How to remove Xiaomi wallpaper: cleaning memory and disabling advertising

Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphone owners often face a situation where the gallery is crowded and the system is slower than usual. One of the hidden reasons for the lack of space is automatically uploaded images from the Themes or Wallpaper app. Many users do not even realize that the beautiful backgrounds that change on the lock screen occupy gigabyte space. Deleting these files requires understanding the structure of the MIUI and HyperOS file system.

The problem is relevant not only for owners of budget models with a small amount of internal memory, but also for flagships where digital garbage accumulates. Standard methods of cleaning through Explorer often do not give a complete result, since system processes can recover deleted data. In this article, we will discuss proven ways to remove Xiaomi wallpaper, turn off intrusive rotation and return the performance of the device.

Before you start taking drastic measures, you need to make sure you don't lose personal photos. System wallpaper and user content are stored in different directories, but an inexperienced user can accidentally delete the desired pictures. We'll look at secure action algorithms that guarantee only service files are cleaned.

Storage analysis and search for wallpaper files

The first step before any deletion is diagnostics, you need to understand how much graphics are used. In the MIUI shell, the built-in analyzer is responsible for this, but it does not always show a detailed breakdown by content type. For deep analysis, you should use third-party utilities or the built-in Cleanup tool.

Wallpaper files are usually divided into two categories: static, which you installed yourself, and dynamic, loaded by the wallpaper carousel service. The second type most often causes memory problems. The system caches dozens of images in high resolution so that when you swipe the screen, the picture loads instantly. This cache is rarely cleared automatically.

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Use the Files by Google app for more detailed folder analysis than the standard MIUI explorer – it better visualizes duplicate images.

To find specific files, go to the storage settings, and you'll see the overall busyness here, and if the Images section takes up a disproportionate amount of space when you don't have thousands of personal photos, then the problem is the system cache, and the analysis helps you identify those anomalies in a matter of seconds.

• 📂 Open "Settings» → «The phone» → «Storage” for overall evaluation.
• 🔍 Use a file search with the.jpg or.png extension in the system folders.
• 📉 Pay attention to the size of the “Themes” application in the application management menu.
• 🗑️ Check the folder "Recently deleted" in the Gallery, where the remains of wallpaper are often stuck.

It's important to understand that simply removing a file through a gallery is not enough, because a system can have multiple copies in different buffer zones, so a comprehensive approach to finding and destroying redundant data is the only solution to free up space.

Disabling the wallpaper carousel through settings

The safest and most appropriate way to stop the accumulation of garbage is to turn off Wallpaper Carousel, which is responsible for automatically changing images on the lock screen and updating them periodically over the Internet, and if you do not use this feature consciously, it is better to deactivate it.

To do this, go to Settings → Wallpaper. In the upper right corner or at the bottom of the screen, find the gear icon or the three-dot menu. This is where the key switches are hidden. You need to find the wallpaper carousel and turn the slider to the off position.

Once the feature is disabled, the system will stop downloading new images, but the old ones that have already been stored in the cache will not go anywhere, they will need to be manually deleted, as we will discuss in the next sections, and it is also worth checking the settings of the Themes application itself, since sometimes the settings are duplicated there.

⚠️ Warning: After the wallpaper carousel is turned off, the lock screen will return to a static image. If you are used to a new picture every day, you will have to put up with the monotony or look for alternative widgets.

Some versions of HyperOS may have a slightly different path. Look for the Lock Screen section in the general settings. There may be a separate Receive Content switch. Disabling this option also prevents media from loading in the background, which has a positive effect on traffic and battery consumption.

Manual removal through the conductor

If the software shutdown didn’t work or the files are already accumulated, you will need to manually clean. for this, the built-in file manager Xiaomi (Conductor) is perfect, but requires care. You need to go to hidden system folders where temporary data is stored.

Open the Explorer app and go to the root folder of the device. The path to the wallpaper cache is usually MIUI/theme/cache or Android/data/com.miui.personalization. Depending on the Android version and shell, the structure can vary. Look for folders with names that contain the words wallpaper, theme or cache.

When you select unnecessary files, press the delete button. The system may request confirmation because you delete the system application data. Accept if you are sure that this is the wallpaper cache. Often files have obscure names like img_29384.jpg, So, be guided by the size and date of the change.

Don't delete files with the.mtz or.mtheme extension unless you know what it is. These are archives of the themes themselves, and deleting them can disrupt the design integrity of the interface. Your goal is to have large-sized raster images (.jpg,.png).

After manual cleaning, it is recommended to restart the device, which will allow the system to recalculate the index of media files and correctly display free space in the statistics of the storage.

Cleaning the data of the application Topics

The most effective method, which works 99% of the time, is to clean the data from the Themes app itself, which will reset all the design settings to factory ones, but is guaranteed to remove all the accumulated debris, including the carousel cache and downloaded fonts.

Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. Find the Topics app on the list. Go inside and select Memory. Here you are interested in the Clean button (or Clear All Data) and don't confuse it with Clear Cache, although you can try this one first.

Once you click on Clear All Data, the system will alert you to the loss of settings. Confirm the action. Desktop and lock screen wallpapers can be reset to standard. This is normal behavior. You can reset the desired image from the gallery, but now it will be a single and clean file.

This method also helps if the application "Themes" is not working correctly, freezes or does not allow to change the background.

⚠️ Attention: Cleaning up the Themes app data will remove all the themes, fonts and effects you downloaded. If you have paid or rare themes, make sure they are synced with your Mi Account so you can download them again.

A deeper level of cleaning is available for owners of Root devices, but for most users, the method described above is sufficient. Do not climb into system partitions unnecessarily, as this can lead to a bootloop (cyclic reboot).

Use of third-party cliners

If the built-in tools don’t seem efficient enough or you want to automate the process, you can use specialized software. Cliner applications such as SD Maid, Files by Google or CCleaner can find residual files that are hidden from the standard Explorer.

SD Maid is particularly effective in CorpseFinder and SystemCleaner modes, scanning the file system for dead files left behind by remote applications and temporary files created by Xiaomi services. Run a scan and look closely at the list of found files.

Be careful with aggressive cleaning settings. Some programs can remove thumbnails from your gallery. That's okay, but the next time you open the gallery, the phone will take a long time to re-preview photos, which can cause heat and lag.

• 🚀 SD Maid: Best choice for advanced users, deep cleaning of system folders.
• 📁 Files by Google: A secure option with a good interface and smart duplicate search.
• 🧹 CCleaner: A popular tool, but requires careful attention to notifications and in-app advertising.
• 🛡️ AVG Cleaner: Additional battery monitors, but may be redundant for simple wallpaper cleaning.

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Third-party cliners are convenient for regular prevention, but for a one-time removal of Xiaomi wallpaper, it is better to use the built-in system tools or manual method through Explorer.

Using third-party software is especially important if you haven't audited your files in a long time and don't know where the memory eaters are, but remember that no program gives you more rights than the system has. If you don't have Root rights, the cliner won't be able to get into secure system directories either.

Preventing the re-emergence of garbage

After a successful cleanup, it is important to secure the result so that the problem does not return in a week.The main source of debris is automatic updates and synchronization. It is recommended to disable auto-update themes and widgets in the Themes app settings.

Go to the user profile inside the Themes app (human icon). In the settings, look for Auto Update Themes and select Never or Wi-Fi Only if you need updates. Also check your sync settings with Mi Cloud - sometimes the wallpaper is synced back to the device after you delete it.

Regular smartphone hygiene is the best protection, and once a month, take 5 minutes to check the Downloads folder and the cache of heavy apps, which will keep the device running for years to come.

⚠️ Warning: Don’t install questionable phone speeding apps from unknown sources, often becoming a source of advertising and junk files, nullifying all your cleanup efforts.

Also, limit the background activity of the Themes app. In the battery settings, find Themes and set a background activity limit, which will prevent the service from downloading content until you open the app yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)