Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often notice that when they unlock the device, instead of the usual static image, new bright pictures appear on the screen, sometimes with news headlines or promotional offers, many users perceive this as an intrusive feature or even a virus, not knowing where this “picture of the day” came from or whether it can be removed, in fact, this is a regular system service called Wallpaper Carousel (or Glance depending on the region).
This app is designed by Mi and preinstalled in the default MIUI or HyperOS shell, and its primary purpose is to automatically update the background image of the lock screen, creating the effect of an ever-changing interface. Although the feature was conceived to be personalized, it often causes annoyance due to advertising and excessive traffic consumption, which forces users to look for ways to turn it off.
The essence and purpose of the system service
The Wallpaper Carousel app is a dynamic mechanism for changing the visual design of the lock screen. Unlike the standard gallery, where you choose a static photo, it downloads content from the cloud. Algorithms pick up images based on your interests, time of day or just random sampling from the Xiaomi database, which allows the device to look different every time without the owner.
But it's not just about changing images, and it often has widgets embedded inside it that show news, weather, currency rates and, most importantly for the company, advertising integrations, and it's the ad nature of the content that often causes negative perceptions, which users see as an attempt to monetize budget smartphones by showing commercial offers directly on a locked screen.
⚠️ Note: In some regions, the service may be called Glance or Lock Screen Magazine. The essence of the work remains the same, but the interface settings may vary slightly depending on the version. MIUI.
It's important to understand that this is not a third-party software that can be simply removed like a regular program, it's a system component that is deeply integrated into the shell, and it's very closely related to the security system and the lock screen, and attempts to completely remove it through third-party launchers or ADB-Teams can lead to unstable operation of the system or the disappearance of the ability to put wallpaper in general.
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Wallpaper carousel is Xiaomi’s legal system service for dynamic background change, not a virus or malware.
Functional capabilities and advantages
Despite the criticism, the app has fans who value it for its features. The main thing is automation. You don't have to waste time looking for beautiful pictures on the Internet, selecting them and installing them. The service does it for you, providing visual diversity. For people who like aesthetics and novelty, it can be a nice option.
You can also select thematic categories in the settings, and you can specify that you are only interested in nature, cars, space, or animals, which makes the output more revered, and you can also note the smart lock feature, which sometimes offers interactive elements, such as steps or brief notifications integrated directly into the image.
- 🖼️ Changing high-quality images daily without manual user intervention.
- 📰 Ability to receive brief news reports and notifications directly on the lock screen.
- 🎨 Flexible content categories to filter inappropriate images.
- ⚡ Minimal impact on performance in the background with a stable Internet.
Where do the pictures come from?
Another advantage is that you save memory in a way: you don't have to store hundreds of photos in a gallery to change them periodically, the app cache clears automatically, making room for other data, but this only holds true when you adjust the refresh rate correctly.
Why users are annoyed by the carousel
The main reason for the negative is aggressive monetization: a free service has to make money, and Xiaomi chooses to display ads; online store banners, offers to install games or links to company services can appear on the lock screen, and for many, this looks like a violation of personal space and the purity of the interface.
The second important aspect is traffic and battery consumption, because the app is constantly accessing the network to download new data, it consumes mobile Internet if you are not connected to Wi-Fi. For users with limited tariffs, this can be an unpleasant surprise. In addition, constant activity in the background can slightly increase power consumption, which is critical for older smartphone models.
The third factor is intrusiveness: sometimes, advertising notifications can block important system messages or prevent you from quickly unlocking your device. Accidental clicking on banner ads when you pull your phone out of your pocket is a frequent complaint of users, which creates the feeling that you do not fully own your device.
Instructions for complete disconnection of the service
If you decide you don't need dynamic background change and ads, it's pretty easy to turn it off. It doesn't require root rights or complex code manipulation. All settings are in the standard system settings menu. However, the paths can vary slightly depending on the shell version.
You first need to go to the Settings menu. Next, you need to find a section that can be called Always on Screen and Lock, Lock Screen or just Lock Screen. In newer versions of HyperOS, this item is often listed in a separate screen settings menu. Look for a subsection called Wallpaper Carousel or Glance.
☑️ Shutdown algorithm
Once you log in to the service menu, you'll see the switch Turn on the wallpaper carousel. Turn it to the off position. The system may ask for confirmation or suggest leaving it on for "experience enhancement." Agree to shut down. Then go back to your desktop, and the next time you lock the screen, you'll see your static photo.
In some cases, especially on global firmware, the path might look like this: Settings → Wallpaper → Wallpaper carousel. If you can't find it in the standard way, search the settings by typing the word "Carousel" or "Glance." That's the quickest way to get to the menu.
Customization and personalization of content
If you don't want to completely abandon the service, but you want to remove the ads and the extra, you can do a fine-tuning. The wallpaper carousel menu has a Settings item (usually an icon of a gear or three dots in the corner), and you can turn off the display of advertising materials, leaving only pictures.
You can also adjust the refresh rate, so you can choose to change the image every day, every time you unlock it, or just when you connect to Wi-Fi, and you can save mobile traffic, and you can also choose whether you're targeting the image, whether it's portrait, landscape or both.
| Setup parameter | Description of function | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency of update | How often does the image change? | Once a day (to save battery) |
| Topics | Image categories | Choose 1-2 favorite genres |
| Notifications | News and advertising | Recommended to disable |
| Wi-Fi | Download only via Wi-Fi | Include to save traffic |
⚠️ Note: Even after disabling ads in the settings, some system images from Xiaomi may be promo-character. Fully clear stream 100% is not always possible.
And you can also choose sources, and in some versions of the software, you can connect third-party services or select specific albums from your gallery, if that's supported by the region, which makes the Carousel a convenient slideshow of your personal photos.
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To completely eliminate traffic consumption, in the Carousel settings, be sure to activate the option "Update only via Wi-Fi". This will save your mobile data.
Technical nuances and
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where after disconnecting the service, the images still change. This may be due to data caching. In this case, it is recommended to clear the app cache. Go to Settings → Apps → All applications, find the Wallpaper Carousel and click Clear → Clear the cache.
Another important thing is to update the system, because after a major MIUI update or a HyperOS upgrade, the settings can reset and the Carousel will turn on again, so after every major update, you should check this item in the settings, and new versions can change the layout of the menu, hiding it deeper.
For advanced users, there is the option of disabling through ADB if standard methods do not work or the menu item is blocked by the operator. The command looks something like this: pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.mishu.lockscreen. However, using this method requires caution, since erroneously disabling system packages can lead to bootloop (cyclical reboot).
Can I remove the app completely?
Comparison of standard wallpaper and carousel
To make a final decision, you have to compare two approaches to design: static wallpaper is a classic that doesn't distract or waste resources. Carousel is a live interface element that makes a smartphone look like an information terminal. The choice depends on your priorities: minimalism or informativeness.
If you use a smartphone for work or value concentration, a static image is the best choice, it doesn't have any extra elements, it doesn't require the Internet, and if the phone is primarily entertainment and news, then the Carousel can be a useful addition, provided you have the right filters.
- 🔋 Static wallpaper consumes zero percent of the extra energy, Carousel requires background activity.
- 📶 The Internet is mandatory for the Carousel, ordinary wallpapers work autonomously.
- 👁️ Static image is not distracting with notifications, carousel may contain information noise.