Redmi and Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a situation where unwanted information blocks appear on the home screen or in folders.The MIUI system and the new HyperOS are set to actively interact with the user by default, offering articles, videos and app recommendations. This can annoy those who prefer minimalism and a clean desktop without unnecessary visual noise.
Disabling these features not only improves the appearance of the interface, but also positively affects the performance of the device. Fewer background tape refresh processes means less strain on RAM and the processor. In this guide, we will discuss all possible sources of intrusive content and how to deactivate them.
It's important to understand that settings may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the basic principles remain the same for most brand models, and we'll look at both the standard methods through the menu and the deeper customizations of system applications.
Disabling the widget tape (App Vault)
The most prominent news source is on the left of the first desktop, and this screen, often called App Vault or Widget Tape, aggregates data from various sources. To remove it, you have to go to the desktop settings, press the empty space on the screen, or pinch it with two fingers to call the edit menu.
In the menu that appears, look for the Settings button or gear, usually located in the lower right corner. In the settings list that opens, look for the item that is responsible for the left screen. It can be called "Widget Ribbon," "App Vault," or "Google Discover."
After that, when you swipe to the right, you won't see the news feed anymore. If you have a POCO Launcher shell installed, the path may be slightly different: Settings → More → Widget Ribbon. You also need to choose the "Disconnected" or similar option.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling the system tape of widgets does not remove weather or pedometer widgets if they are fixed to desktops, but removes the automatic stream of recommendations.
It’s worth noting that in some regions, Google Discover can be activated by default, and it’s disabled in a similar way in the launcher settings, but sometimes requires you to go to the settings of the Google app itself. Make sure you turn off the MIUI system function, not the search engine services, if you want to keep the search functionality.
Configure the Tools folder and recommendations
Another place where information noise often accumulates is the standard Tools folder, which can display cards with news, weather or offers to download games inside, and to clear this space, open the folder and click on its name or the settings button inside.
In the folder management menu, find the Receive References or Show Cards switch, and deactivating this option will return the folder to a classic look where only application shortcuts are stored, especially for users who value strict order on the screen.
If you can't find settings inside the folder, try long-clicking on the folder itself on the desktop. In the context menu, you may see "Folder Settings." In some versions of MIUI, you need to go to Settings → Desktop → Folders for global management of this setting.
☑️ Checking the cleanliness of the desktop
Also, look at the Google folder, which often has a widget inside that broadcasts news, which you can simply remove by dragging it off the screen or selecting Delete from the context menu, which doesn't affect the search engine, but removes visual debris.
System Application Management: Mi Video and Mi Music
Xiaomi’s built-in media players are known for their propensity to show promotional recommendations and news. Mi Video often offers popular videos immediately after launch. To change this behavior, open the app and go to profile or settings (human icon or gears).
Find the Settings section and turn off the option to Receive Recommendations or Push Notifications. Similar steps must be done in the Mi Music app, and you can also find the item in the settings that displays online content and deactivate it.
| Annex | The path to settings | What to turn off |
|---|---|---|
| Mi Video | Profile → Settings | Recommendations, Push. |
| Mi Music | Menu → Settings | Online services |
| Security | Settings → General | Receive recommendations |
| Conductor | Settings → About the programme | Recommendations (via taps) |
Remember that these applications can request permissions to access the network even for local file playback.Limiting background data transfers for them in battery settings will also help reduce activity.
Secret method of cleaning the cache of recommendations
Cleaning the “Security” and “Conductor” application
The Security system utility is the smartphone control center, but it also provides a lot of notifications and news inserts. Open the app, click on the settings gear in the upper right corner. In the General section, find the Receive References switch and turn it off.
It's also useful to check notification settings here, and often the system offers optimization "advice" that is essentially a disguised advertisement or partner news, and disabling this feature will make the utility work more rigorous and functional.
The Explorer app can also show popular content. Go to its settings (usually through a three-bar or dot menu). Find the About section and quickly click 5-10 times on the app icon or version. This will open a hidden menu where you can turn off the recommendations and hot topics display.
⚠️ Note: In the Explorer app, the hidden menu may not open the first time. Make quick but not too frequent clicks on the logo in the About section».
Once these system components are configured, the interface will be significantly cleaner, and you will no longer receive pop-ups asking you to install games or read articles while using the file manager.
Disabling the MSA and Advertising Identifier
Data collection and personalization of ads in the system is often the responsibility of the msa (MIUI System Ads) process, which is a key step to getting rid of advertising, which is often intertwined with news content. Go to Settings → Passwords and security → Access to personal data.
In the list, find msa and turn off the switchboard. The system will ask you to wait 10 seconds, then prompt you to confirm the action. Click "Cancel." If the first time failed (the system can write about an error), try repeating the procedure 3-5 times in a row.
It is also recommended to disable ad personalization. To do this, go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Privacy → Advertising Services. Here you need to activate the option “Disable Ad Personalization”. This will not remove the ad completely, but will make it less intrusive and unrelated to your interests.
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If the msa switch doesn't turn off, turn on the Internet and try again. Sometimes it takes several attempts to communicate with the authorization server.
It's important to understand that msa is closely linked to some system widgets, and once it's turned off, news widgets may stop updating or disappear, which is exactly what we're trying to do, and in rare cases, it can affect the weather widget if it uses the same data channel.
Setting up the Mi Browser browser
Xiaomi’s standard browser often replaces search results with news feed. To fix this, open your browser and go to settings (three bars → Settings). Select Home Page and change it from Tape to Classic, or simply enter the searcher’s address.
In your browser privacy settings, you should also disable personalization, find the Privacy & Security section, and uncheck the data collection and recommendation items, which will prevent news blocks from appearing when you open a new tab.
An alternative solution is to install a third-party browser, such as Chrome or Firefox, and assign it to the default app.This completely isolates you from the news integrations of the built-in Mi Browser browser.
⚠️ Warning: When you reset your browser settings, you may return to the factory settings of the old news feed settings.
Additional Content Sources in HyperOS
With the release of the HyperOS shell, the company changed the way it approached widgets a little bit, with the introduction of a Smart Shelf, or dynamic widgets that can also broadcast information, and they are managed through desktop editing, similar to MIUI 14.
Pay attention to the Cards or Memory widget, which often hides the news display options in their settings. Go to edit the widget (long press) and turn off all sources of external content. Leave only functional elements such as time or battery power.
If you use a third-party theme, it can have its own news embeds, and then only changing the theme to a standard or official one from the Themes catalog, where it is strictly controlled, will help.
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Complete cleaning of news requires a comprehensive approach: from desktop settings to revocation of permissions from system services.