How to return old wallpaper to the Xiaomi Redmi desktop: all working methods

Changing wallpaper on a Xiaomi Redmi smartphone is a routine procedure, but what if you accidentally deleted your favorite background image and it is not in the gallery? or after the MIUI update, standard wallpaper disappeared from the system settings? This problem is familiar to many users, especially after resetting to factory settings or cleaning the cache of the Theme app.

You can restore old wallpaper in a number of ways, from simple searches in hidden folders to backups and third-party utilities, the main thing is to act consistently and not miss the steps associated with file system access rights. In this article, we will discuss 5 proven methods, including recovery through MI Cloud, manual search in system directories and even wallpaper extraction from APK-We will pay special attention to the nuances for different versions MIUI (12 to 15) because the location of files and the logic of the menu may differ.

If you’re not sure which way to go for your Redmi model (like the Redmi Note 10 Pro or Redmi 9T), start with the simplest way to check your DCIM/Screenshots folder and backups in the cloud. For advanced users, we’ve prepared instructions on how to work with ADB and APK decompile, but caution that these methods require caution and can cause failures if executed incorrectly.

1. Search wallpaper in Xiaomi Redmi system folders

The first thing you should do is check the standard directories where MIUI stores wallpaper, and even if you deleted the image from the gallery, it could have stayed in one of the service folders, and you'd need any file manager with access to the root directories (such as Mi File Explorer or Solid Explorer).

Open the file manager and follow the following paths:

• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/Wallpaper/ — Here are the standard wallpapers of the current theme.
• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/DCIM/Screenshots/ — Sometimes the screenshots of the desktop are saved as wallpaper.
• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Wallpapers/ — custom wallpaper loaded manually.
• 📁 /data/system/users/0/ — hidden folder with wallpaper cache (root rights required).

If you use MIUI 14/15, some of the wallpaper can be stored in.wal format. These can't be opened directly, but you can try copying them to the MIUI/Wallpaper folder and applying them through your desktop settings.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files from the folder /data/ It can cause a failure in the interface.

If there's no wallpaper in these folders, go to the next method, and check the cart in the gallery, and sometimes deleted images stay there for 30 days.

2. Wallpaper restoration via MI Cloud

If your Xiaomi Redmi has MI Cloud sync enabled, chances are that the wallpaper is saved in the backup.This method works even if you reset the phone to factory settings but have previously done a backup.

Instructions for remediation:

1. Open Settings → Xiaomi Account → MI Cloud
2. Select Data Recovery and log in.
3. Find in the backup list the one where the necessary wallpaper was guaranteed.
4. Choose Restore Wallpaper Only (or Desktop Settings).

If you don't have wallpaper recovery, you'll have to recover all the data from the backup, which can take time to rewrite the current settings, and the alternative is to download the backup to your computer and extract the wallpaper files manually from it (they're stored in the archive as if they were stored as a backup). wallpaper_*.jpg).

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Before recovering from MI Cloud, check the backup date – if it is older than 6 months, there may be no wallpaper in it.

3. Removal of wallpaper from APK-file

Standard wallpaper MIUI often sewn APK-System theme files. You can extract them even without root rights using a computer and an archiver, and this is a good method if you want to return stock wallpaper that was lost after the update.

Step-by-step:

1. Download the APK theme that contained the desired wallpaper (for example, from themes.xiaomi.com).
2. Rename the file with the.apk extension to.zip.
3. Open the archive and go to the folder assets/wallpapers/.
4. Copy wallpaper files (usually in.jpg or.png format) to your phone.

For those. MIUI 15 wallpaper can be stored in a folder res/drawable/ name-name wallpaper_lock or wallpaper_home. To use the extracted wallpaper:

• 📲 Put the files in the folder. Pictures/Wallpapers/.
• 🖼️ Open the Settings. → Wallpaper and select the image manually.

⚠️ Attention: Not all APK-The files contain wallpaper in the original resolution. Sometimes the images are optimized for specific Redmi models (for example, for example, for the first time, 1080×2400 For the Redmi Note 11).

4.Use of third-party recovery applications

If the wallpaper was removed recently, you can try to restore them with the help of specialized utilities.

• 🔍 DiskDigger scans internal memory for deleted files (works without root, but with limitations).
• 🗑️ Dumpster – creates a “basket” for deleted files (you need to install in advance).
• 📱 Wallpaper Restorer – Looks for cached wallpaper in system folders.

The algorithm for DiskDigger:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Select Full Scan (requires root for deep search).
3. Filter the results by file type: JPEG or PNG.
4. Find the wallpaper by date of removal or name (for example, wallpaper_*).
5. Restore files to the Downloads folder.

Note that the more time has passed since the deletion, the lower the chances of recovery. MIUI system processes can overwrite the freed space, especially after updates or application installations.

Enable debugging over USB (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 taps)

Install DiskDigger or similar software

Free 1-2 GB of memory for temporary files

Connect your phone to charge (the process can take 30 hours)+ minute)-->

5 Manually copying wallpaper from another Xiaomi device

If you have a second Xiaomi smartphone (or a friend with the same Redmi model), you can copy standard wallpaper directly.This method is guaranteed to work for stock images, but it will not help to return user background images.

Instructions:

1. On the second phone, open the file manager and go to /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/Wallpaper/.
2. Copy all files with the.jpg,.png or.wal extension to a flash drive or send them via Mi Share.
3. On the target device, place the files in the same MIUI/Wallpaper folder.
4. Reboot your phone and apply wallpaper through Settings → Wallpaper.

For.wal wallpapers, you may need to convert.Use the MIUI Wallpaper Converter app (available on 4PDA) or rename the extension to.zip and extract the image manually.

6. Resetting the settings of the application Themes

If the wallpaper is gone after updating MIUI or crashing the Themes app, resetting it will help, returning the standard wallpaper, but removing all custom themes and design settings.

How to reset:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Themes and open its settings.
3. Select Warehouse and Cache → Clear the Data.
4. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

After the reboot, the standard wallpaper should appear in the selection menu. If that doesn't happen, try updating the Themes app via Google Play or Mi App Store.

⚠️ Attention: Resetting the Themes app will remove all the themes and fonts you have downloaded. Pre-take screenshots of current settings to restore them later.

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If the wallpaper didn’t return after reset, check for MIUI updates in Settings → About Phone → System Update. Sometimes the wallpaper was lost due to a firmware bug that is fixed in the next versions.

FAQ: Frequent questions about wallpaper restoration