How to Replace Xiaomi Widget Ribbon with Google Discover Ribbon: The Complete Guide

Xiaomi’s widget tape is a handy tool for quick access to information, but many users prefer the more personalized Google Discover.This tape offers news, weather, sports results and recommendations based on your interests, rather than static widgets from MIUI. However, not everyone knows that on most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices you can completely replace the standard tape with Google Discover – and make it easier than it seems.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can activate Google Discover instead of a widget feed, including the official MIUI settings, workarounds for older firmware versions, and hidden options, and learn which models support this feature, how to get it back if something goes wrong, and why some users experience setup errors.

Note: The process may be slightly different depending on the version. MIUI (14 or 15) But the basic principles remain the same. If you use Xiaomi, 13/14, Redmi Note 12 or POCO F5, The chances of success are maximum for older devices (e.g. Redmi). 9 or POCO X3) Additional manipulations may be required.

Why Google Discover is better than Xiaomi’s standard widget tape

Before you go to the settings, it is worth understanding how Google Discover compares favorably with the native MIUI feed:

• 🔍 Interest-based personalization: Google algorithms analyze your search queries, visited sites and activity in apps to show relevant content. Unlike static weather widgets or calendars, here you will see news on your hobbies, YouTube video recommendations, or current sports events.
• 🌍 Global news and trends: Updated in real time and highlighting the most talked-about topics in your region or around the world, it's convenient if you're following important events.
• ⚡ Quick access to Google services. From the feed, you can immediately open Gmail, Google Calendar, Translate or Maps without searching the menu.
• 🎨 You can turn off unnecessary topics (such as sports or politics), change the order of blocks, and even choose news sources.

Of course, the standard MIUI tape also has its advantages: it consumes less battery (because it doesn’t update in the background) and is integrated with Xiaomi’s branded services like Mi Fit or Mi Home. But if you’re actively using Google’s ecosystem, replacing it is a logical move.

Important: Some Xiaomi devices for China (with CN firmware) may have Google Discover blocked at the system level, requiring a change of region or installation of Global/EEA.

How to enable Google Discover through MIUI settings

On most modern Xiaomi smartphones (starting with MIUI 12.5 and later), the ribbon replacement feature is built into the system.

1. Open the Settings (⚙️) mainscreen.
2. Go to the Main Screen (or Desktop on some versions).
3. Find the item Application Tape or Widget Ribbon (in English firmware - App Vault).
4. Turn on the Google Discover switch (could be called Google Feed or Discovery).
5. Confirm the change if a request for data access is made.

Then swipe to the right of the home screen, instead of MIUI widgets, you'll see Google Discover tape. If the option is not on the menu, then your model doesn't support an official replacement (more on that below).

Check the MIUI version (should be 12.5+)

Update Google Services to Play Market

Clear the cache of the MIUI Tape application (Settings → Applications → Tape → Storage → Clear the cache)

Make sure that the Google app is updated to the latest version-->

Note: On some devices (e.g. POCO F4 or Xiaomi 12T), the option may be called Google Now instead of Discover.

What to do if you don’t have Google Discover option

If you haven’t found a point to include Google Discover in the MIUI menu, it could mean one of three:

• 📱 Outdated firmware. MIUI below 12.5, the function may not be available. Solution: Update the system through Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🌐 Regional restrictions on devices for China (CN) or (IN) Solution: change region to Russia, Global or EEA (see section below).
• 🔧 Lack of Google services on some models (e.g. Xiaomi for Europe without Google) GMS) Solution: Install custom firmware with support for Google Mobile Services.

The most reliable way to check support is to try calling Google Discover manually.

1. Hold your finger in the free seat of the main screen.
2. Select Home Screen Settings (or Wallpaper and Style on MIUI 14+).
3. Try to find the Google Tape item in additional settings.

If that doesn’t work, move on to alternative methods.

Change the firmware region to unlock Google Discover

If your Xiaomi smartphone is originally designed for China or another region without full support for Google services, you can try changing the firmware region.

Instructions for changing the region:

1. Download the full firmware for your model from the official Xiaomi website (choose Global or EEA version).
2. Rename the file to update.zip and place it in the root folder of internal memory.
3. Open the Updater app, click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Select the firmware file.
4. Please specify the path to update.zip and confirm the installation.
5. After the reboot, the device will be reset and the Google Discover option will appear in the settings.

⚠️

Note: Some models (e.g. Redmi K50 or Xiaomi 12S) are region-specific, in which case a change in firmware may result in a network or camera lock. Check compatibility on 4PDA or XDA Developers forums before the procedure.

An alternative way is to use MIUI Region Changer (requires an unlocked bootloader), which allows you to change the region without completely flashing, but does not work on all devices.

Alternative methods: how to make Google Discover work on non-resistant Xiaomi

If the official methods don't work, you can try workarounds, which are less reliable, but sometimes they help.

Method 1: Installation of the Nova Launcher

• Download Nova Launcher from Play Market.
• In the launcher settings, select the Main Screen → Google Tape.
• Activate the option to Enable Discover.
• Return to the main screen and swipe to the right – the tape should appear.

Method 2: Use of the ADB-Teams (for advanced users)

This method requires connecting the smartphone to the PC and enabling debugging over USB.

adb shell settings put global miui_use_google_discover 1


adb shell am force-stop com.miui.home




adb shell pm clear com.miui.home

After execution, restart the device.

⚠️

Note: Incorrect use of ADB can cause MIUI to malfunction.If the tape does not appear after the commands and the standard widgets stop working, reset the launcher settings: adb shell pm clear com.miui.home.

Method 3: Install Google Discover APK

On some devices, manual installation helps APK-Google Discover (download from APKMirror) after installation:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Go to Google and give all the permissions you need.
3. Reboot your smartphone.

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

But remember: this will turn off all Xiaomi widgets, including weather and calendar.-->

How to return a standard widget tape if Google Discover didn’t like it

If you decide to return to your native MIUI tape after the replacement, it is simple to do it:

1. Open Settings → Main screen → Apps tape.
2. Turn off the Google Discover (or Google Feed) option.
3. Confirm the change and restart the device (if the tape does not return immediately).

If the item in the settings disappeared after experimenting with ADB or custom firmware, reset the launcher settings:

adb shell pm clear com.miui.home

On devices with Nova Launcher, it is enough to return the standard MIUI launcher in the default application settings.

⚠️

Note: Some firmwares may display widget tape incorrectly after disabling Google Discover (empty blocks or download errors). In this case, cleaning the cache of the MIUI Tape application (Settings → Apps → Tape → Storage → Clear cache) will help.

Frequent problems and their solutions

When replacing the tape, users often face the following mistakes:

• 🔄 The tape is not updated. Check the Internet connection and permissions for the Google app (Settings) → Annexes → Google → Also make sure that background activity for Google is not limited in battery settings.
• ❌ The error "Google Discover is not available" means that Google services are not synced. → Accounts. → Google and update the data manually.
• 📱 The tape appears but is empty. Try deleting and re-additioning your Google account in your device settings.
• 🔒 It's gray and it's inactive, and it indicates firmware limitations, so the solution is to change the region or install custom firmware.

On Xiaomi devices with firmware for India (IN), Google Discover can be blocked even after changing the region, in which case only a complete firmware reflash to the Global version will help.

If none of these methods worked, check if Google services are disabled at the system level.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Google Play Services and make sure the app is not disabled.
3. Update it through the Play Market if a new version is available.

💡

Before you experiment with firmware or ADB, always back up your data via Mi Cloud or locally, and this will save you from losing important information when crashes occur.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions