How to remove wallpaper from the desktop on Xiaomi Redmi: all ways

The desktop of the Xiaomi Redmi smartphone is the first thing you see when you unlock the screen, and over time, standard wallpaper or pictures you install can get bored, start slowing down the system or just stop liking it. Unlike other manufacturers, MIUI (Xiaomi firmware) offers several non-obvious ways to change and completely remove wallpaper — from basic settings to hidden features through theme settings.

The problem is that many users are faced with a situation where wallpaper is not removed in the standard way: the Remove button is inactive, and the reset on default wallpaper does not work. This is due to the features of MIUI, where the wallpaper is tied to the theme of the design or to the Xiaomi account. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to remove wallpaper on the Redmi Note 10/11/12, Redmi 9/10/11 and other models with MIUI 12-14, including solutions for cases when the system “forgets” standard wallpapers.

Why can’t you get rid of Xiaomi Redmi?

Before we get to the instructions, it is important to understand why wallpaper can stick on the desktop.

• 🔄 Reference to the topic MIUI: If you have installed wallpaper through the Topics section, they may be part of a design package that doesn’t allow you to remove them separately.
• 📱 Cash Gallery: Sometimes the system saves thumbnails of wallpaper in the cache, and even after deleting the original file, the picture remains on the screen.
• 🔒 Limitations MIUI: On some versions of the firmware (for example, MIUI 13 for the global version) there is no option to reset wallpaper to standard.
• 🖼️ Live wallpaper: Animated wallpaper (e.g. from the store Live wallpaper) MIUI) They are removed differently from static ones.

If you've been trying to remove wallpaper through a long press on your desktop and you don't find the "Delete" option, that's OK. In MIUI, this feature is hidden deeper. Next, we'll look at all the working methods, starting with the simplest ones.

Method 1: Resetting wallpaper through desktop settings

The most obvious, but not always working, method is a desktop reset, which is suitable for most Redmi models on MIUI 12-14:

1. Press and hold the empty space on your desktop (not on the icon!).
2. In the menu that appears, select Wallpaper (or Style, if you have English firmware).
3. Scroll down to the Standard or Basic Wallpaper section.
4. Choose any standard option (e.g. MIUI Default or Black).
5. Click Apply and confirm the selection for the Home Screen and Lock Screen.

If there are no standard wallpapers on the list or the Apply button is inactive, then your MIUI theme is blocking them, in which case move on to the next method.

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On some firmware (e.g. MIUI 13 for Redmi Note 11), standard wallpaper is hidden behind the “More” button (three dots in the upper right corner of the wallpaper menu).

Method 2: Removing wallpaper through the gallery

If the wallpaper was installed from your personal photos, it can be removed directly through the Gallery app, which works even if the wallpaper is stuck after the MIUI update:

1. Open the Gallery app.
2. Go to the album Wallpaper (or Screenshots if the wallpaper was taken in a screenshot).
3. Find the image that is used as wallpaper and open it.
4. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Remove.
5. Confirm the removal and return to the desktop.
6. Press and hold the screen again → Wallpaper → choose any other option.

If the wallpaper is still displayed after removal, the system has stored a copy of it in the cache.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Gallery and select Clear Cache.
3. Reboot the phone.

Method 3: Resetting the MIUI theme to standard

If the wallpaper is part of a custom theme, you can't delete it separately, you have to reset the theme to the standard one, and it won't delete your data, but it will bring all the visual settings back to the factory settings:

1. Open Settings → Themes.
2. At the top of the screen, select the My Themes tab.
3. Find an active topic (checked) and click on it.
4. At the bottom of the screen, click Remove (if the theme has been downloaded) or Reset.
5. Confirm the action and wait for the standard theme to be applied.

After resetting the theme, the wallpaper will automatically be replaced with standard wallpapers. If this does not happen, try manually applying the wallpaper from the Basic section (see Method 1).

Method 4: Remove via hidden settings (for advanced)

If none of the above methods worked, you can try to reset the wallpaper through the hidden settings of MIUI. This method requires caution, as changing the system parameters can lead to failures.

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and type the combination: ##36446337## This will open the CIT (Engineering Mode) menu.
2. Go to Wallpaper Settings (or Wallpaper Settings).
3. Find the Reset Wallpaper option and click on it.
4. Confirm the reset and restart the phone.

⚠️ Attention: Menu CIT This is designed for engineering tests and may contain parameters that affect the stability of the system!

If #36446337## doesn't work, try an alternative method via ADB (computer required and USB debugging enabled).

Method 5: Resetting wallpaper through ADB (for power users)

If you're familiar with ADB (Android Debug Bridge), you can reset wallpaper with the command line, which is suitable for cases where wallpaper is imprinted on the system and not removed by standard methods.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on USB Debugging on your phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times to unlock Developer Settings). Then go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers and enable USB Debugging.
2. Connect the phone to your computer and confirm the debugging permission.
3. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type: adb shell pm clear com.miui.home This command will reset the launcher settings, including wallpaper.
4. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Note: pm clear com.miui.home will not only reset the wallpaper, but also the location of icons on the desktop, widgets and folders.

If after completing the command, the wallpaper did not reset, try an additional command to clean the wallpaper cache:

adb shell


rm -rf /data/system/users/0/wallpaper*

Comparison of ways to remove wallpaper on Xiaomi Redmi

To choose the best method, check out the table below, which lists the pros and cons of each method, as well as the Redmi models on which they are tested:

If you're not sure about your skills, start with the first three ways: ADB and CIT should only be used as a last resort.

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On Redmi models with MIUI 14 global version (for example, Redmi Note 12), standard wallpaper may not be on the menu, in which case only resetting the theme or deleting through ADB will help.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When removing wallpaper on Xiaomi Redmi, users often face typical problems.

• 🔍 Wallpapers don't change after reset: Check if live wallpapers are installed through third-party apps (like Zedge or WallpapersCraft).Remove these apps and reset again.
• 📵 The Wallpaper button does not appear with a long press: This means that you have a third-party launcher installed (for example, Nova Launcher or a new launcher). POCO Launcher. return the standard launcher to Settings → Annexes → By default.
• 🔄 After updating MIUI The wallpaper dropped on the black screen: This is a firmware bug. Try applying any wallpaper manually through Settings. → Wallpaper, even if it appears black in preview.

If none of these methods worked, the problem may be that the system files are corrupted, in which case only factory resets (remember to back up the data!) will help.

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On Redmi with AMOLED-screens (e.g. Redmi) K50) Black wallpaper may seem like "empty," but in fact, it's just displayed as the pixels off. Try using light wallpaper to make sure.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions