Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often encounter intrusive functionality that is activated by default in the shells of MIUI and HyperOS. One of the most annoying elements is the additional panel that opens when swiping to the left of the home screen. There may be news widgets, video recommendations or shortcuts of applications that take up space and distract from using the device.
Fortunately, the developers have provided the ability to turn off the swipe left or replace its content with a more useful one. The configuration process can vary slightly depending on the version of the operating system and the model of your gadget. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available methods for managing this feature so that you can personalize the interface to your needs.
Before we make any changes, it's important to understand that the left screen is not a system bug, but part of the desktop concept, and turning it off won't affect the stability of the phone, but it will free up space and remove unnecessary notifications. Let's look at what components might be there and how to manage them.
What is on the left menu of Xiaomi and why it is necessary
When swiping left, users see a service called Google Discover (or simply “Tape”) or a Glance/Mi Video branded feed, which aggregates news articles, weather forecasts, currency rates and video content based on your interests and search history. For many, it’s a handy tool, but for those who appreciate minimalism, it becomes a bit of a buzz.
In some regions and on certain firmware versions, this section may be replaced by App Vault, which collects commonly used software shortcuts, health steps, and quick action. Despite its potential utility, the constant left pulling by inertia, leading to void or unnecessary news, is annoying to many.
⚠️ Caution: Disabling the news feed does not remove the apps themselves (e.g., the Browser or Google), but only hides their widget from the left screen of the desktop.
Understanding which service is in that position is critical to choosing the right way to disable. If you have Google Discover, the settings will be the same if Xiaomi's proprietary feed is different, and here's a table that helps you identify the type of content.
| Type of content | Appearance | Source | Difficulty shutting down |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Discover | News cards, weather, logo G | Google services | Low. |
| Glance / Mi Video | Full screen video, bright wallpaper | Xiaomi | Medium |
| App Vault | Application shortcuts, steps, calendar | MIUI launcher | Low. |
| Yandex.Rent | Yandex News, Zen | Third-party software | Tall. |
You can tell the type of tape by simply opening it and looking at the top corner or logos. Most commonly, global firmware versions contain a bundle of Google products, but there are other options in Chinese versions or flashed devices.
How to disable Google Discover (News Tape)
The most common scenario is that you have a Google feed, which consumes traffic, and can slow down the desktop opening when you swipe randomly, and you don't have to be an engineer or root rights to swipe left, but you do it through standard launcher settings.
The first thing you need to do is go to the desktop editing mode, do a long press (push) on the free space of the screen or swipe two fingers from the center to the edges. In the menu that opens, find the Settings button (cogs) or Add widgets, where screen control often hides.
☑️ Google Discover's Algorithm
In the settings menu that opens, look for a section that may be called “Tape,” “Google Discover,” or “Google Discover «-1 In newer versions of HyperOS, this item is often placed in a separate desktop control menu. Once you find the right switch, just deactivate it.
If the standard path didn't help, try an alternative method through the settings of the Google app itself. Open the Google app on your phone, click on the profile avatar in the corner and select Settings → Ribbon Settings.There may be an option to disable the display of tape on the home screen, although the phone's system settings usually take priority.
⚠️ Attention: After system update MIUI The launcher settings may reset, and the swipe left will work again.
Remove Glance, Mi Video and Xiaomi Ads
Owners of Redmi and POCO smartphones often complain about Glance (formerly Lock Screen Magazine) or embedded video players that occupy the left screen, which are part of Xiaomi’s ecosystem and often contain ad integrations, which are harder to remove than Google Discover, as they are embedded deeper into the system.
To disable Glance or similar services, go to Phone Settings → Lock Screen (or Wallpaper and Personalization). Find Glance for Xiaomi or Wallpaper Carousel and turn it off. For the left desktop screen, you need to act through the theme or launcher settings.
Sometimes the left screen is occupied by Mi Video or Music, to fix this:
- 📱 Go to Settings. → Desktop.
- 📺 Find the item "Extended Screen", "Video" or "Music»**.
If you don't have a direct switch in the settings, try changing the theme to a standard one. Third-party themes often add their widgets to the left screen, and returning to the classic MIUI design solves the problem. Also, cleaning up the Themes app data helps, but it will reset your customizations.
What to do if the left screen is not turned off?
Setting up App Vault and Replacing it with Google Discover
Many users prefer to have quick access to apps, but Xiaomi’s standard App Vault may not suit the design or functionality. The good news is that you can replace it with a more convenient analog from Google or completely disable it.
To replace left-hand screen content with Google Discover (if you have an App Vault):
- Swipe left to open the App Vault.
- Click on the three dots in the top corner or the gear settings.
- Select “Select Ribbon”, “Change Supplier” or “Discover”**.
If your goal is to turn off the swipe completely, then in the same App Vault settings menu, look for the “Show -1 screen” switch**. After it is turned off, nothing will happen when you try to swipe left, or the screen will simply elastically return to place.
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Tip: If you use the “Stepomer” or “Calendar” widgets from the App Vault, add them to the main desktop before disabling, so as not to lose quick access to important information.
Importantly, in HyperOS, the logic of widgets has changed, so you can add widgets directly to your desktop anywhere, making a separate screen with widgets less relevant, and that gives you more freedom to organize space.
Swipe problems after HyperOS update
With the release of the new HyperOS shell, many users were faced with the fact that the usual settings were lost or moved. The interface became smoother, but the logic of desktop management changed, in particular, the obvious left-screen switch in old places disappeared.
In HyperOS, swipe management is often moved to the Settings menu → Desktop → Additionally, if there's no item, try pressing the empty space for a long time, selecting Settings and scrolling to the bottom. Sometimes the option is hidden under the name Search Bar,** where you can choose whether to show it on your desktop or on a separate screen.
A common problem is the interface bug, when the swipe doesn't work or works the other way around, and then resetting the launcher settings helps:
- 💾 Press "Clear» → «Clear all data».
⚠️ Attention: Clearing the launcher data will cause all icons and widgets to reset on desktops. It is recommended to take screenshots in advance to quickly restore order.
If the problem persists, a third-party launcher (Nova, Lawnchair) may cause conflict.Check the settings of the third-party application or temporarily remove it for diagnosis.
Use of third-party launchers for full control
If Xiaomi’s regular tools don’t work well or you want to radically change the look of the interface, the best solution is to install a third-party launcher, and applications like Nova Launcher, Lawnchair, or Microsoft Launcher allow you to completely ignore the system limitations of MIUI.
Once you install a third-party launcher, it will suggest you become the main one. You'll get full control of your gestures. In these launchers, the swipe left defaults either doing nothing or opening up a widget bar that you can customize or remove. It's the only guaranteed way to get rid of Xiaomi's intrusive services on older versions of Android, where there are no official switches.
But it has its own peculiarities: Third-party launchers may consume more power or not support some proprietary features, such as Accelerate Games or Second Space gestures. So weigh the pros and cons before installing.
For advanced users, there is a possibility of using ADB-commands to hide the system packages that are responsible for the left screen, but this requires connection to the PC and caution.
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A third-party launcher is the most powerful customization solution, but it is addictive and can slightly increase battery consumption.