Where in Xiaomi is stored wallpaper: all the ways to system and user backgrounds

Have you ever tried to find a beautiful background pattern from Xiaomi’s standard collection to use on another device or just save? or wanted to return a deleted user image that used to stand on the lock screen? In MIUI, wallpaper is scattered across several hidden folders, and their paths depend on the firmware version, smartphone model, and even the installation method (via gallery or theme).

In this article, we will not only show you the exact paths to the folders with wallpaper on Redmi, POCO and Mi, but also explain how to access them – from a simple file manager to ADB commands.

• 📱 Standard wallpaper MIUI (including dynamic and dark variants)
• 🖼️ Custom backgrounds downloaded from a gallery or the internet
• 🎨 Wallpaper from the themes of design (including paid collections)
• 🔒 Hidden system files that are not displayed in the Explorer

We will focus on the difference between the global and Chinese versions of MIUI, where the paths to wallpaper can be very different, and we will also discuss why some files have the.mtz extension and how to unpack them.

1. Standard MIUI wallpaper: where to look for built-in backgrounds

Xiaomi’s built-in wallpaper is divided into two categories: basic (installed with firmware) and additional (downloaded through the Themes app). The first is stored in the system partition and requires root rights to access, the second is in user memory.

The main path to standard wallpaper (for MIUI 12-14):

/system/media/theme/default_wallpaper/

In this folder you will find files with names like:

• 🌄 miui_wallpaper_normal.jpg — light-size
• 🌙 miui_wallpaper_dark.jpg — dark-size
• 📱 lockscreen_wallpaper.jpg — background

⚠️ Note: On the Chinese versions MIUI (For example, on the Redmi Note. 12 Pro+ 5G For the Chinese market, the path may look like /miui/theme/default_wallpaper/. Use a root-enabled file manager (such as Mixplorer) to see these folders.

If you have a global version of MIUI, try an alternative route:

/data/system/users/0/wallpaper/

It stores the current lock screen and home screen wallpaper in.png or.jpg format, but with automatically generated names (e.g., the name of the lock screen, wallpaper_lock_1689234567.jpg).

2. Custom wallpaper: where loaded backgrounds are stored

All wallpapers you install manually (from a gallery, downloads or third-party applications) are stored in accessible folders, and their location depends on the method of installation:

An important nuance: if you cut the wallpaper during installation (for example, fit under the screen), MIUI saves the source file in the Wallpapers folder, and the cropped version in the cache of the system.

/data/data/com.android.systemui/cache/

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If you can't see the Wallpapers folder in Pictures, create it manually and reboot the smartphone, and then MIUI will start saving wallpaper there automatically.

3. MIUI wallpaper: how to get files from.mtz archives

Xiaomi's themes have the.mtz extension, which is an archive that contains not only wallpaper, but also icons, fonts, sounds, and to extract backgrounds from them, you'll need:

1. Download the theme in.mtz format (e.g. from /storage/emulated/0/MIUI/theme/.data/).
2. Rename the file to.zip and unpack it through an archiver (e.g. WinRAR or 7-Zip).
3. The wallpaper will be in the wallpaper/ folder inside the archive.

Example of the structure of the unpacked theme:

theme_name.mtz → Rename to theme_name.zip → unpack → folder wallpaper/




├── lockscreen.jpg




├── homescreen.jpg




└── preview.jpg (preview)

⚠️ Note: Some themes use vector wallpapers (.svg format) that won't open in a standard gallery. Use apps like Inkscape or Adobe Illustrator to view them.

If you want to save wallpaper from a paid theme, but do not want to buy it, use the workaround:

Set the theme in preview (click "Apply" in the preview window) |Cancel theme immediately in 2-3 seconds |Check the folder /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.miui.miwallpaper/cache/ - there may be temporary wallpaper files |Copy them to a safe place before clearing the cache-->

4.How to find wallpaper through ADB (no root)

If you don’t have root rights but need to get out the system wallpaper, use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which works even on locked smartphones.

Instructions:

1. Install ADB Tools on your computer.
2. Enable USB debugging on your smartphone (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times click on version → Return to Additional Settings → For Developers → Debugging over USB).
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute a command to copy the wallpaper:

adb pull /system/media/theme/default_wallpaper/ C:\Xiaomi_Wallpapers\

For custom wallpaper use:

adb pull /storage/emulated/0/Pictures/Wallpapers/ C:\My_Wallpapers\

If the command returns a Permission denied error, try an alternative path for MIUI 14:

adb shell "su -c 'cp -r /data/system/users/0/wallpaper/ /sdcard/'"

This command copies the current wallpaper to the root of the internal memory (wallpaper folder).

5. Where dynamic and live wallpaper is stored

Dynamic wallpapers (e.g., Earth or Space in MIUI 13/14) and live wallpaper (animated backgrounds) are stored separately from static images, with files with extensions.mp4,.gif or.apk (for interactive wallpaper).

Main paths:

• 🌍 /system/priv-app/WallpaperCarousel/WallpaperCarousel.apk — dynamic wallpaper application (requires extraction through APK Extractor).
• 🎥 /data/app/~~live_wallpaper_id~/ — Folders with live wallpaper (the name of the folder depends on the ID wallpaper).
• 📁 /storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/com.miui.livewallpaper/ — cache of animated backgrounds.

To extract the video wallpaper:

1. Download the APK Extractor app from Google Play.
2. Find it in the list of WallpaperCarousel.apk and export it.
3. Rename the file to.zip and unpack it – the video wallpaper will be in the folder assets/.

⚠️ Note: Some dynamic wallpapers in MIUI 14 protected DRM. If the video is not played after extraction, try using the player. VLC hardware-codec-deactivated.

6. How to restore deleted wallpaper on Xiaomi

If you accidentally deleted the wallpaper from the gallery or it disappeared after resetting the settings, try the following recovery methods:

Method 1: Checking the basket

MIUI has a built-in Recycle Bin for deleted files. Open Files → Recycle Bin → find the Wallpapers or Pictures folder. Shelf life is 30 days.

Method 2: Recovery through DiskDigger

1. Install DiskDigger from Google Play.
2. Select the Internal Memory section and start the scan.
3. Filter the results for extensions.jpg,.png.
4. Find the wallpaper by date of removal (usually they weigh 1-5 MB).

Method 3: Extract from the MIUI backup

If you have a backup created through Settings → Additional → Backup, the wallpaper can be stored in a backup file (.mia) to retrieve them:

1. Rename the backup file to.zip.
2. Unpack the archive and find the wallpaper/ folder.

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If the wallpaper was installed through the Themes, it cannot be restored by standard methods, in which case the only way is to re-download the theme from the MIUI store.

7. Difference in the location of wallpapers on different Xiaomi models

Paths to wallpaper may vary depending on the model and version of MIUI. Below is a comparison table for popular devices:

On POCO with custom firmware (for example, Pixel Experience), wallpaper is stored according to the standards of Android Stock:

/system/priv-app/WallpaperPicker/res/drawable/

To accurately determine the path on your model:

1. Install Root Explorer or FX File Explorer.
2. Turn on the display of hidden files.
3. Enter the wallpaper search or miui_wallpaper.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi wallpaper