Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often face a situation where the usual lock screen suddenly changes, offering each time a new background. This is not a system failure, but a standard feature introduced by developers to personalize the device, but many users it annoys with its intrusive behavior.
The problem is rooted in the work of the wallpaper carousel or Glance service, which automatically downloads images from the Internet and sets them as a background every time the display wakes up, and turning off random wallpaper is the first thing you need to do to regain control of the interface and static image.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all possible ways to eliminate this feature on various versions of the MIUI shells and the new HyperOS. You will learn not only to block the change of images, but also to adjust the display parameters so that the device works exactly as convenient for you, and not as the algorithms of advertising integration conceived.
The Nature of Random Images on a Locked Phone
The phenomenon of spontaneously changing images on the lock screen appeared in MIUI firmware relatively recently and became the standard for most budget and mid-budget models, originally positioned as a way to decorate a smartphone with free high-quality content, but over time it has become a channel for distribution of advertising images and affiliate materials.
Technically, this process is handled by a system application that has deep permissions to the lock interface. The carousel service runs in the background, periodically checking servers for new image packets. If the user has the Internet on, the download occurs automatically, often without the owner's knowledge.
It’s important to understand that depending on the region your smartphone is targeting (Global, European or Chinese), the way it works may be different, in some cases it’s a native feature of Xiaomi, in others it’s a third-party Glance app preinstalled by the manufacturer under contract.
⚠️ Warning: Complete removal of system components responsible for the carousel through third-party utilities (ADB) It can cause unstable system operation or inability to unlock the device in a standard way.
Users often confuse the usual theme change with the carousel, and if the images change by themselves when you turn on the screen, and you didn't manually install the live wallpaper, then it is the automatic download service that is activated.
Disabling wallpaper carousel through standard MIUI settings
The safest and most appropriate way to combat intrusive background changes is to use the built-in tools of the operating system, which the developers have left the ability to control in the main menus, although sometimes they hide it deep enough.
To start, you need to go to the device settings menu. The path may vary slightly depending on the version of the shell, but the logic remains the same: look for the section that controls the appearance of the lock screen. Usually this is Settings → Lock screen or Settings → Wallpaper.
Inside this section, you'll find a switch called wallpaper carousel, or glance, or wallpaper change, and that switch activates the randomization mechanism, and you'll have to put it inactive.
☑️ Checking screen settings
After disabling the function, the system may suggest selecting a static image from a gallery or standard set.This action will anchor one particular background and it will no longer change without your intervention.
In some versions of MIUI 13 and MIUI 14, settings can be divided into different tabs. If the switch is not found in the main menu, it is worth checking the Settings → Always On Screen and Lock Screen section, which often hides an additional subsection with content download options.
Management of Glance service on global firmware
On global firmware versions, especially those released after 2021, the wallpaper change feature is often implemented by InMobi’s Glance service, a separate application that can have its own settings independent of Xiaomi’s standard menu.
To get full control, you need to find the app itself in the installed program list, which can be called Glance, Lock Screen Magazine, or just Wallpaper, and when you go into its settings, you'll see a more detailed content management interface.
Here you can not only completely disable the service, but also configure image categories if you still want to see new pictures, but only a certain topic (for example, nature or cars, without advertising).
To completely disconnect, follow the following steps:
- 📱 Find the Glance app in the Apps menu».
- 🔌 Click “Stop” or “Disable” in the app menu.
- 🚫 In the application settings, uncheck the tick "Enable Glance».
- 🗑️ If possible, remove app updates to roll it back to the factory version.
If the standard methods of the application do not turn off (the gray button), you may need access to extended rights or use special commands, however, in 90% of cases it is enough to simply turn off the switch inside the application.
Why can't Glance be removed completely?
Setting up a static background and themes of design
Once the randomization mechanism is stopped, the question is: what to put in the background? The MIUI shell and HyperOS offer flexible tools for working with static images that will not change on their own.
You can use your own photos from the gallery. To do this, in the wallpaper selection menu, you click on the "My Photos" or "Gallery" button and select any image, the system will suggest adjusting the scale and position of the picture to correctly display it according to the camera cutout and widgets.
Also worth paying attention to is the design theme: Some third-party themes from MIUI Themes store may be forced to include their own lock screens with a carousel, and if you set up a theme and then random wallpaper started popping up again, the problem may be that.
| Type of content | Source | Shift frequency | Demands the Internet. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard wallpaper | System system | Never. | No. |
| Wallpaper carousel | Xiaomi server | Every switch on | Yes. |
| Live wallpaper | Local/Server | Constantly (animation) | No (usually) |
| Thematic wallpaper | The shop that | Depends on the topic. | No. |
To set a reliable static background, it is recommended to use built-in high-quality images that come with the shell, or upload your files in high resolution, which ensures that the picture does not float and will not contain hidden interface elements.
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Use images with an aspect ratio that matches your screen (e.g. 20:9 for modern Xiaomi) to avoid black bars or cropping important photo details.
Specificity of the function in the shell of HyperOS
With the release of the HyperOS operating system, which gradually replaces MIUI, the settings interface has changed, the logic of the work remained the same, but the location of the switches could shift to favor a new design code.
In HyperOS, lock screen management is placed in a separate, more prominent section, often integrated with widget and font style settings. To remove random wallpaper, go to Settings → Personalization → Lock screen.
Here you will find more detailed signature settings on the lock screen and carousel behavior, the new system allows you not only to turn the feature on or off, but also to select the refresh rate if you decide to keep it active.
HyperOS is more aggressive in integrating ecosystem services. If you have a synchronized Mi Account, wallpaper settings may try to recover from the cloud, so after you turn off the carousel on your phone, check the cloud settings so that the feature doesn't automatically turn on again.
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In HyperOS, visualization settings are broken down into smaller sub-items, so carefully check all tabs in the Personalization section, not just the main one.
Users note that new versions of the software have made the image selection algorithm smarter, but also more intrusive, so manually shutting down in HyperOS is a must for those who value minimalism.
Solving problems if the switch is not working
There are situations where the user turns off the wallpaper carousel, but after a while it turns on itself, or the switch simply does not respond to the presses.
First, try clearing the cache of the wallpaper app. To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find Wallpaper or Carousel, select Memory and click Clear Cache and Clear Data.
If that doesn't work, check for system updates. Often bugs with sticky settings get fixed in security patches. Go to Settings → About your phone and check for MIUI/HyperOS.
- 🔄 Restart the device in Safe Mode to eliminate the impact of third-party launchers.
- 📲 Remove newly installed screen locking apps.
- 🔋 Check the power saving mode - in extreme mode, some settings can be reset.
In rare cases, resetting the lock screen settings to factory values helps if this option is available in the recovery menu, but this is an extreme measure and should be resorted to only if other methods have not worked.
⚠️ Warning: Clearing the Wallpaper system application data can reset all of your custom lock screen settings, including alarm clocks and widgets, if they were tied to this module.