Why Xiaomi Phone Changes Wallpaper to Standard Wallpaper and How to Fix It

You installed beautiful wallpaper on your Xiaomi, but after a while you discovered that the phone returned the standard desktop background? This problem is familiar to many owners of smartphones based on MIUI - from the budget Redmi to the flagship Xiaomi 13/14.

In this article we will discuss in detail 7 The main reasons Xiaomi is changing its wallpaper itself are from automatic theme updates to malicious apps. You will also find step-by-step instructions for diagnosing and fixing the problem, including hidden settings. MIUI, And we're going to focus on Android-based firmware models. 13/14, where wallpaper-reset algorithms have become more aggressive because of energy-saving policies.

If you're tired of re-installing wallpaper every time, this article will help you solve the problem once and for all, starting with the most obvious reasons and gradually moving on to rare but critical cases.

1. Automatic update of MIUI theme

One of the most common reasons for wallpaper resets is the MIUI auto-update feature, which allows the system to download and apply new themes from the official Mi Theme Store by overwriting your personal settings, not just for background images, but also for icons, fonts, animations.

Especially often, the problem manifests itself after weekly MIUI updates (if you participate in a beta program) or when connecting to Wi-Fi after a long network absence.The Xiaomi algorithm can interpret this as a "first connection" and reset the theme to factory.

  • 📱 How to check: Go to Settings → Theme → Settings of the topic → Auto-update themes.
  • ⚙️ How to disable: Translate the slider Auto Update Themes to Off position..
  • 🔄 In the same menu, disable the Recommendations so that the system does not offer to change the wallpaper.

If the option is disabled, but the wallpaper is still reset, the cause may lie deeper, for example, in the cache of the Themes app.

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Themes → Storage → Clear cache
📊 Your Xiaomi smartphone is participating in beta testing MIUI?
Yeah, I get weekly updates.
No, just stable versions.
I don't know how to check that.
I have custom firmware.

2. Energy efficiency and background activity

Starting with MIUI 12 (and especially relevant for MIUI 14 on Android 13/14), Xiaomi aggressively optimizes background processes to save battery life.In some cases, the system can force the Gallery app or Mi Wallpaper Carousel (wallpaper service) to close, resulting in a background image reset.

This problem is most often seen on models with low RAM (Redmi 9A, Poco M3) or in activated Ultra-Energy Saving mode, and reset can occur after a deep battery drain (below 5%), when the system resets some settings for stable operation.

  • 🔋 Check the battery settings: Settings → Battery → Battery mode (select Balanced instead of Energy Saving).
  • 🚫 Eliminate applications from optimization: Go to Settings → Annexes → App management. Find Gallery and Themes, open their settings. Select Battery. → No restrictions.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (MIUI 13.5+) The option No restrictions can be hidden. ADB-The command to unlock: adb shell dumpsys deviceidle whitelist +com.miui.gallery This team adds Gallery to whitelist background processes.

Turn off Power Saving mode |Add Gallery and Themes to exceptions |Reboot phone after changes | Check wallpaper after long downtime-->

3. Conflict with wallpaper applications

If you use third-party wallpaper installation applications (e.g. Zedge, Walli, Backdrops), they may conflict with the Mi Wallpaper Carousel system service.

  • 🛑 The application requests permission to change system settings (for example, to automatically change wallpaper on a schedule).
  • 🔄 The application is updated in the background and “interrupts” the current settings.
  • 📱 You set up wallpaper through APK-Files, not through official sources.

If you still want to use third-party wallpaper, try installing them manually through Settings → Wallpaper, not through automatic app synchronization.

4. Reset settings after MIUI update

After major MIUI updates (e.g., from MIUI 13 to MIUI 14), the system may reset some personal settings, including wallpaper.

  • 📦 Changes in the structure of configuration files (for example, the path to wallpaper in the new version may differ).
  • 🔧 Cleaning the cache of system applications during the update.
  • 🛠️ Incompatibility of old themes with new shell version.
  • For Android 13+ models, check Settings → Display → Adaptive Wallpaper and turn off the option.

If the problem persists, clear the System Settings app cache (Settings → Applications → System Settings → Storage → Clear the cache).

After the factory reset, the wallpaper is reset again. What do we do?
This points to a deep software problem, possibly related to: Partition /data damage in internal memory; conflict with Mi Account (if you have recovered data from the cloud); incompatibility of the current firmware with your model. Solution: Complete a full reset with Mi Cloud recovery disabled. If it doesn't work, run your phone through Fastboot erase userdata. Check if the phone has custom firmware (e.g. xiaomi.eu) installed on it, which can conflict with wallpaper.
Can I turn off the wallpaper dumping forever?
There is no 100% guarantee, but you can minimize the risk: Turn off all automatic updates (meaning MIUI, Google Play). Use static wallpaper (no animations or live effects); install an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher) and block it from optimization. Check your phone regularly for viruses. Some firmware (e.g. MIUI 14 Global) resets wallpaper less often than the Chinese version (MIUI China).
Why are the wallpapers dropped at night?
This is due to the MIUI night optimization mode. By default, the system performs: Cache Clearing at 3:00 (may hit wallpaper services); Check for theme updates (if auto-update is enabled); Sync with Mi Cloud (if there is a conflict of wallpaper versions); How to disable: Settings → Battery → Sleep Mode → Planner → Disable Night Optimization Also check Settings → Additional → Task Planner and delete tasks related to com.miui.miwallpaper.
On my Redmi Note 10 Pro, the wallpaper is reset every time you connect to your computer. Why?
It's a known problem. MIUI when connected MTP (The reason is a conflict between Media Provider and Wallpaper Service, which occurs when scanning storage. Solutions: Connect your phone in Charging Only (no file transfer). → Annexes → All applications → Wallpaper. → Stop Use to Transfer Files FTP-server (for example, via MiXplorer) instead of MTP.