Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often encounter an intrusive service that automatically changes the background image on a locked screen, a feature known as Wallpaper Carousel that is designed to delight users with diversity, but in practice it often turns into a source of irritation. Instead of beautiful landscapes, users receive banner ads or simply unnecessary actions to unlock the device.
On the Redmi 9, which runs the MIUI shell, this process can be especially noticeable due to the optimization of the system for budget hardware. Many users want to return the classic static background to avoid distractions and save battery power. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to completely disable this feature and regain control over the appearance of your gadget.
It's worth noting that developers periodically change the location of settings in different versions of the firmware, so standard methods may not work the first time. We'll look at several ways to solve the problem, from standard settings to deeper methods through special applications. Completely disabling the service requires all the steps to be performed sequentially, because simply switching the picture does not stop the background loading of data.
What is a wallpaper carousel and why it is annoying
Glance, or Wallpaper Carousel, is a service built into a system-based Security or Themes app, and its primary purpose is to showcase content from partners. On budget devices like Redmi 9, it's also a way of monetizing, since the user actually watches ads every time he picks up the phone.
In addition to visual noise, the service consumes system resources, keeps the network module active to download new images and uses RAM to caching content, and for a device with limited RAM, this can cause small but noticeable slowdowns when the screen is turned on.
- 📉 Uses mobile traffic and battery power in the background.
- 📢 Often shows promotional images instead of art photos.
- ⏳ Slows down the responsiveness of the unlock system on weak processors.
Many users confuse live wallpaper with Carousel. It's important to understand the difference: live wallpaper is an animation that works all the time, and Carousel changes the static picture only with each new screen turn on or on schedule.
Basic disconnection through lock screen settings
The easiest and most obvious way to stop the change of pictures is in the standard settings menu. However, in the MIUI shell, the path to this option may not be obvious to the beginner. First, you need to unlock the phone and find the Settings app in the general list or in the notification curtain.
In the menu that opens, you scroll down to Always on the screen and lock. In some versions of the firmware, this section may be simply called Lock Screen. This is where all the parameters that are responsible for the appearance of the locked state of the smartphone are concentrated.
☑️ Shutdown algorithm
Inside this section, you need to find the wallpaper carousel bar, and if you click on it, you'll see an additional menu where you'll have the wallpaper switch on, you'll have to put it inactive, and you can request confirmation of action, warning that the service will be stopped.
⚠️ Warning: Once the toggle switch is turned off, the current theme may not disappear instantly. You need to lock and unlock the screen once or twice so that the system applies changes and loads the standard static image.
Disconnection through the Security application
Often, the settings in the phone menu are not saved or the function is turned on again after a reboot, because the service is deeply integrated into the system utility Security, and to ensure that you remove the changing background, you need to act through this system tool.
Find an app on your desktop called Security and a green shield icon. Run it and wait for the check to be completed. At the bottom of the screen or in the Tools menu (three dots or a hamburger menu), you need to find the Wallpaper Carousel item. In some regions, this service may be called Glance.
Once you log in to the service menu, the top right corner of the screen is the gear icon, which is the settings. Click on it to see the settings list. Here you need to find the Receive Content switch or Automatically Update and Disable it, and that stops downloading new images from the network.
| Parameter | Default value | Recommended value | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency of update | Every time 1 hour | Never. | Stops requests to the server |
| Use of data | Included. | Off. | Saving traffic |
| Showing on the main screen | Included. | Off. | Removing widgets |
Why are the settings resetting?
Cleaning up data and stopping system processes
If simple methods didn't work and Redmi 9 continues to change the images, a more radical approach is needed, and the cache and data of the app itself that is responsible for this feature need to be cleared, which will return the service to a factory state where the function is often turned off by default.
Go to Settings → Applications → All Apps. You should find Wallpaper Carousel or Wallpaper Carousel in the list. If the search does not yield results, try to find System Launcher or Themes, as the logic may differ from firmware. Once you select the desired application, click Memory and select Clear → Clear Everything.
Once the data is cleared, immediately press Stop or Stop in the same menu, which will force the process to end in the current session. Now, if you try to block the screen, the system will either show a standard screensaver or suggest that Carousel be reconfigured, at which point you categorically refuse the offer.
- 🛑 Forced process stops reset temporary files.
- 🗑️ Cleaning up data removes saved advertising preferences.
- 🔄 Re-setting allows you to immediately select a static background.
⚠️ Warning: When cleaning system applications, don’t worry that your phone will stop working. You only delete temporary files and settings of a particular service, personal photos and contacts will remain safe.
Using third-party launchers for full replacement
For users who want to not only remove the Carousel, but also completely change the interface of Redmi 9, installing a third-party launcher is a great solution. Applications like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher completely replace the standard MIUI shell.
Installing an alternative launcher allows you to ignore the system settings of Xiaomi. These programs have their own, more flexible settings of the lock screen and wallpaper, you can set a static image and be sure that no system updates will not change it without your knowledge.
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After installing a new launcher, click the Home button and select Always for the new app, which will cement it as the primary interface.
Additionally, third-party launchers often run faster on budget processors as they are less resource-intensive than Xiaomi's heavy shell.This could be a nice bonus for Redmi 9 owners who have noticed the smartphone slowing down over time.
Removing Advertising and Hidden Services through ADB
For advanced users who want to cut Glance service out of the system forever, there is a method using USB debugging. This method requires connecting a smartphone to a computer and using the command line, which allows you to remove or freeze the system application responsible for the wallpaper.
First, activate the developer mode. To do this, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly press 7 times on the MIUI Version. Then, in the advanced settings, turn on Debugging over USB. Connect the phone to your PC and enter the command to search for the package:
adb shell pm list packages | grep glanceOnce you find the name of the packet (usually it contains the word glance or miui), you can delete it for the current user. This will not physically remove the file from the firmware, but will make it unworkable.
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.misys⚠️ Attention: Use of teams ADB Removing critical system components can cause the phone to run in an unstable way. Make sure you remove the Carousel component, not the system framework.
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The ADB method is the most effective way to remove intrusive service, but requires a computer and basic technical skills.
Static wallpaper settings after disconnection
Once you have successfully removed the changing background, you need to install a beautiful static image so that the lock screen doesn’t look empty. Redmi 9 has a built-in gallery of themes where you can find quality images without ads.
Go to Settings → Wallpaper. Here you can select an image from your own gallery or download a new one from the catalog. It is recommended to select images with the resolution corresponding to the screen of your device to avoid loss of quality.
- 🖼️ Use images in format JPG or PNG for better compatibility.
- 📐 Optimal resolution for Redmi 9 form 1080×2340 pixel.
- 🔋 Dark wallpaper helps to save battery power on LCD-screens when using a dark theme.
Now your phone should only show the picture you have chosen. If after a while you notice that the wallpaper has started to change again, repeat the data cleanup procedure of the Themes or Security app, as system updates sometimes return default settings.