Many Xiaomi smartphone users face a situation where the standard design of the interface ceases to please the eye or causes visual discomfort. Often there is a desire to completely get rid of the image, leaving only a monochromatic background, or return the standard settings if the custom theme was set incorrectly. In the MIUI ecosystem and the new HyperOS, the process of managing visual content has its own nuances that differ from pure Android.
It is important to note that technically, you can't remove wallpaper as a file, leaving the screen completely empty (black or white without a picture), the operating system always has to display some graphic layer. However, by deleting, users most often mean returning to the factory standard or setting a neutral monochromatic background. The process of changing or resetting depends on whether the wallpaper is part of an active theme or installed separately through a gallery.
In this guide, we will take a look at all the available methods for managing background images, learn how to disable the Wallpaper Carousel, which constantly changes pictures on a locked screen, and how to reset the theme settings to the original state if the third-party design is not working properly.
Difference Between Theme Wallpaper and Individual Images
The first step to successfully changing or removing the background is to understand the design architecture in the Xiaomi shell. The system separates the concepts of “Theme” and “Wallpaper.” The theme is a comprehensive package that includes icons, fonts, system notification sounds and background images. If you installed a theme from the Themes store, then simply changing the picture through the screen settings may not give the expected result, since the the the theme file has priority.
If the image is manually installed from the gallery, it becomes an independent element, in which case deletion is reduced to simply replacing the file with any other one. The key difference is that the themes often have their own image albums that are not displayed in the standard gallery of the user.
Users often confuse static images with dynamic ones. Dynamic wallpapers are video files or animated scenes that consume more battery life. Deleting or disabling them requires access to specific settings in the personalization section, rather than just selecting the picture.
- 🖼️ Standard wallpaper – static images supplied with factory firmware or downloaded by the user from the gallery.
- 🎨 Thematic wallpaper – part of the theme package, take priority over the system settings of the lock screen and desktop.
- 🎬 Live wallpaper – animated backgrounds that require separate shutdowns in personalization settings to save charge.
⚠️ Note: When installing third-party themes from unofficial sources (.mtz files), removing the built-in wallpaper may require a complete reset of the theme to standard Classic or Default, as editing of third-party themes components is limited.
Understanding the source of an image helps you choose the right method to replace it. If you don't remember where the image came from, try going to the theme settings and see if the third-party theme is active, and if the "Unnamed" or "Classic" theme is active, then the wallpaper is set separately.
How to remove carousel wallpaper on Xiaomi
One of the most annoying features for many Redmi and Poco smartphone owners is the Wallpaper Carousel, which automatically uploads new images to the lock screen, often along with advertising content. To remove these ever-changing images and capture a single image, you need to turn off the carousel function itself.
To do this, go to the Settings menu, then select Always on the screen and the lock screen (in some versions of MIUI the path may be different: Wallpaper and personalization). Find the Wallpaper Carousel section. Inside you will see the activation switch function. Once it is turned off, the system will stop downloading new images.
☑️ Shutting down the wallpaper carousel
Once the function is turned off, the system will suggest selecting a static image for the lock screen, which will replace the endless stream of images. It is important to clear the cache of the Wallpaper Carousel app if you want to free up space in memory, since the service could save many thumbnails.
Do this through the Settings path → Apps → All apps. Search for Carousel or Glance (depending on the firmware region). Select the app, click Memory and then Clear. This action will remove all uploaded advertising and background images from temporary storage.
- 🔒 Disabling the carousel returns control of the lock screen, removing random pictures.
- 💾 Cleaning the data of the application “Carousel” frees up from 50 to 200 MB of memory of the device.
- 🚫 Without disabling the function in the settings, a simple change of wallpaper will not stop them from automatically updating.
⚠️ Note: Global firmware versions may call it Glance or Lock Screen Magazine, but the menu item name may differ.
If the carousel is still showing the sponsor's logo or text after the carousel is turned off, try changing the theme completely to the standard one. Often branding elements are sewn into the current active theme, rather than the carousel itself.
Change and Reset Wallpaper through Personalization Settings
The most direct way to replace current wallpaper is to use built-in personalization tools, which work regardless of whether the wallpaper was part of the theme or installed separately, and the algorithm for actions is the same for most versions of MIUI 12, 13, 14 and HyperOS.
Find an empty area on your desktop and make a long press (push), or just open the Settings app and select Wallpaper and personalization. You will see a menu where you can select the source of the image. To "delete" the current picture, you actually have to replace it with a new one. The system does not have a "Delete Wallpaper" button, because the background must be filled.
Where to find standard monochromatic wallpaper?
Select the Local tab (or gallery icon) if you want to post your photo, or Online to choose from the Xiaomi directory. For maximum effect of "removal", it is recommended to choose black or dark gray color. This will not only visually remove unnecessary details, but also save energy on the user. AMOLED-screen.
Once you select an image, the system will suggest applying it to the lock screen, the desktop, or both. Confirm the action. The old image will be replaced instantly. If you used a third-party theme, the new background can only apply to the desktop, leaving the lock screen thematic - this is normal behavior of the system.
- 📱 Use swipe up in the wallpaper selection menu to see the preview on different screens.
- 🖌️ To create a minimalist interface, choose dark, monochromatic textures.
- ⚙️ The use of new wallpaper does not require a reboot of the device and takes effect immediately.
Newer versions of the shell have introduced Adaptive Wallpaper, which can automatically adjust the colors of the interface to the image. If you don't like how the colors of the icons have changed after changing the background, turn off this option in the same personalization menu.
Removing wallpaper by resetting the theme to standard
Often users encounter a problem when the wallpaper is “not deleted” or returned after a reboot, this occurs when a third-party theme is active, which forcibly installs its images, in which case the most effective solution is to completely reset the theme to the factory.
Open the Topic app (an icon with a brush). Go to the user profile (usually the person icon in the lower right corner) and select the Topics section. In the list of installed themes, find a classic theme, which is usually called Classic, Default or Unnamed. Click on it and select Apply.
This operation will return all visual elements, including desktop wallpaper and lock screen, to the “out of the box” state, all third-party changes will be canceled, a guaranteed way to get rid of “stuck” or incorrect backgrounds that may have been embedded by virus software or a mistaken theme.
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Before applying a standard theme, take a screenshot of the current setting if you plan to recreate a similar style later, but without the problem elements.
After resetting the theme, it is recommended to reconfigure the desired wallpaper through the menu described in the previous section, now they will work independently of any thematic packages. If after resetting the theme the wallpaper is still strange, there may be a problem in the system interface cache.
| Action. | Impact on wallpaper | Impact on icons | Impact on sounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Change through Settings | Only the wallpaper changes. | No change. | No change. |
| Reset theme (Classic) | Back to factory | Back to factory | Back to factory |
| Deletion of the Annex Topics | No change. | No change. | No change. |
| Clearing the Gallery's cache | No change. | No change. | No change. |
The table shows that to completely remove all traces of third-party design, it is the reset of the theme, not just a replacement of the picture, which is an important nuance for diagnosing visual bugs.
Cleaning cache and deleting wallpaper files
If your goal is not just to change the image, but to physically delete the wallpaper files that occupy space in memory, or to get rid of the remnants of deleted themes, you will need to work with the file system and cache. Standard wallpaper is often stored in system folders, access to which is limited, but user content can be cleared.
To remove downloads from the theme store, go to the Themes app, open a profile, and find the Downloads section. This stores all downloaded but not necessarily installed themes and components. You can highlight unnecessary items and delete them by clicking on the cart. This will free up space and eliminate the possibility of accidental activation of old backgrounds.
Deeper cleaning is possible through application settings. Find Themes and Wallpaper (or Wallpaper) in the app list. Go to Memory and click Clear (not to be confused with Reset if you're afraid of losing settings). Cache files containing thumbnails and temporary data will be deleted. This can solve the problem when old, already deleted pictures are displayed on preview.
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Physical deletion of wallpaper files is only possible for user content; system files are protected by root rights and are not subject to deletion without flashing.
For advanced users with Root rights, it is possible to delete system wallpapers through a file manager (such as Root Explorer or MT Manager), the path to these usually looks like /system/media/wallpapers or /data/system/theme/current. However, deleting system files without creating a backup can lead to a cyclic restart (bootloop), so this method is not recommended for ordinary users.
- 🗑️ Cleaning the cache of the Themes app is secure and does not delete your personal photos.
- 📂 folder MIUI/theme The internal storage contains data of active topics, its cleaning will reset the topic.
- 🔒 System wallpaper is protected from removal on devices without superuser rights.
⚠️ Note: Do not attempt to delete files in system partitions through a computer in debugging mode unless you are sure of their purpose.
If after all the manipulations, the "junk" wallpaper is left, try to restart the device in safe mode. If the wallpaper is missing in safe mode, then the third-party application is to blame, which should be found and removed.
Solving problems: Wallpaper is not removed or returned
A situation where the wallpaper returns after a reboot or cannot be changed often indicates a software conflict, which can be caused by a launcher error, a third-party screen control app, or damage to the theme system files.
First, check to see if you have an “optimizer” or “cleaner” app installed from third-party developers (not from Xiaomi), which often have a “Replace Wallpaper to Save Energy” or “Daily News on Screen” feature that intercepts background control. Deleting or disabling such applications (such as Clean Master, DU Battery Saver and their counterparts) often solves the problem.
The second option is a system launcher malfunction. Try to clear the launcher data. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications, find System Launcher (or System Launcher) in the list. Select Clear → All data. Attention: this will reset the location of the icons on the desktop, but can fix the wallpaper bug.
What do you do if the wallpaper flickers?
Also worth checking for app permissions. Go to Settings → Privacy Protection → Special permissions → Change system settings. See if there are any suspicious apps that are allowed to change wallpaper. If you find an unknown application, take that right away from them.
- 🔍 Check the list of recently installed apps before the problem occurs.
- 🔄 Resetting launcher settings returns the icon grid and background to the original state.
- 🚫 Third-party "cleaners" - a frequent cause of obsessive background change.
As a last resort, if the problem is systemic and not software-solved, you may need to reset the device to factory settings, but make sure to back up your important data before doing so.