Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often encounter intrusive content that appears immediately after unlocking the screen or in the left extreme window of the desktop: so-called news wallpaper or wallpaper carousel that automatically changes the background image and offers promotional articles. For many users, it is an annoying factor that distracts from the main work and consumes Internet traffic.
Fortunately, MIUI and the new HyperOS allow you to flexibly configure this setting or turn it off completely. The deactivation process does not require superuser rights (Root) and takes only a few minutes. In this article, we will discuss in detail all known ways to permanently get rid of intrusive advertising and return a clean desktop.
It's worth noting that settings may vary slightly depending on the firmware version and the region your smartphone is focused on, but the overall algorithm remains the same for most models, and we'll look at both standard methods through settings and deeper ways to clear the system of ad modules.
What is Wallpaper Carousel and Why is it On
The wallpaper carousel is a system service developed by Xiaomi to personalize the interface. It automatically uploads new high-quality images from the cloud and displays them on the lock screen. However, along with the images, the system often loads advertising blocks, news and app recommendations, which turns a useful feature into a source of visual noise.
Originally, this feature was intended as a way to demonstrate the capabilities of the screen and provide the user with fresh content, but aggressive monetization has led to the fact that you can not turn it off by default, you need to manually climb into the settings, many users confuse conventional wallpaper with a lock screen and this carousel, not understanding why the background changes by itself.
⚠️ Warning: A complete shutdown of the carousel service may cause standard system wallpapers to stop updating automatically if you used this feature to change the background.
It's important to distinguish between lock screen wallpaper (static or dynamic) and wallpaper carousel (content subscription service), and the second component is responsible for the appearance of the news feed and the "Get more lockscreens" logo in the corner of the screen, and understanding this difference will help you fine-tune the device to your needs.
Disconnection through lock screen settings
The easiest and safest way to remove the news feed is to use the standard smartphone settings, which do not require third-party software installation and can be reversed at any time, and you will need access to the system settings menu and a few minutes free.
First, unlock the device and find the standard Settings app. Depending on the version of the shell, the interface may look different, but the logic remains the same. We need to find the partition that controls the look of the lock screen.
☑️ Shutdown algorithm
In the menu that opens, look for the wallpaper carousel (or "Wallpaper carousel"). Click on it to reveal additional options. Here you will see a switch that activates or deactivates the service. Turn it to the off position.
Once turned off, the system can tell you to choose a static image for the lock screen, which is normal because the dynamic source of the images has been disabled, choose any photo from the gallery or leave the standard one.
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If the wallpaper changes after the carousel is turned off, check if the “Changing Wallpaper on Schedule” function is included in the usual theme or gallery settings.
Remove the left widget: Global service Mi
Often, users want to remove not only the changing wallpaper, but also the news feed that appears when swiping right on the desktop, called the Global Mi Service (formerly the Mi App Store or simply the Tape), which is also part of Xiaomi’s advertising ecosystem.
To disable this item, you need to go to the desktop settings. Push two fingers on the home screen to open the editing menu, or tap and hold the empty space on the desktop. In the menu that appears, select Settings (usually the gear icon).
In the list of options, look for the Global Service section, or the Global Service section, and inside you'll see the Global Service switch. Turn it off. Then, if you flip to the left, you won't see the news feed anymore, but you'll be taken directly to the first desktop or Google Discover if it's set up as the main one.
| Function | Wherever | What's he doing? |
|---|---|---|
| Wallpaper carousel | Settings → Lock screen | Changes wallpaper and displays ads on a locked screen |
| Global service | Desktop settings → Additional | Displays the news feed when swipe to the right |
| Recommendations | Settings → Passwords and security → Access to data | Collects usage statistics for targeted advertising |
Disabling the left widget significantly speeds up the interface, since the system no longer needs to constantly load content in the background, especially on budget models of smartphones with a small amount of RAM.
Cleaning up data and removing service updates
Sometimes, switching the switch is not enough, as the cached data may continue to display old news or cause errors in the interface, in which case it is recommended to clean the data of the system application responsible for the carousel.
You'll need to find a system component in the application list, which can be called Wallpaper Carousel, Glance, or miui.screenrecorder (in some versions, functions are combined). Go to Settings → Apps → All applications.
Find the app you want in the list. Click on it and select Clear Data (or Storage → Clear) and confirm the action. This will delete all the uploaded images and settings of the carousel, resetting it to its original state.
⚠️ Attention: When cleaning system applications, be careful. Do not delete the data from the "Security", "Google Play Services" or "System" applications. UI", If you are not sure about your actions, as this can cause you to reset all your phone settings.
You can also try to remove updates to this component. In the app menu, click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Remove Updates. This will return the system service to the factory version, which often has fewer ad modules than the updated one through the store.
What to do if the application is not removed?
Using ADB for Advanced Users
For those who want to get rid of the advertising modules and are not afraid to work with a computer, there is a method of disconnecting through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to “freeze” the system packages responsible for the carousel, making them invisible to the system.
To start, activate the developer mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly press 7 times on the MIUI Version (or OS Version). After the message "You became a developer" appears, go back to the main settings menu.
Now go to Additional → For developers and enable Debugging via USB. Connect your smartphone to your computer with a cable. The computer must have an ADB platform installed. Open the command line or terminal in the ADB folder.
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.miwallpaperThis command will remove the wallpaper carousel for the current user. If you want to also remove the left newsfeed, use the command:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.mi.android.globalminusscreenUsing ADB gives you maximum control, but requires caution. Incorrect removal of system packets can lead to unstable operation of the device. However, the above packages are safe to remove if you do not need carousel functions.
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Use of the ADB-commands are the only way to completely remove system components of the carousel that cannot be turned off through the standard settings interface.
Set up theme and third-party launchers
If standard methods didn't help or you want to radically change the interface, you can use a theme change or install a third-party launcher.Themes in the Themes store often have their own lock screen settings that can override the system.
Set a theme that doesn't support wallpaper carousel. Often it's minimalist themes or independent themes. After applying the theme, check the lock screen settings again - some themes force the system merry-go-round to shut down.
Alternatively, install a third-party launcher, such as Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher. Third-party shells completely replace the desktop and lock screen (partially), ignoring the system settings Xiaomi.
When using a third-party launcher, a swipe to the left will lead to the Google Discover page or simply cyclically switch desktops, bypassing Xiaomi services. This is a great solution for those who want to get a pure Android experience on their device.