How to remove automatically changing wallpaper on the lock screen Xiaomi Redmi 9: 5 proven ways

The lock screen on Xiaomi Redmi 9 with a MIUI shell is often a source of irritation for users - the system automatically changes the wallpaper, loading pictures from Xiaomi collections or synchronizing them with the weather, time of day and even geolocation. If you are annoyed by this "feature", which also consumes traffic and battery power, you are not alone: according to statistics, one in three owners of Redmi 9 is looking for a way to turn off dynamic wallpaper in the first months of using the smartphone.

Complicating the problem is that Xiaomi regularly updates the MIUI interface, hiding settings in different menus. Some just turn off one tick, and in some versions of the firmware you have to remove system themes or reset the settings to factory ones. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods, from simple to radical, that work on Redmi 9 (including Redmi 9A/9C/9T models) with MIUI 12, 13 and 14.

Before you get to the instructions, check the firmware version: Settings path → About phone → MIUI version. This will help you choose the most effective way. Also note that some methods require superuser rights (root) – we will highlight them separately and warn about the risks.

Why does Xiaomi automatically change the wallpaper on the lock?

The dynamic wallpaper feature appeared in MIUI 11 as part of Xiaomi’s ecosystem to “improve the user experience.”

• 🌦️ Weather wallpaper: background changes depending on the weather (sunshine, rain, snow) and time of day (morning/evening/night.
• 🎨 Themes from the collection MIUI: The system loads wallpaper from Xiaomi’s cloud storage, often of an advertising nature (for example, promotional movies or games).
• 📍 Geolocation wallpaper: In some regions, the background is tied to the location (for example, the sights of your city).
• ⏳ Random rotation: Wallpaper changes every few hours or when the screen is unlocked.

The main disadvantages of the function:

⚠️ Warning: Dynamic wallpaper consumes up to 15% extra battery power per week (Redmi 9s tests) MIUI They can also upload data in the background, using up to 50MB of traffic per month.

In MIUI 14, Xiaomi has added the ability to adjust the wallpaper rate, but the option is hidden in the depths of the menu. If you don't want to dig into the settings, move to the next section with ready-made solutions.

Method 1: Disconnect via lock screen settings (MIUI 12-14)

The simplest method, which works on most firmware versions, is suitable if the wallpaper changes due to weather effects or random rotation.

Open Settings → Lock screen

Select the option Wallpaper of the lock screen

Click Static Wallpaper or Select from Gallery

Turn off the slider Dynamic effects (if any)

Save the changes with the Apply button-->

If you don’t have Dynamic Effects on your menu, try an alternative path:

1. Click the empty space on the main screen → select Wallpaper.
2. Go to the Lock screen tab.
3. At the bottom of the screen, click Settings (cog icon).
4. Turn off the automatic change and weather effects options.

⚠️ Warning: Some Redmi 9 firmwares may reset the background to standard black after the dynamic wallpaper is turned off.

If this method did not work, move on to the next one – the problem may be in the system theme.

Method 2: Remove current MIUI theme (reset to standard)

Often, the wallpaper changes because of the theme installed from the Xiaomi Themes store. Even if you didn’t install the theme consciously, the system could apply it automatically after the update.

To reset the subject:

1. Go to Settings → Design (or Themes).
2. Choose My Topics → Find an active topic (checked).
3. Press it. → Remove (or Reset).
4. Confirm action. The system will return to the standard MIUI Default theme.

After reset, check the lock screen -- if the wallpaper stopped changing, the problem was in the subject.

• 🔧 Turn off automatic theme updates in Settings → Registration → Settings → Auto-update themes.
• 🚫 Remove the Themes app (if it’s not system-based) or limit its work to Settings → Annexes → Application management → Topics → Battery → Limit background activity.

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If the wallpaper changes after resetting the theme, try installing any other theme from the store (like Minimal Black) and then resetting it back to the standard one, which sometimes confuses the dynamic background settings.

Method 3: Disable wallpaper synchronization with Xiaomi servers

If the wallpaper is loaded from the Xiaomi cloud (such as advertising or seasonal), it can be blocked by disabling sync. This method works on MIUI 13 and 14.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Mi Account.
2. Scroll down to the Data Sync section.
3. Turn off the wallpaper slider and themes (or Personalization).
4. Reboot the phone.

After that, the system will stop downloading wallpaper from the servers.

• ✅ Plus: Advertising background images will stop appearing.
• ❌ Cons: If you manually select wallpaper from Xiaomi’s cloud collection, it won’t be saved between devices.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware, disabling wallpaper sync may cause a background image to be reset on the lock screen.

If this method didn’t help, there may be a problem with the cache of system applications – read on.

Method 4: Cleaning the cache of system applications (without root)

Sometimes dynamic wallpapers keep changing because of cacheted data in the Themes, Lock Screen or System Settings apps.Cache clearing can solve the problem.

How to clear the cache:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In search, enter the Topics and select the app.
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 for applications: Lock Screen (or Lock Screen) System settings (Settings) Weather (if wallpaper is weather-bound)

Reboot the phone.

After cleaning the cache:

• 🔄 Reset static wallpaper through Settings → Lock screen.
• 📵 Turn off mobile data/Wi-Fi on 1-2 minutes to interrupt possible synchronization with servers.

Method 5: Reset the lock screen settings (radical method)

If none of the previous methods worked, you have to reset the lock screen settings to factory settings, which will remove all custom wallpaper, widgets and security settings (the fingerprint/PIN will remain!).

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → System and device → Additional → Resetting.
2. Select Reset the lock screen settings (or Reset personalization).
3. Confirm the action by entering a password.
4. After the reset, the phone will restart.

After the reboot:

• 🔧 Reconfigure the lock screen (wallpaper, widgets, notifications).
• 🚫 Do not install themes from the Xiaomi store unless you want to repeat the problem.
• 📱 Check if dynamic effects are automatically activated (see Method 1).

⚠️ Note: On some Redmi 9 firmware, resetting the lock screen settings may result in deleting all saved Wi-Fi passwords. Write them down in advance or back them up via Settings → Google → Backup.

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Resetting the lock screen settings is the most reliable way to remove dynamic wallpaper, but it also removes all user-defined look settings. Use it only if other methods have failed.

Additional tips: how to prevent the return of dynamic wallpaper

Even after a successful shutdown, the wallpaper may start to change again after a MIUI update or a phone reset.

• 🔕 Turn off automatic updates MIUI: Go to Settings. → The phone. → Update system. Click on three dots in the top right corner. → Settings. Turn off Automatic Update Download.
• 🛡️ Block background activity of system applications: Settings → Annexes → Application management → [select the application] → Battery → Limit background activity of Restriction Applications: Topics, Lock Screen, Weather.
• 📵 Use third-party launchers: Install an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher or Lawnchair) that allows you to capture wallpaper.This won't turn off dynamic background images on lockdown, but will prevent them from changing on the home screen.