Modern Xiaomi smartphones with a MIUI shell or a new HyperOS offer users many personalization features, but some of them can be annoying. Often device owners face a situation where video content or slideshows with inlays start playing on the lock screen instead of static wallpaper.
Removing video from Xiaomi’s lock screen is feasible, but the path to a solution may vary depending on the operating system version and the firmware region. Users need to understand the difference between live wallpaper that you installed yourself and intrusive content from the manufacturer. In the first case, change the topic, in the second you will need to deep customize system settings.
In this article, we will take a look at all the known ways to turn off video content, returning your device to its classic look. We will look at standard settings, hidden developer menus and radical methods of removing system components. Careful follow-up will help you get rid of unnecessary traffic and distractions, making unlocking your phone instant and enjoyable.
Reasons for the appearance of video content on a locked screen
The main reason for the video is the Glance feature, which is pre-installed on Redmi, POCO and Xiaomi smartphones, which is designed to show news feeds, promotional images and videos every time you turn on the screen, and the company is implementing this mechanism to monetize budget devices, but for many users it becomes a source of irritation.
And video content can also come up if you accidentally activate a theme with a live background or install a widget app that has access to the lock screen. Sometimes users choose dynamic wallpapers in the gallery without realizing that they will play constantly, and it's important to distinguish between these cases, because the methods of eliminating them are radically different.
⚠️ Warning: If the video is accompanied by sound advertising or dramatically reduces battery life, this is almost always a sign of the activity of the wallpaper carousel or a third-party virus disguised as a system process.
It's also worth mentioning that in some firmware versions, video content can be part of the theme, and if you downloaded a theme from Themes, it could automatically change the way you display time and date by adding a background video. Checking the current theme is the first step in diagnosing the problem.
Disabling the wallpaper carousel through standard settings
The easiest and safest way to remove video is to disable the feature through the system settings menu, which requires no root rights and works on most current versions of MIUI. You need to find the appropriate partition in the lock screen settings and just switch the switch to the inactive state.
To start, open the main settings menu of your smartphone. Find a section that could be called Always on the screen and Lock or just Lock Screen. Inside this menu, look for Wallpaper Carousel. If it's active, you'll see a switch that you need to turn off.
After the function is turned off, the system may suggest selecting a static image from the gallery or leaving a standard wallpaper.Agree to a replacement to fix the result.If the menu item is missing or inactive, it may be that your version of the shell requires a different approach, described in the following sections.
Removal of the system application Carousel wallpaper
If simply switching the switch doesn't help or the function turns on again on its own, a more radical method is needed: removing or freezing the system package responsible for displaying content, a process that requires access to advanced settings or using a computer.
The first option is to look for the app in the list of all the programs. Go to Settings → Apps → All the apps. You need to find the Wallpaper Carousel or Glance in the list. Try pressing the Remove button. Often this button is inactive because the application is system-based, and then the Disable button will help, which will hide the program and stop its processes.
The second option is more effective for power users and requires a PC connection via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to uninstall the app completely, even if the delete button is hidden. Before you start, make sure that the phone has USB debugging enabled in the developer menu.
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.misys
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.thememanagerExecuting commands through the console requires caution. Removing critical system components can cause the interface to work in an unstable way, and use this method only if you are sure of the packet names.
Setting up live wallpapers and themes of design
Users often confuse intrusive advertising with the feature of live wallpapers they installed themselves. MIUI shell allows you to assign different images to the lock screen and desktop. If a video is playing on a locked screen, check the current theme.
Go to the Themes app, which is standard for Xiaomi. Go to the user profile (usually the person icon in the corner) and select My Themes. Click on the active theme and see its description. If it is a dynamic theme, the preview corner will have the appropriate icon. Replace it with a static theme or standard Classic.
It's also worth checking the gallery settings. In some cases, users set the video from the gallery as wallpaper, and the system remembers that choice. Go to Settings → Wallpaper and force you to select a static image from the options offered by the system. This will overwrite the previous video player settings.
| Type of content | Source | Deleting method | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wallpaper carousel | System application | Disabling in settings or ADB | Medium |
| A living subject | Tham's shop | Replacement of the topic with static | Low. |
| Gallery video | User file | Replacement of wallpaper in settings | Low. |
| Advertising virus | Third-party software | Search and remove malicious applications | Tall. |
Use of third-party launchers and blockers
If system methods do not give the desired result or the function returns after the system update, you can resort to the help of third-party software. Installing an alternative launcher or a specialized screen locker allows you to completely ignore the standard settings of Xiaomi.
Popular launchers like Nova Launcher or Lawnchair don't have the default video player feature built in on the lock screen, but they only replace the desktop. The lock screen will require applications like Hi Locker or KLCK to replace it. They intercept the turn on event and show their interface.
When installing such applications, the system will ask for a lot of permissions: access to surfaces on top of other applications, access to contacts, notifications, etc. Be careful when granting such rights, especially if the application is unknown.
The use of custom blockers also affects autonomy.The constant operation of an additional application in the background can consume more energy than the standard system.
Radical methods: resetting and flashing
In extreme cases, when video content is the result of a deep system failure or firmware modification by a previous owner, a complete reset may be required, which will delete all user data, so it should be used only last.
The reset to the factory settings (Wipe Data) will return the phone to the "out of the box" state. If the video was caused by a virus or an error in the setting, it will disappear. However, if the video content is sewn into the firmware itself (which is typical for global versions of MIUI), after resetting the wallpaper Carousel can reappear on the first turn on.
The most reliable but difficult way is to flash the device to a version of China (Chinese) with the subsequent installation of Google services, or custom firmware (such as Xiaomi.eu), Chinese versions and builds from the community usually do not have aggressive advertising and services like Glance.
⚠️ Warning: Flashing your phone will void warranty and risk turning your device into a brick if it is not executed correctly.
The flashing process requires unlocking the bootloader, which takes between 7 and 168 hours of latency, and is not an instant solution, but a complex technical process that requires preparation.