How to restore the wallpaper carousel on Xiaomi if it was removed: the complete guide

The wallpaper carousel is one of the chips of the shell MIUI, It's a device that allows you to quickly change your desktop background on a schedule or manually, but what if you accidentally delete this application or it disappears after you reset? You can restore it in a number of ways, from simple manipulation of the settings to use. ADB-Teams for experienced users.

Many people mistakenly believe that the wallpaper carousel is a standalone application that can be downloaded from the Play Market. It is actually a system component of MIUI, and its recovery requires specific actions. In this article, we will discuss all working methods, including hidden shell features and tools for developers.

If you've removed the wallpaper carousel recently, try the easiest way first: check the Recycle Bin in the app menu. It may have been deactivated after the update. But if it hasn't, read on: we've prepared instructions for different versions of MIUI and Xiaomi models, including Redmi and POCO.

πŸ“Š What version? MIUI you have installed?
MIUI 12
MIUI 13
MIUI 14
I don't know.
other

The wallpaper carousel can go missing for several reasons, and it's not always the user's fault, most often because of:

  • πŸ”„ Updates MIUI. Newer versions of the shell sometimes reset settings or hide system components, such as after upgrading to a new version of the shell. MIUI 14 Many users complained about the disappearance of widgets and carousels.
  • πŸ—‘οΈ Cache or data cleanups. If you used memory optimizers (like Security or Clean Master), they could delete the temporary files of the carousel, which led to its shutdown.
  • πŸ› οΈ Manual removal. In some firmware, the carousel can be uninstalled through Settings. β†’ Appendices, although not recommended.
  • πŸ“± After a hard reset, all system applications return to the default state, but sometimes the carousel does not automatically recover.

Interestingly, on some models (such as the Xiaomi 12T or Redmi Note 11), the wallpaper carousel is integrated into the Themes app. If you delete it, the carousel will disappear, in which case you can only restore it through reinstalling the system APK.

Important! Before you start restoring, check if the carousel is hidden in the screen settings. Sometimes it's just turned off in Settings β†’ Desktop β†’ Wallpaper settings.

Method 1: Recovery through theme settings

The safest method is to use the built-in MIUI functionality, which works on most devices with a MIUI 12-14 shell and does not require superuser rights.

Open the Topic app (an icon with a brush and palette) if it's not on your desktop, search the system.

  1. Go to the wallpaper section (in the lower menu).
  2. Slap the icon. βš™οΈ Settings in upper right corner.
  3. Choose the wallpaper carousel.
  4. Activate the switch Turn on the carousel.

If this item is missing, then the carousel has been removed completely, and you need to move on to other methods.

Check for Themes |Update MIUI to the latest version |Restore your data |Recharge your phone at least 50%-->

Method 2: Reinstallation via MIUI Hidden Settings

MIUI has a hidden menu for managing system components.

  1. Open the Phone app.
  2. Enter the combination: ##6484## (code for accessing MIUI Hidden Settings).
  3. In the menu that appears, select System App Manager.
  4. Find the Wallpaper Carousel list (or com.miui.wallpaper).
  5. Press Enable (if disabled) or Reinstall (if removed).

Warning: Not all Xiaomi models support this code, and on some devices (like the POCO F4), it may not work.

If the carousel doesn't show up after reinstalling, restart the device. Sometimes the changes only take effect after the reboot.

What if the #6484## code doesn’t work?
On some firmware, this code is disabled. Alternatively, use Activity Launcher from Play Market: 1. Install Activity Launcher. 2. Search MIUI Hidden Settings. 3. Start com.android.settings.MiuiHiddenSettings. This will open the same menu, but without entering the code.

Method 3: Recovery through ADB (for Advanced)

If previous methods have failed, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires a computer and basic command line knowledge.

First, prepare the device:

  1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings β†’ About Phone and tap the MIUI version 7 times.
  2. Return to Settings β†’ Additional β†’ For developers and enable USB debugging.
  3. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.

Now run the commands in ADB Shell (pre-installing ADB Tools on your computer):

adb shell


pm install-existing com.miui.wallpaper




pm enable com.miui.wallpaper

If the first team didn’t work, try:

adb shell cmd package install-existing com.miui.wallpaper

Critical information: On some devices (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro) wallpaper carousel is tied to the package com.miui.home. In this case, you need to use the command pm install-existing com.miui.home and restart the phone.

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If ADB Does not recognize the device, update the drivers Xiaomi USB Drivers or try another one. USB-Often the problem is a faulty wire.

Method 4: Resetting the launcher settings

Sometimes the wallpaper carousel goes missing because of a failure in the standard MIUI launcher.

  1. Go to Settings β†’ Applications β†’ Application Management.
  2. Find the MIUI Launcher (or com.miui.home).
  3. Open the Warehouse and click Clear Data.
  4. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

After resetting, the launcher will return to the factory settings, and the wallpaper carousel should reappear.Warning: This method will remove all your widgets and the location of the icons on the desktop!

If the carousel doesn't recover after resetting, try installing an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher) and then go back to the standard one. Sometimes this "awakes" hidden system functions.

Forums XDA Developers and 4PDA often put out the system cuts APK-files, including wallpaper carousel, to install it manually:

  1. Download the current version APK for your model (for example, WallpaperCarousel_5.0.3.apk for MIUI 14).
  2. Transfer the file to the phone.
  3. Install it through any file manager (such as X-Plore or Solid Explorer).
  4. If the installation is blocked, allow installation from unknown sources in Settings β†’ Security.

⚠️ Attention: Installation of third-party APK This may affect the stability of the system. Use only files that are intended for your version. MIUI Incompatible versions can cause permanent reboots!

After installation, restart the phone. The wallpaper carousel should appear in the Topics β†’ Wallpaper menu.

Xiaomi modelMIUI versionAPK Carousel NameCompatibility
Redmi Note 10/1112–13com.miui.wallpaperComplete.
Xiaomi 12/1313–14com.miui.home (embedded)Demands ADB
POCO F3/F412–13WallpaperCarouselPartial (the driver may not be working)
Xiaomi Pad 5/613–14com.miui.wallpaperFull (requires a reboot)

What to do if nothing helps

If all of these methods fail, radical measures remain:

  • πŸ”„ Retracement to the previous version MIUI. Sometimes the carousel goes missing after the upgrade. Try rolling back through Settings. β†’ Updating the system β†’ Three points. β†’ Select a Service Package.
  • πŸ“¦ Install custom firmware. Firmware like Xiaomi.eu or Pixel Experience often includes all system components, including the carousel.
  • 🏭 Factory resets. Extreme measure, but sometimes it's the only thing that helps!

If you do not want to take risks, contact the Xiaomi service center, in official centers, you can reflash the device with the guarantee.

⚠️ Note: On devices with a bootloader, restoring the carousel may cause Google Pay or other services tied to SafetyNet to fail. Before experimenting, check SafetyNet status through the SafetyNet Test app.

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Before resetting or firmware, be sure to save data! Wallpaper carousel is not the most important feature, but losing contacts or photos can be a serious problem.

Can I restore the carousel without a computer?
Yes, in most cases there are enough methods through Settings or MIUI Hidden Settings. ADB and manual APK installation are only needed if the carousel has been removed at the system level.
Why does the carousel not automatically update the wallpaper after recovery?
Check the settings in Themes β†’ Wallpaper β†’ Carousel. You may have disabled the Automan option or not selected wallpaper sources (such as Bing or MIUI Cloud). Also make sure that the phone has access to the Internet.
The carousel works, but the wallpaper takes a long time.
This is a typical problem on slow Internet or when using a VPN. Try: Switch to Wi-Fi instead of mobile data; disable VPN or proxy; clear the cache of the Themes app. If wallpaper is still slow loading, select the Local Wallpaper source in the carousel settings instead of the cloud.
Can I transfer the carousel settings to another Xiaomi phone?
No, wallpaper carousel settings are not synced through Mi Account. However, you can manually save your favorite wallpaper to the gallery and install it on the new device via Themes β†’ My Wallpaper.
After the carousel was rebuilt, all the wallpaper was gone.
If the wallpaper was downloaded from the cloud (MIUI Cloud or Bing), it will be automatically downloaded the next time you update the carousel. Local wallpaper can be restored from a backup (if it was made) or downloaded again to Topics β†’ Online.