Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face an intrusive feature that periodically changes images on a locked screen, a system known as Wallpaper Carousel or Glance that downloads content from the Internet, consuming mobile traffic and battery power. Many users are annoyed not only by the fact that the images change, but also by the presence of advertising elements at the bottom of the screen.
Fortunately, MIUI and the new HyperOS provide flexible tools to control this process, so you can completely disable auto-boot, remove sponsor logos, or replace the standard gallery with a static image.
Note that menu item names may vary slightly depending on the firmware version (Global, China, EEA) and regional settings, but the overall algorithm remains the same for most modern models. Let's start with the basic system settings.
Disconnection through standard screen settings
The easiest and safest way to remove the carousel is to use the built-in settings menu, which requires no additional software and is available immediately after you buy the device, and you need to access the lock screen control section.
Take the Settings → Lock screen path, and in this section you will see a item that may be called “Wallpaper Carousel,” “Glance for Xiaomi,” or “Block screen Wallpaper.” Click on it to open detailed service settings.
In the menu that opens, find the "Enable wallpaper carousel" switch and put it inactive. The system will warn you that the images will stop updating. Confirm action. Now only your static photo will appear on the lock screen.
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If the switch is inactive (shaded), it may be that the carousel is imposed by your theme. Try changing the theme to the standard one in the Themes app.
After the function is disabled, it is recommended to restart the device so that the changes take effect permanently. In some cases, the system cache can save the old settings until the restart.
Setting up Glance settings and removing ads
Even if you don't want to completely turn off the change of pictures, you can be tormented by advertising in the form of brand logos or news headlines. Glance allows you to flexibly customize the displayed content. You can only leave art photos, removing information noise.
Go to the wallpaper carousel settings as described in the previous section. Find "Show logos" or "Advertisements." Turn off all sliders associated with displaying commercial content. This will make the screen cleaner, but retain the background change function.
⚠️ Note: In some versions of firmware (especially Chinese ones), it may be impossible to completely remove logos without root rights.
Also on this menu, you can often find the option "Update Frequency" on "Daily" or "Every time you turn on the screen" so that the images change less often, which will help save battery power, since the communication module will less often access the server.
Remember that Glance collects your preferences for image selection, and if privacy is a priority, you should turn off personalization in the same menu.
Removing the carousel through the Topics app
Often users can’t find the carousel switch in the main settings because the feature is “sewn” into the active design theme. Xiaomi’s standard themes sometimes force the company’s services to be turned on, ignoring system bans.
Open the Themes app. Go to the user profile (human icon) and select My Themes. Activate the standard Classic or Default theme. After applying the theme, go back to the lock screen settings, the carousel control should be editable.
If you’re using a third-party theme from the GetThemes store or other resource, check its description. Authors often indicate whether the theme supports disabling system services. In some cases, cleaning the Topic app’s data through the Apps menu → All Apps → Topics → Clear data helps.
- 🎨 Go back to the classic theme. MIUI for accessing hidden settings.
- 🗑️ Clear the cache of the “Themes” application for resetting imposed parameters.
- 🔄 Check if the theme has updated in the background, returning the settings of the carousel.
After changing the theme, the system may require re-authorization in the Mi Account. This is a normal procedure for verifying the license to use the interface.
Limiting background activity and traffic
If standard methods fail or the switch is constantly returned to the "On" position, you can apply a radical method - to deny the service access to the network. Without the Internet, the wallpaper carousel Xiaomi will not physically be able to download new images.
Find a service called Glance, Mi Vision or Wallpaper Carousel in the app list, go to its properties and select Mobile Internet and Wi-Fi. Turn off both. Now the app will work locally, but it won't be able to get data from outside.
☑️ Checking restrictions
This method also helps if the carousel continues to consume traffic even after a visual shutdown, and sometimes background processes continue to work, and blocking access to the network is the only solution.
It is important to understand that when the Internet is turned off for this service, notifications of new events (if they were tied to the carousel widgets) will also stop coming, but this will not affect the basic functionality of the phone.
Comparison of disconnection methods
The choice of method depends on your goal: whether you want to simply remove advertising, save traffic or completely eliminate the feature, and different methods have their pros and cons that you should consider before making changes to the system.
| Method | Difficulty | Efficiency | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen settings | Low. | Tall. | Minimum |
| Change of subject | Medium | Medium | Changing the interface |
| Blocking traffic | Low. | Maximum | Lack of updates |
| ADB team | Tall. | Maximum | Deep intervention |
As you can see from the table, standard disconnection through settings is the most balanced option for the average user. It requires no technical knowledge and is safe for the device.
For advanced users who want to cut the component out of the system completely, there are methods using ADB, but they require a computer connection and can disrupt other Xiaomi services.
Solving and eliminating errors
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where after a reboot the settings are reset and the carousel reappears, this can be caused by an error in the operation of the MIUI shell or a conflict with other applications for locking the screen.
Check if you have a third-party Blocker app (like Lockscreen Master) that may conflict with the system screen, and try updating your firmware to the latest available version, as new security patches often fix these bugs.
Secret code for resetting screen settings
If nothing works, you can try to clear the data from the Security system app, which manages many background processes, including battery optimization, which can block your settings.
⚠️ Warning: Resetting system application data may result in the removal of stored Wi-Fi passwords or blacklist settings.
In rare cases, the problem lies in the corruption of the system configuration file, then only a complete reset of the device to the factory settings with pre-saving data helps.
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The most reliable way is a combination of disconnecting in settings and denying Internet access for the Glance service.