Changing the standard image to a personal one is the first step to personalizing your smartphone. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices often encounter the nuances of MIUI and HyperOS shells, which hide some features deep in the menu. Properly customizing the visual design allows you not only to express your personality, but also to structure the screen space for a more comfortable experience.
The installation process can vary depending on the version of the operating system and the model of the gadget. Sometimes users confuse the concepts of live wallpaper, static images and design themes. The key difference is that live wallpaper consumes more battery power, while static photos work in the background without load. Let's analyze all available methods in detail.
You don't need any special apps or super-user rights to get started, all the tools are already built into the system, and you just have a pre-prepared image in the gallery or access to the Internet to download new options from official sources.
Using the built-in gallery for quick installation
The easiest and most common way that 90 percent of owners use is through the standard Gallery app, which is universal and works equally stable on both older versions of firmware and the latest updates, so you just have to open the desired image that you want to see on the screen.
After opening the photo, click on the "More" button (usually the three dots in the bottom corner) or swipe up. In the menu that opens, select Set as Wallpaper. The system will prompt you to select the framing area if the image proportions do not match the screen resolution of your Redmi Note or Xiaomi.
The important thing is to choose the location, and the system will offer three options:
- 🖼️ Lock screen – the image will only be visible when the screen is turned on before unlocking.
- 🏠 Desktop – photo will be the background for application icons after unlocking.
- 🔄 Both screens – the image will be installed everywhere.
Some users complain that after installation, the image quality decreases, due to compression algorithms. To minimize losses, use images with a resolution equal to or higher than the native resolution of your device's matrix, such as 2400×1080 or higher.
Customization through system wallpapers and themes
If you don't have a finished photo, but you want a variety, you should go to the built-in directory. Unlike the gallery, here the content is already optimized for a particular smartphone model. Go to Settings → Wallpaper or find the Themes app on your desktop.
In the wallpaper section, you'll find several tabs: Recommended, Categories and Local. The Categories tab allows you to filter images by type: nature, abstraction, textures. AMOLED-screens such as Xiaomi 13 or Poco F5, It is recommended to choose a section with a black background, which saves energy.
⚠️ Note: When downloading themes or wallpapers from the online "Themes" directory, carefully monitor the file size. Some "light" themes may contain hidden ads or require a network connection to display backgrounds, which increases traffic consumption.
The installation process from the directory takes a few seconds, and once you select an image, the system will automatically apply it or suggest you adjust the display of watches and widgets over the picture, which is especially convenient for those who like minimalist design.
Installation of a photo on the contact in the phone book
Personalization is not just about the appearance of the system, it's about identifying the callers. The MIUI has its own features that are different from pure Android. There are two main ways to do this: through the Contacts app or through the Gallery.
The first is more traditional: Open the Contacts app, find the right subscriber, and click on the camera icon or avatar. The system will suggest taking a photo now or selecting from the gallery. When you choose from the gallery, you will be asked to fram the image in a circle.
The second method is often ignored, but it is more convenient when working with ready-made high-quality photos:
- Open the photo in the gallery.
- Click the menu (three dots) and select Add to Contacts.
- Choose an existing contact or create a new one.
- Adjust the pruning area and confirm the action.
It’s worth noting that if a contact is synced to a Google account, the photo can be updated on all the devices that are signed in, but if you have a Dual SIM installed, make sure that the photo is linked to the number, not just the name in the local ledger.
Why is the photo of the contact not visible when you call?
Creating a slideshow on the lock screen (Wallpaper Carousel)
The unique feature of the HyperOS shell and advanced versions of MIUI is the Wallpaper Carousel feature, which allows you to automatically change images on a locked screen every time you wake up the device, which turns the smartphone into a digital photo frame.
To activate, go to Settings → Lock screen. Here you will find the wallpaper carousel. By turning it on, you will have access to a huge database of images that will be uploaded over the Internet. However, you can also customize the local carousel.
To use your photos in the carousel:
- 📁 Create a separate folder in the gallery and upload the necessary pictures there.
- 🔓 In the carousel settings, select the source "My albums".
- ⚙️ Set a shift interval or leave a tapa shift.
This feature is especially popular with users who follow news or motivational quotes, as the carousel can display widgets on top of images. But remember that constantly downloading new pictures can increase mobile traffic consumption if you don’t configure downloads only over Wi-Fi.
☑️ Setting up the wallpaper carousel
Table of comparison of installation methods
To make it easier for you to navigate the personalization process, we have developed a comparison table that will help you choose the best option depending on your goals and the type of image you use.
| Method | Photo source | Flexibility of setting | Impact on the battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Through the Gallery | Local files | High (manual framing) | Minimum |
| Online catalogue | Xiaomi servers | Medium (ready options) | Average (traffic) |
| Live wallpaper | Video/Animation | Low (fixed cycle) | High. |
| carousel | Mix (online + locally) | High (automation) | Average. |
As you can see from the table, static images from the gallery are better for maximum autonomy, but if visual dynamics is the priority, a carousel or live wallpaper will be a great choice, but will require more frequent charging of the device.
Solution: Why the photo is not installed or cropped
Often users are faced with a situation when the photo on the desktop looks blurry or improperly cropped. the main reason lies in the aspect ratio. Modern Xiaomi smartphones have elongated screens (20:9), while most photos are taken in 4:3 or 16:9.
The system automatically trims the extra edges to fill the entire screen, and if the important parts are on the edges, they will be lost. To avoid this, open the photo in the editor before installing it and add white or blurred margins to the sides, bringing the image to the desired format.
⚠️ Note: If you put a photo on the contact, it appears in a black square, check the file format. RAW or HEIC without prior conversion to JPG or PNG.
Another problem is low resolution: If you take a photo from messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber), it is often compressed to a minimum. Always request or submit files as a File or Document to preserve the original quality for later installation in the background.
💡
Use third-party editor apps to pre-crypt your photos to your screen resolution (e.g. 1080x2340) and this will give you a more predictable result than the built-in system cropper.
Working with widgets and live photos
The MIUI 14 shell and HyperOS are new widget capabilities, and now you can put the Photos widget on your desktop, which will show random shots from your chosen album, an alternative to static wallpaper.
To add a widget, press and hold your finger on the empty desktop, select Widgets and find "Photos." Drag it to the screen. Inside the widget, you can select the album, frame rate and display style (square, circle, full screen).
This solution is ideal for those who want to see fresh memories every hour, but it is worth considering that such a widget takes up space on the screen and can overlap application icons, optimally place it at the top of the screen or on a separate page.
💡
Combining static wallpaper with thematic photo widgets creates a depth effect and makes the smartphone interface truly unique and lively.