How to remove the screensaver on Xiaomi: turn off screens and advertising

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face intrusive visual content that the system offers as an “improvement” to the interface, such as wallpaper carousels, slideshows on the lock screen or even banner ads in system applications that users mistaken for screensavers. Removing the xiaomi screensaver is not just a matter of aesthetics, but also a way to extend the device’s battery life, since the constant loading of images consumes the processor’s resources.

MIUI and the new HyperOS shell have many hidden settings to control what is displayed on the screen. In some cases, a static image is called a “savenger”, in others, dynamic content from Glance or Wallpaper Carousel. Understanding the differences between these features is critical to the proper execution of actions. We will examine all possible options for eliminating redundant content, from standard settings to deep cleaning of system caches.

Don't ignore this aspect of settings if you appreciate the minimalism and speed of the gadget. Completely turning off the wallpaper carousel requires deaktivating the Wallpaper system application, not just changing the picture in the gallery. Next, we will look at the step-by-step algorithms for different versions of firmware and device models.

Before you take any drastic action, you need to clearly define what exactly you want to remove. In Xiaomi terminology, there is often confusion. The standard Screensaver is a mode activated while charging when the phone is horizontal. It shows the clock, the weather or the slideshow of photos. It is a separate feature that is not associated with the main screen.

Another thing is Wallpaper Carousel, which changes the image on the lock screen every time you turn on the display, and it's the one that most often annoys users because it can load advertising content or just interfere with quick access to notifications, and there's the concept of "live wallpapers" that are animated and consume more power.

💡

Before making changes to the system settings, take a screenshot of the current parameters so that in case of an error, you can return to the original state.

It is important to distinguish between these concepts, as the ways to disable them are in different sections of the menu. If you confuse the settings of the Screensaver and the Wallpaper Carousel, the desired result will not be achieved.

Type of contentWhere it's displayedSubstantive functionResource consumption
ScreensaverOnly while charging in the dock.Showcasing hours/photosLow.
Wallpaper carouselLock screen (when turned on)Background change, news, advertisingAverage (network + graphics)
Live wallpaperDesktop and lock screenBackground animationHigh (GPU + battery)
Recommendations (Glance)Lock screenNews feed and widgetsAverage (constant traffic)

Once you have identified the type of content that is interfering, you can choose the right section of the instructions, and most often users want to get rid of the intrusive change of images on a locked phone, which requires you to turn off specific Xiaomi services.

Disabling the standard screen saver when charging

Let's start with the simplest option, the classic screensaver that activates when your smartphone is charging, which is useful if you use your phone as a desktop clock, but in the dark it can interfere with the bright glow.

To remove this item, you need to go to the special features section. The path may vary slightly depending on the Android version and the MIUI shell. Usually the algorithm is: go to Settings, look for the Additional Features or Special Features section. In some builds, this menu is hidden inside the lock screen.

📊 What type of screensaver annoys you the most?
Advertising on the lock screen
Change the wallpaper every 5 minutes
Bright watches when charging
Live wallpaper slows down the phone

Inside the menu, find Screensaver. Switch the switch to "Off." If that's not in the main settings menu, try searching for settings. Type "Savence" into the search bar at the top of the settings screen, and the system will take you to the switch.

⚠️ Note: Some global firmware versions may call it "Daydream." It's similar to Google's screensaver.

After the feature is turned off, the phone will stop showing slideshows or hours during downtime on charging, going straight to sleep or showing a standard Always On Display screen (if it is on and supported by the matrix).

The most common request is how to remove the screensaver on the shaomi, implying that constantly changing pictures on the lock screen, and this is the service, which in different regions is called Wallpaper Carousel, Glance or simply Wallpaper Carousel.

To turn off, go to Settings → Lock screen. Find wallpaper carousel. Inside you'll see the "Enable wallpaper carousel" switch. Put it inactive. The system may try to keep you from doing "only Wi-Fi" or "less often change pictures," but you need to (stand your own) and choose to shut down completely.

☑️ Checklist for Carousel shutdown

Done: 0 / 5

If you have a European firmware (EU) installed, there may not be a carousel, but there may be a Lock Screen Magazine Glance service, the same principle: look in the lock screen settings and turn off, sometimes this service is hidden in a separate application in the menu of all programs.

It is important to reset the static image after the carousel is turned off. Often users turn off the service but forget to select a new picture, and the lock screen turns black or standard gray. Go to Topics → Profile → Wallpaper and select any static image from the gallery.

Removing Advertising and Recommendations in System Applications

Often, by "saversavers" users mean banner ads that pop up in standard applications such as Explorer, Music, Cleansing or Themes. It's not exactly a screensaver, but visually very similar to intrusive content that you want to get rid of.

To reduce digital noise, you need to turn off personalized recommendations, and this is done in each application separately. For example, in the Security app, click three dots in the corner, select Settings, and find Receive recommendations. Uncheck the box.

Hidden Advertising Identifier Settings
In Settings → Passwords & Security → Privacy → Advertising services can be reset with an advertising ID or completely disable ad personalization for all apps at once. This will not remove the ads completely, but will make them less intrusive and relevant.

The same procedure should be repeated for the Themes app. Go to profile, click on the settings (cogs), and turn off "Show ads" and "Personal recommendations." This will significantly clear the interface of unnecessary banners, which are often mistaken for system screensavers.

Remember that some screensavers can be widgets. Check your desktop and lock screen for "Tape" or "News" widgets. These can be removed with a long tap and select the "Delete" or "Cross" button.

Disconnecting live wallpaper and animated backgrounds

If your problem is that the background moves, slows down the interface, or quickly lands the battery, it's about live wallpaper. Unlike a carousel, they don't change in time, but they're animated in real time.

To replace live wallpaper with static, go to Settings → Wallpaper and Personalization (or just Wallpaper). Select Static or Gallery. Even if you haven't previously put live wallpaper, some themes may contain animated elements that activate automatically.

MIUI and HyperOS have a built-in optimizer that can automatically turn off live wallpaper to save energy. However, you should not rely on automation. You should manually make sure that the background is set to a normal image of JPG or PNG format, rather than a special file format for live wallpaper.

⚠️ Warning: Live wallpaper may conflict with Always On Display. If your screen is constantly on and the background is floating, you should choose a static dark image to save charge. AMOLED-matrix.

Also check the Themes app. If you downloaded a third-party theme, it could bring its own wallpaper. In the Themes app, go to profile, select the current theme, and click Delete, returning to the standard Classic or Default theme.

Deep Cleanup: Disconnecting System Services through ADB

For advanced users who are not satisfied with the standard shutdown, there is a method of deactivating system components through the ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to “freeze” the applications responsible for the screensavers and carousels, making them impossible to remove even for the phone.

To do this, you will need a computer, a USB cable and enabled debugging over USB on your phone (Settings → About Phone → 7 times tap on the MIUI Version → Additional → Debugging over USB). Connect the phone to your PC and enter a command to delete packets.

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.misystem


adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.personalization




adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.thememanager

These commands will remove (for the current user) personalization, system themes, and related services. Be extremely careful: removing critical system packages can lead to a cyclic bootloop. Always check the packet name before typing in the command.

💡

The ADB is the most radical method, and it guarantees the carousel disappears completely, but it prevents you from changing themes and wallpapers through the standard menu without reclaiming rights.

If after such actions the phone behaves unstable, it will help to completely reset the settings to the factory (Hard Reset), which will return all remote system components to their places.

Frequent problems after turning off screensavers

Once you've managed to remove the shiaomi screensaver, you may encounter some of the system's behavior artifacts, such as the lock screen can turn completely black if a new background is not selected, or the notifications will stop showing beautifully, as they did in carousel mode.

Sometimes the system may try to automatically reactivate services through updates to Google Play components or MIUI itself, in which case it is worth noting the auto-update of system applications in the GetApps store or Google Play.

Users also note that after all visual effects are turned off, the phone starts to work significantly faster, especially on the low-end Redmi series, where CPU resources are limited, and the release of RAM from the carousel processes gives performance gains for other tasks.

What to do if the wallpaper setting is missing?
If you have no option to change wallpaper after manipulation, try to clear the data of the "Themes" and "Wallpaper" applications through Settings → Apps → All applications. Do not delete them, namely, clean the data (Clear Data).

Don’t be afraid to experiment with customization settings. Unlike iOS, Xiaomi’s Android system gives the user full control over what’s displayed on the screen, requiring only a careful look at the menu.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I completely remove the "Themes" and "Wallpaper" application without Root rights?
You cannot completely remove system applications without superuser rights (Root) because they are protected by the system signature, but they can be "freezed" or removed for the current user via the system. ADB-The teams, as described in the section on deep cleaning, will make them invisible and inactive.
Why did the MIUI update reappear after the wallpaper carusole?
Large firmware updates often reset user privacy and personalization settings to factory values. After each major update (for example, from MIUI 13 to 14), it is recommended to recheck the items in the lock screen settings and disable intrusive services.
Does disabling the screensaver affect the work of Always On Display (AOD)?
No, it's independent functions. AOD (Always on screen with clock) is configured in the section Screen is always on. Turning off the wallpaper carousel or screen saver when charging will not affect the work AOD, if your phone AMOLED-screen and this function is supported.
Is it safe to use third-party launchers to replace the lock screen?
Using third-party launchers (Nova, Lawnchair) only changes the desktop. The lock screen requires special applications to replace it, but they often run unstable on MIUI due to aggressive memory savings.
How to remove the inscription “Slide to unlock” or advertising text?
Advertising text or captions are often part of the wallpaper carousel, and if you disable it ("How to turn off the wallpaper carousel"), you remove the text, and if the text is system ("Slide..."), you can't remove it without modifying the framework-res.apk system file, which requires flashing.