How to permanently remove wallpaper carousel on Xiaomi 12: a detailed guide

The wallpaper carousel on Xiaomi 12 is one of the most controversial features of the MIUI shell, which automatically changes the background images on the lock screen and the home screen. For some users, it is a convenient way to diversify the appearance of the smartphone, for others – an annoying element that eats up traffic and battery power. If you are in the second group, this article will help to completely disable or remove the carousel without losing the functionality of the device.

Unlike standard wallpaper, the carousel downloads images from the Xiaomi cloud, which can lead to unpredictable consumption of mobile Internet (especially at low-traffic tariffs) and slowdown with frequent updates. Moreover, some users note that the feature activates itself after MIUI updates, even if it was previously disabled. Below we will discuss all the available methods, from simple settings to deep changes through ADB.

Why the wallpaper carousel appears again: causes and mechanisms

Before moving on to removing it, it’s important to understand why the carousel returns after the shutdown. In the Xiaomi 12 (as in other models on MIUI 13/14), three key mechanisms are responsible for this:

• 🔄 Automatic updates MIUI: When installing new firmware versions, some settings are reset to factory ones, including background services.
• 📱 Sync with Xiaomi account: If you are logged in to Mi Account, wallpaper settings can be pulled up from the cloud, ignoring local changes.
• 🤖 Background processes MIUI: com.miui.gallery and com.miui.home periodically check for new wallpaper and force them to install.

In addition, in some regional versions of MIUI (for example, China or India), the wallpaper carousel is integrated deeper and may require additional manipulations to completely remove. If you use global firmware, there are usually fewer problems, but there are no guarantees.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling the carousel through system settings does not always work forever. If the function is back after a reboot or update, one of the radical methods will need to be used (see sections below).

Method 1: Disable the carousel through standard MIUI settings

The easiest and safest method is to use the built-in MIUI options, which are suitable for most users and do not require super-user rights (root) or special knowledge.

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to the Wallpaper section (or Lock Screen → Wallpaper in some versions).
3. Choose the Wallpaper Carousel (can be called Dynamic Wallpaper or Wallpaper Driver).
4. Turn off the slider Automatic change of wallpaper.
5. Return to the main wallpaper menu and manually set a static image.

If the carousel continues to work after these actions, check:

• 🔍 Updates for the Themes app (sometimes bugs are fixed in new versions).
• 📵 Turn off mobile internet and Wi-Fi for 10-15 minutes – this can interrupt the loading of new wallpaper.
• 🔄 Restart the device (sometimes changes only apply after rebooting).

This method works in 70-80% of cases, but if the carousel returned after a few days, move on to more radical methods.

Method 2: Block wallpaper updates through data restriction

If the carousel turns on on its own, it's probably the background processes that download new wallpaper from the Internet that are to blame, and to stop this, you can restrict access to the network for responsible applications:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find and select the Themes app.
3. Slip on the mobile data and turn off the slider.
4. Go back and select Wi-Fi, then also turn off access.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 for the Gallery app.

This method does not remove the carousel completely, but prevents the loading of new wallpaper. already downloaded images will remain in the memory of the device, but will not be updated.

⚠️ Attention: If you are using MIUI Global, limiting data for Themes can lead to errors when trying to change the style of icons or fonts.In this case, it is recommended to first back up the settings through Settings. → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

Method 3: Complete removal of the carousel through ADB (without root)

For users willing to take more drastic measures, there is a method using Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which allows you to disable the system applications responsible for the carousel without obtaining root permissions.

• 💻 A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Tap 7 times, then return to the additional → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).

Instructions:

1. Connect Xiaomi 12 to your computer and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Open the command prompt (cmd on Windows or Terminal on macOS/Linux) and type:

adb devices

(Your device name should appear as a confirmation of your connection.)

1. Run a command to disable the Topics application:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.themes

1. Then turn off the wallpaper service:

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

1. Reboot your smartphone:

adb reboot

After this, the wallpaper carousel will be completely turned off and system applications will no longer update background images, but this method may make it impossible to change the themes of the design through standard settings.

If you want to return the carousel, follow the same commands by replacing the disable-user with enable:

adb shell pm enable com.android.themes


adb shell pm enable com.miui.miwallpaper

Method 4: Remove via root access (for advanced users)

If none of the above methods worked, the last option is to delete the system files responsible for the carousel, which requires root rights and is only suitable for advanced users, since improper actions can lead to the device’s failure.

To get root on Xiaomi 12, you need to:

1. Unlock the bootloader through the official Mi Unlock tool (the process takes up to 72 hours to wait for confirmation from Xiaomi).
2. Install custom Recovery (e.g., TWRP).
3. Switch to Magisk to get root rights.

After obtaining root, follow the following steps:

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Go to /system/priv-app/MiuiWallpaper.
3. Delete or rename files: MiuiWallpaper.apk MiuiWallpaper.odex (if any)

Reset the device.

⚠️ Note: Deleting system files without backup may result in a cyclic bootloop or loss of functionality of other components. MIUI. Before starting, make sure to create a backup through TWRP Or OrangeFox Recovery.

The advantage of this method is that it removes the carousel completely and irrevocably, but the risks are very high. If you're not sure about your skills, you'd better focus on the ADB method.

💡

Before getting root, check to see if you lose the warranty. On some Xiaomi models, unlocking the bootloader will void warranty obligations.

How to prevent the carousel from returning after MIUI updates

Even if you manage to remove the carousel, it can return after installing a new version of MIUI. To avoid this, follow these tips:

• 🚫 Turn off automatic updates: Go to Settings → The phone. → Update the system and deactivate the Auto Update option.
• 🔍 Check the update log: Before installing a new firmware, read the forum reviews (for example, 4PDA or XDA Developers – often users report returning unnecessary features.
• 📦 Install firmware manually: Download full service packs (Fastboot or Recovery) ROM) and flash them through the Mi Flash Tool, removing unnecessary components (for example, using the MIUI ROM Editor).
• 🛡️ Use custom firmware: Switching to LineageOS, Pixel Experience or other AOSP firmware completely solves the problem, but requires an unlocked bootloader.

If you do not want to give up the official MIUI, but want to minimize risks, you can use applications to block advertising and background processes, such as:

• Blokada (blocks requests to Xiaomi servers)
• Greenify (forced to freeze unnecessary services)
• App Ops (allows you to disable specific permissions for system applications)

💡

The most reliable way to avoid returning the carousel is to disable automatic MIUI updates and install firmware manually, removing unnecessary components beforehand.

Alternative solutions: how to replace the carousel with something useful

If you don’t like the wallpaper carousel, but want a variety on the lock screen, consider alternative options:

• 🖼️ Wallpaper apps: WallpapersCraft is a huge database of static and animated wallpapers. Zedge is wallpaper and ringtones with the ability to adjust automatic change. Muzei is wallpaper that is updated once a day from selected sources (for example, Google Earth or Google Earth). 500px).
• 🔄 Automatic change via Tasker: With the Tasker app, you can set up a change of wallpaper on a schedule using your own image gallery. 8:00 The challenge: 1. Select a random image from the folder /sdcard/Pictures/Wallpapers 2. Install as wallpaper (plugin "Set Wallpaper").
• 🌄 Live wallpaper with minimal battery consumption: KLWP — And he creates animated, low-resource wallpapers. Weather & Clock Widget, weather and time-renewable wallpapers.

The advantage of these solutions is that they have complete control over what images are displayed and when they change, and most alternative applications don’t consume traffic in the background.

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing wallpaper carousel on Xiaomi 12