Owners of modern smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco often notice that the standard picture on the lock screen quickly gets bored. However, the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS offer much more than just a static image. You can turn the lock screen into a dynamic gallery that will surprise every time you pick up the device.
The changes can happen on a schedule, with each screen turned on, or even depending on the location, and not only is it an aesthetic pleasure, but it's also a way to get important information right from the locked screen, if you use special services.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at all the ways you can customize your replaceable wallpaper, and we’ll look at the built-in tools, third-party apps, and hidden features that help personalize your smartphone.
Built-in "Wallpaper Carousel" function
The easiest and most energy-efficient way to get changing wallpaper is to use the standard Wallpaper Carousel function, which is pre-installed on most of the brand’s devices and operates at the system level, ensuring smooth operation without unnecessary battery costs.
To activate, go to Settings → Wallpaper. Here you will see Wallpaper Carousel. By clicking on it, you can turn on the function and select the sources of images. The system will suggest you subscribe to thematic collections: nature, architecture, animals or art.
- 🖼️ Images are updated automatically every time the screen is turned on.
- 📡 Requires a periodic Internet connection to upload new photos.
- ⚙️ You can adjust the refresh rate and types of content displayed.
⚠️ Attention: the service can display advertising images from partners. To disable advertising, go to the settings of the Carousel and uncheck the box from the item "Receive recommendations" or similar.
It is important to note that the Wallpaper Carousel works primarily on the lock screen, and the main screen (desktop) will have one static image from your chosen collection or your own photo.
Setting up a slideshow from a personal gallery
If you don't like the set, you can create your own carousel from personal photos, especially for family archives or travel shots that you want to admire all the time. The standard Xiaomi gallery allows you to adjust the background without installing additional software.
Open the Gallery app and select the album you want to use. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select the Settings of the album or slideshow. Some versions of MIUI have a direct "Install as wallpaper" button with the option of "Slide Show."
☑️ Preparation of photos for slideshow
Alternatively, go to Settings → Lock screen. Find Local Wallpaper or My Photos. Here you can select a specific album from the device's memory. The system will cycle the images from this folder.
The quality of the image depends on the resolution of the source. If the photo is below 1080×2400, it may look blurry on the screen. Try to use high-quality JPEG or PNG images.
⚠️ Note: When using a large number of high-resolution photos (e.g, RAW-files or 50 MP pictures) may experience increased memory consumption when switching.
Use of live wallpapers (Live Wallpapers)
For those who want to have speakers not only when unlocking, but also on the desktop, there are live wallpapers, which are short video cycles or animated scenes that respond to touch or just play in the background, and unlike the carousel, it's not static that changes, but it's continuous movement.
In the standard Themes app, go to the Wallpaper tab and select the Live or Video category, and there's a huge selection of free and paid content, and once you download it, it becomes available in the general screen settings.
But live wallpapers consume more power. Animations require a constant GPU, and if you have an entry-level model like the Redmi Go series or the old Redmi, the interface may run less smoothly.
- 🔋 Increased battery consumption to 5-10% day-to-day.
- 🎮 The ability to use videos from your own gallery through third-party apps.
- 📉 On devices with AMOLED-black color in live wallpaper does not glow, which saves energy.
How to turn on live wallpaper on the desktop?
Applications for automatic image change**
The standard functionality is not always enough, especially if you need complex shift logic (for example, by time of day or weather), in which case the applications from Google Play come to the rescue, the leader in this niche is the Multilive Wallpaper or Widgetsmith app.
With this app, you can access an advanced scheduler, you can customize different sets of images for morning, day and night, and many programs allow you to take photos from certain Instagram or Google Photo albums.
| Annex | Wallpaper type | Battery consumption | I need a Root. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-boat | Statics/Slide Show | Low. | No. |
| Video Live Wallpaper | Video | High-pitched | No. |
| Wallpaper Changer | Static (timer) | Medium. | No. |
| KLWP (Kustom) | Interactive/Scripts | Medium. | No. |
When using third-party software, it is important to configure permissions. Go to Settings → Apps → All applications, find the installed wallpaper manager and allow AutoRun and work in the background. Without this, the MIUI system can kill the process of changing the picture to save energy.
💡
System aggressive battery optimization on Xiaomi often blocks background apps. Be sure to add the wallpaper change app to the exception list (“No Limits”).
Features of work in HyperOS and MIUI 14
With the release of HyperOS, the approach to personalization changed, with deep integration with the ecosystem and new visuals, and the mechanism of wallpaper change became more intelligent, given the style of widgets and fonts.
Newer versions of the shell include Adaptive Wallpaper, which can change shade depending on the color of your clothing in your profile photo or time of day. Although there is less automatic click-through on the basic menu, the focus has shifted to the quality of the static and live scenes.
Users note that HyperOS has improved live wallpaper optimization, that animations have become smoother and that the impact on autonomy has decreased due to an improved frame compression algorithm, but that the carousel has become more stringent, with ads being harder to remove in some regions.
- 🎨 Improved integration of wallpaper color palette with interface elements.
- 🚀 Optimizing image upload from the cloud.
- 🔒 New requirements for gallery access permits.
If you upgraded from MIUI 12/13 to HyperOS and lost the usual settings change wallpaper, try resetting the settings of the application “Themes” or update the Wallpaper Carousel component through the GetApps store.
Optimization and problem solving**
A common problem with changing wallpapers is to desynchronize or freeze the image, and the screen may not change the image for weeks or blink, often due to overcrowded cache or conflict of versions.
The first thing to do is clear the Wallpaper Carousel app cache. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, search the Wallpaper Carousel (or Mi Wallpaper Carousel) list and click Clear → Clear the cache. Don't worry, your settings will save, but the temporary files will update.
adb shell pm clear com.miui.wallpaper
adb shell pm clear com.miui.micloud.syncThese commands for ADB (Android Debug Bridge) will help you completely reset the state of wallpaper and sync services if standard methods do not help. Use them only if you are confident in your actions.
⚠️ Attention: Before using commands ADB Make sure you turn on the debugging. USB Incorrect use of commands can lead to resetting of system settings.
Also check the memory space. The system needs at least 500 MB of free internal memory to work properly on the image buffer. If the memory is full, the switching mechanism will not work.
💡
For maximum performance when using live wallpaper, turn off the Adaptive Brightness screen settings and set a static value close to maximum to avoid flickering when dimming.