How to completely remove wallpaper on Xiaomi Redmi: from manual reset to system settings

Changing wallpaper to Xiaomi Redmi is a simple task, but what to do if standard methods do not work? Users often face a situation where old wallpaper “stick” to the lock screen or desktop, can not be removed through the gallery, and new settings do not apply. The reasons may lie in MIUI failures, the cache of the Theme application, or even in the limitations of a particular firmware (for example, on the Redmi Note 10 Pro or Redmi 9A).

In this article, we’ll look at 5 proven ways to remove wallpaper on Xiaomi Redmi, from basic actions in the settings menu to radical measures like cache reset or factory retracement. Particular attention will be paid to the typical mistakes: why wallpaper can “return” after a reboot, how to circumvent the restrictions on some versions of MIUI 12/13/14, and what to do if the system ignores new images. If you tried to change the background through Settings → Wallpaper, but nothing worked, here you will find a solution.

Why Xiaomi Redmi Wallpapers Are Not Removed: The Main Reasons

Before you start taking action, it is important to understand why wallpaper is stuck on the screen, most often due to one of the following factors:

• 🔄 Cash of the annex “Themes». MIUI aggressively caches graphic elements, and sometimes old wallpaper remains in memory even after they are replaced.
• 📱 Firmware limitations. On some models (e.g. Redmi) 8A or Redmi 7) MIUI Blocks the wallpaper change for the lock screen without additional manipulations.
• 🔧 Launcher malfunctions. if you use a third-party launcher (for example, Nova Launcher or POCO Launcher, conflict with MIUI It can lead to the “sticking” of old backgrounds.
• 📁 Damaged image files if the wallpaper was installed from an unverified source (e.g., via a APK-Theme file, they can be “embedded” in the system incorrectly.

Another common situation is that the wallpaper changes only on the desktop but remains the same on the lock screen, which is because in MIUI, these two backgrounds are set separately, for example, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ can enable Super Wallpapers for the lock screen, which ignores manual changes.

⚠️ Note: If you have recently updated your firmware via About Phone → Updating the system, crashing wallpaper may be the result of incomplete installation of the package, in which case only a re-update or rollback to the previous version will help. MIUI.

Method 1: Remove wallpapers through standard MIUI settings

To start with, the most obvious method is to reset wallpaper through built-in tools, which works on most Xiaomi Redmi models (including the Redmi 10C, Redmi K50 and older MIUI 11+ devices).

Instructions:

1. Open the settings (cog icon on the desktop).
2. Go to Wallpaper (or Lock Screen → Wallpaper on new versions of MIUI).
3. Select Desktop or Lock Screen depending on where to remove the background.
4. Click on the current wallpaper and at the bottom of the screen select Remove (or Reset to Standard).
5. Confirm action. The system will suggest you select new wallpaper, and you can press Cancel to leave a black background or a standard gradient.

If there is no Delete item, try:

• 🔍 Select any other wallpaper from the gallery and then return the standard wallpapers.
• 🔄 Reboot your phone – sometimes changes only apply after a reboot.

On some firmware (e.g. MIUI 14 for Redmi Note 12), the deletion option may be hidden, in which case cache resetting will help - about this in the next way.

Method 2: Cleaning the cache of the “Themes” application and launcher

If a standard reset didn't work, the problem is probably cache. MIUI's Themes app is responsible not only for wallpaper, but also for icons, fonts and animations. Its cache can get stuck on old settings, even if you manually changed the background.

How to clear the cache:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find them in the list of topics (or Themes) and tap them.
3. Select Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
4. Go back to the app list and find the Launcher (or MIUI Launcher).
5. Just clean the launcher cache.
6. Reboot the phone.

After the reboot, try changing the wallpaper again through Settings → Wallpaper. If the problem was in the cache, the old background images will disappear.

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Redmi) 9T or Redmi A1) After cleaning the launcher cache, the location of the icons on the desktop may reset.

If cleaning the cache didn't work, it could be a damaged wallpaper file that's sewn into the system settings, and resetting the lock screen settings will help, as discussed in the next section.

Method 3: Reset the lock screen settings (for MIUI 12 and later)

Starting with MIUI 12, Xiaomi has implemented a separate lock screen control menu where wallpaper is customized regardless of desktop.If the lock background doesn't change, try resetting that section settings.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Lock screen.
2. Select the lock screen wallpaper.
3. At the bottom of the screen, tap three points (⋮) Then choose to reset (or reset by default).
4. Confirm the action.

If there is no Reset option, try an alternative path:

1. Open Settings → About the phone → All specs.
2. Tap the MIUI version several times until you get a message: You are a developer!
3. Return to the main settings menu and open Additional → for developers.
4. Find the option Reset the lock screen settings and activate it.

This method is particularly effective for Super Wallpapers devices (such as the Redmi K40 or Redmi Note 10 Pro) where standard wallpapers can conflict with dynamic backgrounds.

Method 4: Delete wallpaper through file manager (for advanced users)

If all previous methods failed, the wallpaper could be installed as system files, in which case it can be manually deleted through a root or ADB file manager.

What you need:

• 📱 File Manager with access to system folders (e.g., Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
• 🔧 Root rights (or ADB-access).
• 📂 Knowledge of the ways to system wallpaper in MIUI.

Instructions for rooted devices:

1. Open the file manager and go to /data/system/users/0/wallpaper or /data/data/com.android.settings/files/wallpaper
2. Delete files with extensions.jpg,.png or.xml (this is the current wallpaper).
3. Reboot the phone.

For rootless devices, you can use ADB:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and enable USB Debugging (Settings → Developer).
2. Enter in the command line: adb shell su rm /data/system/users/0/wallpaper* rm /data/data/com.android.settings/files/wallpaper*
3. Reset the device.

⚠️ Note: Deleting system files without backup can cause malfunctions MIUI. Before manipulation, create a backup through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

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If you don’t want to risk manual removal, try installing a custom launcher (like Nova Launcher) that will allow you to change wallpapers bypassing the limitations of MIUI, but the lock screen will still be controlled by the system.

Method 5: Complete resetting of settings (last resort)

If none of these methods worked, the radical solution is factory reset, which will delete all user data, including wallpaper, but also erase apps, contacts and settings, and use this method only as a last resort.

How to reset your settings:

1. Back up important data through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Choose to erase all data and confirm the action.
4. After the reboot, the device will be as new as new – with standard MIUI wallpaper.

Important: Some models (such as Redmi 10 or Redmi 9) may require re-assignment of the Mi Account after a reset if the factory unlocker was enabled.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When you remove wallpaper on Xiaomi Redmi, users often make the same mistakes. Here's what not to do, and how to do it:

• 🚫 Ignore updates MIUI. On older versions of the firmware (for example, MIUI 11) Wallpaper bugs are more common. Check for updates in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🚫 To install wallpaper from unverified sources. APK-Theme files contain viruses or corrupted graphics files that are embedded in the system.
• 🚫 Neglect reboot. Many changes in the MIUI If the wallpaper doesn't change immediately, restart the phone.

Another common problem is when the wallpaper changes but comes back after a while, and this is related to the wallpaper driver function in MIUI, to turn it off:

1. Open the Settings → Wallpaper.
2. Slap three points (⋮) top-right.
3. Select Wallpaper Settings and turn off Automatic Change.

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If the wallpaper is returned after the change, check if the AutoWallpaper is enabled in the MIUI settings. Also make sure the new wallpaper is saved in the gallery, rather than downloading from the cloud (e.g. from Google Photos).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions