How to remove the screensaver on Xiaomi: a complete guide for TVs and smartphones

On Xiaomi devices, screensavers are not just a screen decoration, but part of a branded interface that can both please the eye and annoy with a constant appearance. On Mi TVs and Redmi Smart TVs, the PatchWall screensaver automatically turns on after 5-10 minutes of inactivity, showing the weather, news or advertising banners. In MIUI smartphones, the screensaver is activated when charging or locking the screen, showing time, notifications or animation. But what to do if this feature interferes? For example, when the screensaver eats up battery power, distracts while watching movies or just doesn’t like it visually.

In this article, we will look at all the current ways to disable screensavers on Xiaomi devices, from TVs to smartphones, including hidden settings and circumvention of restrictions after the 2023-2026 updates. Particular attention will be paid to the problems that arise after resetting settings or installing new firmware when standard methods stop working. You will learn how to completely remove the screensaver, replace it with a black screen or adjust the appearance timer to suit your needs.

Why Xiaomi can get in the way: real problems users

At first glance, the screensaver seems to be a harmless feature, but in practice it creates a number of inconveniences:

• 🔋 Battery consumption on smartphones: Animated screensavers (such as Super Wallpaper or Earth Alive) consume up to 5-15% of charge per hour when used actively.
• 📺 Interrupting content on TVs: PatchWall screensaver can appear in the middle of a movie if the remote was lying motionless for 10 minutes.
• 👁️ Distractional content: banner ads or news feeds in the screensaver (Mi Browser, GetApps) reduce concentration.
• 🔒 Privacy: on the locked screen of the smartphone can display personal notifications (SMS, messengers).

According to a survey by Xiaomi Community (2023), 68 percent of Mi TV users want to turn off the screensaver completely, and 42 percent of smartphone owners complain about the inability to remove animations when charging, while in the latest versions of MIUI 14/15 and Android TV 12/13, the manufacturer made it difficult to access these settings by hiding them in deep menus or completely removing standard switches.

Method 1: Disable the screensaver on Xiaomi TVs (Mi TV, Redmi Smart TV)

On Xiaomi TVs, PatchWall is controlled through screen settings. Depending on the model (Mi TV 4S, Mi TV Q2, Redmi Smart TV X, etc.) and firmware version, the path to options may vary. Below is the universal instruction for Android TV 9-13.

Steps to shut down:

1. Open Settings (cog in the upper right corner of the main screen).
2. Go to Screen and Sound → Standby mode (on some models – Sleep and screen).
3. Select the Screensaver or PatchWall Screen Saver.
4. Move the slider to the off position or set the timer to Never.
5. Save the changes and restart the TV (optional).

If the saver is not on the menu, your model uses hidden developer settings to activate them:

1. Go to Settings. → On TV.
2. Find the line build number and click on it 7 times in a row (the notification will appear “You became a developer”).
3. Go back to the main settings menu and open a new section for developers.
4. Find the option debugging over USB and Screensaver in standby mode - turn it off.

Check out the Android TV version (Settings → About TV)

Connect the remote to the network (if you use a Bluetooth remote)

Remember the current brightness settings (they may reset)

Do not interrupt the reboot process.-->

Important: On firmware TVs MIUI TV 3.0+ (2023-2026) The standard shutdown of the screensaver may not work due to Xiaomi policy (ADB-commands) or method 4 (alternative launchers).

Method 2: Remove the screensaver on Xiaomi smartphones (MIUI 12-15)

On Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, screensavers are divided into two types: 1) Lock screen saver (appears when the screen is turned off) and 2) Charging screen saver (activated when connected to the network).

They turn off in different ways.

Disabling the lock screen:

1. Open the Settings → Lock screen.
2. Select Screensaver (or) AMOLED-effects on devices with AMOLED-screen).
3. Click Disable or swipe the slider to the left.
4. If the option is blocked, go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and tap it 10 times to unlock hidden settings.

Disconnection of the charger screen:

1. Connect the phone to the charger and wait for the screensaver to appear.
2. Swipe down the screen to open the notification bar.
3. Find the notification Screensaver charging and tap it.
4. In the window that opens, select Never Show or Disable.

On some models (Xiaomi 13, Redmi Note 12), the charger screensaver is tied to the theme of the design.

1. Go to Settings. → Registration.
2. Select a standard theme (e.g. Basic or Minimalism).
3. Turn off the animated wallpaper option.

Method 3: Disable the screensaver via ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don’t work (e.g., Mi TV Stick or MIUI 15 smartphones), you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a tool for debugging Android devices, which requires connecting the device to a computer, but gives 100% results.

Preparation:

• 🖥️ Install. ADB Tools on PC (Windows/macOS/Linux).
• 📱 Turn on Debugging. USB on the device (Settings) → The phone./TV → Assembly number → 7 taper → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 Connect the device to the PC through USB-cable TV use OTG-adapter).

Commands to disable the screensaver:

For Xiaomi TVs:

adb shell settings put global screensaver_enabled 0


adb shell settings put global screensaver_activate_on_sleep 0




adb shell settings put global screensaver_activate_on_dock 0

For Xiaomi smartphones:

adb shell settings put secure lock_screen_show_notifications 0


adb shell settings put global screensaver_enabled 0




adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.screensaver

After you've done the commands, restart the device. If the screensaver comes back, repeat the procedure and add:

adb shell pm clear com.miui.screensaver

1. Update drivers (for Windows, download Mi PC Suite).

2. Use another USB-cable (original from Xiaomi).

3. Enable the debugging option in the developer settings USB (safe-haven).-->

Method 4: Installation of an alternative launcher (for TVs)

If you don’t like PatchWall, but don’t want to turn off the screensaver entirely, you can replace the standard interface with an alternative launcher.This is true for Xiaomi TVs on Android TV, where third-party shell installation is supported.

The best launchers to replace PatchWall:

How to install an alternative launcher:

1. Download. APK-launcher USB-accumulator.
2. Connect the flash drive to the TV and open the File Manager.
3. Install APK by allowing installation from unknown sources (Settings → Security → Unknown sources).
4. After installation, go to Settings → Applications → Default Launcher and select a new launcher.

Important: Some launchers (such as ATV Launcher) may conflict with MIUI TV, causing freezes. Before installing, back up your settings via Settings → System → Backup.

Method 5: Manually delete system files screensaver (root access)

This method is only suitable for advanced users, as it requires root rights and can cause unstable operation of the device.

Instructions for smartphones:

1. Get root access with Magisk or TWRP.
2. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
3. Go to /system/priv-app/MiuiScreenSaver or /system/app/ScreenSaver.
4. Remove or rename the folder (for example, in the MiuiScreenSaver_bak).
5. Reset the device.

Instructions for televisions:

1. Activate root via Magisk (requires unlocking the bootloader).
2. Connect to TV by ADB and execute: adb shell su mount -o rw,remount /system rm -rf /system/priv-app/PatchWallScreensaver
3. Reboot the TV with the reboot command.

💡

Deleting system files can disrupt MIUI and lead to a device blink. Create a full backup using TWRP or Mi Flash Tool before execution.

Recovery from mistakes:

If after deleting the files, the device stopped turning on or errors occurred:

• 🔄 Recover deleted files from backup.
• 📥 Flash the device through the Mi Flash Tool (for smartphones) or USB Burning Tool (for the first time) TV).
• 🆘 Contact the Xiaomi Service Center (if warranty is valid, don’t mention root!).

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When you turn off screensavers, users often face typical problems. Here's how to solve them:

⚠️ Warning: If after turning off the screensaver on the TV screen goes out after 10 minutes, check the settings of the Dream timer in Settings → Screen and sound → Standby mode. Set the value Never.

Problem 1: The screensaver returns after the MIUI update.

Solution: Turn off automatic application updates (Settings) → The phone. → Updating the system → Settings (⚙️) → Auto-Update Apps or use Method 3 (ADB).

Problem 2: There is no “Savenger” item on the TV.

Solution: Update your firmware to the latest version via Settings → About TV → System Update. If there are no updates, use Method 4 (alternative launcher).

Problem 3: ADB can't see TV.

Decision:

• 🔌 Connect. TV to the socket through the original power supply (not through the USB-port).
• 🖥️ In Windows Device Manager, check if Android drivers are installed ADB Interface.
• 🔄 Restart the TV and PC, then reconnect.

Problem 4: After disabling the screensaver on the smartphone, notifications on the lock screen disappeared.

Solution: Return notification settings to Settings → Notifications → On the lock screen and enable the option to Show Notification Content.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions