Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often face intrusive behavior, where the lock screen becomes a source of constant information noise. Instead of pure time and date, the user sees news recommendations, banner ads, notifications from apps and widgets that were not planned. This is not only annoying, but also wastes traffic, and reduces the speed of the device due to the constant download of content.
This problem can be solved, but the settings are often scattered across menus or hidden under non-obvious names like "Wallpaper Carousel" or "Recommendations." In this article, we will explore all possible ways to clean the lock screen, from simple menu switches to deep customization of MIUI and HyperOS system services.
First, we need to determine the nature of the appearance of redundant elements, which can be standard application notifications, system advertising from Xiaomi or specific widgets of "Hot Themes." Understanding the source allows you to choose the right method of elimination. Deep cleaning of the interface requires sequential execution of several steps, which we will describe below.
Disabling system recommendations and news
The first thing that catches your eye is the text blocks with news or suggestions appearing under the clock, and they are the recommendation service, which is the default feature on many global firmware, and to remove these messages, you need to go to the lock screen settings, find the item associated with Recommendations or News, and deactivate the switch.
Often users confuse this with the usual notifications, but this is the built-in content aggregator from the manufacturer. In new versions of the HyperOS shell, the path may be slightly different. You need to open Settings, then select the Lock Screen section. Here you should carefully study all subsections, including "Block Status" or "Notifications and Status Bar".
If the standard path didn’t work, you may have an extended lock mode activated. In some regions, the settings may be called Lock Screen Magazine or be tied to your Mi Account. Disabling this option instantly clears the space under the clock, leaving only a minimalist interface.
⚠️ Warning: Once recommendations are turned off, the system may suggest leaving a review or explaining why you did it. Just ignore these requests, they don't affect functionality.
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Turning off embedded recommendations is the first and most important step to a clean lock screen.
Managing the Wallpaper Carousel
One of the most common causes of junk on the lock screen is the wallpaper carousel feature, which changes the background image and shows promotional or news slides every time a device wakes up, and can be removed through the theme settings or general system settings.
Go to the Themes app, click on the profile icon and select Settings. Find the Wallpaper Carousel and turn it off. If that's not the case, go to Settings → Lock screen and find the switch to Turn on Wallpaper Carousel. Once you turn off, the lock screen will return to a static image.
It's important to understand the difference between live wallpaper and carousel. Live wallpaper can be animated but not carry advertising load, whereas a carousel is a channel for content distribution. Completely disabling this feature greatly enhances the device's autonomy, as it stops the background loading of images.
- 📱 Open the Themes app on the main screen.
- 👤 Click on the profile avatar in the upper right corner.
- ⚙️ Select Settings in the drop-down menu.
- ❌ Find and turn off the wallpaper carousel.
Why is the carousel coming back after the update?
Set up notifications from applications
Even after you turn off your system debris, you can see messages from instant messengers, games and stores on your screen, and these are standard Android notifications that are displayed on the default lock screen, and you can manage them globally or for each application separately.
To prevent all apps from showing content on a locked screen, go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification format. Here you can choose “Hide content” or “Do not show notifications” to increase your privacy.
To fine-tune it, use the Application Manager. Find a specific application that is spammy, click on Notifications and turn off Lock screen. This will allow you to see important calls, but hide advertising fluffs from stores.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling notifications on the lock screen may cause you to miss an important call or message from loved ones if you don’t check your phone constantly.
Disconnecting security and cleaning memory
Xiaomi’s built-in Security app often generates its own notifications of “junk” in memory or viruses that appear right on the lock screen.It’s part of the MIUI ecosystem designed to keep the user on edge, but often perceived as spam.
To stop this flow, open the Security app, click on the settings gear in the corner, find the Alerts or Notifications section, and turn off the Memory Clearup, Viruses, and Recommendations items.
Also, check the settings of the app itself in the Android system menu. Press the desktop security icon, select About → Notifications and disable the display on the lock screen. This is guaranteed to remove pop-up plates about the state of the system.
Below is a table with the main sources of system noise and ways to eliminate them:
| Source of communications | Where to turn off | Risk to the system |
|---|---|---|
| Wallpaper carousel | Settings → Lock screen | No. |
| MIUI Recommendations | Settings → Password and security | No. |
| Security Notifications | Security Appendix → Settings | You can skip the virus. |
| Advertising in GetApps | GetApps → Profile → Settings | No. |
Specificity of the HyperOS shell
With the release of the new HyperOS shell, Xiaomi has changed the structure of the menu, which may confuse users who are accustomed to MIUI 14.The principle remains the same, but the names of items and their location have changed.
HyperOS has a more aggressive integration of Xiaomi services, so check not only the settings of the screen, but also the Mi Account. Go to Settings → Mi Account and check the Services and hints section. Disabling personalized recommendations here will help reduce the amount of advertising content throughout the system, including the lock screen.
The new shell also features a smart home widget that can display the status of devices on a locked screen, and if you don’t use the smart home ecosystem, it’s best to turn off the widgets in the lock screen settings so that it doesn’t take up space and create false notifications.
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Use a Settings Search. Type the word "advertisements" or "recommendations" in the settings search bar, which is the fastest way to find the right switch in any firmware version.
Verification of third-party applications and launchers
Sometimes the source of messages is not system services, but applications you installed. Browsers, memory cleaners, antiviruses and even some games may request permission to display on top of other windows or on the lock screen. Third-party launchers may also have their own lock screens with widgets.
Analyze a list of newly installed applications. If the lock screen changes after installing a program, it's likely that the problem is there. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find suspicious software and check its permissions. Pay special attention to the rights to display over other windows and Notifications.
If you use a third-party launcher (Nova, Lawnchair, etc.), check its settings. Some of them have built-in lock screen plugins that need to be disabled separately from Android system settings. Returning to the standard MIUI/HyperOS launcher will help diagnose the problem.