How to remove live wallpaper on Xiaomi Redmi 9

Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often face a situation where the device starts to run slower or discharge faster after installing dynamic backgrounds. Xiaomi Redmi 9 owners are no exception, as this model, despite its popularity, has limited resources compared to flagships. Live wallpaper certainly looks spectacular, but they consume a significant amount of RAM and battery power, which is critical for the budget segment.

Removing or disabling these designs is not just a matter of aesthetics, but a necessary measure of system optimization. Many users do not even realize that animated background is the cause of interface lags or rapid loss of charge during the day. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available ways to return a static image to the home screen and lock screen of your device.

The process of restoring standard settings may vary depending on the version of the MIUI shell and regional firmware.We will look at both standard methods through the settings menu, and deeper ways to clean through the theme manager if the standard path is not available.This will allow you to fully control the appearance and performance of your gadget.

Why you should give up dynamic backgrounds on Redmi 9

The Redmi 9 is powered by a MediaTek Helio G80 processor that, while robust, is not designed to constantly render complex graphics in the background. Live wallpaper is constantly using the computing power of the CPU and GPU, which puts additional strain on the system, especially when switching between applications or scrolling desktops when the device may slow down.

In addition, the constant activity of the GPU for background animation leads to increased power consumption.Switching off live animation can extend the battery life of the Redmi 9 by 10-15% in standby mode.Static image is almost no waste of resources after loading, making it an ideal choice for economical use.

Also worth considering the amount of RAM, which is 3 or 4 GB in different versions of the Redmi 9. Dynamic themes occupy part of this volume, reducing the space for the cache of applications. MIUI manage running processes more efficiently, reducing the number of reboots of background programs.

• 📉 Reducing the load on the processor and graphics core of the device.
• 🔋 Significant battery life savings during the day.
• 🚀 Increased free RAM for heavy applications.
• 🛡️ Increased system stability and no random interface freezes.

⚠️ Warning: Long-term use of heavy live wallpaper on devices with little RAM can lead to accelerated battery wear due to constant heating of components.

Standard way to disconnect through screen settings

The easiest and safest way to return to a normal image is built into the standard Android settings menu. First, you need to unlock the device and go to the Settings section, which is usually represented by the gear ikon. Next, find the Wallpaper or Wallpaper and decoration item, where all the visual themes of your smartphone are stored.

In the menu that opens, you'll see the current set of images. If you have a dynamic theme installed, it'll be marked with the appropriate icon, or it'll just be different from the static pictures, you'll need to choose any standard, still background from the system, or upload your own photo from the gallery to replace the active animation.

Once you select a static image, the system automatically applies it and disables the video or gif file playback, which instantly frees up resources that were previously spent on maintaining animation. If you don't see an explicit "Live Wallpaper" switch on the Wallpaper menu, simply replacing the current background with a regular picture will perform the same function.

It is important to check the result on the lock screen and on the home screen, because in MIUI these parameters can be set separately. Make sure that the animation is gone wherever it was previously present. This ensures that the background processes are really stopped.

Removal through the Topics app

If the standard menu does not give full control or you downloaded wallpaper through the brand store, you need to use the Themes app. This Xiaomi system application manages all downloaded themes, fonts and, of course, wallpaper. Open the application and go to the user profile by clicking on the person icon in the lower right corner.

In your profile, look for Wallpaper or My Resources. This shows a list of all the background images ever uploaded or applied. Find an active live theme in the list — it's usually at the top of the list or marked as "Used." Click on it to open the details.

In the window that opens, you will see the Delete button or the ability to Apply another theme. To completely delete a file from the device, you must select the deletion option by confirming the action in the pop-up window. This action will clear the cache and free up space in the internal memory that the video file or animation script occupied.

Once the theme is removed, it is recommended to restart the device so that the changes take effect and all system processes are updated.This is the standard maintenance procedure for Redmi 9 after making changes to the system registration files.

Setting up the lock screen and wallpaper carousel

Special attention should be paid to the "Wallpaper Carousel" (Glance), which is often pre-installed on Redmi 9 and constantly changes pictures with advertising content. Many users confuse it with live wallpaper, as images often alternate, creating the illusion of dynamics. To turn this off, go to Settings and select Lock Screen.

In this section, find the wallpaper carousel switch or Glance for Mi and turn it to the "Off" position, which will stop the automatic loading of new images and stop the background process that constantly uses the Internet connection. Once you turn off, you can set one static photo that will be displayed constantly.

Also, in the lock screen settings, check for Live Wallpaper or Video Wallpaper, if it is active, it must be deactivated. In some versions, MIUI is a separate switchboard that is turned on top of the standard image.

• 🔍 Go to the lock screen settings through the main menu.
• 🚫 Find and disable the function "Wallpaper Carousel" or "Glance".
• 🖼️ Select a static image for a permanent display.
• ✅ Check that when you turn on the screen there are no more ads or frame changes.

Disabling this feature not only removes visual noise, but also significantly reduces the consumption of mobile traffic. Your smartphone will stop constantly uploading new images in the background, which is especially important when using limited data plans.

Using third-party launchers to replace the interface

If Xiaomi’s built-in tools don’t allow you to completely get rid of obsessions or you want to radically change the look of the interface, you can install a third-party launcher. Apps like Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher completely replace the desktop and allow you to install any static wallpaper, ignoring system limitations.

Once you install the launcher from Google Play, the system will prompt you to select the default home screen app. Select the launcher installed. In its settings, you can set your image in high resolution and it will display without any animation, as third-party launchers rarely support heavy system live MIUI wallpaper.

⚠️ Warning: Installing a third-party launcher can change the usual logic of gestures and navigation buttons, so it will take some time to get used to the new interface.

This method also helps to “lighten” the shell, as third-party launchers are often better optimized than standard solutions manufacturers. For Redmi 9, this can be a great way to speed up the menu and increase sensor responsiveness.

Cleaning cache and residual files

Once you have removed the live wallpaper or disabled the dynamic theme, temporary files may remain in the device’s memory. To completely clean the system, it is recommended to use the built-in Security app. Run scan and clean to remove debris left over from remote resources.

You should also manually check the MIUI/theme folder through the file manager if you have the skills to work with the file system. However, be careful: deleting the wrong files can lead to a reset of all themes to standard ones or a disruption of the interface.

Regularly cleaning the cache after changing the visual style helps keep Redmi 9 fast, and fragmented files of old themes can take up hundreds of megabytes, which are more useful for installing applications or storing photos.

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Use the Cleanup feature in the Security app once a week to remove residual files from deleted themes and wallpaper.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Turning off live animation is the easiest way to extend battery life on budget smartphones without losing functionality.