Modern Xiaomi smartphones are famous not only for high performance, but also for the rich shell of MIUI, which offers a lot of visual effects. However, many users are annoyed by the intrusive screensaver that appears when you lock the device or turn on the screen. This can be a slide show of beautiful landscapes, advertising applications or just standard animation that distracts from using the gadget.
There are several ways to remove the screensaver on the Xiaomi phone, depending on what you mean by this term: the system lock screen, banner ads or live wallpaper. In this article, we will discuss all possible options in detail and help you customize the interface as convenient for you.
Before making changes, it is important to understand that some interface elements are part of the manufacturer’s ecosystem, and disabling system functions may require care, but does not pose a risk to the stability of the device, if you follow the instructions.
Differences between screensaver and lock screen
Often users confuse the concepts of “screensaver” (screensaver) and “lock screen”. On Xiaomi smartphones, the screensaver in the classic sense (as on TVs or old monitors) only appears during charging, if the wallpaper carousel function is activated or the “Ambient screen” mode. The lock screen is what you see immediately after you press the on button.
The MIUI shell allows you to flexibly configure both of these elements, and if your goal is to get rid of the ever-changing images that sometimes overlap widgets or notifications, you need to turn off Wallpaper Carousel, which is the most common source of criticism for traffic consumption and intrusion.
It is important to distinguish between sources of images, which may come from a system theme, a third-party application, or be part of a pre-installed package of advertising content, and understanding the source will help you choose the right method of disabling.
Disabling the wallpaper carousel in the settings
The most common type of screensaver on Xiaomi is the Wallpaper Carousel, which automatically downloads new background images from the Internet every time you wake up your phone, and to remove the screensaver on the Xiaomi phone, you need to go to the appropriate settings menu.
Go to the main settings of the device and find the Always on screen and lock section (or simply "Lock screen" depending on the version of MIUI). There is a switch responsible for turning on the Carousel. Disabling it will return a static image that you selected manually.
- 📱 Open Settings and go to the Lock Screen section.
- 🖼️ Find the wallpaper carousel item and click on it.
- 🚫 Turn the slider to the off position.
- 💾 Confirm action if the system requests confirmation of service shutdown.
After these steps are done, the phone will stop downloading new images. However, if you want to completely clear the cache or make sure the background processes are not working, it is also recommended to turn off auto-update for this component in the app menu.
☑️ Checking the Carousel shutdown
Removing Advertising and Pop-up Windows
Sometimes, by "saversavers" users mean banner ads that appear on the lock screen or in the interface. This is not a regular design function, but rather a consequence of activated recommendations in the MIUI system. You can remove this type of screensaver through privacy settings.
You'll need to find the Password and Security menu, and then go to Data Access or System Services (MIUI System Ads and disable it. This action will stop (push) advertising content on the device.
⚠️ Note: When you turn off msa, the system may display a countdown timer several times, requiring you to wait 10 seconds before confirming.
It’s also worth checking the settings of specific apps that can display content on a locked screen, such as memory cleanup apps or antiviruses often have their own news screensavers.
| System component | Where to find out. | Action. | The result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wallpaper carousel | Settings → Lock screen | Turn it off. | Static picture |
| MSA Service | Password and security → Access to data | Withdraw access | No advertising in the system |
| Recommendations | Settings → Password and security | Turn off "Receive recommendations" | Clean folder interface |
| Lock Screen Magazine | Application settings | Clear the data/Delete | Complete removal of the service |
What to do if the advertisement remains?
Setting up a static image and themes
Once you’ve decided to remove the screensaver on your Xiaomi phone, the question is: how do you replace it? Standard static image can get boring quickly. MIUI’s shell offers powerful personalization tools through the Themes app.
You can upload any image from the gallery and set it as wallpaper for the lock screen. To do this, open the gallery, select a photo, click three dots in the corner and select Set as Wallpaper → Lock screen. This ensures that no third-party services can change the image without your knowledge.
In addition, third-party launchers can completely change the logic of the lock screen. Launchers like Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher can take control of the lock screen, providing a more minimal and functional interface without unnecessary visual tinsel.
- 🎨 Use the built-in theme editor to create a unique style.
- 📸 Set the photo in high resolution for clarity on AMOLED screen.
- 🛡️ Apply dark themes to save battery life on modern displays.
If autonomy is a priority for you, it is better to choose a high-quality static image in dark colors.
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Use images with a black background for AMOLED-Xiaomi screens – it not only looks stylish, but also really saves battery power, as the black pixels on such matrices are simply turned off.
Problems with third-party applications and widgets
Xiaomi’s system is not always the source of the screensaver, and users often install weather, watch or news apps themselves, which by default get permission to display content on a locked screen, and these programs can override system settings.
To identify the culprit, carefully analyze the list of newly installed applications, pay special attention to utilities for “memory cleanup”, “phone speed” or “phone flashlights”, which often sin with intrusive advertising on the full screen.
You can check the permissions through the Application menu. → App management. Select a suspicious program, go to Permissions, and find Display on top of other applications or Lock Screen. Disabling this right will solve the problem.
⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi system apps (such as “Security” or “Music”) also have their own display settings on the lock screen. Check their internal settings if standard methods don’t help.
If you can't find the app, try running the phone in Safe Mode. To do that, press the off button, and when the off icon appears on the screen, click on it and hold it. Safe Mode is only running system applications. If the screensaver is missing, it's third-party software.
Resetting screen settings and system recovery
In rare cases, removing the screensaver on the Xiaomi phone screen is not possible due to a software failure or an error in the theme configuration files. If none of the above methods worked, you may need to reset the screen settings or completely reset the data.
Try changing the theme to a standard one first (Classic or Default) and go to the Themes app, go to profile and select the default theme, which will overwrite the interface configuration files.
If the problem persists, you can reset all settings (not deleting personal data, but resetting system settings).The path to this feature: Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data (be careful, this item often deletes everything, it is better to choose Wi-Fi, mobile Internet and Bluetooth settings reset or similar soft reset, if available in your version of MIUI).
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In 90% of cases, the problem is solved by turning off the wallpaper carousel and revoking the rights of the msa service.