Where is the tape of widgets on Xiaomi: search, configuration and hidden features

Xiaomi's widget tape is a convenient tool for quick access to information, such as weather, calendar, notes or smart home management, but many users are faced with the problem of where to find it? MIUI (12 to 15 and a phone model (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13T The location and appearance of the tape may vary, in some cases it is hidden by default or disabled in the settings.

If you don't see the widget tape on the home screen, it doesn't mean it's not there, it may be hidden behind a swipe gesture or disabled in the system settings. In this article, we'll look at all the ways you can detect it, including hidden settings. MIUI, We'll also tell you how to return the tape if it's gone after a firmware update.

First, determine which version MIUI It's installed on your device. You can do this in the Settings menu. → The phone. → Version. MIUI. It depends on where the widget tape will be located and how to activate it.

1. Standard location of the widget tape in MIUI

In most versions of the shell, the widget tape is on the home screen and opens with a swipe (finger wire) to the left of the first page with application icons. MIUI 13 and MIUI 14 on models like Xiaomi 12T, Redmi Note 11 Pro or Redmi Note POCO F4.

If you have never changed your screen settings, try the following:

1. Unlock your phone and go to the main screen (where app icons are displayed).
2. Make a swipe to the left (one sharp movement of the finger on the screen from left to right).
3. If the widget tape is active, you’ll see a panel with weather, calendar, quick settings or offers from Xiaomi.

On some devices (e.g. Redmi) 10C or POCO M5) The tape can be hidden behind a long hold on the home screen:

• 📱 Press and hold the empty area on the main screen.
• 🔧 In the menu that appears, select Screen Settings or Widgets.
• 🔄 Check if the option to Show Widget Ribbon is enabled.

If the swipe to the left doesn't work, it could mean that the tape is disabled in the system settings, which we'll talk about in the next section.

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On some models (e.g. Xiaomi Pad 6), the widget tape swipes to the right of the far right page of the home screen. Try both!

2.How to turn on the widget tape if it is missing

If the widget tape suddenly disappeared, it could have happened after the update. MIUI, Reset or accidentally shut it down. To get it back, follow these steps:

Method 1: Through the settings of the main screen

• 📱 Long press on the empty seat of the main screen → Screen settings.
• 🔧 Find the Widget Ribbon or Home Screen section.
• 🔄 Turn on the switch Show the widget tape (if it is turned off).
• 🔄 Make sure to select the left or right position (depending on the model).

Method 2: Through system settings (for MIUI 14 and newer)

1. Open the Settings. → Main screen screen.
2. Go to the Widget Ribbon Settings.
3. Activate the option to Show the tape and select Swipe left or Swipe right.
4. Save the changes and check if the tape has appeared.

If the tape never appeared after this, there may be a problem in the launcher (the program responsible for the main screen), in which case resetting the launcher settings will help:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Launcher (or “Home Screen”) → Storage → Clear Data

⚠️ Attention: Clearing the launcher data will reset the location of the icons on the home screen.

Take screenshots of the main screen

Remember the location of folders with applications

Check if the widgets are saved on the desktop

Make sure there are no important notes in widgets-->

3. Differences in the location of the tape on different Xiaomi models

Xiaomi manufacturer often makes changes to the interface MIUI for different smartphone lines, for example, on flagships (Xiaomi 13 Ultra, MIX Fold 3 Widget Ribbon Can Be Integrated Into Xiao Smart Assistant AI, a) on budget models (Redmi) A2, POCO C55) Its functionality is limited.

The table below shows the key differences for popular series:

On devices with POCO Launcher (e.g, POCO X5 Pro) The widget tape can be completely disabled by the developers. To get it back, you have to install a standard launcher. MIUI:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Annexes → Default launcher.
• 🔧 Select System Launcher instead of System Launcher POCO Launcher.
• 🔄 Reset the device.

On some models (for example, Xiaomi Civi 3), the widget tape has been replaced with a “smart screen” with content recommendations. MIUI or use a third-party launcher.

4. Customization and customization of the widget tape

Once you've found a widget tape, you can adapt it to your needs, add or remove widgets, change their order, adjust the information you display. Here's how to do it:

Addition of widgets:

1. Open the widget tape (swipe left/right).
2. At the bottom of the screen, click on the Edit or Add widget button.
3. Select the desired widget from the list (for example, Weather, Calendar, Notes).
4. Drag it to a free space in the tape.

Removal or relocation of widgets:

• 📱 Long tap on the widget in tape.
• 🗑️ To remove, drag it to the cart (delete icon at the top of the screen).
• 🔄 To move, hold and drag to a new place.

Configuring the displayed information:

Some widgets (such as Weather or Fitness) allow you to customize the display details:

• 🌡️ Click on the Weather widget → Select a city or turn on the humidity display.
• 📅 In the calendar widget, you can choose which events to show (from Google Calendar or Mi Calendar).
• 💡 Smart home widget allows you to control Xiaomi Mi Home devices directly from the home screen.

Nana MIUI 14 and later, the possibility of dynamic widgets that change size and appearance depending on the time of day or user activity:

Settings → Main screen → Ribbon widgets → Dynamic widgets → Enable

5.Why might the widget tape not work?

If you have followed all the instructions but the tape never appeared, the reasons may be as follows:

1. Update MIUI reset

After major updates (e.g., with the MIUI 13 on MIUI 14) the system may reset the launcher settings:

• 🔄 Reboot the phone.
• 🔧 Check the launcher settings (as described in Section 2).
• 📥 Install an update for the Launcher app on Google Play.

2. Conflict with a third-party launcher

If you use an alternative launcher (Nova Launcher, Apex Launcher), it can block the standard widget tape. MIUI. Decisions:

• 🔧 Return to the system launcher in the settings.
• 🛠️ In the settings of the third-party launcher, find the option to Enable widgets MIUI.

Productivity constraints (on budget models)

On entry-level smartphones (Redmi) A1, POCO C40) The widget tape can be turned off to save resources:

• 🔧 Try to turn it on through Settings. → Special facilities → Optimization of the system → Disable restrictions.
• 📱 Install a lightweight version of widgets from Google Play (e.g., Widgetoid).

System failure

If the widget tape is missing after a phone drop or an incorrect shutdown, do:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Launcher → Clear the cache

⚠️ Warning: If the tape doesn't show up after cleaning the cache, try Clearing the launcher data!

6. Alternative ways to access widgets

If the standard widget tape MIUI You don’t fit (or can’t turn it on), there are several alternative ways to get similar functionality:

1.Widgets on the main screen

You can add widgets directly to the desktop:

• 📱 Long press on the empty seat of the main screen.
• 🔧 Select Widgets from the bottom menu.
• 📱 Drag the desired widget (such as the Watch or Weather) to the screen.

2.Fast panels in the notification curtain

Some widgets are duplicated in the notification panel:

• 📱 Swipe down from the top edge of the screen (open the curtain).
• 🔧 Swipe left on the quick settings panels → Edit.
• 📱 Add a Weather Panel, Lantern or Smart Home.

3. Third-party launchers with support for widgets

Applications like Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher offer flexible widget customization:

• 📱 Install a launcher from Google Play.
• 🔧 Configure widgets through the launcher menu (usually a long press). → Add a widget).
• 🎨 Use icon themes for uniformity of design.

4.The application "Google" (Google Discover)

On some Xiaomi models, the widget tape can be replaced with Google Discover (Google News Feed):

• 📱 Long tap on the main screen → Screen settings.
• 🔧 Select Google Tape instead of the Tape MIUI.
• 🔄 Reset the device.

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If you need app-specific widgets (like Spotify or Telegram), check if the app itself supports Android widgets. Some programs (like VK) don't offer home screen widgets.

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When using widget tape, users often face typical problems, and here's how to prevent them:

Mistake 1: The tape opens by accident

If you often touch the widget tape when swiping on the main screen, you can turn off the gesture:

Settings → Main screen → Ribbon widgets → Opening method → Only by button

Error 2: Widgets are not updated

If the Weather or Calendar widget shows outdated data:

• 🔄 Reboot the phone.
• 📶 Check your internet connection (widgets require network updates).
• 🔧 Clear the cache of the app responsible for the widget (for example, Mi Weather).

Error 3: Widgets disappear after update

This is a common problem when switching to a new version. MIUI. To get the widgets back:

• 📥 Install an update for widget apps in Google Play.
• 🔧 Reset the launcher settings (as described in Section 2).
• 🔄 If the widget is constantly disappearing, try using its analogue from another developer.

Error 4: The widget tape is slowing down

On weak devices (Redmi) 9A, POCO C31) The animation of the tape can slow down:

• 🔧 Turn off animation in Settings → Special facilities → Remove animations.
• 🗑️ Clear the launcher's cache.
• 📵 Reduce the number of widgets in the tape.

Mistake 5: No Widget in the List

Not all applications support widgets for MIUI. If you don’t find a widget for Telegram or YouTube Music:

• 🔍 Check if there is a widget on Google Play (e.g. Telegram Widget).
• 📱 Try adding a widget through a long tap on the home screen (sometimes they are hidden there).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions