Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face an intrusive feature that automatically changes images on a locked screen, a system known as Wallpaper Carousel or Wallpaper with Ribbon, originally positioned as a way to personalize, but in practice often turns into a source of advertising and unnecessary resource consumption.
Users are annoyed not only by the constant change of images, but also by the fact that to download new backgrounds requires an Internet connection, which can lead to imperceptible traffic consumption. In addition, the mechanism of widgets on a locked screen can negatively affect the autonomy of the device, causing the processor and communication module to work more actively than necessary.
Fortunately, the developers of the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS have made it possible to completely disable this feature. In this article, we will discuss in detail all methods of deactivating the carousel, from standard settings to deeper manipulation of system applications so that you can regain control of your gadget.
What is a wallpaper carousel and why it is annoying
The wallpaper carousel is a built-in MIUI shell service that replaces a static lock image with dynamic tape. In theory, this should be pleasing to the eye and provide relevant information, but in practice, algorithms often load low-quality content or banner ads.
The main problem is that the system is aggressive, and even if you have a beautiful photo, it can be replaced after a while without your knowledge, which is especially frustrating when you have apps or games on the lock screen, which violates the visual integrity of the interface.
⚠️ Attention: Some users mistakenly believe that turning off the carousel will remove all wallpaper.This is not true: you will simply return the ability to select one static image that will be displayed permanently.
Another important aspect is privacy, because it requires data collection about your preferences and geolocation to match relevant content, and by turning off the feature, you not only remove visual noise, but also improve the digital hygiene of your smartphone.
Disconnection through standard screen settings
The easiest and safest way to remove intrusive image change is to use a built-in settings menu, a method that does not require superuser rights and is available on all current Xiaomi firmware versions.
To start, you need to go to the main settings menu of the device. Find the section responsible for the appearance, which is usually called "lock screen" or "Always on screen and lock", and this is where the main switches that control the behavior of the system when the display is activated hide.
☑️ Algorithm of actions to disconnect
In the menu that opens, you'll see "Wallpaper carousel" or "Wrappaper with tape." Click on it to reveal additional options. Here you need to find the "Wallpaper carousel on" switch and deactivate it. The system can request confirmation of action or suggest to evaluate the cause of the disconnect.
Once you've done this, go back to your desktop and lock the screen. If it's successful, the image should become static. However, in some cases, especially on global firmware versions, the settings may be reset or hidden, so let's look at alternative ways.
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If the images still change after turning off, try to manually change the wallpaper in the gallery by selecting “Set on the lock screen” to beat the system priority.
Management through the Topics app
If the standard path through the settings is not working or the menu item is missing, you can use the Themes system app, which is the central hub for managing the visual design in the MIUI ecosystem, where the carousel settings are also hidden.
Launch the Themes app on your smartphone. In the lower right corner of the screen, find the profile icon(s), clicking on it will open the menu of your account, where among the many options you need to find the Settings item.
Inside the app settings, scroll down to the wallpaper carousel block. There may be several scenarios depending on the shell version:
- 📱 Switch "On" - just turn it off to stop the background update.
- 📶 Update over Wi-Fi – If you don’t want to completely disable the feature but want to save traffic, select this option.
- 🗑️ Clear Cache button – helps remove uploaded advertising images, freeing up space.
Importantly, newer versions of HyperOS may have different logics, and sometimes you don't just turn off the switchboard, but you need to choose a specific set of wallpapers or go to "No Carousel" mode. The interface may look different depending on the region where your Mi Account is registered.
⚠️ Warning: When using the Themes app, be careful with the Reset All Settings button.This action will return themes and wallpapers to factory ones, but may also delete your personal collections.
Comparison of disabling methods in different versions of MIUI
Xiaomi firmware varies greatly depending on the region (China, Global, Russia) and the shell version (MIUI 12, 13, 14, HyperOS).
The table below shows a comparison of the location of settings in different versions of the software, which will help to orientate if the names of items are different from those described above.
| Shell version | The Way in Settings | The path in the annex Topics | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIUI 12 Global | Settings → Lock screen | Profile → Settings → Carousel | Often contains a lot of advertising |
| MIUI 13/14 | Settings → Always on screen. | Profile → Settings → Wallpaper with tape | Blocking widgets added |
| HyperOS | Settings → Wallpaper and personalization | Integrated into the gallery | Stricter control of advertising |
| Chinese version | Settings → Lock screen | My resources → Settings | Maximum number of functions |
As you can see from the table, in recent versions of HyperOS, developers are trying to unify the experience by moving settings closer to the personalization section. However, if you use the Chinese version of firmware with a global language, some items may be called differently or hidden in the depths of the menu.
If neither path works, your carrier or a specific software modification may be blocking these settings from changing, so it’s worth checking for system updates, as new patches often change the structure of the menu.
Disconnection through Gallery settings
Many users are unaware that the Gallery app in Xiaomi smartphones is closely linked to the wallpaper system, which is often the initial activation and subsequent control of the carousel.
Open the Gallery app and go to the "Recommendations" section or click on the three dots in the corner of the screen to call the menu. Select "Settings" and look for the option associated with "Wallpaper Carousel" or "Receiving recommendations."
Why are the settings duplicated?
Inside the gallery settings, turn off the "Receive recommendations" or "Automatically update wallpaper" switch, which will prevent the app from downloading new image packets in the background.
Also worth checking is permissions for the Gallery app. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps → Gallery → Permissions. If you want to completely eliminate the download option, you can restrict mobile Internet access by leaving only Wi-Fi, or completely disable data transfer, although this may disrupt other functions of viewing photos from the cloud.
Radical methods: disabling system components
If standard methods don’t work and the carousel returns on its own (which happens with some failures or specific versions of software), more radical measures can be taken, which require caution, but give a 100% guarantee of the result.
It's about disabling the system application that's responsible for this function, which can be called "Wallpaper Carousel," "Wallpaper Carousel," or be packet-named com.miui.mishell.lockscreen.
For this method, you will need a computer and the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) platform, or install a special application manager on the smartphone itself (permission to install from unknown sources is required).
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.mishell.lockscreenRunning this command through ADB completely freezes the carousel component, it stops showing up in the app list, taking up space in memory, and trying to start processes. To get it back to normal, use the command to replace disable-user with enable.
⚠️ Note: Disconnect system components through ADB This method can cause an unsteady interface if you affect the wrong services. Use this method only if you are confident in your actions and know the exact name of the package.
An alternative for advanced users is to use freezer applications such as Freezer or Titanium Backup (requires Root rights), which allow you to disable system applications without using a computer, directly from the smartphone interface.
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Complete disabling of the system component is the only way to get rid of the carousel if it is imposed by updates or hidden operator settings.