How to completely remove wallpaper on Xiaomi smartphone: from system to user

Removing wallpaper on Xiaomi smartphones seems like a simple task – until you encounter the nuances of MIUI. The system often leaves traces of old wallpaper in the cache, duplicates them in the gallery or even blocks the removal of “native” themes. This article will help you understand how to completely clean the device from unnecessary background images – whether it is standard wallpaper from Xiaomi, downloaded from Tems or installed manually.

We will cover all the current methods for modern versions of MIUI 14/15, including hidden features that are not obvious even to experienced users. Particular attention will be paid to the problems with “unremovable” wallpaper on the Redmi Note 12, POCO F5 and Xiaomi 13 models, where the manufacturer has restricted access to system files.

Why Xiaomi Wallpapers Aren't Removed in the Standard Way

The main problem is the MIUI architecture: it stores wallpaper in multiple places at once, and even if you remove the image from the gallery, a copy of it can remain:

• 📁 In a file. /MIUI/theme/.data — Here are stored thumbnails and cache tems
• 🖼️ In the system section /system/media/theme/default_wallpapers — wallpaper
• 🔄 In the Application Topic database (com.miui.miwallpaper)
• ☁️ In cloud storage Mi Cloud, if synchronization was enabled

Xiaomi also uses the mechanism of “smart wallpapers”, which are not just pictures, but dynamic packages with animations, their removal requires a separate approach, on some firmware (especially Chinese) wallpapers are generally blocked from changes without unlocking the bootloader.

⚠️ Note: On devices with a locked bootloader (most official firmware), trying to remove system wallpaper through a root file manager can lead to a loss of warranty and a launcher failure.

Method 1: Remove via standard MIUI settings

Let’s start with the safest method that works on all models without risking damage to the system, which is suitable for removing custom wallpaper installed through the gallery or the Topics app:

1. Open Settings → Wallpaper (or hold your finger in the free space of the desktop and select Wallpaper).
2. Scroll down to My Wallpaper section – all installed background images are displayed here.
3. Press and hold the desired background, then select Remove (basket icon).
4. Confirm action. If the option is inactive, the wallpaper is protected by the system (go to the following methods).

For dynamic wallpapers (Super Wallpapers):

• 🎨 Go to Settings. → Wallpaper. → Dynamic wallpaper
• 🗑️ Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Control
• 🔄 You can turn off automatic shifts or remove downloaded packets here.

If you have your wallpaper back after you delete it, check the settings of the Topic app (com.miui.miwallpaper), which sometimes includes the option to Restore after you reboot, which you need to manually disable.

Method 2: Clearing the cache and data of the "Themes" application

When the wallpaper is not removed through the interface, the problem often lies in the cacheted data, which will help reset all user settings of the themes, including background images:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Themes app (or Mi Wallpaper on newer versions).
3. Open Warehouse and click Clear Cache and Clear Data.
4. Restart the device – the system will reset all custom wallpaper to standard.

On some firmware (e.g. MIUI 14 Global), after cleaning the data, the wallpaper is reset to a standard black background. If you need to return Xiaomi's factory wallpaper, you can reset it through Settings → Wallpaper → Standard.

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Before clearing the data of the application "Themes" make screenshots of the current settings of the lock screen and desktop - after resetting, they will have to be configured again.

Method 3: Delete through file manager (without root)

For experienced users who are ready to work with system folders, there is a method of deleting Files (or MiXplorer) through the built-in file manager, which does not require root rights, but gives access to hidden directories with wallpaper:

1. Open the Files app and go to Categories → Images.
2. Enable the display of hidden files (three dots in the top corner → Show hidden files).
3. Go to /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/theme/.data/ /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.miui.miwallpaper/files/
4. Remove folders with wallpaper names (they usually look like them) wallpaper_12345 or com.example.theme).
5. Clean the cart and restart the device.

For standard wallpaper, the path will be different:

/system/media/theme/default_wallpapers/

But you can't delete files from here without root rights, because the system will give you an error, which is something that can only be done by flashing or using ADB (more on this below).

⚠️ Note: Delete files from the folder /MIUI/theme/ It can cause a launcher to crash on some firmware. If you have a black screen after the reboot, reinstall the theme through Settings. → Topics → Online.

Method 4: Using ADB to remove system wallpaper

If standard methods don’t help and the wallpaper is still displayed, it’s time for advanced tools. ADB (Android Debug Bridge) allows you to delete system files without root rights, but requires you to enable debugging over USB.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Developer Mode (7 times click on the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone).
2. Activate USB Debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute commands: adb shell pm uninstall-k --user 0 com.miui.miwallpaper This will remove the Themes app for the current user (both will reset to standard ones).
4. To delete specific wallpaper files, use: adb shell rm -rf /data/data/com.miui.miwallpaper/files/*

If you need to return the Themes app back, do:

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

This method works on all models, including the POCO F4, Redmi K50 and Xiaomi 12T, but requires caution – the wrong ADB commands can disrupt the system.

Method 5: Resetting launcher settings (last resort)

If all previous methods failed and the wallpaper is still displayed, the problem may be the launcher settings. MIUI uses its own launcher (com.miui.home), which caches the wallpaper separately from the system.

To reset his settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the launcher (or MIUI Launcher).
3. Open the Warehouse and click Clear Data.
4. Confirm the action - all widgets and wallpaper will be dropped to the factory.

On some firmware (e.g. MIUI 15 China), this method also resets:

• 📱 Location of icons on the desktop
• 📂 Folder and shortcut settings
• 🔍 Search and gesture settings

After resetting the launcher, you will have to reconfigure the desktop, but this is guaranteed to remove all traces of old wallpaper, including those that were sewn into the firmware.

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Resetting the launcher is the most radical, but also the most effective way to remove the "unremovable" wallpaper. Use it only if other methods have not worked.

How to Avoid Returning Wallpaper After MIUI Update

Many users are faced with a problem: after the system update, the old wallpaper returns, which is because Xiaomi saves the theme settings in the cloud and restores them when it first starts after the update.

1. Before updating, turn off the themes sync: Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud → Sync → Themes (disable)
2. Remove all custom wallpaper through Settings → Wallpaper → My wallpaper.
3. Clear the cache and application data of the Themes (as described in Method 2).
4. Update the system, and after the first start, immediately install new wallpaper.

A new feature on MIUI 15 firmware has been introduced, Backup Themes, which automatically saves wallpaper before updating, to turn it off:

• 🔧 Go to Settings. → Topics → Settings (cogs)
• 🔄 Turn off the auto-recovery option after the update
• ☁️ Turn off cloud-based themes synchronization

If the wallpaper is back anyway, check the /MIUI/backup/AllBackup folder for backups of the themes and manually delete them.

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing wallpaper on Xiaomi