How to completely disable the widget tape on Xiaomi Redmi Note 9: a detailed guide

The widget tape on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 is the left-hand screen bar that appears when swiped to the right on the home screen. It contains weather, calendar, quick contacts and other MIUI services. For many users, this feature seems useless: it takes up space, slows down the system and constantly updates in the background, consuming battery power. Unfortunately, Xiaomi has not added an obvious switch to turn it off, but there are several proven ways to remove the tape forever.

In this article, we will discuss three working methods: through hidden settings. MIUI, by means of a third-party launcher and through ADB-Each method has its pros and cons, from simplicity to depth of intervention, and choose the right option depending on your skills and willingness to experiment. Before any changes, back up the data as some methods may cause the launcher settings to reset.

Why the widget tape is hindering users of Redmi Note 9

At first glance, the widget tape seems to be a useful feature, but in practice it causes a number of inconveniences:

• 🔋 Battery consumption: Weather, news and calendar widgets are constantly synchronized in the background, which increases power consumption by 5-15% (according to tests). XDA Developers).
• 🐢 Slowdown: On the Redmi Note 9 with 4GB of RAM, the tape can slow down when swiping, especially if many widgets are installed.
• 📱 Random taps: with a sloppy swipe to the right, users often open the tape instead of the desired screen.
• 🚫 Impossibility of customization: in a standard launcher MIUI You can not remove individual widgets or change their order.

According to a survey of Redmi Note 9 owners, 68% of users would prefer to completely disable the tape rather than adjust it, and Xiaomi does not provide such an option in open settings, which is annoying for power users.

Method 1: Disconnect via hidden MIUI settings (no root)

This method is suitable for most users, as it does not require superuser rights or complex manipulations. We will use the hidden MIUI feature, which allows you to turn off the tape through the application settings.

1. Open the settings on your Redmi Note 9.
2. Go to the Appendix section → Application management.
3. In the search bar, type Tape (or MiuiDaemon for English firmware).
4. Select the App (Icon with Weather Widget).
5. Click Disable (or Remove Updates if the button is inactive).
6. Confirm the action and restart the device.

Once you reboot, the widget tape will disappear, but the screen will remain empty when you swipe to the right. To remove it completely, follow the additional steps:

• 📱 Install any third-party launcher (such as Nova Launcher or Lawnchair).
• 🔧 In the launcher settings, disable the left screen or App Drawer option.
• 🔄 Return to the standard launcher – the empty screen will disappear.

Add a standard launcher to battery optimization exceptions

Back up your home screen (screenshot or via MIUI Backup)

Close all background apps before restarting

Check the version. MIUI (The method works on 12-14 versions)-->

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi firmware may not have access to the main screen weather widget after the tape is turned off. To return it, reinstall the Weather app via Google Play.

Method 2: Using a third-party launcher (the safest method)

If you don't want to go through the system settings, the easiest way to get rid of the tape is to install an alternative launcher, which doesn't require root rights and is completely reversible.

We recommend two proven options:

Instructions for setting up (for example, Nova Launcher):

1. Install a launcher from Google Play.
2. When you first start, select Nova Launcher as the default launcher.
3. Go to the Nova Settings → Home screen.
4. Find the left screen (or App Drawer) option and turn it off.
5. Return to the main screen, the swipe to the right now doesn't open anything.

⚠️ Note: When using a third-party launcher, some functions MIUI (For example, global search or gestures may not work properly. To return a standard launcher, go to Settings. → Annexes → By default. → Launcher and select MIUI Launcher.

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If after installing the launcher, the application icons disappeared, restart the device or clear the launcher cache in the application settings.

Method 3: Disconnect via ADB (for power users)

This method requires connecting the phone to the computer and using it. ADB-It is suitable for those who want to completely remove the widget tape at the system level, but are ready for possible risks (for example, resetting the launcher settings).

What you'll need:

• 🖥️ A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB Tools (download here).
• 📱 Included debugging by USB Redmi Note 9 (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Press 7 times, then return to the Additional Settings → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 Cable USB Type-C (preferably original).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the phone to your computer and allow debugging over USB.
2. Open the command prompt (cmd) in the folder with ADB.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
4. Run the command to turn off the tape: adb shell pm hide com.miui.miuihome.livingwindow
5. Reboot your phone: adb reboot

If the pm hide command fails (Unknown command error), try the alternative:

adb shell settings put global hide_living_window 1

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI 14 these commands can cause the home screen settings to reset. If the icons disappear after the reboot, return them via Settings. → Annexes → MIUI Launcher → Warehouse → Clear the data (this will reset the location of the icons, but will not remove the applications).

How to return the widget tape if something went wrong

If you change your mind or have problems after you turn off the tape (for example, the weather widgets are missing or the main screen is broken), it can be returned.

• 🔄 After disabling via Settings: Return to Settings → Annexes → Tape and press Enable.
• 📱 After the launcher change: Return the standard MIUI Launcher in default settings.
• 💻 After ADB-Commands: Run the reverse command: adb shell pm unhide com.miui.miuihome.livingwindow or adb shell settings put global hide_living_window 0

If the tape does not return, try resetting the launcher settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → MIUI Launcher.
2. Press Warehouse. → Clear the data.
3. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Attention: Clearing the launcher data will remove all your home screen settings (Icon Location, Folders, Widgets). Before doing this, take screenshots of the current configuration or use the backup function in Settings → Additionally. → Backup.

Alternative solutions: how to make a widget tape useful

If you do not want to completely turn off the tape, but it interferes with you, you can optimize its operation:

• 🌡️ Remove unnecessary widgets: Long-pressed widget → Delete.
• ⚡ Turn off automatic updates: In each widget settings (such as weather) turn off background sync.
• 🔒 Block swipe right: In some launchers (like Nova), you can turn off the gesture to open the tape.
• 📊 Use useful widgets: Add Google Keep widgets for notes or Tasker for quick access to scripts.

If you lack the functionality of a standard tape, consider installing alternative widgets:

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If you want to save battery, turn off automatic sync for weather and news widgets, which will reduce your charge consumption by 3-7 percent per day.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When you turn off the widget tape, users often face some problems, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

• 🚫 "The 'Disable' button is inactive: This means that the tape is a system application and cannot be disabled in the standard way. ADB side-launcher.
• 🔄 "After the reboot, the tape returned: On some firmware MIUI system applications automatically turn on after the update. MIUI Launcher in Google Play.
• 📱 "Disappeared all icons from the home screen": This happens when you clean the launcher data. Restore them from backup or reconfigure them.
• 🔌 "ADB Does not see the device": Check drivers, cable and enable debugging by USB (see spoiler above).

If none of these methods worked, maybe your firmware has some features.

1. Check out the MIUI version in Settings → About the phone.
2. Find the instructions for your specific version on the Xiaomi.eu or XDA Developers forums.
3. If you use custom firmware (like Pixel Experience), there may not be any widget tape in it at all.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions