Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a situation where swiping to the right of the home screen opens up an endless feed of news, widgets and advertising, a feature integrated into the MIUI shell designed to be convenient, but in practice often only annoys users, taking up system resources and distracting from the main work.
Disabling this interface element is not just a matter of aesthetics, but also a way to optimize the performance of the device. The tape actively uses the Internet connection to update data, which can adversely affect the autonomy of the gadget, especially in the background.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all available methods for eliminating unnecessary interface elements, you will learn how to configure the start screen, what hidden settings exist for advanced users and why sometimes standard methods may not work.
Why do you need this tape and can it be removed?
The widget tape, often called Google Discover or Mi Browser Feed, is part of Google’s ecosystem and MIUI, which is designed to provide quick access to news, weather, currency rates and frequently used apps, but is becoming redundant for many users.
The main problem is aggressive data collection and traffic consumption, and even if you don't use widgets, the Google Feed or Mi Browser system process keeps running in the background, which can lead to increased battery consumption and heating of the case in your pocket.
⚠️ Note: Complete removal of system components through ADB-commands can cause unstable operation of the launcher. Use only official shutdown settings, unless you are an experienced user.
Fortunately, Xiaomi engineers have made it possible to disable this feature by regular means. You don’t need to get root rights or reflash the device to get rid of the intrusive element.
Standard method of disconnection through launcher settings
The easiest and safest way to remove tape is to use the built-in desktop settings menu, which is suitable for most models, including the Redmi Note, Xiaomi Mi and the MIUI POCO series versions 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14.
First, you need to get into the desktop control menu. Make a long tap (pinch) in the free space on the main screen or swipe your finger from the bottom up until the edit menu appears. In the lower right or left corner of the screen, the Settings button (the gear icon) will appear.
- 📱 Click on the gear icon in the lower corner of the edit screen.
- 🔍 Find the option “Advanced” or immediately switch “Tape widgets».
- 🚫 Translate the slider to the "Off" position».
Once you do this, swipe right will stop opening your news feed, and if you flip the screens all the way to the left, you'll see empty space or you'll be immediately taken to the home screen, and this change is instantaneous and doesn't require you to reboot your device.
☑️ Checking the launcher settings
Setting up Google Discover and Yandex.Zen
Sometimes users confuse the system tape of MIUI widgets with the Google Discover widget, which can be installed as a separate widget on the desktop, in which case disabling through the launcher settings will not help, since we are talking about a specific application.
To remove the Google widget, find it on your desktop, hold your finger and drag it to the top of the screen, where you see a cart icon or "Delete" that will only remove the shortcut, not the app itself. To completely disable news collection, you need to go to Google's own settings.
Open the Google app, click on the profile avatar in the corner and select Settings → General → Discover. You can turn off card display here. A similar situation can occur with Yandex.Zen or Yandex.News widgets, which are often preinstalled on devices for the Russian market.
What to do if the switch is inactive?
Comparison of disconnection methods: table of decisions
Different firmware and regions may offer different settings interfaces, and below is a table that will help you choose the right way to solve the problem depending on your situation and version of MIUI.
| Situation | Method of decision | Difficulty | Risks. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard MIUI (Global) | Launcher settings (screen pinch) | Low. | No. |
| Chinese firmware (CN) | Mi Browser App or Settings | Medium | No. |
| Google widget on the screen | Removing the widget + Google settings | Low. | No. |
| System interface bug | Resetting launcher settings | Medium | Resetting the location of icons |
It's important to understand that on some devices, especially in Chinese versions of firmware, the interface may be different, where the tape may be called "Mi Browser" or "App Vault." The principle of operation remains similar: search for a switch in the desktop editing menu.
If none of the standard methods worked, it may be a specific security update or launcher bug that helps clear the cache of the System Launcher system application.
Advanced customization through ADB (for experienced)
For users who want to eliminate the processes that control tape completely, there is a method using USB debugging and a computer, which allows you to disable system packages that are not removed by standard means.
You will need to turn on Developer Mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click 7-10 times on MIUI Version. After you have become a developer, go to Advanced Settings → Developer and activate Debugging via USB.
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchboxThis command will disable Google Quick Search Box, which is often responsible for generating news feeds. Be careful: disabling system components can affect the work of the voice assistant Google Assistant and the search widget.
💡
Before use ADB-You have to back up your critical data, and shutting down the system packets is an irreversible operation without resetting to the factory.
⚠️ Attention: Use of teams ADB Introducing the wrong command can lead to a “bricking” of some of the phone’s functions or a cyclical reboot.
Possible problems and solutions
Sometimes, after you turn off the tape, swipe to the right still causes some kind of reaction or black screen, which may be because the launcher has "remembered" the position. Try changing the wallpaper or theme to force the interface to restart.
Another common problem is that the system updates return, and major MIUI updates (e.g., the 12-to-13 version) can reset user preferences, in which case the disabling procedure will have to be repeated.
- 🔄 Check if the Smart Assistant feature is included in the button settings.
- 🗑️ Remove all news widgets left on desktops.
- 📉 Download animations in developer mode if launcher is slow.
If the tape is gone but the phone is slowing down, try clearing the cache of Google's app. Accumulated temporary files can cause process conflicts even if the visual part is disabled.
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Turning off the widget feed doesn't remove the Google app, it only hides its interface. For full search and assistant work, keep the app active.