How to change the widget tape on Xiaomi: a complete guide with pictures and tips

The widget tape on Xiaomi smartphones is a handy tool for quick access to frequently used features, weather information, calendar or notes, but the standard configuration does not always suit users: Some people lack the right elements, and some want to get rid of the unnecessary. In this article, we will discuss all ways to change the tape of widgets in the shell. MIUI, including hidden settings and solutions for different firmware versions.

It is important to understand that the interface may vary depending on the phone model (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13T) version MIUI (13, 14 or later. We'll take these nuances into account and give you universal guidelines that will suit most devices. If you've never set up widgets before, don't worry: the process is intuitive, and our step-by-step instructions will help you avoid errors.

Before you start making changes, check the version of your firmware in Settings. โ†’ The phone. โ†’ Version. MIUI. This will help you follow the instructions more accurately and avoid confusion with the menu layout. Also note that some widgets may be tied to specific applications (such as Google Weather or Mi Fit) and their setting will require additional actions.

What is a widget tape and why change it

The widget tape in MIUI โ€” This is a vertical bar that swipes to the right of the main screen:

  • ๐Ÿ“… Calendar with upcoming events
  • ๐ŸŒฆ๏ธ Weather (current temperature and forecast)
  • ๐Ÿ“ Quick notes or tasks
  • ๐Ÿ“Š Phone usage statistics (screen time, battery charge)
  • ๐ŸŽต Music management (if the track is played)

But why would users want to change it? Here are the most common reasons:

  • ๐Ÿ”„ Unnecessary widgets take up space and distract (for example, if you donโ€™t use a calendar or notes).
  • โž• Lacking important elements โ€“ I want to add a widget Google Keep, Spotify or Yandex.Weather.
  • ๐Ÿ”€ Inconvenient order โ€“ often used widgets are at the bottom, and they have to scroll for a long time.
  • ๐ŸŽจ Design preferences โ€“ you want uniformity with wallpaper or theme of design.

Unfortunately, Xiaomi does not always provide flexible tools for customizing the widget tape in standard settings. MIUI 14 based on Android 13 it is impossible to completely remove system widgets weather and calendar without using ADB-But there are workarounds that we'll talk about later.

๐Ÿ“Š What version? MIUI You're using it?
MIUI 12 or older
MIUI 13
MIUI 14
MIUI 15 (Android 14)
I don't know.

How to add new widgets to Xiaomi tape

Adding widgets is the easiest way to customize. MIUI There are two ways to do this: through a standard menu or through third-party launchers.

Method 1: Standard addition through MIUI

This method works for most Xiaomi, Redmi and other devices. POCO firmware-level MIUI 12:

  1. Open the widget tape swipe to the right of the main screen.
  2. Scroll down and click the Edit button (or Manage widgets in some versions).
  3. In the menu you will see two sections: ๐Ÿ”น Active widgets (those already displayed in the tape). ๐Ÿ”น Available widgets (those that can be added).

Google Weather

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Note: Not all apps support tape widgets MIUI. For example, Telegram or VK They can only appear on the home screen, but not in the sidebar. To check compatibility, try adding the app widget to the home screen โ€” if it appears there, it can most likely be transferred to the tape.

โ˜‘๏ธ Preparation for the addition of widgets

Done: 0 / 4

Method 2: Using third-party launchers

If standard MIUI features do not suit you, you can install an alternative launcher, for example:

  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ Nova Launcher โ€“ supports customization of widgets, including their size and transparency.
  • ๐ŸŽจ Action Launcher โ€“ allows you to create your own widgets from interface elements.
  • โšก Lawnchair โ€“ lightweight launcher with support for adaptive widgets.

After the launcher is installed:

  1. Assign it as the default launcher in your phone settings (Settings โ†’ Applications โ†’ Default โ†’ Launcher).
  2. Add the widget to the main screen via the launcher menu (usually a long press on the free screen space).
  3. Customize the appearance and behavior of the widget in the launcher parameters.

The disadvantage of this method is the tape of widgets MIUI It will be replaced with a standard Android bar, and you will lose some branded features, such as quick access to notes or phone statistics.

๐Ÿ’ก

If widgets do not appear after installing the launcher, try clearing the Louncher app cache in the phone settings.

How to remove or hide unnecessary widgets

Remove widgets from tape MIUI There are two ways to do this: through a standard menu or through a ADB-commands (for system widgets that are not removed in the usual way).

Standard removal

To remove the unnecessary widget:

  1. Open the widget tape swipe to the right.
  2. Scroll down and click Edit.
  3. Find the widget you want to remove and swipe it left (or click on the cross). โœ• top-right).
  4. Confirm the deletion if a request appears.

Some widgets (like Weather or Calendar) may not have an delete button, in which case they can only be hidden by dragging down to the inactive widgets section, but they will still take up space in the system's memory.

Removing system widgets through ADB

If you need to completely remove the built-in widget (such as Mi Weather or Mi Calendar), you will need to connect to your computer and use it. ADB (Android Debug Bridge.This method is suitable for power users!

Instructions:

  1. Turn on Developer Mode on your phone: go to Settings โ†’ About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
  2. Return to Settings โ†’ Additional โ†’ For developers and enable USB debugging.
  3. Connect your phone to your computer and execute the command in the terminal: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.weather2 (substitute com.miui.weather2 sleeve-pack).

List of packages of popular system widgets:

widgetPacket nameDescription
Weather.com.miui.weather2Standard weather widget from Xiaomi
Calendarcom.android.calendarSystem calendar with events
Notescom.miui.notesNotes appendix with widget
Screen time.com.miui.screenrecorderUse statistics widget
What happens if you remove the system widget through ADB?
Removing the system widget can cause related applications to fail, for example, after deleting the system widget. com.miui.weather2 The built-in Weather app will stop working and will have to be reinstalled through the Mi App Store, and there may be bugs when updating. MIUI. We recommend you to make a backup copy before deleting!

How to change the order of widgets in the tape

By default, widgets in tape MIUI They're in a fixed order, but they can be changed:

  1. Open the widget tape swipe to the right.
  2. Click Edit at the bottom of the screen.
  3. Hold your finger on the widget you want to move, and drag it to the right place, and you'll see a blue line that indicates the new position.
  4. Release your finger to record the changes.

If the widget is not moving, check:

  • ๐Ÿ”น Is it system-based (some built-in widgets can't be moved without it) ADB).
  • ๐Ÿ”น Is the firmware updated to the latest version (in) MIUI 14 corrected drag bugs).
  • ๐Ÿ”น Is the power saving mode on (it can block interface changes).

In some models (for example, POCO F5 Xiaomi 13 Ultra, the order of the widgets syncs with the Mi Account. If you log in to the same account on another device, the widget tape will look the same. This is convenient if you change phones often, but can cause confusion when setting up the widgets.

๐Ÿ’ก

Order of widgets in tape MIUI It's only saved for the current theme of the design, and if you change the theme, the location may reset.

Weather widget problems and their solution

The weather widget is one of the most problematic in the world. MIUI. Users often encounter:

  • ๐ŸŒก๏ธ Temperature does not update โ€“ data freezes on one value.
  • ๐Ÿ“ Incorrect location โ€“ shows the weather for another city.
  • โŒ The widget disappears after the firmware update.
  • ๐Ÿ”„ Constant loading (indicator spins without result).

Solutions for each of the problems:

1.The weather is not updated

If the widget shows outdated data:

  1. Open the Mi Weather app manually and wait for the update.
  2. Check permissions for the application: Go to Settings โ†’ Annexes โ†’ Application management โ†’ Weather. Make sure Location and AutoRun permits are included.
Settings โ†’ Applications โ†’ Weather โ†’ Storage โ†’ Clean the cache

Remove updates

2. Incorrect location

To show the weather for your city:

  1. Open the Weather app.
  2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Settings.
  3. Enable the Auto Location option or manually add your city.
  4. Check if geolocation services are enabled in your phone settings (Settings) โ†’ Confidentiality โ†’ Permits โ†’ Location).

3 The widget disappeared after the update

This is a common problem after an update. MIUI. To get the widget back:

  1. Reboot the phone.
  2. Check if the widget is hidden in the feed editing menu.
  3. If the widget is permanently lost, try resetting the Weather app settings: Settings โ†’ Annexes โ†’ Weather. โ†’ Warehouse โ†’ Reset the settings

๐Ÿ’ก

If the weather widget doesnโ€™t work anyway, try installing an alternative app like Google Weather or Yahoo Weather and add it to the feed.

Resetting the tape widgets to factory settings

If youโ€™ve experimented with settings and want to return the widget tape to its original state, there are two ways:

Method 1: Reset via MIUI settings

This method does not affect other data on the phone:

  1. Open the widget tape and click Edit.
  2. In the upper right corner, find the icon โ‹ฎ (three points) and select Reset.
  3. Confirm the action.

Method 2: Complete reset of launcher settings

If the first method did not help, try resetting the settings of the standard launcher:

  1. Go to Settings โ†’ Applications โ†’ Application Management.
  2. Find the Launcher app (or com.miui.home).
  3. Select Warehouse. โ†’ Clear the data.
  4. Confirm the cleanup. After that, the main screen and the widget tape will return to the factory settings.

Prepared templates for KWGT You can download it from the Play Market or Kustom.

3. disabling the widget tape completely

If you do not need the widget tape at all, you can turn it off:

  1. Install a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher).
  2. In the launcher settings, find the option to Disable Sidebar or Disable app drawer.
  3. Reboot the phone.

After that, the swipe to the right will open the main screen or other action (depending on the launcher settings).

How to return the widget tape after disconnection?
To return the tape, re-install the standard launcher MIUI as default launcher or reset the current launcher settings.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi widget tape

Can I add a Spotify or Apple Music widget to the tape? MIUI?
Yes, but only if these apps support sidebar widgets. For example, Spotify lets you add a playback widget, but it may not appear on all versions. MIUI. Try: Update the app to the latest version. Add the Spotify widget to the home screen (if it appears, it can be transferred to the tape). If the widget does not appear, use an alternative launcher.
Why After Updating MIUI widget tape dropped?
It's standard behavior. MIUI For major updates (e.g., version 13 to version 14), the system resets the launcher settings for stability. To avoid loss of configuration: Before upgrading, take screenshots of the current widget feed. Use backup via Settings โ†’ Additionally. โ†’ Backup (although this doesn't always save widgets) After updating manually restore the order of widgets.
How to make widgets transparent or change their size?
In the standard MIUI You can't change the transparency or the size of the widgets in the tape. KWGT To create custom widgets with the right parameters. Install an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher), which supports size and transparency settings. For some widgets (like Google Weather), you can resize them by adding them to the main screen and then moving them to the tape.
The weather widget shows the wrong temperature. What do we do?
The problem may be related to: Wrong location - check geolocation settings in the Weather app. App cache - clear the cache in Settings โ†’ Annexes โ†’ Weather. โ†’ Storage. Server problems โ€” try switching the data source in the widget settings (e.g., from AccuWeather on Yahoo). Energy savings restrictions โ€” add the Weather app to exclude battery optimization. If nothing helps, install a third-party weather widget (e.g., add a Weather app to the battery optimization exceptions, 1Weather or today weather).
Can I transfer the widgets from the tape to the main screen?
Yes, but not all widgets support this kind of movement. To move the widget: Open the widget tape and find the item you want. Hold it with your finger and try dragging it to the home screen. If the widget supports this, it will stick to the screen. If drag and drop doesnโ€™t work, add the widget of the same app to the home screen via the standard widget menu (long tap on the free screen space). โ†’ Note: System widgets MIUI (For example, screen time cannot be transferred to the main screen.