Xiaomi smartphone owners often face the desire to personalize their gadget by changing the standard design to a more suitable one. However, over time, the number of saved images becomes redundant, and system “live” themes can be distracting from work or simply disliked. The question of how to remove wallpaper from the Xiaomi Redmi 9 phone becomes relevant when the standard interface ceases to please the eye or requires an update.
The process of removing or replacing graphics in the MIUI shell has its own nuances, different from pure Android. Users have several levels of control: from simply changing the picture on the desktop to completely resetting system themes and removing pre-installed live wallpaper occupying space in memory. In this article, we will discuss in detail all available methods for cleaning and adjusting the visual interface of your device.
The need to remove old wallpaper can be dictated not only by aesthetic considerations, but also by technical requirements. Sometimes the background image can conflict with widgets or reduce the readability of icons. In addition, removing heavy animated wallpaper can slightly improve the autonomy of the Redmi 9, especially if the battery is no longer holding charge as new.
Removal and replacement of static desktop wallpapers
The easiest way to get rid of the current image is to replace it with a standard or background, which doesn't require superuser rights or complex manipulation of the file system, but rather the built-in tools that allow you to instantly change the visual style.
To perform the replacement, press your finger on the free screen area or go to the Settings menu. → Wallpaper: In the menu that opens, you'll see the current image and the replacement options. If your goal is simply to "remove" a particular image you previously installed, select any of the system options or upload a new image from the gallery.
⚠️ Note: Complete removal of system wallpaper (those coming from the factory) without replacement with others is impossible, since the system requires a background image.
If you downloaded wallpaper from a third-party source and want to delete this particular file so that it doesn't cornen your eyes in the gallery, you need to find it in the Files or Gallery app. Find the MIUI → Theme → content folder or just in the Wallpaper album, select the unnecessary image and click the delete button. This will free up space and remove the picture from the list available for installation.
It's important to distinguish between deleting an image file and resetting your display settings. If you just want to get it back, it's easier to use the theme reset feature, which we'll talk about in the next sections, but standard media management tools are enough to delete a particular image file.
How to Disable and Remove Live Wallpapers
Live wallpapers are dynamic images that consume more CPU and battery than static ones. On Redmi 9, they can be pre-installed or downloaded through the Themes app. To remove them and return to static, you need to change the type of wallpaper in your settings.
Go to Settings → Lock screen or Settings → Wallpaper. In the wallpaper selection section, find the category Live Wallpapers or Live Wallpapers. Select No or switch to a static image from the gallery. After that, the animation will stop playing and the load on the system will decrease.
- 📱 Open the Themes app on the desktop.
- 🎨 Go to the user profile (the icon of the person in the corner).
- 🗑️ Select the Wallpaper section and remove the uploaded live themes.
- ⚙️ In the screen settings, select a static picture instead of a live one.
If the live wallpaper has been installed as part of the theme, removing the theme itself will return the standard look. Go to the Themes app, click on the profile icon, select "Themes" and click on the current theme. There will be a "Delete" button or the ability to apply the standard Classic theme. This is guaranteed to remove any animated elements.
Resetting theme to the classic (Standard Theme)
Often, users don't just want to change the picture, they want to completely remove all visual changes made by third-party themes. In MIUI, this is solved by returning to the classic theme, which is an action that resets icons, wallpaper, sounds and system colors to factory values.
To do this, open the Topic app. In the lower right corner, click on the profile icon. In the menu that opens, select the Topics section. You will see a list of themes installed. Find a theme called Classic or Standard (usually marked with the default icon) and click Apply.
⚠️ Note: Using a classic theme will remove all custom app icons and widgets installed by a third-party theme.The desktop may look different than before installing the theme.
After applying the theme, the system may suggest clearing the cache of old themes. It is recommended to agree to this to make room. If the standard theme is not in the list of "Installed", it can be found in the catalog of online themes on request "Classic" or "Standard". This will return your Redmi 9 original appearance, removing all third-party wallpaper.
Cleaning the storage from wallpaper files
Even after the wallpaper changes, the image files remain in the phone's memory, taking up precious space. On models with a small amount of internal memory, like the basic versions of Redmi 9, this can be critical.
Open the Files (or Explorer) application. Go to the internal storage. You need to find the MIUI folder, theme folder inside it, and then content. This is where the cached images and theme components are stored. Be careful: removing excess files can speed up the system, but deleting the necessary ones will cause you to reset your settings to the standard ones.
To clean up safely, use the built-in Cleanup tool. Click on the broomstick icon in the Security app or Files. The system will scan the device for debris, including thumbnail cache and old wallpaper, and this is the safest way to clean up the excess without risking damage to the system.
☑️ Check before cleaning files
It's also worth checking the DCIM and Pictures folder, and users often forget that they've downloaded wallpaper from the Internet and they're lying dead there, and deleting those files through a gallery or file manager safely and effectively frees up space.
Removal of wallpaper from the lock screen (Wallpaper Carousel)
Special attention should be paid to the feature "Wallpaper Carousel" (Glance), which automatically changes the images on the lock screen, many users want to remove this feature, as it consumes traffic and can show unwanted content.
To turn off the carousel, go to Settings → Lock screen. Find the wallpaper carousel (or Glance for Mi). Press it and switch to the "Off" position. After that, the lock screen will only show the static image that you select.
If you want to completely remove the carousel mechanism, you can do this through application management. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find Glance for Mi or Carousel Wallpaper. Click on the app and select Remove Updates or Disable. This will remove the feature from the system.
| Action. | Where to find out. | The result |
|---|---|---|
| Shutting down the carousel | Settings → Lock screen | Static picture on the lock |
| Deletion of the topic | Appendix Topics → Profile | A return to factory-style |
| Clearing the cache | Settings → Memory → Cleaning | Freeing up space in memory |
| Change of static wallpaper | Settings → Wallpaper | Replacement of Desktop Image |
What to do if the carousel turns on again?
Use of third-party launchers for full control
If standard MIUI tools don’t achieve the minimum of minimalism you want, you can install a third-party launcher, a radical but effective way to completely remove Xiaomi’s standard wallpaper and interface, replacing them with pure Android or a different style.
Popular launchers like Nova Launcher, Lawnchair or Microsoft Launcher allow you to customize each pixel of the screen in detail. Once you install such a launcher, you get an independent wallpaper management layer, you can set a black background, dynamic wallpaper from Google, or a fully transparent background (if supported by widgets).
To install a third-party launcher download APK-You can find the file or the app on Google Play. Once installed, the system will suggest you select the default home screen app. Select a new launcher. Now, standard Xiaomi wallpaper will no longer be displayed as it is controlled by the new program.
- 🚀 Download the launcher from Play Market.
- 🔧 Set up a grid of icons and widgets.
- 🖼️ Set your wallpaper through launcher settings.
- ✅ Assign the launcher by default application.
⚠️ Note: Using third-party launchers can lead to unstable navigation gestures or increased battery consumption, as this is an additional process in the system.
This method is ideal for those who want to completely ignore the manufacturer’s visual policies: You get full control over what is displayed on the screen, and you can return to the standard launcher at any time by simply changing the default settings.
💡
Tip: Before installing a third-party launcher, take a screenshot of the location of your icons, so that you do not waste time on their placement again.
Possible problems and solutions
Redmi 9 users may encounter some difficulties when changing or removing wallpapers, such as when the theme is reset, the icons may become square or disappear, whether by reapplying the theme or rebooting the device.
Sometimes the system prevents you from removing certain system wallpapers or themes by labeling them as protected. In such cases, cleaning the Topic application data helps. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Topics → Memory → Clear the data. This will return the theme catalog to its original state.
If after all the manipulations on the screen there are artifacts or parts of old wallpaper, try changing the screen resolution in the developer settings or simply restart the phone in safe mode to exclude the influence of third-party applications.
💡
The most reliable way to remove all third-party changes is to completely reset the theme to Classic and then clear the cache through the security menu.