The situation when the wallpaper on the lock screen suddenly and without your knowledge changes on the Xiaomi smartphone is familiar to many users. Instead of a familiar photo or a static picture, you see advertising images, landscapes or news that are updated every time you turn on the screen. This is not a virus or a system failure, but the work of an embedded service called Lock Screen Magazine.
This feature was introduced by the developers of MIUI and HyperOS to monetize free devices, but for many it becomes intrusive. Often users do not even remember how they activated this option, because it can be activated automatically after a system update or installing security updates. To regain control of the appearance of your gadget, you need to find and disable specific system services.
In this article, we will take a look at all the possible reasons why wallpaper itself changes to Xiaomi.We will look at the settings of the standard carousel, Google services called Glance, as well as third-party applications that can intercept control of the lock screen. Follow the instructions carefully, as the paths in the menu may vary slightly depending on the firmware version.
What is a Wallpaper Carousel and Why It Turns On
The main culprit behind spontaneous image change is the wallpaper carousel system app, which downloads new content from the Internet and displays it on the lock screen, which is positioned as a way to personalize, but in fact often works in the background, consuming traffic and annoying users who prefer a static picture.
Activation can occur in several ways. Sometimes users accidentally click the "Enable" button during the initial setting of the smartphone. In other cases, the function is activated itself after a major update to the MIUI shell. It is also worth considering that in some regions (for example, India or Russia) specific firmware versions are preinstalled, where this service is a mandatory component of the system.
⚠️ Note: Disconnecting system services through ADB This method can cause the interface to work in an unstable way if you remove the wrong component. Use this method only if the standard settings don't help.
Understanding how this service works helps you find the right switches in your settings more quickly, and it's essentially a separate application that has its own permissions to access the network and change the background, and it's not a virus, but it's often viewed as undesirable by users.
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Before making changes to the system settings, it is recommended to back up important data, although turning off the wallpaper carousel is usually safe for user files.
How to turn off the wallpaper carousel in standard settings
The easiest and safest way to remove automatically changing wallpaper is to use the built-in system settings. In most cases, the problem is solved here, without the need to install additional software or use complex commands. The algorithm of actions can vary slightly, but the logic remains the same for all Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices.
You need to go to the settings menu and find the partition responsible for the lock screen. In the new versions of the HyperOS shell or MIUI 14, the path can look like this:
- 📱 Open Settings and scroll to Always On screen and Lock screen.
- 🖼️ Find the Wallpaper Carousel section (sometimes called Lock Screen Magazine).
- 🚫 Turn the switch to Turn the wallpaper carousel into the "Off" position".
- ✅ Confirm action if the system requests a confirmation of disconnection.
After you do this, the wallpaper should stop changing, but if you want to be 100% sure that the service won't start again, you can go ahead and clear the data, which is especially true if you notice that after you reboot the phone, the picture has changed again.
To fully deactivate, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. Find the Wallpaper Carousel in the list. Go inside and select Stop, then Clear, and Clear the cache. This will reset all accumulated settings and temporary service files.
☑️ Checking the carousel shutdown
Disabling Google Glance and other alternatives
If the standard carousel is disabled but the wallpaper is still changing, it is possible that Google Glance is active on your device.It is a similar feature, but integrated directly into the Google ecosystem, not the MIUI shell. It is often found on global versions of smartphones and also has the right to change the background of the lock.
To check and disable this service, follow the following steps: The path may vary depending on the Android version, but most often it is in the general system settings:
- Go to the smartphone settings.
- Find the Lock Screen (or Screen Lock).
- Inside the menu, look for the Glance or Review option.
- Turn off the switch to turn on Glance.
It’s also worth checking the settings of the Google app itself. Sometimes the Discover feature can sync wallpaper to your account. Go to the Google app, click on the profile avatar and select Settings → General. Make sure there are no active items associated with personalizing the lock screen.
⚠️ Note: On some Redmi Note and Poco models, Glance can be built deep into the system and not have a switch button in the normal menu. ADB or freeze the application.
Another reason could be themes. If you use live themes from MIUI Themes, they might have a built-in background change feature. Check the active theme: if it says "Dynamic Lock Screen" or "Washpaper Change," that's the problem. Just change the theme to standard or static.
Search for hidden applications and viruses-miners
In rare cases, spontaneous wallpaper changes can be caused by malware. Advertising viruses are often disguised as system processes or useful utilities (lightlights, memory cleaners, scanners). QR-Such applications may have permission to change the background of the desktop or lock screen.
How to identify a suspicious application? Pay attention to the following signs:
- 📉 A sharp increase in battery consumption by an unknown application.
- 📢 The appearance of banner ads on the desktop, not just in the browser.
- 📱 Icon without a name or with a transparent icon in the list of applications.
- 🔄 Wallpaper changes even after the complete shutdown of all carousels.
To find a pest, go to Settings → Apps → All apps. View the list carefully. Look for apps with suspicious names or no icons. If you find one, delete it immediately. It is also recommended to run the built-in Security antivirus, which is pre-installed on all Xiaomi.
What to do if the application is not removed?
When you remove suspicious software, be sure to change passwords from important accounts if you entered them during the virus' activity, and data security is more important than just returning beautiful wallpaper.
Using ADB to completely remove system components
If none of the above methods worked, or if the button on the menu is gray (inactive), you will have to resort to a more radical method - removing the system packet through the ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting the smartphone to the computer, but gives you complete control over the system.
To start, activate the developer mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on the build number (MIUI Version) 7 times. Then turn on USB Debugging from the Additional → For Developers menu.
Connect your phone to your PC, install ADB drivers, and type a command to remove the wallpaper carousel packet. The package name usually looks like com.miui.misystem or com.android.keyguard (be careful, don't remove the extra!). A safer option is simply to "freeze" the application with the command:
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.miwallpaperThis command will disable the system component that controls the wallpaper without physically removing it, and if you want to get it back, you just need to replace the disable-user with enable on the same command.
| ADB Team Team | Action. | Risk | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| pm disable-user | Disable the application for the current user | Low (can be restored) | |||
| pm uninstall | Completely removes the application | Medium (reflashing is required for return) | pm enable | Turns the app back on | Safe. |
| adb reboot | Reboots the device | Safe. |
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Using ADB is a powerful tool that allows you to remove even what is hidden from the user in the usual settings, but requires caution.
Static wallpaper setting and prevention of discharges
Once you have successfully removed the automatic image change, it is important to capture the desired image so that the system does not try to substitute its default. Often, after turning off the carousel, the screen turns black or returns to the Xiaomi stock image.
To set your wallpaper, go to Settings → Wallpaper. Select Local Wallpaper or Gallery. Select the photo you want and click Apply. It's important to select the Lock Screen and the main screen so that the image is fixed everywhere.
Also check the theme settings. If you have a third-party theme, it can force you to change wallpaper. Go back to the standard Classic or Default theme. Some versions of MIUI have Adaptive Wallpaper that changes colors depending on the time of day - make sure it's also turned off if you want full static.
⚠️ Warning: When installing live wallpaper (video background) battery consumption can increase by 10-15%. If you want autonomy, use only high-resolution static images.
Now your smartphone should look exactly the way you want it to look, not the way the advertising algorithms intended it to look. Check the list of installed apps regularly so that new SEOs don’t turn on the background change again.