How to disable App Vault on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Many owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones face an intrusive feature called App Vault (or “Tape of Widgets”). This is a special screen that opens when swiped to the right of the main desktop. Instead of the usual void or Android widgets, the user sees app recommendations, news, service shortcuts and even advertising.

While this may seem like a handy tool for some users, most Xiaomi device owners see it as a burden on the system and a source of visual noise, and it’s especially annoying that it often activates automatically after MIUI or HyperOS shell updates.

Fortunately, the developers have left the option to fully deactivate this module. In this article, we will detail how to disable App Vault on Xiaomi in a variety of ways, including standard settings and advanced methods for models where the off button is hidden.

What is App Vault and Why You Need It

App Vault is a proprietary development of Xiaomi, which is a content aggregator. In fact, it is a widget tape that is designed to quickly provide access to frequently used applications, pedometer, voice recorder and news sources. However, in practice, the functionality is often overloaded with banner ads and recommendations that are not useful to the user.

The main problem is that this module consumes RAM resources even when you are not using it. The com.miui.personalassistant process (or its analogues depending on the shell version) constantly hangs in the background, tracking your actions to generate personalized output, which can negatively affect the autonomy of the device, especially on budget models with a small battery capacity.

⚠️ Warning: Complete shutdown of system components through ADB This can cause an unstable launcher, and be careful when removing packages whose names you don't know.

There are several levels of disabling this feature, from simple hiding in desktop settings to deep deactivation of system services, depending on your operating system version and technical background.

Standard way to disconnect through desktop settings

The simplest and most secure method, which is suitable for most devices based on MIUI 12, 13, 14 and the new HyperOS. It does not require a connection to a computer and is executed in a few seconds directly on the smartphone screen.

To start, you need to get into the desktop control menu. To do this, press and hold your finger on any free portion of the home screen until the edit menu appears. In the lower right corner (or at the top, depending on the topic), click on the Settings gear icon.

In the list that opens, find the option “More” or “Widget Ribbon” (some firmware calls it “App Vault”). Click on it and you will see the switch. Transfer it to the “Off” position or select the option “No” if you offer a choice between a standard Google tape and a proprietary Xiaomi tape.

After that, when swiping to the right, either the standard Google Discover tape (if it is enabled in the settings) will open, or just a blank screen. This action does not remove the applications, but only hides their quick access through the sidebar.

Disconnection through the Security application

If the standard desktop path failed or the menu item was missing, you can try disabling the service through the system application Security. This method does not work on all versions of firmware, but it is worth trying, since it affects the optimization setting.

Open the Security app (green lightning icon). Quick optimization switches are often located at the top of the screen, but we need a settings menu. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Settings. Next, look for the section associated with Advanced Settings or Acceleration.

In some MIUI builds, there is a separate item called "Getting Recommendations" or "Personalized Recommendations," and if you disable it, you will prevent the system from collecting data to form a tape, which will effectively make App Vault useless even if it remains visually.

It is important to understand that the application is system-critical and critical to antivirus and memory cleaning. Don’t try to delete or freeze the application itself, just change its internal settings.

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Before changing your system settings, it is recommended to back up your important data in the Mi Cloud or Google Drive cloud in case of unforeseen errors.

Using ADB to Deep Shut Down

For advanced users who want to get rid of the process com.miui.personalassistant, there is a method using debugging over USB (ADB), which allows you to forcibly stop or even remove (for the current user) the system component responsible for the tape.

To start, you need to activate Developer Mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click 7-10 times on the MIUI Version or OS Version field until the notification “You’ve become a developer” appears. Then, in the “Additional” (or “Extended Settings”) menu, turn on “Debugging over USB.”

Connect your smartphone to your computer. The PC must have ADB drivers installed. Open the command line or terminal in the folder with ADB and enter a command to check the connection:

adb devices

On the phone screen, you'll see a request for debugging permission -- click OK. Once you've successfully connected, type a command to disable the component:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.personalassistant

⚠️ Note: If the phone starts to reboot cyclically after using the command, you will need to reset your settings (Wipe Data) via Recovery Mode.

This is the most radical method. It doesn't just hide the icon, it actually removes the executable file from the active user environment, and you can restore it by using the adb shell pm enable com.miui.personalassistant command, but it's easier to do a full reset.

Removal of system application updates

It often happens that App Vault “resurrection” after updating the system or individual components through the GetApps store. This is because the system application “Personal Assistant” receives fresh files and activates its services again.

To prevent this, you can roll back the app to the factory version. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. In the list, find "Ribbon widgets", "App Vault" or "Personal Assistant". Click on the name of the app.

At the bottom of the screen, you'll see the Remove Updates button, press it and confirm the action, and the system will return the component to the state it was in when it was in firmware, often depriving it of the functionality of recommendations and advertising.

After the version rolls back, be sure to disable the app from auto-updating. To do this, go to the GetApps app store, click on the profile and select Settings → App Auto Update → Never, or select a specific app and turn off the update only for it.

Nuances of work in HyperOS and MIUI 14

With the release of the HyperOS shell, Xiaomi has slightly changed the logic of widgets. Now the widget tape and the control center can be separated or, conversely, combined depending on the regional version of the firmware (Global, China, EEA).

Newer versions often have a split between "Widget Tape" and "Recommendations," and turning off recommendations alone can leave an empty tape that will still consume resources, so it's important to look for the entire tape switch.

It’s also worth noting that HyperOS has the option of replacing the launcher with more advanced counterparts like Nova Launcher or Lawnchair, which completely ignore Xiaomi’s system swipes, replacing them with their own gesture settings.

Global users often complain about the presence of a widget "Mi Video" or "GetApps" in the tape, which can not be removed by simply pressing, in such cases, only prolonged pressing on the widget and selecting "Delete" or "Hide" if such an option is provided by the launcher helps.

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In HyperOS, the system process structure has become more modular, so it may be necessary to deactivate several related services to completely shut down.

Alternative launchers as a solution to the problem

If the intrusive tape is not disposed of by built-in tools, or it returns after each update, the most effective solution is to install a third-party launcher, which completely replaces the desktop and menu.

Popular options like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher allow you to configure swipes as you wish. You can swipe right to open the notification curtain, launch a specific application, or simply leave this action without a reaction.

Installing an alternative launcher requires special permissions, and once installed, the app will prompt you to configure it as the main one, and you will also need permission to display over other windows and access contacts if you want to see call widgets.

The main advantage of this method is complete independence from Xiaomi’s policies regarding advertising and widgets. You get a clean Android-like interface even on a budget Redmi.

⚠️ Note: When installing a third-party launcher, some branded features such as "Second Space" or specific gestures MIUI, They may stop working or work incorrectly.

Modern launchers are optimized better than standard SystemUI and often run faster, especially on devices with 4GB of RAM or less.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)