How to return the wallpaper carousel to Xiaomi with MIUI 12: all ways (including hidden)

The wallpaper carousel is one of the most popular MIUI chips that allowed you to automatically change the background of the desktop on a schedule or depending on the time of day. However, after upgrading to MIUI 12, many owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco found that the feature disappeared from the settings. The reasons can be different, from firmware bugs to intentional changes on the part of developers. But the good news is that you can return the carousel, and we will tell you how to do it without root rights and complex manipulations.

In this article, you will find 5 working methods for restoring function, including official and alternative solutions. We will also discuss why the carousel disappears after resetting or updating, and what to do if none of the methods worked. All instructions are tested on devices with MIUI 12.0-12.6 (including global and Chinese versions of firmware).

Before you start, check:

• 📱 Version MIUI: Go to Settings. → The phone. → Version. MIUI. If you MIUI 13/14, Some methods may not work, we will warn you separately.
• 🔄 Firmware region: Chinese versions (CN) You can find out the region in Settings. → Additionally. → Region.
• 🛠️ Updates: sometimes the carousel is returned in patches. → Updating the system.

⚠️ Note: If you use custom firmware (such as LineageOS or Pixel Experience), the wallpaper carousel may be missing due to remote components. MIUI. In this case, you can only return it by flashing it to the stock.

1. Check hidden theme settings (method for MIUI 12.0-12.5)

In some versions of MIUI 12, the wallpaper carousel is not completely removed, but simply hidden in the depths of the menu, which works on most Xiaomi and Redmi devices (including the Note 9 Pro, Mi 10, Poco X3).

To find the hidden setting:

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to Wallpaper section. → My wallpaper.
3. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Wallpaper Settings.
4. Scroll down to the wallpaper carousel point (may be called Automan or Dynamic Wallpaper).
5. Activate the slider and adjust the shift interval (from 1 hour to 1 day).

If there is no wallpaper point, try an alternative path:

• 🔍 Go to Settings. → Screen. → Wallpaper.
• 🖼️ Choose any picture from the gallery as the background.
• ⚙️ After using the wallpaper, click on the gear icon (Wallpaper Settings) and look for the carousel option.

⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Redmi Note 8 Pro with a MIUI 12.0.3) The option only appears after the first manual change of wallpaper. Try to set a static background, then go back to the settings.

2. Resetting the settings of the “Themes” application

If the carousel has previously worked, but Suddenly disappeared after an update or crash, the problem may be in the cache of the Themes app.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find themes in the list (or Themes in English firmware) and open.
3. Click Storage → Clear cache and Reset settings (or Clear data).
4. Reset the device.
5. After turning on, open the Themes app again and check for a carousel in the wallpaper settings.

If you don’t have the option after the reset, try updating the Themes app via Google Play (if you have global firmware) or the App Store (for Chinese versions, through GetApps).

Installation of APK with wallpaper carousel (for MIUI 12.5+)

In MIUI 12.5 and later, Xiaomi has begun removing the wallpaper carousel from the firmware for some regions, but the functionality can be returned by installing a modified APK Themes app with dynamic background support.

Step-by-step:

• 📥 Download. APK-carousel file for your version MIUI: References to APK (Updated 2026)Download files only from trusted sources such as APKMirror or Xiaomi.EU. MIUI 12.5 is the version. com.android.themes-12.1.3.0 (global com.miui.themes-2.0.3.9 (Chinese).
• 🔓 Allow installation from unknown sources: Settings → Annexes → Special permits → Installation of unknown applications.
• 📲 Set up the downloaded one. APK (When asked, select Replace).
• 🔄 Reset the device.

After installation, check:

1. Open Topics → Wallpaper. → My wallpaper.
2. If the carousel option doesn’t appear, try installing any dynamic theme from the store, then go back to the settings.

⚠️ Attention: Installation of third-party APK This can lead to errors in the system or blocking the Mi Account. Use only files from trusted developers (for example, from the forum). XDA Developers).

4. Recovery through ADB (for advanced users)

If previous methods have not worked, you can try to turn on the carousel through ADB-This requires a connection to a computer, but does not require root rights.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on the phone: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Press 7 times, then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).

Instructions:

1. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Open the command prompt (or Terminal on Mac/Linux) in the adb.exe folder.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices (should display the serial number of the device).
4. Execute the command to enable the hidden carousel function: adb shell settings put global miui_wallpaper_carousel_enabled 1
5. Reboot your phone: adb reboot

After the reboot, check for the carousel in the wallpaper settings. If the option does not appear, try the additional command:

adb shell am broadcast -a com.android.themes.REFRESH_WALLPAPER

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If ADB doesn’t recognize the device, try reinstalling the Mi USB Driver drivers from Xiaomi’s official website, and check if the connection is blocked by an antivirus or firewall.

5. rollback to the previous version of MIUI (extreme case)

If the wallpaper carousel is critical to you, and none of the methods worked, you have to roll back to an earlier version of MIUI where the feature was guaranteed to work, which is suitable for users willing to sacrifice new features to return the carousel.

How to roll back safely:

• 🔍 Find out the current version of the firmware in Settings → The phone.
• 📥 Download the stable version MIUI 11 or MIUI 12.0.1 for your model from the official website: Official sources of firmware🔗 Global MIUI Download (Global Versions)🔗 MIUI China (Chinese versions)⚠️ Do not download firmware from third sites - the risk of catching a virus or brick-net device!
• 📲 Use the Mi Flash Tool for firmware (instructions on the forum Xiaomi.EU).
• 🔄 After the reset, reset the settings (Settings) → Additionally. → Recovery and discharge).

A rollback to the old firmware will reset all data on the phone, including photos, messages and apps. Pre-back up through Settings → Mi → Mi Cloud Account → Backup.

⚠️ Note: Firmware of unofficial or custom versions MIUI It can lead to bootloop lock or loss IMEI. If you are not sure about your actions, contact the service center.

6. Alternative applications for automatic wallpaper change

If you can't get your MIUI carousel back, you can use third-party apps that have similar functionality, most of which support:

• 🕒 Time or geolocation driver.
• 🌄 Dynamic wallpaper (live background images).
• 📁 Integration with Google Photos or Local Gallery.

Top.-3 apps:

How to set up automatic changer in Wallpaper Changer:

1. Install the app and grant permissions to access the storage.
2. Select a folder with wallpaper or connect Google Photos.
3. Set the shift interval in the Settings → Schedule.
4. Activate the option Apply when charging so that the wallpaper changes only when connecting to the network.

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The app side does not integrate into the MIUI system settings, but offers more flexibility (e.g. changing the weather or battery wallpaper).

Frequent problems and solutions

If the wallpaper carousel never worked, check out these points:

Problem 1: The carousel option is gray and inactive.

• 🔹 Make sure you have at least 2 wallpapers in the gallery.
• 🔹 Check if the energy saving mode is on (Settings) → Battery → Energy saving regime).

Problem 2: Wallpaper changes, but does not apply on the desktop.

• 🔹 Try to manually apply wallpaper after the shift.
• 🔹 Disable optimization for the Themes app in Settings → Annexes → Threefold → Special access → Optimizing the battery.

Problem 3: After the MIUI update, the carousel disappeared again.

• 🔹 Xiaomi can remove the feature in new versions. roll back to the previous firmware or use alternative apps.
• 🔹 Follow the updates on the forum Xiaomi.EU – there are often posted patches.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions