How to update the wallpaper carousel on Xiaomi Redmi: all ways and life hacks

The wallpaper carousel on Xiaomi Redmi smartphones is not just a decoration, but a full-fledged personalization tool that allows you to quickly change background images on the lock screen and desktop. However, many users face problems: the system offers the same wallpaper for months, new themes do not load, and old ones disappear after the MIUI update. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to update the wallpaper carousel – from standard settings to hidden functions and bypassing restrictions.

Redmi’s wallpaper carousel is closely linked to Xiaomi Themes, which is often unstable due to regional restrictions or cache errors. Not only will we show you how to force the wallpaper list to be updated, but we’ll also explain why some images may not show up on your model (like the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ or Redmi 10C).

Why the wallpaper carousel is not updated: the main reasons

If your Xiaomi Redmi persistently shows the same 5-10 wallpapers despite regular update checks, the problem lies in one of the following factors:

• 🔄 Themes cache is crammed with outdated data — the system continues to load old previews, ignoring new ones.
• 🌍 Regional restrictions: In some countries (e.g. Russia), some topics are blocked due to sanctions or licensing agreements.
• 📱 Outdated version MIUI: In firmware older than MIUI, the 13th carousel is updated less frequently due to lack of cloud synchronization.
• 🚫 Xiaomi account restrictions: If you are not logged in or use an informal firmware (e.g., Xiaomi.EU), access to the full theme database may be closed.
• 📶 Internet problems: Themes requires a stable connection to download high-resolution previews.

The most common mistake is that users try to update the carousel through Settings → Wallpaper, but this method only works for local images. To download new wallpaper from the cloud, you need to use a completely different algorithm (about it in the next section).

⚠️ Warning: If you use Redmi with custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), Xiaomi Themes service will not be available, in which case you can only update the carousel manually by downloading wallpaper from third-party sources (we will discuss them below).

Method 1: Standard Update through the Topics Service

The official method works on all Redmi smartphones with MIUI 12 and later. You do not need root rights or third-party applications, but you need an active Internet connection (preferably via Wi-Fi, as the previews of the wallpaper weigh 2-5 MB each).

Instructions:

1. Open the Topic app (an icon with a brush and palette). If it is not on your desktop, search the system (Skip down the screen → Search → “Themes”).
2. Go to the Wallpaper tab (usually it is the second on the left).
3. Scroll down to the Recommended or Popular block and click on the Update button (circle arrow icon).
4. If you don't have a button, pull the screen down (like when you update your social media feed) and force the new wallpaper to load.
5. To use wallpaper, click on your favorite image → Apply → select Lock Screen, Desktop or Both Screens.

After the carousel update, new wallpapers will appear in the Recent section, but there is a pitfall: Themes service shows different sets of wallpapers depending on the region of the Xiaomi account. If you are registered in China, you will have access to some topics in Russia, others in India, third. To circumvent this restriction, read method 3.

Check the Wi-Fi connection

Free up at least 500 MB of memory

Sign in to your Xiaomi account

Update the Themes app in the Play Market-->

Method 2: Forced cache cleaning (if wallpaper is not loaded)

If nothing happens after clicking on Update or if there is an error "Cannot download", the problem is cache clogged.

How to clean the cache correctly:

1. Close the Themes app (swipe it down in the multitasking menu).
2. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
3. Find the Topics list and open up information about it.
4. Click Warehouse → Clear cache (don’t click Clear Data, otherwise all downloaded themes will be reset!).
5. Return to the Themes app and repeat the update of the carousel (mode 1).

If after cleaning the cache, the wallpaper still does not load, try an additional trick:

• 🔧 Switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data (or vice versa) and repeat the update.
• 📡 Turn on Flight Mode for 10 seconds, then turn off and update the carousel.
• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone – sometimes it resets the suspended processes of the Theme service.

⚠️ Warning: On some Redmi models (e.g. Redmi 9A or Redmi 8) the Update button in the Topics app may disappear after cleaning the cache. In this case, use method 4 (manual wallpaper loading).

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If the wallpaper loads but it looks blurry, it's not a bug, it's a traffic saving. To get a full resolution image, connect to Wi-Fi and re-apply the wallpaper.

Method 3: Changing Xiaomi account region to access hidden wallpaper

As we mentioned earlier, the Themes service shows different sets of wallpapers depending on the country of the account. For example, the Chinese version of MIUI offers exclusive themes with anime characters or landscapes that are not in the global firmware, and you need to temporarily change region to see them.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → About the phone and 7 times click on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → Developer Mode.
3. Find the Set Region (or Set Region) and choose India or China (these regions have the most exclusive wallpaper).
4. Reboot your smartphone.
5. Open the Themes app and update the carousel. Now there should be new wallpaper.

Important: changing the region can affect the performance of some services (for example, Google Pay or Mi Pay). After downloading your favorite wallpaper, return the old region to avoid problems.

Method 4: Manual loading of wallpaper from third-party sources

If the Theme service is fundamentally not working (for example, due to custom firmware or lock in your area), you can update the carousel manually by downloading wallpaper from trusted sources, the main advantage of this method is that you get full control of the collection and can add any images, even those that are not in the official catalog.

The best sources of wallpaper for Xiaomi Redmi:

• 🌐 WallpapersCraft (wallpaperscraft.com) – wallpapers with a resolution of up to 4K, optimized for AMOLED- screens.
• 🎨 Backiee (backiee.com) is a minimalist and abstract wallpaper suitable for the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ and other high-resolution models.
• 📱 Zedge (Play Market app) is a large live wallpaper database with support for MIUI.
• 🖼️ Telegram channels (e.g. @MiuiThemes or @XiaomiWallpapers) are exclusive themes from the community.

How to add the downloaded wallpaper to the carousel:

1. Download your favorite image (preferably in the resolution that matches your screen – for example, 2400×1080 for the Redmi Note 10 Pro).
2. Save the file to the DCIM → Wallpapers folder (if you don’t have the folder, create it manually).
3. Open the settings → Wallpaper → My wallpaper.
4. Click Add and select the downloaded image.
5. Apply the wallpaper to the lock screen or desktop.

To make the wallpaper appear on the carousel as "systemic", use the Mi Wallpaper Carousel app (available on 4PDA or XDA Developers), which emulates the work of a standard carousel, but allows you to add any images.

💡

Download only PNG or JPEG wallpapers with a resolution of at least Full HD (1920×1080) and low-quality images will stretch, which will ruin the appearance.

Method 5: Using ADB to reset the carousel (for advanced users)

If all previous methods failed, you can force the wallpaper carousel settings to be reset via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting your smartphone to your computer, but is guaranteed to clear all the hanging processes associated with the Theme service.

What you need:

• 🖥️ A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB (download).
• 📱 Developer mode enabled and debugging by USB smartphone.
• 🔌 USB-Type C Cable (preferably original).

Instructions:

1. Connect Redmi to your computer and confirm the debugging permission on your smartphone screen.
2. Open the command line (Win + R → cmd) and type:

adb shell pm clear com.android.themes

1. Then do this:

adb shell am force-stop com.android.themes

1. Disconnect the smartphone from the computer and restart it.
2. After turning on, open the Themes app - the wallpaper carousel should be updated.

If after this procedure, the wallpaper still does not load, try to additionally perform:

adb shell rm -rf /data/data/com.android.themes/cache/*

⚠️ Warning: Commands ADB can cause all downloaded themes to be reset if you haven't backed up. Before performing operations, save your favorite wallpaper manually (method 4).

Problem Solving: Frequent Errors and Corrections

Even after a successful carousel upgrade, Xiaomi Redmi users are plagued by bugs, and here are some of the most common problems and ways to solve them:

If none of the methods worked, check if you have any limitations on background data for the Topic app:

1. Go to Settings → SIM- Maps and Mobile Networks → Data Transfer → Background Limitation.
2. Find the Topic list and disable the restriction.
3. Also check if the traffic saving mode is included in Settings → Battery and performance.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions