Xiaomi smartphone owners often face the desire to personalize the look of their device, making it unique. Wallpaper carousel is one of the most effective ways to bring the lock screen to life, allowing you to automatically change the background image every time you pick up the phone. On the Redmi Note 8 model, running on the shell of MIUI, this process has its own nuances that must be considered for the function to work properly.
Many users mistakenly believe that it is enough to download an application from the Internet, but system restrictions and regional settings can prevent a standard installation. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to activate this service, what alternative methods are available, and how to avoid common mistakes when setting up the visual design of your gadget.
Before you start taking action, it is important to understand that the wallpaper carousel is not just a set of pictures, but a full-fledged system service deeply integrated into the Android operating system with the addition of MIUI. Incorrect installation of third-party software can lead to unstable operation of the lock screen or the appearance of unwanted advertising, so following proven algorithms of actions is a critical step.
Preparation of the device and verification of the MIUI version
The first step before any manipulation of system themes and lock screen should be to check the relevance of the software. On Redmi Note 8, the function of the carousel depends on the version of the installed MIUI shell and the region that is selected in the settings. If your device has not been updated for a long time, the service may not work correctly or even be absent from the list of available options.
You need to go to the settings menu and find the About Phone section, where the current version of the system is displayed. Often it happens that automatic updates do not come due to the selected region, which is different from the main market, so it is recommended to temporarily change the location to India or Singapore, where MIUI functions often appear earlier.
It’s also worth making sure that the device has free memory space, as the carousel image cache can take up a significant amount of disk space. Clearing temporary files before installing new services is a good practice that prevents conflicts when loading heavy graphics elements.
⚠️ Warning: Before changing a region or updating your system, be sure to back up important data, as in rare cases, changing a region can reset some user settings.
Official method of installation through the Topics app
The most reliable and secure way to activate image change is to use the built-in Themes app from Xiaomi developers. This is a standard tool that is guaranteed to be compatible with the Redmi Note 8 and does not require obtaining superuser rights or unlocking the bootloader.
To start, open the standard Themes app on your desktop. In the lower right corner or in the user profile (human icon), you need to find the section responsible for setting the carousel. The interface may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the logic remains the same.
- 🖼️ Click on the profile icon in the lower right corner of the app.
- ⚙️ Select Settings in the menu that opens.
- 🔄 Find the wallpaper carousel option and activate the switch.
- 📥 The system will offer to load the necessary component - confirm the action.
Once activated, the system can request permission to access memory and location, which is necessary so that the service can match images that match your region and save the cache for quick operation without delay when unlocking.
☑️ Verification of activation
If you don't see any changes on the lock screen after you've turned on, try unlocking your phone several times or restarting your device. Sometimes the background process doesn't start right away, and it takes several screen cycles to initialize the service.
Alternative ways through GetApps and Mi Store
In some cases, the standard Themes app may not offer the carousel feature due to the regional limitations of the Mi Account, and then the GetApps app store (formerly the Mi Store), which is also the official source of software for Xiaomi devices, comes to the rescue.
Go to GetApps and search for "Wallpaper Carousel" or "Wallpaper Carousel." The official app usually has a logo in the form of a colorful circle or MIUI icon. It is important to download the original product, not third-party analogues that may contain malicious code.
Search for: Wallpaper Carousel
Developed by Xiaomi Inc.
Size: varies from 20 to 50 MBOnce the app is installed, it automatically integrates into the system, but if you’re using a global firmware version, you may need to take the extra step of changing the region of the app itself through your phone’s settings, as we’ll discuss in the next sections.
| Source | Security | Advertising | Compatibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annex Topics | Tall. | Minimum | 100% |
| GetApps | Tall. | Medium | 95% |
| Third-party APKs | Low. | Tall. | Varying. |
Using official stores ensures that you get the latest stable version of the service, optimized specifically for the Snapdragon 665 processor installed in the Redmi Note 8.
Configure sources and categories of images
Once installed successfully, a fine-tuning phase is in place that turns a simple change of images into a personalized experience, allowing you to select specific categories, refresh rates, and even image sources, making wallpaper carousel a really useful tool.
In the carousel settings menu, you'll find Categories, where you can choose between nature, architecture, abstraction or space. The Redmi Note 8 with its IPS LCD screen is best suited for high-contrast images so that the text of the time and notifications is clearly readable.
Secrets of Category Selection
The frequency of the images is also adjustable. You can set the update each time you turn on the screen or set a time interval. This helps save traffic and battery power, since constantly downloading new data can load the communication module.
- 🎨 Choose your preferred image genres.
- ⏱️ Set the update interval (by default - with each inclusion).
- 📶 Decide whether to upload images only via Wi-Fi.
- 🔕 Turn off the display of advertising recommendations, if such an option is available.
Don't ignore the possibility of adding your own photos to the carousel, which allows you to create a slideshow from personal shots, which makes using a smartphone more emotional and enjoyable.
Solving loading and region problems
One of the most common problems Xiaomi users have is the inability to load the carousel due to the blocking by region. If you are in Russia or Europe, servers may not give content, considering the region is unsupported for this service.
To circumvent this limitation, you need to temporarily change the region of the device. Go to Settings → Additional → Region and select India or Nepal. After changing the region, restart your smartphone and try to activate the carousel again through the Themes app.
⚠️ Note: After the installation and initial loading of the image packs, the region can be reset again, but the image database may need to be temporarily reset in the future.
If the carousel is working but the images are not changing, check the energy saving settings. MIUI aggressively limits the background activity of applications, and the wallpaper change service can be "killed" by the system to save charge.
Find the wallpaper carusole or Themes app in your battery settings and set the power saving mode to No Limits, which will allow the background process to run steadily and upload new images without delay.
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If the carousel stopped working after the system update, try clearing the cache of the Themes and Wallpaper Carousel application through the application management menu without deleting user data.
Removal of advertising and unnecessary elements
Xiaomi’s built-in carousel often contains ad units or app recommendations that can annoy users. Fortunately, most of these elements can be turned off while retaining the functionality of changing beautiful pictures.
Inside the carousel settings, find the item responsible for "Recommendations" or "Receive offers." Disabling this option will remove banner ads that sometimes appear on top of images or as pop-ups when unlocked.
You should also pay attention to the Like or Dislike button that appears on the lock screen, and if you don't plan on training the image selection algorithm, you can also deactivate this feature in the deep settings of the service to make the interface look cleaner.
- 🚫 Turn off "Recommendations" in the carousel settings.
- 📉 Remove the box from the item "Receive news and offers".
- 🧹 Clean the cache regularly to remove the remnants of advertising scripts.
Remember that a complete ad cleanup may require third-party launchers or modified versions of system applications, but standard privacy settings are sufficient for most users.
Alternatives to the standard carousel
If Xiaomi’s standard solution doesn’t suit you with its functionality or the presence of advertising, there are great alternatives from the Google Play store. Apps like the Wallpaper Engine or Backdrops offer more flexible settings and often better quality images.
However, when using third-party applications on the Redmi Note 8, it is important to properly configure permissions. Android can restrict the change of covers on the lock screen for applications not from the system developer, requiring special permissions through ADB or granting device administrator rights.
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The MIUI carousel is better optimized for working with the lock screen and consumes less resources than third-party counterparts that require constant active work in the background.
For advanced users, a method of installing modified versions of system applications via ADB is available, which allows you to implement a carousel even in regions where it is not officially supported, but this requires caution and understanding of the risks.
The impact of the carousel on the autonomy of the Redmi Note 8
The 4,000mAh battery in the Redmi Note 8 is a good indicator, but the constant loading of graphics and the work of the proximity sensor to change the wallpaper can affect the time of operation.
Using a carousel increases battery consumption by about 3-5% per day when using a smartphone, which is due to the operation of the communication module when downloading new images and activating the processor for processing graphics.
To minimize the impact on the battery, it is recommended that in the carousel settings, select the option to download images only via Wi-Fi, which will prevent the use of mobile Internet and reduce the power consumption of the radio module.
⚠️ Warning: If you notice a sharp increase in battery life after turning on the carousel, check if the application is “hanging” in the background, and try reinstalling the component.
Overall, for a modern smartphone, the energy consumption of changing wallpaper is negligible, especially when compared to the power consumption of social networks or navigation.