How to remove wallpaper on the lock screen Xiaomi: all the ways (including hidden)

Xiaomi’s lock screen is the first picture you see when you turn on your smartphone. Sometimes standard wallpaper is boring and user photos don’t look the way you’d like. Worse, on some Redmi or POCO models, the lock background can stick after you update your MIUI or reset. In this article, we’ll look at all the possible ways to remove, change or reset wallpapers on the lock screen, including methods for devices with an unlocked bootloader.

It's important to understand that setting the lock background in Xiaomi is different from changing the wallpaper on the home screen. MIUI separates these options, and sometimes you need to adjust each one separately. We'll look at both standard methods through the phone menu, and advanced ones using ADB or third-party apps. If you find that wallpapers "don't change" or "reset" after a reboot, there's a solution in the article for this.

Why is the wallpaper on the Xiaomi lock not changing?

Before we proceed to the instructions, let’s look at the reasons why the background of the lock screen can get stuck or ignore your changes:

• 🔄 Cash system: MIUI sometimes saves old wallpaper in the cache, because of which new settings do not apply.
• 📱 Limitations MIUI: On some firmware (especially Chinese) the function of changing the background lock is disabled by default.
• 🔧 Failures after update: After major updates (for example, with MIUI 13 on MIUI 14) settings may be reset.
• 🛠️ Rooting or custom firmware: If the phone was stitched with an unofficial version MIUI, The settings of the wallpaper may not work properly.

If you tried to change the background through the standard menu, but nothing happened, do not rush to reset your phone to the factory settings. 90% of the time, the methods described below solve the problem.

Method 1: Standard wallpaper change via MIUI settings

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI tools. It works on most devices, including the Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO F4/F5 and the flagship Xiaomi 13/14.

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to the Wallpaper section → Lock screen.
3. Select one of the suggested pictures or click My Wallpaper to upload your own image.
4. Confirm the changes with the Apply button.

If there is no lock screen partition, then your version of MIUI does not support separate background settings, in which case try method 2 or 3.

Method 2: Reset wallpaper through “Screen settings”

On some firmware (e.g. MIUI 14 Global), lock wallpapers are tied to system themes to reset them to standard ones:

1. Go to Settings. → Screen.
2. Select the Lock screen style.
3. Scroll down and click Restore Default Values.
4. Confirm the action.

This method is useful if you want to remove custom wallpaper and return the standard background from Xiaomi. However, it will not help if you need to install your own image - use method 1 or 3 for this.

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If after changing the wallpaper, the lock screen began to slow down, try to install a static image instead of animated (live wallpaper consumes more resources).

Method 3: Using the Gallery app to set the background

Few people know, but Xiaomi can install lock wallpaper directly from the Gallery app, which is convenient if you want to use a photo that is already on your phone:

1. Open the gallery and find the image you want.
2. Tap the photo and click on the three dots in the lower right corner.
3. Select Set as → Lock screen wallpaper.
4. Adjust the scale and position of the picture, then click Apply.

This works even on devices where the Themes menu does not have a separate section for the lock screen, but sometimes after applying the background through the Gallery, the wallpaper can be reset after rebooting. If this happens, move to method 4.

Method 4: Clean the cache of system applications (if the wallpaper does not change)

If you've tried all of the above methods, but the wallpaper on the lock remains the same, the problem may be the cache of system components.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find and open the Topic app.
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
4. Repeat the same for Launcher (or Start) and System Settings.
5. Reboot the phone.

After cleaning the cache, try changing the wallpaper again through the Themes or Gallery, which in most cases solves the problem of sticking old backgrounds.

Method 5: Advanced Methods (ADB and Root Access)

If the standard methods didn't work and the wallpaper on the lock still doesn't change, you'll have to use technical tools, which is suitable for users who are willing to work with ADB or have root rights.

Method A: Resetting wallpaper through ADB (no root)

For this method, you will need a computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and the ADB program:

adb shell cmd wallpaper clear


adb shell cmd wallpaper set-lockscreen --image /sdcard/Download/your_image.jpg

Where your_image.jpg — This method forcibly resets the current wallpaper and installs new ones, bypassing restrictions. MIUI.

Method B: Manually delete wallpaper files (root required)

If you have root access, you can manually delete wallpaper files that are stored along the way:

/data/system/users/0/wallpaper_info.xml


/data/system/users/0/wallpaper_lock.xml

Delete these files (pre-backup!) and restart the phone. After that, MIUI will create new configuration files with default settings.

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Using ADB or root access can cause MIUI to crash. Before experimenting, back up your data via Mi Cloud or TWRP.

⚠️ Note: If you use custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience or LineageOS), wallpaper settings may vary. In some builds, the background lock function is completely disabled - check this before you start manipulating.

Table: Compatibility of methods with MIUI versions

*On MIUI 15, the installation function of the Gallery wallpaper may be limited to the lock screen – use Themes.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When changing wallpapers on the lock Xiaomi users often face typical problems.

• 🖼️ Wallpaper is cut or stretched: MIUI It automatically adjusts the image to the screen resolution. To avoid distortion, use the aspect ratio images. 9:16 (for example, 1080×1920 full HD).
• 🔄 Wallpaper resets after rebooting: This happens due to a malfunction in the Themes app. Clear its cache (method 4) or roll back to the previous version via APKMirror.
• 🚫 No Lock Screen option in settings: On some regional firmware (e.g. Chinese) this feature is disabled. MIUI.

⚠️ Note: If you use live wallpaper (animated), note that they can increase battery consumption by 5-15% due to the constant operation of the GPU. 9A, POCO M4) That's particularly noticeable.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions