Smartphone personalization is the first step that makes the new gadget truly yours. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices have the unique ability not only to choose a static picture, but also to turn the lock screen into a dynamic gallery. The standard MIUI shell, and now the new HyperOS, offer flexible visual style management tools that are often hidden in the depths of the menu.
Many users have difficulty installing their own gallery photo instead of the standard offers, sometimes lost in banner ads, and sometimes simply changed the layout of the interface after the update, and wallpaper installation is a basic skill, but in the ecosystem of the Chinese manufacturer, it has its own nuances, which we will discuss in detail in this article.
In this article, we will explore all the available ways to customize the background, from simple methods through the gallery to advanced wallpaper carousel features. You will learn how to avoid typical mistakes, remove intrusive advertising and make the lock screen really comfortable and aesthetic.
Basic settings through the settings menu
The most obvious and reliable way to change the design is to use the Settings system application, which is universal and works equally stable on all firmware versions, whether it is the old MIUI 12 or the latest HyperOS. Here you will find access to standard collections and the ability to upload your images.
To start, you need to open the Settings app and scroll through the list to the Wallpaper section. In some firmware versions, this item may be located inside the Personalization category or be displayed in a separate menu at the very top of the list, and the system will prompt you to choose the source of the image: embedded themes, live wallpaper or your own photos.
When choosing a static image, it is important to correctly specify the application area, the system will ask where exactly you want to apply the selected background.
- 🖼️ Lock screen – the image will only be displayed when the phone is locked.
- 🏠 Desktop – the background will remain behind the application icons after unlocking.
- 🔄 Both screens are a single style for locked state and desktop.
⚠️ Note: If you choose high resolution (e.g, 4K), The system can warn of a possible impact on performance or battery consumption, although on modern Snapdragon and MediaTek processors this impact is minimal.
Using a built-in settings menu ensures that the image is properly cropped and adapted to your display resolution, which is especially important for models with cutouts in the screen or dynamic islets, where the system algorithm will take into account the presence of a front camera.
Use of wallpaper carousel
One of the most popular features in Xiaomi smartphones is the Wallpaper Carousel, which is not just a change of pictures, but a whole media platform that updates the background every time you turn on the screen, and allows you to enjoy quality photos of nature, architecture and abstractions without the need to search for content.
To activate this feature, go to Settings → Always On screen and Lock screen. Find the Wallpaper Carousel and turn on the switch. Once activated, you can subscribe to specific categories that you are interested in, such as Travel, Technology or Anime.
The main advantage of the carousel is the ability to interact with content. On a locked screen, you often see clues about the location of the shooting or interesting facts related to the image, but it is worth remembering that the function requires a periodic Internet connection to download new data packets.
Inside the carousel settings, you can also choose the refresh rate and display style of the watch. Some users note that the abundance of bright pictures can be distracting, so the system allows you to set a “quiet clock” or completely disable the function at any time through the same interface.
Installation of your own photo from the Gallery
You often want to see photos of loved ones, pets or memorable places on the lock screen. Setting up your own image is a simple but important framing process. To make a picture look good, it must match the proportions of your smartphone screen.
Open the Gallery app and select the image you want. Click on the three dots in the top right corner or the "More" button, then select Set as wallpaper. The system will suggest cropping the image. Move the frame so that important details don't fall into the areas overlapped by time widgets or date.
☑️ Check before installing the photo
Once the cropping is confirmed, the system will apply the image. If you want the photo to occupy the entire screen without black fields, make sure you choose the format that matches the aspect ratio of your display (for example, 19.5:9 or 20:9). Horizontal photos when installed on the lock screen are often cropped at the edges, leaving only the center part.
⚠️ Note: When installing photos with people’s faces, avoid placing key elements (eyes, mouth) at the top of the screen, as there may be a dynamic time widget or notifications that overlap the image.
For owners of models with AMOLED-It's recommended that you use deep black images, and not only does it look stylish, but it also helps to save battery power, because the black pixels on those arrays are actually off.
Live wallpaper and animation
Live Wallpapers add speakers and bring the smartphone interface to life. Unlike static images, they respond to touch, tilt, or just have cyclical animations. The MIUI and HyperOS shells have an inbuilt collection of these backgrounds, but they can also be downloaded from third-party sources.
To set up a live wallpaper, go to Settings → Wallpaper → Live Wallpaper. Here you will find some preset options, such as Space, Geography or abstract shapes. Choosing an animated background can slightly increase energy consumption, but the visual effect is worth it.
There are also third-party apps from the Google Play Market that offer thousands of animated backgrounds, and once installed, it will appear on the wallpaper system menu, and popular options include interactive scenes of water, fire, or spaceflight.
Effect of live wallpaper on the battery
It is important to consider that on lock screens, live wallpaper may behave differently than on the desktop. Often animations are only triggered when unlocked or with prolonged pressing. Full cyclic animation on the locked screen is available mainly for built-in system themes.
Management through the “Themes” app
The central hub for customization in Xiaomi devices is the Themes app, which is not just a picture store, but a powerful tool that allows you to change fonts, icons and system sounds along with wallpaper, and you can find exclusive designs created by the community.
In the Topics app, go to Profile (human icon) and select Wallpaper, and you can have a huge catalog of images that are categorized, and you can download the picture you like and apply it directly to the lock screen without saving the file to the gallery.
The thing about this method is that many themes include special widgets and watch styles that fit perfectly with the background, and if you apply the theme in whole or part of it, you get a harmonious interface design, but be careful: some themes may contain ads or require you to watch videos to unlock premium content.
| Source | Quality. | Animation. | Advertising |
|---|---|---|---|
| System settings | High. | Aye (basic) | No. |
| Wallpaper carousel | Professional | No (slideshow) | Possible. |
| Annex Topics | Different. | Depends on the author. | Often |
| gallery | Depends on the photo. | No. | No. |
Using the Themes app is especially relevant if you want to change not just the picture, but also the time font on the lock screen. Many designer wallpapers come with unique dials that are not available in standard settings.
Solving problems and removing ads
One of the most common problems Xiaomi users have is the sudden appearance of banner ads or recommendations on the lock screen, often after a system update or the accidental inclusion of the “Get recommendations” feature in the wallpaper carousel settings.
To remove the ads, you need to go back to the wallpaper carousel settings. Find the Receive recommendations or Ads switch and turn it off. It's also worth checking the settings of the Themes app itself: there's a Settings item in the user profile where you can turn off personalized recommendations and push notifications.
💡
If the ad appears after the update, try clearing the Themes app cache through the Apps menu → All Apps → Themes → Clear.
Another common problem is the blurring of the installed photo, which happens when the image is low resolution, and the system tries to stretch the small picture to the whole screen, which leads to the appearance of a grain, in which case it is better to choose another photo or use the background blur feature, if it is available in the editor.
⚠️ Warning: If the phone starts to run slower after installing the wallpaper, check if you have a heavy, high-resolution live wallpaper.
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the wallpaper “fly” and return to the standard after the reboot. This may indicate a launcher error or conflict of topics. In this case, resetting the theme settings to the standard through the Themes application → Profile → Themes → Classic helps.