How to turn off the wallpaper carousel on the lock screen in MIUI 12: 4 proven ways

The lock screen wallpaper carousel in MIUI 12 is one of Xiaomi’s most controversial firmware features. On the one hand, it offers quick background changes and access to recommended wallpaper. On the other hand, the ever-changing images annoy many users, especially if they prefer a static background or minimalist design. Unfortunately, the developers have not made an obvious switch to disable this feature by hiding the settings in the depth of the menu or removing them altogether in some versions of the firmware.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to remove wallpaper carousel from the lock screen, including the official settings of MIUI 12, workarounds through system applications and even methods for devices with root rights. Separately, we will focus on the nuances for different Xiaomi models (for example, Redmi Note 9 Pro, Mi 10T, POCO X3) and firmware versions, as the interface may be different. If you are tired of automatic wallpaper change or want to return the classic lock screen, read on.

Why does the wallpaper carousel appear on the lock screen?

The Wallpaper Carousel feature was introduced in MIUI 12 as part of Xiaomi’s strategy to personalize the interface.

• 🎨 Offer users new wallpaper from the collection Xiaomi Themes.
• 🔄 Automatically update the background so that the lock screen doesn’t look boring.
• 📱 Integrate with GetApps and Mi Community to promote content.

However, in practice, many users face problems:

• ⚡ Increased battery consumption due to background image loading.
• 📶 Data traffic if the carousel is updated over a mobile network.
• 😤 Discomfort when using gestures or fingerprints – random swipes activate wallpaper change.

It is important to understand that the carousel can work differently depending on the regional firmware, for example, in the global version of MIUI 12.5 it can be turned off through settings, and in the Chinese version (China ROM) – only through workarounds.

Method 1: Disconnect the carousel through wallpaper settings (official method)

The easiest way to remove the carousel is to use the built-in MIUI settings. It works on most devices with global or European firmware (e.g. Redmi Note 8 Pro, Mi 9T, POCO F2 Pro). If you have a Chinese version (China ROM), go to Method 2.

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings → Wallpaper (or Wallpaper).
2. Select the Lock Screen section.
3. Scroll down to the Wallpaper carousel option and turn off the slider.
4. Confirm the action by pressing OK in the window that appears.

If you don’t have an option, try an alternative route:

• 📱 Long pressing in the free place of the main screen → Wallpaper. → Lock screen → carousel.
• 🔍 In some firmware, the item is called Automatic Wallpaper Change or Recommended Wallpaper.

⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Redmi Note 7 with a MIUI 12.0.3) After the carousel is turned off, the wallpaper can be dropped on the standard wallpaper. To avoid this, manually set a static background before taking the steps.

Method 2: Remove the carousel through the settings of the "Themes" application

If you don’t have the option to turn off the carousel in your wallpaper settings, try using the Themes app, which works on Chinese firmware and some global versions of MIUI 12.5+.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to Profile section (the icon of the person in the lower right corner).
3. Press on. ⚙ Settings (cog in the upper right corner).
4. Find Wallpaper recommendations and turn it off.
5. Return to the main menu of Topics → Wallpaper → Lock screen and set a static image.

If there is no recommendation, try:

• 🔄 Update theme app through GetApps.
• 📥 Install an alternative launcher (e.g. Nova Launcher) that blocks system widgets.

Method 3: Disconnect via ADB (for advanced users)

If the standard methods do not work, you can use them. ADB-Android Debug Bridge, which is a good way to do it. MIUI 12, but requires a connection to a computer and the activation of the developer mode.

Instructions:

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on the MIUI Version until the notification appears.

USB debugging

Settings → Additional → For Developers

Command line.

Terminal

adb devices


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

Reset the device.

Once you've done the wallpaper carousel, it's going to be disabled, but you're going to lose access to the wallpaper system.

adb shell pm enable com.miui.miwallpaper

⚠️ Note: On some devices (Mi 11 Ultra, Redmi) K40) Disabling com.miui.miwallpaper can cause themes to fail.In this case, use an alternative command: adb shell pm hide com.miui.miwallpaper

💡

If ADB does not recognize the device, install Xiaomi USB Drivers and check the connection in File Transfer (MTP) mode.

Method 4: Removing the carousel with Root rights

If you have root access (e.g., through Magisk), you can completely uninstall the system application responsible for the carousel, a method guaranteed to work on all versions of MIUI 12, but requires caution - incorrect actions can lead to a system failure.

Instructions:

1. Install a file manager with root support, such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer.
2. Go to /system/priv-app/MiuiWallpaperCarousel or /system/app/MiuiWallpaperCarousel
3. Remove or rename the folder (for example, in the MiuiWallpaperCarousel_bak).
4. Reset the device.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions