How to remove Xiaomi review on the lock screen: the complete guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often encounter an intrusive feature that periodically changes wallpaper on a locked screen and shows news widgets. This option, known as “Wallpaper Carousel” or simply “Overview”, is designed to diversify the visual experience, but in practice often causes annoyance due to the presence of advertising and unnecessary traffic consumption.

The deactivation process does not require root rights or complex manipulation of system files, but the paths in the menu can vary slightly depending on the version of the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS. In this article, we will discuss in detail all possible ways to remove the Overview from your smartphone, including hidden settings that manufacturers sometimes hide from the eyes of the average user.

Before we get into the settings, it's worth noting that this feature is closely integrated into the Themes system application, and it's through this service that content is loaded, so the main controls are there. If standard methods don't work, there are alternatives, which will be discussed below. Careful study of each step will help avoid the typical mistakes when users search for a slider in the wrong section of the menu.

What is a wallpaper carousel and why turn it off

The Glance or Carousel Wallpapers feature is a service that automatically uploads images from the Internet and installs them on a lock screen. Originally conceived as a way of personalization, it is often turned into a tool for displaying banner ads and promoting ecosystem applications. Many users do not realize that the beautiful landscapes on the lock screen are the result of the work of the background service, consuming resources.

The main reason to remove this service is to want a static, predictable image. In addition, the constant upload of new images can increase mobile traffic consumption, which is critical for data-limited tariffs. It is also noted that active Overview sometimes conflicts with live wallpaper or third-party launchers, causing micro-freezes when unlocking the device.

It's important to understand the difference between a regular live wallpaper and a Carousel. Live wallpaper is a local or pre-installed animated file that doesn't require a permanent connection to the server to change the image. The Overview is an online service that is managed remotely, which is why it's not enough to turn it off just to change the image in the gallery; you need to deactivate the swap mechanism itself.

⚠️ Note: After you turn off the Overview feature, your current wallpaper may be reset to a standard system image. Prepare the desired image in the gallery in advance to install it immediately after you set the settings.

Standard method of disconnection through screen settings

The easiest and most obvious way to remove the Overview is through the basic settings of the system. Xiaomi manufacturers regularly change the location of menu items, but the logic remains the same: you need to find the section responsible for the appearance of the blocker. In most cases, the path goes through the menu “Always on screen and lock screen”.

First, you need to unlock your smartphone and go to the Settings app, then scroll down to the "Always on screen and lock screen" section. In some versions of the firmware, this item may simply be called "lock screen." Inside this menu, you need to find a switch called "Wallpaper Carousel" or "Overview" and put it in an inactive position.

If, after switching the slider, the system requests confirmation or offers to choose the reason for the shutdown, you can safely agree. Sometimes MIUI tries to keep the user, offering to "try again" or "configure more often", but these suggestions can be ignored. Once the action is confirmed, return to the main screen and lock the device to make sure that the images stop changing.

• 📱 Open Settings and find the Always On screen and Lock screen section».
• 🔄 Find the item "Wallpaper carousel" and click on it to go to the submenu.
• ❌ Translate the switch "Enable wallpaper carousel" to the off state.
• ✅ Confirm the action if a pop-up with a request appears.

Setup through the “Themes” app

Sometimes the switch is missing or inactive in the basic settings of the phone, and this may be due to the regional firmware or the specifics of the HyperOS version. In this case, the control center of the function is located directly in the Themes system application, and through this, the content is synchronized, so the shutdown here will be most effective.

Run the Themes app. In the lower right corner or in the top menu (depending on version), find the user profile icon. Going to the profile, you will see a list of options, including Wallpaper Carousel. Click on this item, you will be taken to the service settings, where you can not only turn it off, but also clear the cache of uploaded images.

Within the Carousel settings, the Themes app often hides additional options, such as image change rates or content types. However, our goal is to deactivate completely. Find the Turn on switch at the top of the screen and turn it off. The system may offer alternative design options, but should skip them.

Importantly, after disabling the Themes app, it is recommended to restart the device, so that the system processes responsible for the background loading of media content stop completely, and rebooting will also help to reset possible caching errors when the phone “remembers” the old settings.

The Impact of the Region on Function Availability

One of the interesting things about Xiaomi's ecosystem is that the availability of ads and service features is dependent on the region you choose, and the Overview feature is most often active by default in Russia, India and Global, and if you can't find the switch, it's possible that your current region will force the service to activate.

Changing a region to a country where the Overview service is not supported or less aggressive (such as Andorra, Nepal, or some European countries) can automatically hide this feature from the menu. To do this, go to Settings → Additional → Region. After changing the region, the phone interface can reboot, and the Wallpaper Carousel item will disappear or become available for disabled.

However, be careful: changing your region can affect other services such as Mi Pay, weather widgets, or the availability of certain apps in the GetApps store. Therefore, this method is recommended only if the standard methods do not help, and you are ready to put up with possible changes in the work of regional services.

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After the change of region, be sure to check the work of NFC and payment systems, as in some countries (for example, the United States or Ukraine) the NFC module can be programmatically limited or changed the operating algorithm.

It is believed that changing the region to China completely removes global advertising, but this is not true. Chinese firmware has its own, often more aggressive, ad integration system that is not compatible with global Mi Account accounts.

Radical measures: disconnection through ADB

For advanced users who want to securely remove the Overview and free up system resources, there is a method of disconnecting through the Android debugging bridge (ADB), which requires connecting the smartphone to the computer and having a minimum set of tools, which allows you to deactivate the system package responsible for the carousel, making it impossible to restore it without reconnecting to the PC.

First, activate the developer mode. Go to About Phone and quickly press 7 times the build number (MIUI Version). Then in Additional → For Developers, turn on USB Debugging. Connect your phone to your computer, install ADB drivers, and open the command prompt.

Enter the following command to search for a package associated with a carousel (usually it contains the words glance, carousel or wallpaper):

adb shell pm list packages | grep glance

Once you find the exact packet name (e.g., com.miui.personalassistant or carousel-specific), use the command to disable it:

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

⚠️ Note: Be very careful when typing commands ADB. Disabling the wrong system package can cause the interface to run unstable or the device to reboot cyclically. Always double-check the packet name before executing a command.

The good thing about this is that it's cleaned at a deep system level, and even if you reset your phone to the factory, it's still off (if you don't do a full flashing and flashing) and it's a solid solution for those who value cleanliness and no junk.

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Using ADB is the only way to completely cut out a function from the system, but it requires technical literacy and caution.

Fixing Problems: If the Review Returns

There are times when the user has completed all the actions, but after a while the Wallpaper Carousel reappears. This can be caused by automatic updates of system components or synchronization with the Mi Account. If the function is activated on its own, the first thing to do is check the app updates in the GetApps store or Google Play.

Often, updating the Themes or System Services app returns default settings, including the “Overview” enabled, in which case you will have to repeat the disabling procedure, and you should also go to the Mi Account settings and check if there is a tick for synchronizing themes and wallpapers, which can force the service to turn on.

If nothing helps, you can try to clear the Themes and Wallpaper app data through the application management menu, which will reset all the cached settings and return them to the factory settings, after which you can re-execute the procedure, but without the load of old configuration files.

• 🔄 Check for updates for the Themes and Security system applications».
• 🧹 Clear the cache and data of applications responsible for the desktop and lock.
• 🔒 Check your sync settings in your Mi Cloud account.
• 📱 Consider installing a third-party launcher that will intercept control of the lock screen.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)