How to install wallpaper on the lock screen Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S: 5 proven ways

The lock screen is the first thing you see when you turn on your smartphone, and its design directly affects the experience of using the device. Owners of Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S often face the question: how to change the background on the locked screen if the standard settings of MIUI are not always intuitive? In this article, we will analyze all the current ways – from built-in tools to third-party solutions – and also tell you how to avoid typical errors when changing wallpapers.

The Redmi Note 9S features a MIUI shell that is different from pure Android. For example, you can’t just pick any image from the gallery, it imposes restrictions on resolution and format. After MIUI updates, the settings menu can change, which confuses even experienced users. We tested all the methods on current firmware versions (MIUI 12-14) and selected only working solutions.

Why can’t you change the lock screen?

Before we get to the instructions, it's important to understand why the standard method might not work.

• 🔄 An outdated version MIUI: In the firmware older MIUI 12.5 There is no separate section for lock wallpapers – they are tied to the main desktop.
• 📱 Manufacturer restrictions: Xiaomi blocks background changes on some versions of Redmi Note 9S for regional firmware (for example, for Russia or India).
• 🖼️ Inappropriate image resolution: MIUI It automatically cuts off the wallpaper if the aspect ratio does not match. 1080×2340 (screen resolution of Redmi Note 9S).
• 🔒 Active "Second Space Mode": In this mode, wallpaper settings are reset to standard.

If you tried to change the background through Settings → Lock screen, but nothing happened, most likely, the problem lies in one of the listed points.

Method 1: Using standard MIUI settings (the simplest)

This method works on most versions of MIUI, but requires that the gallery already has a suitable image uploaded.

1. Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the desktop).
2. Go to the Lock Screen section (in some versions of MIUI it is called Lock and Protection).
3. Slip on the lock screen wallpaper.
4. Select the source: 🌄 Standard wallpaper MIUI — Xiaomi collection (updated with firmware). 📷 Gallery – your personal photos (preliminary cut under the screen). 🎨 Topics – wallpaper from the theme store (requires an Internet connection).

Apply

⚠️ Note: If the lock screen menu does not have the lock screen wallpaper, then your version MIUI does not support separate background settings for locking and desktop. in this case, proceed to Method 2.

Download photos with a resolution of at least 1080×2340

Cut important details in the center (the edges will be hidden)

Save the file in JPG or PNG format

Check that the image is not in format HEIC (unsupported MIUI)-->

Method 2: Using the Themes app for unique wallpaper

The MIUI Themes store offers thousands of free and paid wallpapers optimized for the Redmi Note 9S screen. This method is suitable if you want not just to change the background, but to install dynamic or animated wallpaper.

How to do this:

1. Open the “Themes” app** (Brush icon on your desktop).
2. Go to the Wallpaper tab in the lower menu.
3. Select a category (e.g. Abstraction, Nature, Minimalism).
4. Slip on the image you like and click Apply.
5. In the pop-up, select Lock Only screen (if available) or Apply to all screens.

💡 Useful tip: The theme store has a live section of animation wallpapers (like falling snow or moving clouds).However, they consume an extra battery - consider this when choosing.

Method 3: Installation of wallpaper through the gallery (bypassing restrictions)

If the standard methods don't work, you can go around the gallery app, which is suitable for MIUI 12.5 and later, where the lock wallpaper change function is hidden.

Instructions:

1. Open the Gallery and find the image you want.
2. Slip on the photo, then tap on the three dots in the upper right corner.
3. Select Set as → Lock screen wallpaper.
4. If there is no such item, click More → Share and select Wallpaper from the list of applications.
5. In the window that opens, select the Lock screen and confirm.

🔹 How to install wallpaper through Zedge:

1. Download Zedge from Google Play.
2. Launch the application and select the Wallpaper section.
3. Find the image you like and tap on it.
4. Press Set. → Lock screen.
5. Confirm permissions (the application needs access to storage).

Important: When using third-party apps, turn off battery optimization for them in the MIUI settings (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Battery Optimization), otherwise the wallpaper may be reset after a reboot.

Method 5: Manually modifying through the file system (for advanced ones)

This method is suitable for advanced users who are ready to work with system files, and allows you to set any image as a background lock, even if MIUI does not allow it.

🔧 What's the matter:

• 📱 Smartphone Redmi Note 9S loader-free.
• 💻 Computer with installed ADB and Fastboot.
• 📁 Image in format PNG permittingly 1080×2340 (filename: lockscreen_wallpaper.png).

🛠️ Step-by-step instruction:

1. Connect your phone to your PC via USB and enable Debugging via USB (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times tap to unlock Developer Mode, then Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging by USB).
2. Copy the prepared image into a folder /data/system/users/0/ On the phone with the command: adb push lockscreen_wallpaper.png /data/system/users/0/
3. Set file rights: Adb shell chmod 644 /data/system/users/0/lockscreen_wallpaper.png
4. Reset the device.

⚠️ Warning: Mistakes with system files can cause failure MIUI. Before experimenting, back up through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

💡

Use this method only if other methods have failed, and for most users, standard MIUI tools or third-party applications are sufficient.

Problem Solving: Wallpapers are not changed or reset

Sometimes, after a successful installation, the wallpaper suddenly returns to the standard wallpaper, and here are the most common reasons and solutions:

🔹 Additional tip: If wallpaper does not apply through the gallery, try moving the image to the folder DCIM/Wallpapers storage. MIUI It is more likely to recognize wallpaper from there.

FAQ: Frequent questions about wallpaper on the Redmi Note 9S