How to turn off wallpaper on the lock screen Xiaomi

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often encounter an intrusive feature that periodically changes images on a locked screen. This system, known as Wallpaper Carousel or Glu Wallpaper, is designed to diversify the visual experience, but in practice it often annoys users, distracts with notifications and consumes traffic. Many want to return a static, familiar image, but can not find the right option in the confusing settings menu. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to turn off automatic image change.

The problem is that the interface of the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS is constantly changing, and menu items can move, and there are different sources of wallpaper: built-in system, store themes and third-party applications. To effectively solve the problem, you first need to determine which mechanism is controlling the change of images in your particular case, and we will look at all the options, from standard settings to deep menu developers.

Understanding how personalization works will help you not only remove the extra, but also optimize the operation of the device. Automatic background change can affect the speed of unlocking and the operation of the fingerprint sensor under the screen. So turning off this feature is not only a matter of aesthetics, but also a way to make smartphone use more predictable and faster.

Disabling the wallpaper carousel through screen settings

The most common source of ever-changing images is the built-in Wallpaper Carousel, which is activated by default on many new models immediately after the first switch on, and to turn it off, you'll need to go to the basic settings of the system, find the look section that's responsible for the appearance, which in different versions of the firmware can be called Lock Screen or Wallpaper and personalization.

Inside this menu, you'll see a switch that turns the function on or off, which can be called "Enable Wallpaper Carousel," or just have an active status next to the service name, and deactivating this item will return the standard static image, and if the switch is already off but the images are still changing, then the problem lies elsewhere, for example, in the the theme used.

It’s worth noting that in some regions and firmware versions, the path to settings may vary slightly. For example, in global versions of MIUI 14, the path often looks like Settings → Lock screen. whereas in Chinese firmware or HyperOS, this can be hidden deeper in the Always On Screen and Lock Screen menu.

It's important to understand that once the wallpaper carousel is turned off, the system may suggest that you select a new static image from the gallery or standard set. This is normal behavior. The system mechanism should switch to static background standby mode. If that doesn't happen, try rebooting the device so that the changes take effect.

Managing theme and Glu wallpaper

The second most popular reason for changing pictures is the installed themes from the Themes store, and many users download beautiful designs without noticing that they include dynamic Glance Wallpapers. Even if you turn off the system merry-go-round, the theme can force the background to change through its own mechanism.

To check for and remove them, you need to open the Themes app. Go to the user profile, usually the little person icon in the lower right or upper right corner. Here, select My Topics. Find a topic that is currently active, and try to switch to the standard Theme Classic or Untitled. This action is guaranteed to remove any third-party scripts from the background change.

⚠️ Warning: Some themes may hide the delete or switch button. If the standard method doesn't work, delete the theme completely through the My Themes menu by clicking on the basket or cross icon, and then apply the standard style of design.

There's also a separate service called Glance, which is often preset to devices, and its settings can be separate from the main ones. Go to Settings → Lock screen and look for Glu Wallpaper. If it's active, turn it off. This service is often responsible for showing newsfeeds and ads along with changing pictures.

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Before removing the theme, take a screenshot of the title of the standard theme to quickly find it in the list if the list of designs is very long.

Once you go back to the standard theme, the system may suggest you turn on recommendation services. Be careful when reading pop-ups. Often, in small print, it says that turning on recommendations means activating wallpaper changes. Reject any suggestions to improve the user experience if you want a static screen.

Setting up a subscription to wallpaper in the Gallery app

The third, often overlooked, source of problems is the Gallery app, which has included a wallpaper subscription feature in the gallery in recent versions of MIUI and HyperOS, which can also change the image on the lock screen, a separate service that works independently of the themes and the system carousel.

To check this option, open the Gallery app. Click on the three dots in the top right corner to log in to the menu and select Settings. In the list that opens, look for the section associated with Wallpaper or Wallpaper Carousel. Inside, you can have either a Wallpaper Subscription or an Auto Update option active. Disabling this item will stop new images from loading through the gallery.

Sometimes this feature is disguised as "Recommendations" or "Enhanced Services." If you can't find an explicit mention of wallpaper, try finding "Receive recommendations" and disabling it, which will affect not only the gallery, but other system applications, which will generally increase privacy and reduce intrusive advertising.

• 📱 Open the Gallery app on the main screen.
• ⚙️ Go to the settings menu through three points or a gear.
• 🚫 Find and turn off the “Subscription to Wallpaper” switch».
• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone to apply changes.

Keep in mind that updates can bring these settings back to their original state, so if images start to change again after a major Android or MIUI update, the first thing to do is check the gallery settings. This module is often updated separately from the main system through Google Play services.

Comparison of disabling methods in different versions of MIUI

Different versions of the operating system have different menu structures, and users of older devices with MIUI 11 or 12 and owners of new flagships with HyperOS may need different solutions. Below is a table that helps you navigate depending on the version of your firmware.

As you can see from the table, the algorithm of actions remains similar, but the names of items can vary. In Chinese versions of firmware (CN ROM), the settings are often more aggressive in terms of implementing services. If you have a Chinese version but a global language, some items may be translated incorrectly or hidden, in which case you should focus on the icons and the location of the switches.

For owners of HyperOS devices, it’s important to note that the system has become more modular. Features that used to be in “Tems” can now move to “Settings” or vice versa. If you’ve recently updated, take the time to thoroughly inspect all the new menu items in the personalization section.

Use of third-party applications for the blocker

If you can't get rid of wallpaper change by system methods, or if you're annoyed by the standard Xiaomi blocker itself, you can use a third-party app. There are many Google Play programs that completely replace the standard lock screen, which is a radical but effective method.

Apps like Hi Locker or Acme Locker allow you to flexibly adjust screen behavior, so you can set them to show only time and notifications, without any background images or with a single static picture, and installing such an application will require special permissions, including access on top of other applications and permission to change system settings.

⚠️ Attention: Installing third-party blockers can lead to increased battery consumption and conflicts with system functions such as face unlock or fingerprint. Use this method only if standard tools do not help.

Once you install an app, Android can periodically reset it, returning the standard blocker, and you'll have to constantly confirm your choice of a new app when you unlock it. However, if your goal is to have full control over what's displayed on the screen, this method gives you maximum flexibility, and you can even customize your own wallpaper changes if you want.

Solving problems with intrusive advertising and resetting settings

Sometimes a wallpaper change is a symptom of a more serious problem with a virus or a malfunctioning system application. If you've tried all the methods and the images keep changing, you may have a malicious application installed on the device that forcibly changes the background.

Think about whether you've recently installed questionable programs, cleaners, batteries or apps to save traffic? Often they are the ones who implement their services. Check the list of installed applications in Settings → Apps → All apps. Look for names you don't know or apps without an icon. Removing suspicious software often solves the problem.

In extreme cases, if nothing works, you can reset your personalization settings. This will not delete your photos or contacts, but will return all the appearance settings to the factory. To do this, type the word Reset in your settings search and select Reset your Wi-Fi, mobile Internet and Bluetooth settings or, more radically, a full reset (don’t forget to make a backup!).

• 🔍 Check out the list of recently installed apps.
• 🗑️ Remove all unknown or suspicious programs.
• 🛡️ Run the built-in antivirus in the Security app».
• 🔄 Reset the lock screen settings through search.

Once the device is cleaned of debris and viruses, the problem should disappear. Digital hygiene is important not only for data security, but also for user-friendly interfaces. Regularly check the permissions of applications, especially those that request access to System Settings Change.

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In 90% of cases, the problem is solved by simply switching the toggle in the lock screen settings or changing the theme to a standard one.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)