How to turn on the wallpaper scrolling effect on Xiaomi: all ways for MIUI

Live wallpaper with the effect of scrolling (parallax) transforms the appearance of the smartphone, adding depth and dynamics to the desktop. On Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, this feature is not available on all firmware by default, and in some versions of MIUI it has to be activated manually. In this article, we will discuss all working ways to enable wallpaper scrolling, from standard settings to hidden shell capabilities.

It's important to understand that the parallax effect works differently on different models, like Xiaomi flagships. 13/14 s AMOLED-The animation screens are smoother than on the budget Redmi Note with IPS-It's also influenced by the firmware version: MIUI 14 The algorithm is optimized better than the MIUI 12. We tested all methods on current devices and collected only proven solutions.

What is Wallpaper Scrolling and How Does It Work on Xiaomi

The scrolling effect (or parallax) is a visual trick where the background image shifts more slowly than the desktop icons, creating the illusion of depth, as if the wallpaper is behind the interface. Xiaomi smartphones have two types of scrolling:

• 🔄 Vertical scrolling – wallpaper shifts when swiping up/down on the desktop.
• 🔀 Horizontal scrolling – works when switching between desktop pages (only on some firmware).
• 🌌 Dynamic wallpapers – animated parallax-enabled background images (e.g. Super Wallpapers themes).

Technically, the effect is realized through OpenGL ES — graphics standard that uses a smartphone processor for rendering 3D-On weak devices (e.g. Redmi) 9A or POCO C31) And the scroll can slow down because it requires additional resources. MIUI Automatically disables the function to save battery.

In the latest firmware versions (MIUI 13/14), the algorithm is optimized: scrolling is automatically enabled for high-resolution wallpapers (1080p and higher), but on older devices or custom firmware, the function has to be manually activated.

Method 1: Enabling scroll through standard MIUI settings

The easiest method is to use built-in shell tools, which works on most devices with MIUI 12 and later, but may not be available on budget models or after resetting.

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings. → Desktop.
2. Select Wallpaper (or Themes on some firmware).
3. Click My Wallpaper and select any image with effect support (usually marked with an icon). 🌐).
4. At the bottom of the screen will appear switch Scrolling effect – activate it.
5. Save the changes and go back to the desktop.

If there is no switch, then your model does not support the function at the firmware level, in which case move on to alternative methods (see the following sections).

⚠️ Note: On some devices (POCO X3 Pro, Redmi Note 10 after update to MIUI 14 scrolling can go missing. This is a firmware bug — try resetting the theme settings in Settings. → Topics → Reset.

Method 2: Use parallax-enabled themes

Xiaomi releases special themes with pre-configured scrolling - Super Wallpapers. They are available in the official theme store and optimized for flagship models (Mi 11, Xiaomi 12, Xiaomi 13, etc.).

How to determine:

1. Open the Themes app (icon with brush).
2. Go to Wallpaper section. → Super Wallpapers.
3. Select your favorite theme (such as Mars or Earth) and click Apply.
4. After installation, check the effect by swiping around the desktop.

The advantages of Super Wallpapers:

• 🎨 Animated elements (e.g., the rotation of the Earth or the movement of clouds).
• 🔋 Optimized power consumption (does not plant the battery as hard as third-party live wallpaper).
• 🔄 Built-in support for parallax without additional settings.

If your model doesn't support Super Wallpapers, you can use third-party themes from the store «3D-wallpaper».

Method 3: Activate hidden settings via ADB (for experienced)

On some firmware (MIUI 12.5–13), the wallpaper scrolling function is hidden, but it can be enabled via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that requires connecting a smartphone to a computer and basic command line knowledge.

What you need:

• 🖥️ A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times press to unlock the developer mode, then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 Cable USB (preferably original).

Instructions:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Open the command line (Win + R → enter cmd).
3. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
4. Execute the command to enable scroll: adb shell settings put global parallax_wallpaper_enabled 1
5. Reboot your smartphone.

If the effect does not appear after the reboot, try an alternative command:

adb shell settings put secure sys_ui_parallax_enabled 1

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB On devices with a bootloader locked, some commands may not work before unlocking.

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If so, ADB-No scroll commands, try first to install wallpaper with resolution 1440p or higher – on some firmware, the effect is activated only for highly detailed images.

Method 4: Third-party launchers with parallax support

If the built-in methods didn’t work, you can install an alternative launcher (desktop shell) with built-in support for wallpaper scrolling.

• 🚀 Nova Launcher – supports customizable parallax, but requires the purchase of a premium version for full functionality.
• 🌈 Lawnchair – free open source launcher and built-in scrolling.
• 🔮 Microsoft Launcher – has the option “Deep Effects” for wallpaper.
• 🎭 Action Launcher – allows you to adjust the scroll speed.

Instructions for Nova Launcher:

1. Install a launcher from Google Play.
2. Press and hold your finger on the desktop → Settings.
3. Go to the Supplementary → Desktop effects.
4. Activate the option of scrolling wallpaper and adjust the intensity.

Advantages of third-party launchers:

• 🎛️ Flexible speed and scroll direction setting.
• 🖼️ Support for live wallpaper from third-party developers (for example, KLWP).
• 🔄 Ability to disable scroll for individual pages.

Disadvantages:

• ⚠️ Certain functions MIUI (Second Space or App Lock may not work properly.
• 🔋 Increased battery consumption (5-10% more than on a standard launcher).

Why Scrolling Wallpaper May Not Work

If you have followed all the instructions, but the effect has not appeared, check the following points:

Frequent user errors:

• 📱 Install wallpaper through the gallery, not through the Settings menu → Wallpaper (in this case, the scroll may not be activated).
• 🔋 Power saving mode enabled (Settings) → Battery → Power saving mode that disables animations.
• 🔄 Use of informal firmware (e.g. xiaomi.eu) where the function can be disabled.

How to turn off the wallpaper scroll if it interferes

If the animation irritates or saturates the battery, it can be deactivated:

1. For the standard MIUI launcher: Go to Settings → Desktop → Wallpaper. Select the current wallpaper and turn off the scroll effect switch.
2. For Nova Launcher: Press and Hold Desktop → Settings → Additional. Turn off the Wallpaper Scrolling option.

adb shell settings put global parallax_wallpaper_enabled 0

If the scroll still works after turning off, clear the launcher cache:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the MIUI Launcher (or Nova Launcher if you use it).
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
4. Reset the device.

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Scrolling through the wallpaper does not affect smartphone performance in games or heavy apps, but can increase battery consumption by 3–7% in standby mode.

FAQ: Frequent questions about scrolling wallpaper on Xiaomi