Xiaomi Carousel App: What it is, Functions and Management

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face the situation when, after turning on the screen, instead of the standard screensaver, a set of beautiful images appear, replacing each other. Many users are scared, thinking that the device is infected with a virus, or simply do not understand where this feature came from.

The service, developed by LockScreen Media in collaboration with Xiaomi, is pre-installed on most of the brand’s current models, and its primary purpose is to show ad units, news and high-quality photos on the lock screen until you unlock the gadget. While it may seem intrusive, it has flexible settings that allow it to turn from an irritant into a useful personalization tool.

In this article, we will discuss in detail what the Carousel application is, why it consumes battery power and how you can completely turn it off or configure it to your needs, you will learn where the ad settings are hidden and how to manage the lists of image sources so that the lock screen is pleasing to the eye, and not interfere with work.

What is a wallpaper carousel and how it works

Technically, the Wallpaper Carousel is a separate system application that is integrated into the MIUI and HyperOS shell. It works independently of the main gallery and has its own lock screen access rights. When you press the on button, it is this service that intercepts the control of the display of the background, downloading content from predefined sources over the Internet.

The way it works is pretty simple: it caches a set of images in the background. When the screen goes out, it picks up a random photo from the cache. If the network connection is active, the set is updated periodically. The user sees not just a static picture, but a dynamic tape that can include landscapes, urban architecture, animal portraits and even promotional materials.

• 🖼️ Autoshift: Images change with each screen switch on or at specified intervals.
• 📡 Online Content: Requires periodic network access to download new wallpaper packs.
• 🔒 Integration with lock: The service operates at the security level, displaying before entering a password or fingerprint.

It's important to understand that Carousel is not a virus. It's a legitimate firmware component, but it can be perceived as undesirable because of the ad integrations. Unlike conventional live wallpaper, it has access to a deeper layer of lock interface that allows interactive widgets to be placed on top of the image.

⚠️ Attention: Some users mistakenly believe that removing this app will damage the system, but it is actually a regular service that does not affect the stability of the phone, calls or messages.

The main functions and capabilities of the service

Despite the skepticism of many users about advertising, the app has a number of useful features that make it an interesting tool for customization. Mi Carousel allows you not only to change pictures, but also to get information without unlocking your smartphone completely, which is especially true for those who like to check notifications or the weather often.

One of the key features is the ability to subscribe to specific topics: you can choose your interests: nature, technology, cars or art; the selection algorithm will try to show images that match your chosen profile; and in some regions, smart widgets that display currency rates or news headlines are available right in the background.

The system also allows you to rate content. If you like a particular image, you can save it to the gallery with a single touch, usually just swipe up or click on a special icon that appears on the lock screen, which is a convenient way to quickly assemble a collection of quality backgrounds without searching the Internet.

• 🎨 Subject selections: Opportunity to select categories of images (sports, space, minimalism).
• 💾 Saving to the gallery: the function of fast preservation of the favorite background in internal memory.
• 📰 Information widgets: Display date, time, weather and short news reports over the picture.

It is worth noting that the functionality can vary depending on the firmware version and the region of the Mi Account. Global ROM features are often wider than Chinese (CN ROM), where the emphasis is on local services. Users can switch between standard wallpaper and carousel at any time through the settings.

Why Carousels Can Irritate Users

Despite the stated benefits, the Carousel app is often criticized, mainly because of intrusive advertising. In the free version of the service, banner ads can occupy a significant part of the screen, and sometimes overlap important interface elements, such as call buttons or messages.

The second important aspect is resource consumption: As the app is constantly running in the background, waiting for the screen to turn on, and periodically loading data, this leads to additional battery consumption. For users who care about the autonomy of their Xiaomi smartphone, this can be a significant disadvantage, and there is a small but noticeable increase in mobile traffic consumption.

The third factor is random switching ons. The merry-go-round unlocking mechanism sometimes doesn't work properly: instead of instantly switching to the desktop after you type in the pin, the system can first show you an ad slide that you need to flip through, which creates a sense of lag and slows down access to the device, which is especially annoying in a hurry.

In addition, there are privacy concerns: To personalize content, the app collects data about your preferences and usage times. While Xiaomi claims data security, the mere fact of collecting information for targeted advertising raises questions about the user’s preferences and time of use_privacy_-user-oriented.

How to turn off the wallpaper carousel on Xiaomi

If you decide that standard static wallpaper is more suitable for you, the service can be easily deactivated. The process of disconnecting does not require root rights or complex manipulations with ADB, everything is done through the standard settings menu, which will return your phone to the usual look of the lock screen.

You have to go to the settings menu first. The path may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI, but the logic remains the same. Find the section that's responsible for the appearance of the system, which is usually called "Always on screen and lock" or simply "Screen lock."

Inside this menu, you'll see a switch that activates the carousel function, which can be called "Wallpaper Carousel," "Glance" or "Mi Glance," and you'll see the slider inactive, and the system will immediately apply the changes, and the next time you lock the screen, you'll see a standard static image.

Once you shut it down, the app won't be completely removed, but it will stop running and consuming resources, and if you want to go back to dynamic backgrounds in the future, you just have to activate the switch again, and no data will be lost.

⚠️ Note: In some firmware versions (especially in India and Indonesia), the disconnect point can be hidden or replaced with the "Delete" button, in which case the system will prompt you to delete the application, which is also a safe action.

Customization and personalization of content

For those who choose to leave the Carousel, but want to clean it up from advertising and debris, there are advanced settings available. The first step is to manage sources. You can see a list of connected image sources on the app menu, and often there are third-party services that broadcast ads.

To make the tape cleaner, you need to go to the carousel settings (usually the gear in the corner of the lock screen or a separate item on the menu), which should disable all sources labeled "Promo", "Ads" or with incomprehensible names. Leave only official Xiaomi sources or thematic collections without advertising.

You should also adjust the refresh rate. If you don't need to change your images every hour, select the option "Change when you turn on the screen" to reduce the CPU and network load, and you can also limit the use of mobile data to load wallpaper by allowing the update only via Wi-Fi.

Remember to periodically clean the app cache. Over a long period of use, it can accumulate several hundred megabytes of junk files, and you can do this in the Applications section -> Application Management -> Wallpaper carousel -> Clear the cache.

Comparison table: Carousel vs. Static Wallpaper

To determine whether you need this service, we suggest comparing the two modes of the lock screen, which will help to weigh the pros and cons in terms of performance and usability.

As you can see from the table, the Carousel wins in aesthetics and novelty, but loses in efficiency and speed. For owners of flagship models with large screens and powerful batteries, the difference in autonomy will be less noticeable than for budget devices.

The choice is left to the user: sacrifice a few percent of the charge for beauty or prefer maximum performance.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

💡

The wallpaper carousel is a personalization tool that can be flexibly configured or completely disabled without losing the warranty and functionality of the smartphone.

💡

If you want to get rid of advertising completely, but leave the wallpaper change, try in the Carousel settings to disable all sources except one or two with landscapes, and prohibit access to mobile Internet for this application in the traffic settings.