Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphone owners often encounter intrusive interface elements that appear immediately after buying a device or upgrading the system. One of the most annoying components is the so-called Content Center, a recommendation tape located to the left of the home screen that is full of news, banner ads and widgets of MIUI or HyperOS services.
Many users don't know how to get rid of this information noise, considering it a system error or an undeleteable application. In fact, the mechanism of this section of the interface is tied to several system services that can be deactivated using standard methods without obtaining root rights. Disabling this feature will not only remove visual debris, but can also positively affect battery autonomy, as background news loading stops.
In this guide, we will go into detail all the known ways to remove widget tape. We will look at the regular shell settings, working with system applications and using ADB commands for advanced users. It is important to understand that the names of menu items may vary slightly depending on the version of the operating system and the firmware region.
What is a Content Center and Why is it Deleted?
The content center is an information aggregator that is integrated by default into the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS, designed to provide users with quick access to news, weather, currency rates and app recommendations, but in practice, it often turns into a source of advertising and distractions that interfere with navigation.
The main reason users want to turn off this feature is to want a clean desktop. Instead of a useful widget tape, users often see banner ads from partners or offers to install games. This is especially true for global firmware versions, where the advertising component is more pronounced than in Chinese builds.
⚠️ Warning: Complete removal of system components responsible for tape can lead to unstable operation of the launcher in rare cases.It is recommended to first try simply to disable the display of tape in the settings, without removing the applications.
In addition, the constant synchronization of data to update the news feed consumes traffic and processor resources. If you do not use the built-in widgets from Xiaomi, preferring third-party solutions, then the presence of this service becomes a meaningless load on the system, disabling allows you to focus on the basic functionality of the smartphone.
Disconnection through desktop settings
The easiest and safest way to remove tape is to use the launcher's built-in settings, which require no additional software and is completely reversible, and in most cases, just change one switch so that the Content Center will not appear when you swipe to the right.
To start, you need to go to the system settings. Find Desktop (or Home screen). Depending on the version of the shell, this section can be in the general settings menu or be accessed through a long click on an empty desktop area, followed by selecting Settings. Here we are interested in the option Content Center or "Tape widgets".
In the menu that opens, you'll see a switch that activates or deactivates the left panel. In newer versions of HyperOS, this item may be called Google Discover or Yandex.News if you selected the appropriate source when you first set it up. Move the slider to the "Off" position. Then, when you try to swipe the screen to the left, nothing happens, or you go to the weather widget if it's set up separately.
If the standard path doesn’t work, try the following sequence of steps, which is relevant for many versions of MIUI 12-14:
- 📱 Press and hold your finger in the free seat of the main screen.
- ⚙️ In the lower corner, select the "Settings" button (cogs).
- 📰 Find the item "Content Center" or "Tape widgets».
- 🚫 Select the option “No” or “Do not use».
Once you do this, the system will stop displaying the tape, but in some cases, especially after major updates, the settings may reset and have to be rechecked, which is normal behavior for aggressive marketing strategies of the manufacturer.
☑️ Checking the launcher settings
Removal of content source services
Sometimes a simple switch isn't enough, because the tape is run by individual system aggregator applications. Even when you turn off the setup, the background processes can continue to work. To be sure to get rid of the Content Center, you need to find and disable the specific application that generates the content.
Depending on the region and the firmware version, this application can be called differently, most often Glance, Mi Video, Yandex or the Content Center system service, and you can find them in the Settings → Applications → All Apps section. You can search for packages with names that contain the words “News”, “Feed”, “Content” or partner logos.
If the Remove button is inactive (grey), use the Disable button. This action will hide the application from the list and stop all its processes. The system can warn that disabling the system application may affect the operation of other functions - in this context it is safe, since we remove the ad module.
List of the most common applications responsible for the tape:
- 📺 Mi Video (often contains an online tab or recommendations).
- 🔍 Google Discover (If Search Integration is selected).
- 📰 Yandex or Yandex.News (Popular in Russia/CIS region).
- 👁️ Glance Lock Screen (often comes with a desktop tape).
Once these services are disabled, it is recommended to restart the device, which will allow the system to clear the cache and finally complete the processes associated with the remote components. If after the reboot the tape still appears, it may be replaced by another system module, and the search procedure should be repeated.
Using ADB for Advanced Removal
For users who want to completely clean the system of excess software, there is a method using Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires connecting the smartphone to the computer and having minimal technical skills, it allows you to delete or freeze system packages that are not deleted through the standard interface.
Before you start, you need to activate the developer mode. To do this, go to Settings → About the phone and quickly press 7 times on the MIUI version (or OS version). In the developer menu that appears, turn on USB debugging. Connect the phone to the PC on which ADB is installed.
Once you connect and confirm debugging on your smartphone screen, enter the adb device command to check the connection. If the device is displayed, you can proceed to delete the packets. Below is a table with the names of the packages that are often responsible for the Content Center.
| Package name | Description of function | Security of removal |
|---|---|---|
| com.miui.contentcenter | Main Content Center Service | Safe. |
| com.miui.personalassistant | Personal Assistant (left tape) | Safe. |
| com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox | Google Discover (Google Tape) | Careful (to affect search) |
| com.miui.misys | MIUI System Services | Not recommended |
To remove, use the command:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.contentcenterIf you're wrong, you can return the application with the command adb shell cmd package install-existing com.miui.contentcenter. This is the most effective method, but requires careful input.
Customization of widgets and alternatives
Once the Content Center is disabled, a void may form to the left of the desktop or, conversely, a weather widget may appear. Users often confuse the weather widget with the news feed. You can remove it in a similar way: long-pressing the screen → Settings → Weather widget (or status bar) → Select “No” or turn off the display.
However, by abandoning Xiaomi’s standard solutions, you may lose convenient access to information. Fortunately, the Android ecosystem offers many alternatives. You can install a third-party launcher, such as Nova Launcher or Lawnchair, which completely ignore the system limitations of MIUI and allow you to customize the left screen as you wish.
If you prefer a standard launcher but want a widget feed, consider installing Google Discover (if it has been removed) or Yandex widgets. They often run more stable and contain less intrusive advertising than native Xiaomi solutions. There are also news aggregator apps that can be brought to the desktop as a widget of any size.
⚠️ Warning: Installing third-party launchers on some versions of HyperOS may lead to animation lags or navigation gesture issues.
It is also important to check the settings of the Popular Apps widget, which is often located at the bottom of the screen or in the tape and suggests installing games, and can be removed with a long press, like a regular widget, or disable in the desktop settings in the Guidelines section.