How to permanently remove changing wallpaper on Xiaomi: from standard themes to hidden settings

Automatic wallpaper change on Xiaomi smartphones is a feature that is not popular with everyone. For some users, it is a convenient way to refresh the interface, for others it is an annoying element that eats battery power and traffic. Especially annoying when the system replaces your favorite wallpaper with standard MIUI themes or banner ads without warning.

Complicating the problem, newer firmware versions (such as MIUI 14 on Xiaomi 13/14 or Redmi Note 12) have wallpaper changes hidden deep in the menu or not at all. This article covers all possible ways, from basic to advanced, including editing system files for power users. We also look at why wallpapers can change on their own and how to prevent it forever.

Why does Xiaomi’s wallpaper change automatically?

There are several reasons, and they depend on the phone model and the version of MIUI:

• 🔄 The function "Dynamic wallpaper" - built-in option in the themes MIUI, which cyclically changes background images from the selected collection (e.g., "Nature" or "Cities").
• 📱 Xiaomi Themes – Some system themes (Super Wallpapers, Live Wallpapers) are programmed to automatically change depending on the time of day or weather.
• 🔄 Updates MIUI — after major updates (for example, transition from MIUI 13 on MIUI 14) the system can reset the wallpaper settings to default.
• 📡 Advertising modules - on budget models (Redmi) 10A, POCO M4) In regions with official firmware, advertising wallpaper can be introduced through msa or MiuiDaemon services.

The most common case is the activated feature "Change Wallpaper Auto" in the theme settings, which is often turned on randomly when you first start your phone or after you reset, but even if you turn off this option, wallpaper can change due to the hidden service com.miui.gallery.wallpaper, which runs in the background on MIUI 12+.

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi models for the European market (marked) EEA) Automatic wallpaper change can be part of the MiuiSystemAdSolution package – it can not be removed without root rights, but can be blocked through the ADB.

Method 1: Disabling automatic change in the theme settings

The simplest method, which works on 90% of Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO devices with MIUI 11-14, is suitable for users who have wallpaper changes due to the built-in dynamic theme feature.

1. Open the Themes app (the icon with a brush on your desktop).
2. Go to Wallpaper section. → My wallpaper.
3. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Settings.
4. Find the option to Change wallpaper automatically and turn off the slider.
5. If there is a Dynamic Wallpaper item, also deactivate it.

On some firmware (e.g. MIUI 14 Global), the path may be different:

Topics → Profile → Settings → Automatic change of wallpaper

Annex “Themes” is open"|Checked section "My wallpaper"|Slider disabled "Change automatically"|Reboot the phone to apply changes-->

If the wallpaper changes after that, then the problem is deeper, either in system services or in ad modules.

Method 2: Remove dynamic wallpapers through screen settings

Some live wallpapers continue to work even after the automatic shift is turned off, and they can change the background depending on:

• ⏰ Time of day (morning/evening/night);
• 🌡️ weather (sunshine/rain/snow);
• 📍 geolocation (home/work).

To remove them:

1. Press the finger free space on the desktop → select Wallpaper.
2. Scroll down to Dynamic Wallpaper or Live Wallpaper.
3. Click on the current wallpaper and select Remove (or Reset).
4. Install static wallpaper from gallery or standard themes.

⚠️ Attention: POCO F4/F5 Xiaomi 12T live wallpaper integrated into launcher POCO Launcher. Deleting them could cause weather widgets to crash. 4 (ADB).

Method 3: Blocking advertising wallpapers through MIUI settings

If your smartphone displays ad wallpaper (such as banners with promotions or games), the problem is with msa (Miui System Ads) or MiuiDaemon services, which are built into firmware for China, India and the global version (except for EEA).

To turn them off:

1. Go to Settings → Memory → Autoboot.
2. Find the msa (or Miui System Ads) list and turn off auto-start.
3. Do the same for MiuiDaemon and DownloadProviderUi.
4. Clear the cache of these applications in Settings → Applications → Application Management.

To remove advertising completely:

Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times to turn on the developer mode)


Settings → Additional → For developers → Disable “Show ads in MIUI”

If after this manipulation, the wallpaper continues to appear, it means that it is downloaded through the Topic app.

1. Open the Topics → Profile → Settings.
2. Turn off Recommendations and Personalized Wallpaper.
3. Clear the Themes app data in your phone settings.

Method 4: Disconnect via ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don’t work, you’ll need to use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which is a good way to:

• 📱 device MIUI 12-14, where the settings are hidden;
• 🔒 Phones with a blocked boot loader (without root);
• 🛡️ Removal of system services responsible for changing wallpaper.

Instructions:

1. Install. ADB-PC-driver.
2. Turn on USB Debugging on your phone (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → Tap 7 times → Return to Additional → For Developers).
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: Adb devices (your device should appear).
4. Enter alternately: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.gallery.wallpaper adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.wallpaper adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.wallpaper.live
5. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Note: Pm uninstall commands --user 0 They only delete applications for the current user, without affecting system files. However, on some firmware, this can lead to the error com.android.systemui. If a black screen appears after the reboot, reset via fastboot.

To restore the wallpaper (if something went wrong) use:

adb shell cmd package install-existing com.miui.gallery.wallpaper

💡

Before working with ADB, back up adb backup -apk -shared -all -f backup.ab. This will save all apps and settings in case of a crash.

Method 5: Manually delete system files (requires root)

If you have root rights (for example, through Magisk), you can delete the files responsible for changing the wallpaper directly, this method is guaranteed to remove all automatic changes, but requires caution - wrong actions can lead to a "brick" of the phone.

Instructions:

1. Install a file manager with root access (such as Root Explorer or Mixplorer).
2. Go to /system/priv-app/WallpaperCarousel//system/app/WallpaperLivePicker/
3. Delete or rename (add.bak) files: WallpaperCarousel.apk WallpaperLivePicker.apk MiuiWallpaper.apk (if any)

/data/data/com.miui.gallery.wallpaper/


/data/data/com.miui.wallpaper/

Reboot the phone.

After that:

• ✅ Automatic wallpaper change will be permanently disabled;
• ✅ Disappeared banner ads in the wallpaper;
• ❌ Some system themes will stop working (you will have to install wallpaper manually).

💡

Removal of systemic APK-files are irreversible without flashing them. MIUI through OTA, better use the method of ADB (method 4), since deleted files can be restored after the update.

What do you do if nothing helps?

If you have tried all the ways, but the wallpaper still changes, check:

1. MIUI Updates – Some wallpaper bugs are fixed in new firmware versions. Check for updates in Settings → About Phone → System Update.
2. Third-party launchers – if you use Nova Launcher, Hyperion or other shells, they may conflict with system wallpaper.
3. Viruses or malicious applications – some programs (especially from third-party sources) may change wallpaper to display ads.
4. Resetting is the last resort: Settings → Additional → Reset and Reset → Reset. Don’t reset to factory settings – just reset the display settings.

If the problem persists, it may be due to a hardware failure (e.g., partition /system damage after a failed update), in which case only flashing through Fastboot or contacting a service center will help.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing wallpaper to Xiaomi