Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often encounter an intrusive feature that periodically changes images on the lock screen, a phenomenon known as the Wallpaper Carousel or Mi Wallpaper Carousel, can annoy those who prefer a static picture or their own photos. You can remove the screensavers, but standard settings sometimes hide the right switches in the depth of the menu.
There are several reasons for the appearance of unexpected images, from pre-installed themes to system updates that activate new features by default. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to deactivate automatic background change so that you can regain full control over the appearance of your device.
We're going to look at different versions of the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS, because the menu locations may be different. If you want to just change the boring picture or get rid of landscape advertising altogether, follow our instructions. It's only a couple of minutes of your time.
Disabling the wallpaper carousel through the lock screen settings
The easiest and most obvious way to get a static image back is to change the lock menu, and that's where the master switch for dynamic content changes is hidden, so you don't have to look for third-party apps, it's all done with the system's regular tools.
Go to the basic settings of your smartphone and find the section that controls the look of the lock screen. Depending on the firmware version, this item may be called differently, but the logic remains the same. You need to find the option associated with Carousel or Slideshow.
- 📱 Open the settings on the desktop.
- 🔒 Go to the Lock Screen (or Wallpaper) section).
- 🔄 Find the wallpaper carousel (Mi Wallpaper Carousel).
- 🚫 Move the slider to the off position.
⚠️ Note: After disabling the feature, the system may prompt you to select a new static image from the gallery or standard set.
In some cases, especially on global firmware versions, this item may be hidden inside the themes menu. If you don't find the switch in the main settings, try logging in through the Themes app. There's often duplicated carousel settings in the user profile.
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Disabling the slider in lock screen settings is the main action that solves the problem in 90% of cases of MIUI and HyperOS use.
Management through the “Themes” app
If the standard path through settings failed, or you want to fine-tune your image sources, you’ll need a Themes system app, which is the “control center” for all visual content on Xiaomi and Redmi devices.
Launch the app and pay attention to your profile, which is usually located in the lower right corner of the screen. Inside the profile, you have important personalization settings, including carousel management, and you can not only turn off the function, but also clear the cache of uploaded images.
- 🎨 Launch the Themes app (icon with brush).
- 👤 Click on the Profile icon (the person in the circle).
- ⚙️ Select the Settings (cogs) item).
- 🖼️ Find the wallpaper carousel section and turn it off.
This menu often includes the option “Receive recommendations” or “Automatic updates” and deactivate them so that the phone stops wasting traffic on downloading new images in the background, which will also help save battery power, since the system does not have to constantly check the servers for new content.
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If after disconnecting in the settings, the carousel continues to appear, try in the same menu to click “Clear cache” or “Remove downloaded wallpaper”, and then restart the smartphone.
Note that the interface of the Themes app can vary by region, and in Chinese firmware versions (CN ROMs), these settings can be deeper or called differently, such as Lock Screen Magazine.
Setting up static wallpapers and themes
Once you've successfully gotten rid of the intrusive image change, you're going to have to choose a new, permanent background, and the system offers a lot of options, but it's important to be able to distinguish between standard wallpapers and those that require an Internet connection to work.
Go to the Wallpaper menu in the settings or through the Themes app, and here you will see several tabs: “Online”, “Local” and “Standard”. For guaranteed no surprises, the best way to choose images from the Local or pre-downloaded files section.
| Wallpaper type | Source | Demands the Internet. | Risk of shifting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard. | Phone memory | No. | Minimum |
| Online topics | Xiaomi server | Yes. | High-pitched |
| Live wallpaper | System/Annexes | Partially. | Medium. |
| Gallery photo | Phone memory | No. | Absent. |
When choosing the whole theme, read the description carefully. Some themes by default include a feature to change the wallpaper when you turn the screen or schedule. In the theme settings, always uncheck the boxes from items like "Replace the wallpaper on the lock screen" if you want to capture one image.
⚠️ Warning: Live wallpaper can be a huge battery drain, and if your goal is not just static but energy efficiency, ditch it for normal. JPEG or PNG picture.
☑️ Checking the theme settings
It's also good to know that new versions of HyperOS have the ability to create custom wallpaper sets, so you can upload some of your photos and adjust the frequency of changing them manually, for example, once an hour, and this gives you a carousel effect, but under your full control, without advertising or third-party content.
Third-party applications for screen locking
Sometimes users install applications to (improve) the lock screen without forgetting it, and programs like Lock Screen & Notifications or various launchers can intercept the screen and broadcast their screensavers.
Check the list of installed applications. If you find programs with names that contain the words "Wallpaper," "Lock Screen," "HD Backgrounds," and you don't use them, delete them. Often they get into the system along with other free software from unreliable sources.
- 📂 Open the Settings. → Annexes.
- 🔍 In the list, find suspicious programs to change the background.
- 🗑️ Press Remove or Disable.
- 🛡️ Check Access Rights: Apps should not have “Over Other Windows” permissions without needing to.
In addition, some antivirus and memory cleanup programs (such as various Clean Master versions or built-in Security utilities) have their own lock modules. Go to the settings of such applications and find the Tools or Functions section where wallpaper change can be activated.
Hidden launchers
If you can't find the app, but the screensavers keep popping up, try running the phone in Safe Mode. To do this, press the off button, and then (hold on for a long time) the "off" option on the screen. If there are no screensavers in Safe Mode, then the third-party app is to blame.
Solving problems with advertising screensavers
Special attention should be paid to the situation when instead of beautiful landscapes, banner ads or offers to download games appear on the screen, which is often a sign of the work of MDL (Mi Device Lockscreen) or similar services, which can be activated when installing “optimized” versions of applications.
To combat this, you have to turn off personalized ads in the root settings of the system, which won't take away the carousel completely, but will make it less intrusive and advertizing, and the way to do that is usually through the Mi Account menu.
Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Access to Personal Data. This is where you can limit the collection of data for advertising. However, a more effective method is to disable the msa service (MIUI System Ads), find this process in the application list (by enabling the display of system processes) and turn it off.
⚠️ Disable system processes such as msa or dualsim_msd, It can cause some functions to function in an unstable way, like widgets or recommendations in folders.
It is also recommended to check the permissions for the Security app, which is often responsible for (push) notifications and advertising content on the lock screen. In the application settings, find the "Receive recommendations" item and turn it off.
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Saversavers are not a bug, but the result of monetization services, and turning them off requires a comprehensive approach, from setting up the carousel to prohibiting the personalization of ads.
Resetting and extreme measures
If none of the above methods worked and screensavers continue to appear, there may have been a software failure or corruption of the configuration files, in which case a more radical intervention may be required.
The first step is to reset your design settings. This will not delete your contacts or photos, but will return all visual parameters (themes, fonts, wallpaper) to the factory state. To do this, go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Restore and Reset → Reset (not to be confused with a full data reset!).
- 🔄 Make a backup copy of important data.
- ⚙️ Go to the Recovery and Reset menu.
- 🧹 Select Reset settings (Reset settings).
- ✅ Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.
In the most difficult cases, when the problem is caused by a deep change in system files (for example, after a failed flashing or obtaining root rights), you may need to completely flash the device through the computer using the Mi Flash Tool utility.
Effects of discharge
Remember that regularly updating your system to the latest available version often includes bug fixes related to misuse of MIUI services. Check for updates in the About Phone menu before deciding on extreme measures.