable auto-update of this app.
• 🔒 Security MIUI: Data Protection can block wallpaper changes. Turn it off in Settings. → Memory. → Cleanup → Settings → Data protection.

If you are using Poco Launcher or MIUI Launcher with Poco shell, please note that in these firmwares the lock screen is controlled by a separate service com.miui.personalassistant. To completely disable dynamic wallpaper, do:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.personalassistant

To return the standard behavior, use:

adb shell pm enable com.miui.personalassistant

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If after all the manipulations on the lock screen there is a gray background instead of black, check the settings of the "Dark theme" in Settings → Display → Dark theme → Always on.

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing images from the lock screen