Xiaomi widgets: full setup from A to Z

Xiaomi’s widget tape is not just a decorating interface, but a powerful tool for quick access to information. Weather, calendar, notes, smart home management – all of this can be brought to the home screen, saving time on finding the right applications. However, many users underestimate the flexibility of customizing this element or face problems: widgets slow down, take up too much space or simply do not appear. In this article, we will analyze all the nuances from the basic installation to the hidden features that will make your Redmi, POCO Or Mi's even more comfortable.

Let us note: algorithms of widgets in MIUI It has its own limitations in terms of number (maximum 5 widgets on a single screen in new versions), features of updating data and even hidden gestures for quick access. And yet, few people know that widgets can be tied to specific scenarios through the “Work Profile” mode, so that they automatically change depending on the time of day or location.

If you’ve just upgraded your firmware or bought a new Xiaomi smartphone, don’t rush to load your screen with a dozen widgets. First, figure out which ones are really useful and which only consume battery life in the background. For example, Mi Weather’s weather widget updates every 30 minutes, even if you don’t open it — it can eat up to 5% of the charge in a day.

What is a widget tape and why you need it

The widget tape in MIUI — It's a separate screen (or part of the home screen) that displays mini-programs with up-to-date information. Unlike application shortcuts, widgets are dynamically updated and can interact with the user without opening the main application:

• 📅 The calendar widget shows upcoming events and allows you to add new ones directly from the home screen.
• 🌡️ Weather displays temperature, precipitation and UV index with the ability to scroll 10 days ahead.
• 🎵 Music player controls playback without unlocking the phone.
• 🏠 Smart home turns on/off Xiaomi devices with one tap.

But not all widgets are equally useful. For example, the Mi Fit step-tracking widget duplicates notifications from the app itself, and the Browser's fast bookmarked widget takes up space but is rarely used.+ Click a day, it's not needed.

In the latest versions MIUI 14/15 The widget tape is more interactive, and you can scroll vertically (like iOS), and some widgets can be pressed long enough to call in additional features, like the weather widget that gives you a detailed forecast, and the calendar has a quick form of adding an event.

How to add a widget to the main screen

The process of adding widgets to Xiaomi is different from standard Android, especially if you have a shell installed. MIUI Version 12 and up. Here's the step-by-step instruction:

1. Unlock your phone and go to the main screen (not in the app menu!).
2. Make a long tap on any free screen spot until the settings menu appears.
3. At the bottom of the screen, select the Widget tab (the icon with squares).
4. Scroll through the list of available widgets left/right. Click on the right one and hold it to drag it to the screen.
5. Release your finger when the green frame appears, which means that the widget is installed.

If the widget is not added, check:

• ⚙️ Are there any restrictions on settings → Main screen screen → Widgets (sometimes there is a tick "Hide widgets").
• 📱 Is there enough free space on the screen (widgets are not placed on top of icons).
• 🔄 Is the app to which the widget belongs updated (for example, for the Google Weather widget you need to update the Google App).

In some models (for example, POCO F5 or Redmi Note 12) widgets are hidden by default. To enable them, go to Settings → Main screen screen → Screen style and select the option With search widget or Classic.

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If the widget is slowing down, try to reduce its size. 4×2 It works faster than 4×4, It also shows the same information.

Customization and customization of widgets

Just add a widget is half the battle, and in order for it to be really useful, you have to customize it to suit your needs, and the customization options vary depending on the type of widget, but there are universal techniques:

1. Change of size

Most widgets on Xiaomi support dynamic resizing.

1. Press and hold the widget until the frame appears.
2. Release your finger and pull the corner marker (white square) to change the width/height.
3. Some widgets (like Google Keep) offer fixed sizes – choose the best one from the settings menu.

2. Personalization of data

Many widgets allow you to choose what information to display:

• 📊 Google Fitanes widget: you can show steps, calories or pulse.
• 💰 Mi Finance widget: Currency rates, shares or expenses per day.
• 📅 Calendar widget: Day/week events or tasks from Mi Notes.

To change your settings, click on the widget (not a long tap!) and the parent app with customization options opens. For example, for a weather widget, you can choose the city, units of measurement (Celcius/Fahrenheit) or disable animation.

3. Transparency and style

V MIUI 14+ It's possible to change the transparency of the widget and the display style:

1. Long widget tap → Change style.
2. Choose the option: Light, Dark or Auto (under the theme of the system).
3. Set up transparency with a slider (useful for widgets on top of wallpaper).

Removal and resetting of widgets

If the widget is no longer needed or has started to hang, it can be removed or reset to factory settings.

Removal of the widget

1. Press and hold the widget until it is "unlocked" from the screen.
2. Drag it up the screen to the Remove (or Remove) label.
3. Release your finger – the widget will disappear, but the application itself will remain in the system.

Resetting the widget settings

If the widget is buggy (for example, does not update data), sometimes a reset helps:

1. Remove the widget from the screen (as described above).
2. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications.
3. Find the app that the widget belongs to (such as Mi Weather) and select Warehouse. → Clear the data.
4. Add the widget again, it will return to the factory settings.

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Some widgets (e.g. from Google) continue to work in the background after deletion. To turn them off completely, go to Settings. → Battery → Optimize the battery and add the app to the list of limited.

On Xiaomi models with MIUI 13 and older has a bug: after removing the widget, its icon can remain in the add-on menu:

1. Reboot the phone.
2. Clear the cache of the MiuiHome app in the settings.
3. If it does not help, reset the settings of the main screen (all widgets and shortcuts will have to be configured again).

Optimizing performance and battery

Widgets are one of the top resource eaters on Xiaomi, especially if they are actively updating data in the background. Here’s how to reduce their impact on battery and speed:

1. Restriction of background activity

Go to Settings. → Battery. → Optimize your battery and find the applications that your widgets belong to:

• 🔋 No restrictions – the widget is always updated (maximum battery consumption).
• ⚡ Intelligent Optimization – Updates only when connected to Wi-Fi/charging.
• 🚫 Limit background activity – the widget is updated only when opened (up to 30% charge savings).

Manual update of data

Some widgets (such as Yahoo Weather or AccuWeather) allow you to disable automatic updates, instead you can manually swipe data over the widget.

1. Open the settings of the donor app.
2. Find the Data Update or Synchronization section.
3. Turn off automatic updates and turn on the option to Update when you open.

3. Easy alternatives

Xiaomi system widgets are often overloaded with animations, and replace them with lighter ones:

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Animated widgets (such as live wallpaper or rain-effect weather) consume up to 20% more battery.

4. disabling unnecessary system widgets

V MIUI There are hidden system widgets that run in the background even if you haven't added them:

1. Activate Developer Mode (7 taps according to the MIUI version in the phone settings).
2. Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Special facilities → System widgets.
3. Disable unnecessary ones (such as Widget) MIUI Optimization or Game Turbo Widget).

Hidden functions and life hacks

Xiaomi's widget tape hides some useful things that few people know about.

1. Quick access to the swipe widget

In the models with MIUI 14+ You can set up a gesture to call the widget tape:

1. Go to Settings. → Main screen screen → Additional settings.
2. Enable the swipe option left for widgets.
3. Now the swipe to the left of the main screen will open the widget tape (as in iOS).

2. widgets for different profiles

If you use work profiles (for example, through Island or Shelter), you can configure individual widgets for each profile:

• 🏠 Personal profile: Weather, music, social media widgets.
• 💼 Work profile: calendar widgets, mail, tasks.

To do this, add a widget in the desired profile - it will only appear there.

3. Widgets on lock screen

V MIUI You can put widgets on the lock screen:

1. Go to Settings → Lock screen → Widgets.
2. Choose up to 2 widgets (for example, weather) + calendar).
3. Configure the information displayed (you can hide confidential data).

⚠️ Warning: Widgets on the lock screen can show personal information (messages, calendar events) even when the phone is locked.

4. Creating your own widgets

With apps like this. KWGT or UCCW You can create custom widgets with a unique design:

• 🎨 Widget with weather forecast in the style of Cyberpunk.
• 📈 Monitoring widget CPU/RAM gamer.
• 🕒 Widget with a pomodoro timer and motivational quotes.

For this:

1. Install KWGT from Google Play.
2. Download your favorite template (for example, on the site) KWGT Kits).
3. Add the widget. KWGT onto the screen and upload the template to it.

Solving common problems

Even after you set up the widgets on Xiaomi correctly, they may not work properly.

1. The widget is not updated

If the widget shows outdated data (such as yesterday’s weather), try:

• 🔄 Reboot the phone.
• 📶 Check your Internet connection (some widgets are not updated via mobile network).
• ⚙️ Clear the cache of the donor application in the settings.
• 🕒 Install manual updates (if available).

2 The widget disappeared after the MIUI update

After major updates (e.g., with the MIUI 13 on MIUI 14) widgets can be dropped to return them:

1. Check if the widget tape is hidden in Settings → Main screen screen.
2. Update all apps on Google Play.
3. If the widget is missing, try installing it. APK The old version of the application (e.g. Mi Weather 2.21.5 instead of 2.23.1).

3 The widget takes up too much space.

Some widgets (like Google At a Glance) are stretched to the full screen to shrink them:

• Try a different size (for example, 2×1 instead 4×2).
• Use alternative widgets (e.g., instead of Mi Calendar - Month).
• Set up transparency so that the widget takes up less visual space.

4.The widget brakes or causes the lags

If you scroll the screen with widgets there are slowdowns:

• 🔋 Check if the phone is warming up (widgets can overload the processor).
• 🗑️ Clear the cache in Settings → Memory. → Clean up.
• 🛠️ Turn off animation in Settings → Additionally. → System animation (select No animations).
• 📉 Reduce the number of widgets on one screen (optimally no more than 3).

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If the widget is only slowing down on a particular wallpaper, try changing it to a static wallpaper. + cartoon = guaranteed lag.

5. The widget does not appear in the list of available

If the desired widget is not in the add-on menu:

• 📥 Make sure the app is installed (some widgets only appear after the first application launch).
• 🔄 Reinstall the app.
• 📋 Check if the widget is hidden in the application settings (for example, in the Google App you need to enable the option Widgets on the home screen).

FAQ: Frequent questions about widgets on Xiaomi