How to remove wallpaper on Xiaomi Redmi 9: all working methods (including system)

Changing wallpaper on a smartphone is a task with a couple of clicks, but what to do if the standard methods do not work? Owners of Xiaomi Redmi 9 (and its modifications Redmi 9A/9C/9T) often face a situation when the wallpaper “stick” to the screen: they can not be removed through the gallery, they return after a reboot or even block access to the theme settings. The reasons are different: from a failure in the MIUI Launcher to a conflict with the updated firmware.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven methods, from basic to technically complex, including working with ADB and resetting to factory settings. Particular attention will be paid to the nuances for different versions of MIUI (12, 13, 14) and common errors that cause wallpaper to stick. If you tried to change the background through Settings → Wallpaper, but nothing worked, here you will find a solution.

⚠️ Important: Some methods (e.g., discharge through ADB or factory settings) will delete user data. Backup in advance through Settings → The phone. → Backup or Mi Cloud Backup.

1. Remove wallpaper through standard MIUI settings

So, to start with the simplest of them, the built-in MIUI tools, even if the wallpaper doesn't change with a long press on the desktop, there are alternative ways.

Open Settings → Wallpaper. Here you'll see three tabs:

• 📱 Lock screen wallpaper – background for a locked screen.
• 🏠 Home screen wallpaper - background of the desktop.
• 🔄 Automatic shift – if it is on, turn it off.

Select the tab you want and click on the current wallpaper.

1. Scroll to the left to the "My Wallpaper" section.
2. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select "Delete».
3. Confirm the action.

If the Remove button is inactive or not, then the wallpaper is protected by the system.

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On MIUI 14, some regional firmware may call the Wallpaper section "Themes." If you don't find it, search by settings (the magnifying glass icon at the top).

2.Disposal of wallpaper via MIUI Launcher

MIUI Launcher is a shell that manages the desktop and the app menu, and sometimes it crashes and causes the wallpaper to stick, to reset the launcher settings.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search bar, type “Launche” (will start to appear). MIUI Launcher).
3. Select the app and click on “Storage”.
4. Click on “Clear Data” and confirm.

After that, the desktop will reset to a standard look, and the wallpaper will be replaced by default ones, which does not affect user data, but resets the location of icons and widgets.

Check the location of the icons |Take screenshots of the current desktop |Remember the widgets used |Check if the wallpaper is tied to the theme-->

⚠️ Note: Some Redmi 9 firmware may miss Google Search Bar after clearing the launcher data. To return it, restart your phone or update the Google App through Play Market.

3. Remove through theme settings (if wallpaper is part of the theme)

In MIUI, wallpaper is often tied to a set theme, and if you downloaded a theme from the Mi Theme Store, removing it will bring back the standard wallpaper.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Themes.
2. Go to the tab "My topics".
3. Find an active topic and click on it.
4. Select “Delete” (or “Reset” if the theme is standard).

If the topic is not deleted, try:

• 🔄 Switch to another topic (e.g., “Default”) and then return to deletion.
• 📥 Update the Mi Theme Store through Play Market.
• 🚫 Disable automatic application of themes in the settings of the Mi Account.

Standard (Default) | Downloaded from Mi Theme Store| Castomy (APK) | Don't know/don't use-->

4. Reset to factory settings (last resort)

If the wallpaper is not removed by any other means, then hard reset remains, which is a complete factory reset, and this method is guaranteed to remove all the user wallpaper, but also erase all the data on the device (photos, contacts, messages).

How to reset:

1. Open Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select "Reset all settings."
3. Enter your password (if required) and confirm.
4. Wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).

⚠️ Attention: Redmi 9s MIUI 13+ After reset, you may need to re-assign your Mi Account. If you forget your password, use the recovery function at account.xiaomi.com.

5. Delete wallpaper through ADB (for power users)

If you’re familiar with ADB (Android Debug Bridge), you can manually delete wallpaper files from system folders, a technique that works for Redmi 9 with an unlocked bootloader or root rights, but works on some stock firmware as well.

Instructions:

1. Install ADB Tools on PC (you can download from the official website).
2. Enable USB debugging on your phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times) Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging on USB
3. Connect Redmi 9 to your PC and run to ADB: adb shell su rm -rf /data/system/users/0/wallpaper* rm -rf /data/data/com.android.settings/files/wallpaper*
4. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB It can cause data loss or system damage. If you're not sure about the commands, skip this method.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

Even after successful removal, the wallpaper may return, and consider the typical problems and ways to fix them:

• 🔄 Wallpaper returns after reboot → Reset the settings. MIUI Launcher (method 2) or check if they are linked to your Mi Account (c Settings) → Xiaomi account → Synchronization).
• 🚫 The Remove button is inactive → Wallpaper is protected by the system. ADB or-thing.
• 📱 On the lock screen, the wallpaper does not change. → Turn off “Blocking Effects” in Settings → Lock screen → Additionally.
• ⚠️ After the launcher was dropped, the icons disappeared. → Restart your phone or restore them through Settings → Annexes → Restore the icons.

If none of these methods worked, check to see if the phone has third-party customization software (like Nova Launcher or Substratum) that can block wallpaper changes through system settings.

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On Redmi 9 with MIUI 14, wallpaper can stick because of the Super Wallpaper feature. To turn it off, go to Settings → Wallpaper → Super Wallpaper and select "Disable."

FAQ: Answers to popular questions