Xiaomi smartphone owners often face intrusive system functionality that is designed to decorate, sometimes annoying: it is about constantly changing images on a locked screen or the inability to quickly return a clean, monochromatic background without unnecessary logos. Removing wallpaper is not just an aesthetic choice, but also a way to save battery power, which is spent on processing graphics.
MIUI and the new HyperOS offer many personalization options, but standard settings sometimes hide the factory-style return option. Users may get confused in the Themes and Wallpaper menus without understanding where the switch is hiding. In this article, we’ll take a look at all the nuances of cleaning the desktop and lock screen.
Difference Between Removal and Replacement in Android
It is important to understand the technical nuance: the Android operating system on which the Redmi and Poco smartphones work does not allow you to completely remove wallpaper in the literal sense of the word. The screen cannot remain black or empty, because this is a system limitation. By the phrase “how to remove wallpaper on shaomi”, we mean replacing the current image with a standard, static and neutral one.
There are two main types of screen covers: for the main menu (desktop) and for the lock screen. Often users change one thing, forgetting about the other, which creates dissonance. The system stores these settings in different sections of the menu, and the synchronization between them is not always automatic.
Deep cleaning also means shutting down services that automatically upload new content from the Internet, so if you just change the image but don't turn off Carousel, after a while, the image will change again without you.
⚠️ Note: Using third-party apps to install a “black screen” can lead to incorrect display of widgets and icons, making the interface unreadable.
Understanding the architecture of storing graphics files in MIUI will help you manage them more efficiently.The system separates theme cache and system files, so removing one picture from a gallery doesn't always change the background if it's taken from a theme directory.
How to turn off the wallpaper carousel on the lock screen
The most common problem users face is the Wallpaper Carousel, which automatically changes images on a locked phone, downloading them via mobile Internet or Wi-Fi, and to stop this process, you need to go to the lock settings.
Find the section on the menu that protects the device, and the path may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the logic remains the same, so you have to find the item that's associated with Carousel or Glance and deactivate it.
☑️ Checking the lock settings
Once the service is disabled, the system will suggest you choose a static image, so you can choose any photo from the gallery or leave a standard gradient, which will stop the traffic consumption for downloading advertising and news images.
In some versions, the carousel settings are placed in a separate app or hidden inside the Themes menu. If you don't find the switch in the main settings, try searching for the word "carousel" in the settings.
Disabling this feature will also speed up unlocking the smartphone, as the processor won’t have to render a new heavy image every time, especially on the Redmi series’ budget models.
Removal of wallpaper through the “Themes” app
The central storage of all visual content in Xiaomi smartphones is the Themes app, and that's where the system draws resources for design, and if you want to completely clear your phone of third-party graphics, you'll have to work inside the app.
Launch the app and navigate to the user profile, which is usually marked by a little man icon or avatar in the lower right corner, and there's the Wallpaper tab, where you store the history of all the images you've installed.
| Section in profile | Function | Action for discharge |
|---|---|---|
| My subjects. | Style management | Select a Classic Theme |
| Wallpaper. | Picture history | Delete the cache or select the standard |
| Fonts | Texting | Drop it on Default. |
| Calls. | Melodies. | Bring back the standard ringtone |
In the wallpaper section, you can see the lock screen and work desk lists, and if you select the right category, you can click on the standard image (usually the first image on the list or marked with the icon of the house) and apply it, and this action will overwrite the current settings.
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If the standard wallpaper is missing from the list, try clearing the theme app cache through your smartphone settings in the Apps → All Apps section.
The Themes app also has a My Resources feature, which stores downloaded packages, and removing unused themes from there will free up memory space and make navigation easier if you decide to change design again.
Setting up a static background for the desktop
The desktop is the space where we spend the most time, so it's important to have clear icons, colorful or dark wallpapers that can blend into applets, making the interface uncomfortable, and the best solution is to set a monochromatic, light background.
To do this, pinch the empty space on your desktop with your finger, and you will see an edit menu where you need to select wallpaper. The system will offer several categories: Recommended, Landscape, Abstraction.
Select the Standard or System category, which usually has simple gradients or monochromatic fills, and if you click on your favorite, you'll see a preview, and remember to apply the changes to both screens, or to the home screen only, if the system asks.
If you want to use your photo but it's too bright, use the built-in editor. Once you select the photo from the gallery, the system will offer tools to darken or blur. Blurring helps make the icons more readable.
It is worth noting that new versions of HyperOS have a feature called "Live Wallpaper", which responds to touch, and they are removed or disabled there, in the wallpaper selection menu, switching to a static mode.
Resetting display settings to factory
Sometimes manual replacement doesn't work if there's a software failure or file conflict, and then the effective method is to completely reset the design settings, and that will bring all the visuals back to the "out of the box" state.
You don't have to do a full Hard Reset, just use the theme reset feature, go to the Topics app, click on the profile avatar, then the settings icon (cog).
In the settings menu, find Reset theme settings or the like. The system will warn that any changes to fonts, icons and wallpaper will be returned to standard values. This is a safe operation, your personal photos and contacts will not be affected.
⚠️ Warning: After resetting the theme, widget sizes and icon locations may change, so be prepared to reorganize your workspace.
This method is especially useful if you downloaded a "beaten" theme from a third-party source and it causes artifacts on the screen.Reset will force the original system graphics files to tighten.
Using third-party launchers for full customization
If standard MIUI capabilities are limiting you, and you want to really remove the standard wallpaper by replacing it with an all-black screen or a complex widget, you'll need third-party launchers. These are programs that completely replace the desktop.
Popular solutions like Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher allow you to install even videos or interactive scenes as wallpapers that do not support the standard shell, and even allow you to hide system icons.
Risks of using third-party launchers
Installing the launcher requires wide permissions, and once installed, you can select any image file, even a completely black JPG, in the new launcher settings, and the system will perceive this as new wallpaper.
However, it is worth considering that launchers are additional processes that work in the background, and for older models of smartphones Redmi or Poco, this can cause the interface to slow down.