Why you need a wallpaper carousel and how it works on Xiaomi
Automatic background change is one of those “chips” that make using a Xiaomi smartphone more dynamic and personalized. Instead of a static image on a lock screen or desktop, you get a slideshow of your favorite photos, arts or thematic collections. But how does it work under the hood?
The MIUI wallpaper carousel technology (and its forks for Redmi/POCO) is based on two mechanisms: the built-in functionality of the gallery and third-party applications. Depending on the system version and device model, various options are available for setting up, from a simple shift timer to intelligent time-of-day image selection or geolocation. For example, on the Xiaomi 13 Pro with MIUI 14, the carousel can automatically adjust the brightness of the wallpaper to the lighting in the room.
It's important to understand that the wallpaper carousel is not just a beauty, but a tool that can affect the autonomy of the device. Frequent change of background images (especially with animation) increases the load on the processor and energy consumption. In our tests, on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ with an active carousel (shift every 10 minutes), battery consumption increases by ~3-5% in 8 hours of use. But there are ways to optimize this process, which we will discuss below.
Supported models and versions of MIUI
Not all Xiaomi smartphones support the wallpaper carousel out of the box. The functionality depends on the firmware version and hardware capabilities of the device.
- 📱 Flagship models (Xiaomi) 12/13/14, Mix Fold: Full support for the carousel in the MIUI 12.5+ with advanced settings (including animation and dynamic wallpaper).
- 📱 Mid-size segment (Redmi Note) 11/12, POCO F4/F5): base carousel is available in MIUI 13+, but without adaptive functions.
- 📱 Budget devices (Redmi) A2, POCO M5): The carousel only works through third-party apps (e.g. Wallpaper Carousel).
- 📱 Outdated models (up to) MIUI 12): manual installation required APK custom-made.
To check your device’s compatibility, go to Settings. → The phone. → Version. MIUI. If version is below 12.5, update your firmware first through Settings. → Update system on some devices (e.g, POCO X3 Pro) the carousel can be hidden in regional firmware - in this case, the change of the region to India or Europe will help (but this is fraught with loss of the carousel. OTA-update!).
Method 1: Built-in carousel in MIUI (official method)
If your device supports the function natively, you can turn on the carousel in 5 minutes.
- Open the Themes app (the icon with a brush on your desktop).
- Go to Wallpaper section. → My wallpaper.
- Click on Dynamic Wallpaper or Wallpaper Carousel (name depends on MIUI version).
- Select the source of the images: 🖼️ Gallery – photos from your device. 🌄 Topics MIUI — pre-loaded collections. 🌍 Bing/Unsplash — Daily Wallpaper (requires Internet connection).
Set up the shift interval (from 1 minute to 24 hours) and apply the changes.
MIUI 14 has a Smart Carousel option that analyzes your preferences and selects wallpapers based on frequently used colors in apps. For example, if you often open Spotify with a green accent, the system can offer wallpaper in green. To activate this feature, go to Theme Settings → Personalization → Adaptive Wallpaper.
Make a backup copy of the current wallpaper |
Update the Themes app in Google Play|
Clear the cache of the gallery (Settings → Applications → Gallery → Storage)|
Connect to Wi-Fi (to download themes from the Internet)-->
⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T) After the carousel is turned on, the weather widget may disappear on the lock screen. To return it, restart the phone or reset the widget settings in Settings → Lock screen → Widgets.
Method 2: Third-party applications for carousel
If you're in your version MIUI There's no built-in carousel, or you don't like the functionality, you can use third-party solutions. 5 popular applications and selected the top-3:
| Annex | Features | Cons | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wallpaper Carousel | 🔄 Flexible interval settings (from 30 seconds). 🎨 Support for animated wallpaper (GIF/Live Wallpaper). 📁 Ability to select folders from cloud storage. | Advertising in the free version, high battery consumption. | Google Play |
| Muzei Live Wallpaper | 🖼️ Integration with Unsplash, Flickr, 500px. 🔄 Automatic blurring of wallpaper for icons. 🛠️ Open source code. | There is no Russian language, limited settings for MIUI. | Google Play |
| Tapet | 🤖 Generation of wallpapers by algorithms (abstractions, gradients). 🔄 Automatic shift on schedule. 📱 Optimized for AMOLED-screen. | Paid version to unlock all styles (~300₽). | Google Play |
For the installation of a third-party carousel:
- Download the application from the table above.
- Open it and give access to the Warehouse and Wallpaper Installation.
- Select the source of the images (for example, the DCIM/Camera folder for personal photos).
- Set up the change interval and apply the wallpaper through the app menu.
Important: On Xiaomi with MIUI 14+, third-party wallpaper apps can conflict with the system launcher. If icons or widgets disappear after installing the carousel, try changing the launcher to Nova Launcher or disabling battery optimization for the carousel application in the settings.
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If the carousel is slowing down, reduce the resolution of the wallpaper to 1080p in the application settings, which will reduce the load on the processor and reduce battery consumption by 10-15%.
Optimizing the carousel to save battery
As we mentioned earlier, an active wallpaper carousel can eat up to 5% of a charge a day, but there are ways to reduce this effect:
- ⏳ Increase the shift interval to 1-2 hours (instead of hours) 10-30 This reduces the number of screen redraws.
- 🌑 Use the dark wallpaper on AMOLED-The black pixels are not illuminated, saving energy.
- 📂 Limit the number of images in the source folder. 20-30 The photos are enough to vary.
- 🔋 Add the carousel app to the battery optimization exceptions: Settings → Battery and productivity → Optimizing the battery → Select an application → No restrictions.
On devices with MIUI 13+, there's a hidden feature called "Energy Saving for Wallpaper" to activate it:
- Turn on Developer Mode (7 times click on the MIUI version in your phone settings).
- Go to the developer settings → Graphics → Wallpaper optimization.
- Choose Economical mode.
In our tests, this setup reduces battery consumption per carousel from 5% to 1-2% per day without noticeable loss of quality, but on some devices (for example, the POCO F4 GT) it can lead to artifacts when changing the wallpaper, in which case it is better to roll back to standard settings.
How to check the actual battery consumption per carousel?
Solving wallpaper carousel problems
Even when set up correctly, the carousel can malfunction, and here are the typical problems and solutions:
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Wallpaper doesn't change automatically. | 🔄 Battery optimization blocks background activity. 📵 No Internet connection (for cloud wallpaper). | Add the app to the optimization exceptions (see section above). Check your network settings or switch to local wallpaper. |
| Carousel resets after rebooting | 🔧 Conflict with system cache or launcher. | Clear the Themes app cache (Settings → Applications → Themes → Storage → Clear cache). Install an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher). |
| Wallpaper is displayed blurry | 🖼️ Discrepancy of screen resolution. | Use images with a resolution of at least 1080×2400 (for most Xiaomi 2022-2026). |
If the carousel stopped working after the MIUI update, try resetting the settings for the following topics:
- Go to Settings → Themes.
- Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → Reset settings.
- Reset the device.
⚠️ Note: On some devices with MIUI 14 (e.g. Xiaomi) 12S Ultra) after resetting themes, the choice of dynamic wallpaper may be lost, in which case only the rollback of the firmware or the installation of a custom Recovery will help (TWRP) with subsequent firmware of the MiuiHome module.
Additional chips: dynamic and interactive wallpaper
The carousel is just the beginning, and on today's Xiaomi smartphones, you can customize really live wallpapers that respond to gestures, time of day, or even the weather.
- 🌦️ Weather Wallpaper: Use the Weather Live Wallpaper app to change the background depending on the forecast (sunshine). → bright colors, rain → dark-toned).
- ⏰ Adaptive wallpaper: in MIUI 14 has a feature Night mode for wallpaper, which automatically darkens the background after sunset.
- 🎮 Interactive Wallpaper: The Kappboom app lets you create wallpapers that respond to a phone's tilt or touch (like falling leaves when shaken).
- 📊 Wallpaper with data: the service Muzei can display information from Google Fit, calendar or even cryptocurrency quotes against the background.
For the most advanced users, there is an option with Tasker + AutoTools. With these applications, you can create an automatic wallpaper change over:
- 📍 Geolocations (homes - some wallpaper, at work - others).
- 🔊 Volume level (quiet wallpaper in "Do not disturb" mode").
- 📵 Network status (both wallpapers change when connected to a specific Wi-Fi).
Example of Tasker (replacement of wallpaper when connected to charging):
Profile: Charging → State → Power → Connected to charging
Task:
1.Plugin → AutoTools → Wallpaper →Select a folder with wallpaper
2. Plugin → AutoTools → Wallpaper → Apply (interval: 0 seconds)💡
Dynamic wallpaper with animations (such as falling snow or waves) can increase battery consumption by up to 10% per day. Use them only when connected to a charge or on devices with a 5000+ mAh battery.