Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face the intrusive service that comes after installing Google apps: a widget or feature known as Google Discover that automatically uploads news and recommendation feeds to the home screen, which many users find redundant because the consumes element is precious space and consumes traffic in the background.
Completely remove system components of Google without root-rights is difficult, but deactivating their display and automatic start is quite possible with regular means. In this article, we will discuss all the available ways to disable Google OK on Xiaomi, from simple interface settings to deeper system limitations.
Before we make any changes, it’s important to understand that the interface between the MIUI shells and the new HyperOS may be slightly different. However, the logic of system applications remains the same for most models. We’ll look at the options for different versions of Android so that each user can find the right solution for their device.
Disconnection through the settings of the main screen
The easiest and most secure method that doesn't require third-party software is to use the built-in launcher settings. Usually, the OK Google widget is fixed as a separate page to the left of the main desktop, and to remove it, you need to access the desktop configuration.
To do this, make a long tap (tap and hold) on the empty area of any desktop or pinch the screen with two fingers to go into editing mode. In the bottom menu that appears, find the Settings button or the gear icon. In the list that opens, look for the item responsible for “Widget Tape”, “Google Discover” or “-1 screen”.
Once you switch the switch to off, the left page with the newsfeed will disappear. This action does not delete the Google app, but prevents it from running when you swipe to the right. If the standard path does not work, try the following algorithm:
- 📱 Press your finger in the free screen space to call the edit menu.
- ⚙️ Click on the settings icon (cog) in the lower corner of the interface.
- 🔍 Find the option “More” or “More Settings” at the top of the menu.
- 🚫 Turn off the widget tape or Google Discover switchboard».
⚠️ Note: Some global firmware versions may call it Google Discover, which is equivalent to deleting the news feed, but the app itself will remain on the system.
It’s worth noting that newer versions of HyperOS sometimes hide this setting deeper or change its name. If you didn’t find the switch right away, check the Advanced Settings section inside the desktop editing menu. Also make sure you don’t have a third-party launcher that can block Xiaomi’s system settings.
Managing Google App in System Settings
If simply hiding the widget doesn't help, or if you want to prevent Google from running in the background, you should contact the application system manager, which is a method that limits the functionality of the service responsible for output of the "OK Google" feed. It is important to act carefully so that you do not disrupt the voice assistant or search.
Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. In the list, find an app called Google (often with a G color on the icon). Inside the app menu, you are interested in Notifications and Auto Start. Disabling Auto Start will prevent service from starting when your phone is turned on.
Next, you can find “Other permissions” or simply “permissions” where you can revoke geolocation or microphone access rights if you don’t use them for voice search, but the most effective way is to clean up the data and stop if the widget is “hanging” or still showing.
☑️ Checklist for restricting Google app
In some cases, the system can automatically reactivate the service after a reboot. To minimize this possibility, find the "Battery" option in the app menu and select "No Limits" (to save charge) or "Strict Limitation" if your goal is to block background activity as much as possible. Remember that an aggressive restriction can cause weather widgets or watches to malfunction if they are tied to Google services.
| Action. | Impact on the system | Recommended status |
|---|---|---|
| Stopping the process | Temporarily removes the widget before rebooting | Temporarily |
| Disabling notifications | Hiding pop-up messages | Recommended |
| Clearing the data | Resets tape personalization | If necessary, |
| Removal of updates | Returns the factory version (may interfere) | Not recommended |
Hiding the search bar on the desktop
Users often confuse the news feed with the Google Bar, which is located at the bottom or top of the screen, and it is not always possible to remove it with standard launcher settings, since smartphone manufacturers often integrate it as a mandatory interface element.
The first way is to replace the widget. Press and hold your finger on the search bar itself. If the edit menu appears, try resizing the widget (squeeze it to extinction) or replacing it with a widget called "Clock" or "Calendar" from Xiaomi. To do this, drag the new widget to the old one, replacing the search bar.
The second is for those who are ready to experiment with the theme, and you can find third-party designs in the Themes app that don't contain Google's default search bar, which often automatically hides the intrusive elements of a stock launcher.
- 🎨 Try installing a Classic or Minimal theme in the Theme Store.
- 🔄 Replace the search widget with the standard Xiaomi widget.
- 📉 Change the desktop grid (for example, with the 5x6 on 4x5), to move or disappear the line.
- 🚫 In some launchers, a string can simply be “pushed” by other widgets.
⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to delete the system files responsible for the search bar through root-right file managers without creating a full backup.This can lead to a “bootloop” (cyclical reboot) of the smartphone.
If the search bar is part of the Google Search widget, its complete removal is possible only through the search engine. ADB-In the next section, we'll talk about this, but in the meantime, it's worth trying to just reposition the Google icon on your desktop by moving it to a folder with other apps.
Why does the search bar return after the update?
Use of alternative launchers
The radical but most effective solution to Google's intrusive services problem is to install a third-party launcher: the standard MIUI Launcher or System Launcher interface is deeply integrated with the Xiaomi and Google ecosystem, so it's difficult to completely "cut" their elements.
Popular options are Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher. Once you install such an application and assign it to the default, Xiaomi’s stock interface stops loading. In the new launcher settings, you decide which widgets, search bars and newsfeeds will be displayed.
The installation process is simple: download APK-You can either find a file or find an app on Google Play, install it, and when you first start up, ask the system which launcher to use by default. Select Always. After that, you'll get a clean desktop without OK Google or any other ads.
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When switching to a third-party launcher, some Xiaomi system gestures (such as swipe to open apps) may stop working. In the new launcher settings, you can often find emulation of MIUI gestures.
However, this method has its nuances: Third-party launchers can consume more battery life if they are not optimized for a particular phone model, and there may be conflicts with system features such as Double Tap to turn on the screen or branded control gestures. Before installing, read reviews about the compatibility of the selected launcher with your version of Android.
Blocking through ADB (for advanced users)
For those who don't want to change the launcher but are willing to use a computer, there's a method of disabling system packages through USB debugging (ADB), which allows you to freeze the Google components that are responsible for the news feed without removing them from the system, which is safe, because you can get everything back at any time.
You'll need to turn on Developer Mode (7 times click on the build number in Settings → About Phone) and activate USB Debugging. Then plug the phone into your PC, install ADB platform tools, and execute a command to search for packages. Usually the package you want is called com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox.
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchboxPerforming this command will turn the Google app into a sleeper mode: widgets will stop working, tape will disappear, and the app will disappear from the installed list (but remain in the system). If you want to return everything as it was, use the command adb shell pm enable com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox.
- 💻 Connect your smartphone to your computer in file transfer mode.
- 🔧 Launch the console. ADB on the PC and enter the connection command.
- ❄️ Use the disable-user command to freeze the target.
- ✅ Check the result on the smartphone screen.
⚠️ Be very careful when typing commands. ADB. Disabling critical system services (not related to Google Discover) can cause your phone to fail. Only turn off the one you are 100 sure of%.
Possible problems and solutions
Even following the instructions, users may encounter difficulties, such as resetting settings or menu items that look different after a reboot, often due to regional firmware features (Chinese, Global, Indian).
If you can’t find the tape disabler, try changing the region in the settings (Settings → Additional settings → Region). Installing the US or Germany region sometimes changes the set of options available in the launcher, making some services imposed in other regions hidden.
Also, the problem can be updating the Google app itself, which often restores the widget functionality after auto-updating in the Play Market, in which case you can try to prevent automatic updates specifically for the Google app in the app store settings, although this is a temporary measure.
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The most stable solution is a combination of methods: disabling the tape in the screen settings plus prohibiting auto-start in the application settings.
In rare cases, OK Google may be part of a third-party application you installed earlier (e.g., browsers with their own widgets). Check the list of recently installed programs. If deleting the widget is not possible, try uninstalling the last app you installed that may have added that item.