Visual design of a smartphone is the first thing that a user pays attention to when unlocking a device. Standard static images often seem boring and do not reflect the personality of the owner of the gadget. Which is why the question of how to install live wallpaper on Xiaomi is becoming one of the most popular among owners of devices of this brand. Dynamic animation, responsive to touch or time of day, can radically transform the interface of the shell MIUI or the new HyperOS.
Modern smartphones of the company Xiaomi have powerful processors and high-quality AMOLED-But what many users don't know is that you don't always have to download third-party apps from Google Play to activate animated backgrounds. The built-in tools provide a wide range of functionality that is often hidden from the eyes of the inexperienced user. In this article, we will discuss all the available ways to personalize the screen.
Consider that dynamic graphics can have an impact on the autonomy of the device. While optimizing the system allows you to minimize the charge consumption, owners of older models should be more careful about the energy saving settings. We will look not only at standard methods, but also at advanced options for installing video wallpapers that make the screen truly alive.
Use of the built-in “Themes” application
The easiest and most reliable way to change the background of the desktop is to use the regular Themes app, which is preinstalled on all Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones. This tool is integrated deep into the system, which ensures stable animations and no conflicts with other processes. To start work, you need to launch the application and go to the wallpaper tab in the bottom menu.
Inside the catalog, you'll find a variety of categories, including Dynamics or Live, which has thousands of options, from abstract color shimmers to complex scenes with nature or space, some of which are free, others require payment or subscription, but the basic functionality is enough for most users. Once you choose your favorite option, click Download and then Apply.
⚠️ Warning: When downloading themes from unofficial sources or third-party stores, make sure the file does not contain malicious code. Xiaomi's built-in store passes security check.
It's important to distinguish between types of animation. Some wallpapers only move when the screen is unlocked or swipes, others are animated all the time. Constant animation requires more GPU resources. If you notice that the phone is starting to heat up or discharge faster, you should switch to a less resource-intensive option.
- 🎨 A huge selection of free and paid options in the official catalog.
- ⚡ Optimization for specific models of smartphones for smooth operation.
- 🔄 Ability to automatically update wallpaper on schedule.
Remember, the Themes app may require authorization to your Mi Account to download premium content, a standard procedure that takes a couple of minutes, and once you log in, you'll be able to access exclusive collections from renowned designers.
Installation of video wallpaper through third-party applications
If you don't have the built-in functionality, you can use specialized apps from Google Play, which has been the leader of the niche for many years, Video Live Wallpaper, which allows you to set any video from your gallery as a desktop background, and it opens up endless possibilities for customization.
The installation process is simple: download the app, launch it and select a video file. The program will automatically crop the frame to your screen resolution or suggest you zoom in manually. After selecting the snippet, click the installation button and confirm the action in the Android system warning window. Now your video works as a background.
Settings → Wallpaper → Select video → ApplyBut there are some nuances to this method: video stream consumes more power than a static picture or an optimized live theme, and video can override app icons, making them less readable, so it's recommended to choose videos with dark tones or blurred backgrounds, especially if you have an AMOLED display.
💡
Use a video with a black background for AMOLED-screens – this will save battery power and make the picture deeper thanks to the technology to disable inactive pixels.
Another popular application is the Wallpaper Engine, if you have a PC, which allows you to stream the most complex interactive wallpaper from computer to phone, which requires you to install a client on a PC and an application on a smartphone, and then they are synchronized over a local Wi-Fi network, which is the choice for enthusiasts who want to get unique high-quality graphics.
- 📹 The ability to use any video files from the personal gallery.
- 🎮 Support for interactive scenes from Wallpaper Engine for PC.
- ⚙️ Flexible performance and rendering quality settings.
When using third-party launchers or video wallpaper apps, Android may try to limit their background work to save energy. To keep the animations going, add the app to battery exceptions.
The setting of the wallpaper "Carousel" (Glance)
The Wallpaper Carousel feature, also known as Glance, is a service that automatically changes images on a locked screen every time you pick up a phone. Although it's not exactly a live wallpaper in the classic sense of animation, the effect of constant updating creates a sense of dynamism and novelty.
To activate or configure this feature, go to Settings and find the Always On and Lock screen section (the path may vary depending on the version of MIUI). Here you can choose the source of images: news, nature, art or technology. The system will upload new photos over the Internet.
| Parameter | Description | Impact on the battery |
|---|---|---|
| Shift frequency | Every time you unlock. | Average (data loading) |
| Photo quality | HD / Full HD | Low. |
| Source | Online catalogue | Depends on the network. |
| Interactivity | Press for details | Minimum |
The main advantage of the carousel is that it doesn't have to manually search for content. However, many users are annoyed by the ads that can be found in the stream of images. Fortunately, in the settings, you can often turn off "Recommended Images" or select only certain categories, such as "Landscapes", to avoid banner ads.
How to turn off advertising in Carousel?
It's worth noting that in recent versions of HyperOS, the settings interface may have changed. If you don't find "Carousel," try searching for the settings by typing the word "Glance" or "Carousel," which is faster than wandering through the menu.
The impact of live wallpaper on autonomy and productivity
The issue of power consumption remains critical when using dynamic content. Live wallpaper is essentially a running background process that constantly renders graphics. On modern Snapdragon or MediaTek processors, medium to high-end, this effect is almost invisible, but on budget models of the Redmi Go series or old Xiaomi, the difference can be noticeable.
Android and MIUI have optimization mechanisms, so when the phone is on the table with the screen down or in your pocket, the wallpaper rendering process stops. Problems can start if you use heavy, low-quality video wallpaper, in which case the phone can heat up even while you're on the desktop standby.
⚠️ Warning: If the phone starts to run out quickly after installing live wallpaper, check battery statistics.
To minimize the damage to autonomy, it is recommended:
- 🔋 Choose optimized themes from the official Xiaomi store.
- 📉 Avoid high bit rate video wallpapers (4K 60fps) day-to-day.
- 🌑 Use dark topics, especially on the AMOLED-screen.
If your smartphone has only 3 or 4 GB of RAM, active live wallpaper can compete for resources with other applications, causing more frequent unloading of background programs from memory, in such cases it is better to limit yourself to static but beautiful images.
💡
The optimal balance between beauty and performance is achieved by using vector live themes from Xiaomi’s catalog, rather than heavy video files.
The solution: why the wallpaper doesn't work or slow down
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where installed live wallpaper is not displayed, blackened or work with a delay. Most often the problem lies in the settings of energy saving, the system can aggressively "kill" the process responsible for the animation, considering it an unnecessary user of energy.
To fix this, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. Find Wallpaper, Themes, or the name of the third-party app you use for video backgrounds. Go to Battery or Energy Saving and select No Limits or No Limits mode, which will prevent the system from stopping the process.
Another reason could be resolution incompatibility: If you downloaded wallpaper from a 4K computer and the phone's screen has a non-standard aspect ratio (e.g., 20:9), the image may crop or stretch, in which case it's best to use built-in framing tools when installing.
☑️ Diagnostics of wallpaper problems
If nothing works, try resetting the theme to standard, restarting your phone, and repeating the installation procedure. Sometimes cleaning the theme app cache through the app management menu helps. Remember that after updating the firmware, some old live themes may stop working properly due to changes in the shell code.