How to install a photo on the desktop of the Xiaomi phone: all ways and life hacks

Personalizing your smartphone starts with your desktop, which is the first thing you see when you unlock Xiaomi. Installing your favorite photo as wallpaper not only transforms the look of the device, but also adds convenience: important reminders on the lock screen, motivational pictures or family shots are always at hand. However, in MIUI (the Xiaomi branded shell), this process has nuances that depend on the firmware version, the phone model and even the image source.

Many users face problems: wallpaper is cut ugly, lose quality or not installed. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to install photos on the desktop and lock screen for Redmi, POCO and Xiaomi devices (including models from 2023-2026), and also reveal the secrets of optimizing images to look perfect on any screen – from Redmi Note 12 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

If you want to do more than just put a picture, and do it professionally -- with the right resolution, without distortion, and with MIUI 14 in mind, read on. We tested all the methods on the right firmware and collected only the working solutions.

1. Standard method: through the settings of the MIUI wallpaper

The most obvious method is to use built-in MIUI tools. It is suitable for most models, including the Redmi 10/11/12, POCO X5/F5 and flagship Xiaomi 13T/14. The main advantage of this method is the simplicity and no need to install third-party applications.

To set the photo through standard settings:

1. Click on the free desktop area (not the icon!).
2. At the bottom of the screen will appear menu – select Wallpaper (or Wallpapers in English firmware).
3. Go to the My Wallpapers (or My Wallpapers) tab.
4. Click Add Wallpaper and select the source: Gallery, Downloads or Cloud Storage.
5. Select the desired photo and click Set wallpaper.
6. Choose where to apply the image: only on the desktop, only on the lock screen or on both screens.

MIUI 14 has introduced Adaptive Wallpaper, which automatically adjusts the color gamut of the interface to the selected image. To activate it, after installing the wallpaper, click on the Palitre icon (in the form of a circle with colors) in the lower right corner of the preview screen.

Make a backup copy of the original

Cut the image to screen resolution

Check the brightness (dark wallpaper saves battery power)

Save the photo to the Wallpaper folder for quick access-->

Important point: if you install wallpaper on the lock screen, the system may suggest blurring the image to protect privacy. This option can be turned off in the Security settings → Lock screen settings → Wallpaper blur.

2.Alternative method: through the Xiaomi Gallery

If the standard method didn’t work (for example, because of the “Failure to install wallpaper” error), try installing the photo directly from the Gallery app, which is especially useful for devices with a stripped-down version of MIUI (for example, for European firmware Redmi Note 11).

Instructions:

1. Open the Gallery app and find the photo you need.
2. Slip the image to open it in full screen mode.
3. Click on the icon. ⋮ (three points) in lower right corner.
4. In the menu, select Set How → Wallpaper.
5. Adjust the framing area (if required) and press Ready.

If the Install as not on the menu, update the Gallery app via Play Market or check the permission settings for the app (should be Warehouse permission and Overlay over other apps).

MIUI 12

MIUI 13

MIUI 14

The other one/I don't know-->

3. Problems with the installation of wallpaper and their solutions

Even in current versions of MIUI, users are faced with wallpaper changes, and let's look at the most common problems and ways to fix them.

Critical information for Xiaomi owners with AMOLED- screens: dark wallpaper (black or dark blue) reduces power consumption by 15-20% compared to light. This is especially noticeable on the Xiaomi 13 Pro and Redmi K60 models with adaptive refresh rates.

⚠️ Warning: If user wallpaper is lost after upgrading to MIUI 14, check the folder MIUI/Wallpaper in internal storage. Sometimes the system backs up old wallpaper with the.bak extension, and you can manually restore it.

4. Optimal wallpaper resolutions for Xiaomi

To make your photo look clear and unmistakable, the resolution should match your smartphone’s screen resolution, and the following is a table of recommended options for popular Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models:

For the lock screen, it is better to use images with a resolution corresponding to the physical resolution of the display (for example, 2400 × 1080 for the Redmi Note 12). And for the desktop, a square photo (for example, 2400 × 2400) is suitable, since MIUI implements wallpaper scrolling when flipping pages.

If you want to make your wallpaper look the same on both screens, use services like the Wallpaper Engine (for PC) or Zedge (mobile app) where you can download wallpaper marked MIUI Compatible.

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To keep the wallpapers from stretching, save them in PNG format instead of JPEG. This is especially important for photos with text or small details, since PNG does not compress the image with loss of quality.

5. Installation of live wallpaper (animated)

Live wallpaper (animated) adds speakers to your Xiaomi, but not all models support them.The feature is available on devices with a Snapdragon 7xx/8xx processor and Dimensity 1xxx (such as the POCO F4 GT or Xiaomi 12T). Budget smartphones (such as the Redmi 10A) often lack this option.

How to install live wallpaper:

1. Download the live wallpaper app from the Play Market (like Live Wallpapers 4K or Kappboom).
2. Open the app and select your favorite wallpaper.
3. Click Install and select Live MIUI Wallpaper (if there is no such option, your device does not support the feature).
4. In the settings of the wallpaper (Long press → Wallpaper → Live wallpaper), select the installed wallpaper.

If the live wallpaper doesn't work:

• 🔋 Check if Battery Savings mode is on - it can block animations.
• 📱 Update the firmware to the latest version MIUI.
• 🛠️ Install an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher) that supports live wallpaper on all devices.

⚠️ Warning: Live wallpaper increases battery consumption by 5 to 10 percent depending on the complexity of the animation. On models with AMOLED- screens (e.g. Xiaomi 13), this effect is less noticeable than on IPS (e.g. Redmi 9C).

6.Using third-party launchers for flexible setup

If standard MIUI facilities don't suit you, you can install a third-party launcher, which will allow you to:

• 🎨 Set wallpaper without cropping and with accurate fit.
• 🔄 Use different wallpapers on each desktop.
• ⚡ Add animations and paralax effects.
• 📁 Sync wallpaper with cloud services.

The best launchers for Xiaomi:

1. Nova Launcher – supports gestures, adaptive icons and live wallpaper on all devices.
2. Lawnchair is an open source lightweight launcher optimized for MIUI.
3. Microsoft Launcher – integration with OneDrive and automatic wallpaper Bing.
4. Action Launcher – unique widgets and responsive themes.

To install wallpaper through Nova Launcher:

1. Download and install the launcher from the Play Market.
2. Assign it to the default launcher (at the first start, an offer will appear).
3. Click on the desktop for a long time → Wallpaper → select the source.
4. In the launcher settings (Nova Settings → Desktop), enable the Scrollable Wallpaper option to scroll through the wallpaper.

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The side of the launchers does not replace the system wallpaper on the lock screen. To change them, you still need to use the standard MIUI settings or the Gallery app.

7. Creating collages and wallpapers with effects

If one photo on your desktop seems boring, you can create a collage or add effects.

• 🖼️ Canva is a template for wallpaper with text and graphics.
• PicsArt 🎨 are tools for overlaying effects and masks.
• 📏 PhotoGrid is an automatic creation of collages under screen resolution.
• 🌌 Backdrops is an abstract wallpaper generator with color palette settings.

An example of creating a collage for Xiaomi:

1. Open PhotoGrid and select Collage.
2. Upload 2-4 photos (e.g. from Gallery or Google Photos).
3. Choose a template with an aspect ratio of 20:9 (for most Xiaomi).
4. Edit the boundaries, background and effects.
5. Save the result to the Gallery and install it through the standard method.

For wallpapers with paralax effect (3D- effect when tilting the phone), use the application Parallax Wallpapers. It automatically converts any photo into animated wallpaper with depth.

8 How to Get Back Standard MIUI Wallpaper

If the wallpaper experiments are unsuccessful, you can return the MIUI wallpaper factory.

1. Long press on the desktop → Wallpaper.
2. Go to the MIUI (or Themes) tab.
3. Choose one of the standard themes (e.g. Ocean, Mountains, or Abstraction).
4. Click Apply and select screens to install.

If the standard wallpaper disappeared after the update, you can download them manually:

• 🌐 Go to miuithemes.com or xiaomithemes.com.
• 🔍 Find a theme for your model (e.g. MIUI 14 Default Wallpapers).
• 📥 Download the archive and unpack it in the DCIM/Wallpapers folder.
• 🖼️ Set the wallpaper through the Gallery.

⚠️ Warning: Some of the standard wallpapers MIUI are copyrighted. Do not use them for commercial purposes or for social media distribution without specifying the source.

FAQ: Frequent questions about wallpaper on Xiaomi