How to remove live wallpaper from the Xiaomi Redmi desktop: The full guide

Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often encounter intrusive interface elements that appear after a system update or initial device setup. One of the most annoying factors for many users is dynamic images on a lock screen or desktop that consume battery power and distract attention. Standard MIUI or HyperOS settings do not always allow you to simply “turn off” this feature with a single button, which raises a lot of questions for newcomers to the Android ecosystem.

The problem is that different systems services can be responsible for displaying animations, such as Glance, Mi PopRun or third-party themes from the GetThemes store. Understanding which mechanism is running on your device is the first step to success. In this article, we will discuss in detail all possible ways to deactivate moving backgrounds, returning the phone to performance and familiar appearance.

You need to consider that the interfaces of different versions of firmware may differ, but the logic of the system components remains the same for most models. We will consider both software methods for disabling through settings, and more radical but effective ways to remove system applications responsible for live wallpaper.

Identify the type of live wallpaper on your device

Before you start taking drastic action, it’s important to understand what type of animation you’re using. Redmi smartphones have multiple sources of dynamic content, and the method of turning them off depends on the source of origin, and users often confuse live wallpaper with wallpaper carousel or theme system animation.

If the image only moves when you unlock or change slides, it is a Glance or Lock Screen service. If the animation is constantly on the desktop, it can be wallpaper built into the installed theme, or the system function Mi PopRun, which is often activated by default in new versions of the shell, in rare cases, it is a third-party application that has received permission to change the background.

⚠️ Note: Before removing system components, make sure you do not delete critical system files such as SystemUI or WallpaperService, as this may result in a cyclical device reboot (bootloop).

For an accurate diagnosis, go to Settings and select Wallpaper. If Wallpaper Carousel or Glance is active, then the problem is solved in this menu. If wallpaper settings only offer static images, but they move on the screen, then a third-party theme or a special service in the background is active.

📊 What type of wallpaper do you have right now?
Static picture
Animation when unlocking
Constantly moving background
I don't know/I don't see the difference

The most common source of live backgrounds on the blocker is Glance (formerly known as Mi PopRun or Lock Screen Magazine), which loads content from the Internet and often runs in the background, consuming traffic and energy. Fortunately, Xiaomi developers have made it possible to turn it off, although sometimes this option can be hidden in the depths of the menu.

To deactivate this feature, you need to go to the Settings menu and find the Lock Screen section (in some versions it is simply called Screen Lock). Inside this section, look for the Wallpaper Carousel or Glance for Mi. Clicking on it, you will be taken to the service management menu, where there will be an activity switch.

Once the slider is off, the system will suggest that you select a static image to replace, and it's important not just to turn off the service, but to force a new background to reset the cache of previous animations, and if the service continues to appear after it's turned off, it may be installed as a separate application.

  • 📱 Go to Settings. → Lock screen for access to service management.
  • 🚫 Find the wallpaper carousel switch and put it in an inactive state.
  • 🖼️ Click on the “Select Photo” button and set the usual static image from the gallery.
  • 🔄 Restart the device so that the changes take effect permanently.

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If after disabling Glance, advertising or news still flashes on the lock screen, check the permissions for the Security app and turn off receiving recommendations in its settings.

In some regions, Glance may be deeply integrated into the system and not have a full shutdown button, in which case the effective method is to clean the application data. To do this, search the application list for Lock Screen or Glance, click About and select Clear Data and Clear Cache. This will reset all downloaded media files.

Removing live wallpaper through theme management

Often the cause of animation is not a system service, but an installed theme. The MIUI and HyperOS shell are closely related to the Theme app, which can replace standard static wallpaper with dynamic ones without the user's knowledge, which is especially true if you recently downloaded new designs from an official store.

To check and change the theme, open the Topic app (an icon with a brush). At the bottom of the screen, go to the Profile tab (or "My Account"), where the Topic section is located, which displays a list of all the designs ever installed, and the current active theme will be marked with the appropriate icon.

To ensure that you remove the live wallpaper, you should switch to a classic Classic or Default theme, which is standard design that comes from the factory and does not contain complex animations that load the processor. After applying the classic theme, all system fonts, icons and wallpaper will return to factory standards.

☑️ Testing the subject

Done: 0 / 1

If even after changing the theme to standard animation, there's probably a specific set of wallpapers within the theme, and the Themes app has a separate Wallpaper section. Go there, select My Wallpaper category, and force any static image to be set, and the system should prioritize that choice over the theme settings.

Settings of special features and animation

In the arsenal of Android and Xiaomi shells, there are settings designed to make it easier to use the device, which also affect the display of graphics.The feature “Delete animation” in the special features menu is designed for people with vestibular disorders, but it can also completely turn off live wallpaper, replacing them with static.

To use this method, open Settings and search for the phrase “Delete animation” or manually go along the path Advanced settings → Special features. in the list, find the item “Delete animation” and activate it. the interface will become sharper, and all dynamic backgrounds will disappear.

ParameterImpact on the systemRecommendation
Removal of animationTurns off all transitions and live wallpaperInclude for maximum productivity
Type sizeChanges the scale of interface elementsLeave it by default
High contrastInverts colors, can break themesNot to be used without need
One-hand modeIt compresses the interface.At the discretion of the user

Remember, activating the animation removal feature affects not only wallpaper, but also the smoothness of transitions between windows and menus. For some users, this may become unusual, as the interface will react instantly, without the visual effects of fading or slipping. However, this is a great way to speed up the work of older models of smartphones.

⚠️ Warning: Activating the Remove Animation mode may make some applications visually incorrect, as they can expect standard interface transitions.

Hidden Developer Settings
If standard methods don't work, you can try going to the Developer Menu (click on the About build number 7 times) and find Windows animation. Setting "No animation" or "0.5x" also removes many visual effects, although you may not directly affect the wallpaper itself.

Radical method: removing system components through ADB

If the built-in settings do not allow you to completely get rid of the obtrusive Glance or Mi PopRun service, you can resort to a more advanced method - removing the system package through USB debugging. This method requires a computer and does not require Root rights, which makes it safe, but requires careful input commands.

To start, activate Developer Mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click 7-10 times on MIUI Version (or OS Version) until the message “You’re a Developer” appears. Then, in the Advanced Settings menu → For developers, turn on the USB Debugging Toggle.

Connect your phone to your computer with a cable. You need to install Platform Tools (ADB) on your PC. Open the command line in the ADB folder and enter a command to check the connection:

adb devices

You'll see a request for debugging permission on your smartphone screen, confirm it. Once you've successfully connected (device status), you can start removing the packets that are responsible for the live wallpaper. Be very careful: only delete the packages that are sure of their name.

  • 🔍 com.miui.misystem – often responsible for system widgets and carousels.
  • 🔍 com.miui.personalassistant – left screen and news service, often associated with wallpaper.
  • 🔍 com.android.wallpaper.livepicker – system picker of live wallpaper (remove with caution).
  • 🔍 com.miui.newmidrive – a cloud service that can upload content.

The command to delete is as follows (replace package.name with the name of the packet to be deleted):

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 package.name

This command doesn't remove the application completely from the system, but only for the current user, which makes it easy to restore it if you reset to factory settings, and it's the safest way to customize the system without getting full superuser rights.

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Using ADB allows you to remove system “garbage” and wallpaper services that cannot be turned off by standard settings, significantly cleaning the system.

Optimizing the battery after disabling animation

Once you've managed to remove the live wallpaper, you may notice an improvement in the battery life of your smartphone. Dynamic images, even if barely visible, make the processor and GPU work in the background, preventing the device from going into deep sleep. Now that that load is removed, it makes sense to check the rest of the power settings.

You should go to the Security app and select the Battery section, check which applications consume the most power, and often after you delete the wallpaper system services, social networks or messengers come first, which are no longer "obscured" by the system process in the statistics.

Also pay attention to the refresh rate of the screen. If your Redmi supports high hertz (90 Hz, 120 Hz or 144 Hz), but you rarely play games, you can switch the settings to Settings → Screen → Update to Standard (60 Hz) or Default mode. This, combined with static wallpaper, will give you maximum time increase.

⚠️ Warning: Do not use memory and battery cleaners from unknown developers from Play Market. MIUI/HyperOS They are more efficient and do not contain advertising.

It is also important to check the autorun of applications. Go to Settings → Apps → Autorun and disable all programs that you do not need immediately after turning on the phone.This will prevent background activity that could again initiate loading of dynamic content or simply consume charge.

Return to factory settings as a last resort

In situations where live wallpaper is the result of viral activity, firmware failure or deep modification of the system by the previous owner (if the phone is used), the only reliable solution is a complete reset.

Before you do this, make sure to back up your important data. Reset will delete all photos, contacts, and apps. Go to Settings → About Phone → Reset and select Erase All Data. The device will restart and begin the cleanup process.

Once turned on, the phone will suggest you reset the initial setup, and watch every step carefully: it is often during the setup stage that you want to turn on "Enhanced Wallpaper" or "Recommendations," uncheck all the ticks so that you have a clean system without unnecessary animations right after the first turn on.

What if the reset didn't help?
Even if the live wallpaper returned after a complete reset, it could indicate a modified firmware (Custom ROM) or infection of the system partition, in which case you will need to flash the device through the computer using the Mi Flash Tool utility and the official global firmware.
Can you remove the live wallpaper permanently so it doesn’t come back after the update?
Yes, the most reliable way is to remove system packages through ADB (pm uninstall command).When you upgrade the system over the air (OTA), these packages can be restored, so after a major update, the procedure may have to be repeated. Using custom recoveries and firmware to pure Android (AOSP) also guarantees the absence of branded Xiaomi services.
Does removing live wallpaper affect smartphone warranty?
No, disabling menu settings or deleting applications via ADB without obtaining Root rights does not violate the warranty. Software customization within user access is allowed. The guarantee is lost only when physical intervention, breaking seals or reflashing with unlocking the bootloader (Bootloader), if this led to a breakdown.
Why did the MIUI update reappear?
Major firmware updates often reset user settings to the default state, which Xiaomi has included a wallpaper carousel and recommendations.In addition, the updated system component can be marked as “critical” and restored by the system. It is recommended that after each major update, check the “lock screen” section.
Is there a difference in battery consumption between live and static wallpaper?
The difference can be significant, especially in AMOLED-Live wallpaper causes the processor to constantly calculate frames, and the screen to change the brightness of the pixels. AMOLED-Matrices, almost does not consume energy, which can extend the life of the smartphone on the Internet. 5-10% day-to-day.
How to distinguish a live wallpaper from a widget?
Live wallpaper is the background that is "below" the app icons. If you can move the icons and the picture underneath moves or changes is a live wallpaper. A widget is an object that lies "on" the desktop on top of the wallpaper (e.g., clock, weather, newsfeed). The widget can be removed with a long press and a "Delete" option, and the wallpaper changes in the screen settings.