How to turn off swipe up on Xiaomi: remove unnecessary functions

Xiaomi’s modern MIUI and HyperOS shells are oversaturated with features that often interfere with the comfort of a smartphone. One of the most annoying features is the so-called swipe up, which can lead to very different consequences, from opening a Google search bar to launching an app menu or even activating an ad widget.

Users often confuse these features because gestures work in a complex way, such as swiping to the right of a Google widget causes a search, and swiping up on the home screen opens a “curtain” of notifications or app menus depending on the settings. Turning the swipe up is not a single button, but a complex setup of several system parameters.

In this article, we’ll look at all possible scenarios where this gesture causes unwanted actions, and show you how to regain full control over your device’s navigation, learn how to block advertising widgets, customize gestures, and optimize your desktop.

Problem analysis: what exactly causes the swipe reaction

Before you start settings, you need to clearly define which component of the system responds to your finger movement. In the Xiaomi ecosystem, there are three main scenarios where swiping up or right (often perceived as a move up due to the location of the widget) causes an undesirable effect.

The first and most common case is the Google Discover widget (formerly Google Now), located on the leftmost desktop. When you try to swipe right to navigate to the main screen, the user often accidentally moves upwards, opening the SERPs. The second case is the system menu of applications, which opens with a swipe up the center of the screen if the appropriate navigation mode is enabled.

The third option, which is common in older versions of MIUI and some regions, is wallpaper carousel, or advertising widgets that are activated when you're not moving sloppy, and understanding the source of the problem is the key to solving it. You don't have to blindly turn everything off, you better do it point-by-point.

⚠️ Attention: Some system gestures may conflict with the special features settings. If the swipe stopped working at all after the changes, check the Advanced Settings section for people with disabilities.

Diagnostics should start by checking the current theme. Third-party themes can change the logic of gestures by adding their own layers on top of the system. If you use a custom theme, try temporarily switching to standard Classic or Default to eliminate the influence of third-party code.

Disabling Google widget and search bar

Most often, by swipe up, users mean opening Google News Feed, which occurs when you try to go to the first desktop, which is the default widget activated in most firmware and takes the place of the left screen.

To get rid of it, you don't need root rights. You just go to your desktop settings. You find the settings menu that you're looking for for for "Additional Features" or "Desktop Settings." The path may be slightly different from HyperOS to MIUI, but the logic remains the same.

You need to find a switch called “Google Discover”, “Google Tape” or “Google Discover «-1 Turn it to "Off," you remove the screen completely. Now the swipe to the right (or up, if you're used to a certain trajectory) will just rest on the edge of the main screen without causing any extra windows.

• 🔍 Open the “Settings” of the smartphone.
• 📱 Go to the section "Work table».
• ❌ Find the Google Discover option and turn it off.
• ✅ Check the result swipe to the right on the main screen.

If the standard path through settings didn't work, try a long tap on the empty desktop space. In the menu that appears, select Settings (cog) and look for the option "Advanced." There's often a "Show -1 screen" switch hidden there, which is especially true for global firmware versions.

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If you use Google search but don't want to see the news feed, just turn off the widget.The search bar will remain accessible via a desktop widget or voice assistant.

Setting up the application menu and navigation

The second important aspect is the logic of opening the menu of all applications. In classic Android and older versions of MIUI, swipe up opened the list of all installed programs. In modern interfaces, this behavior can be changed to a more familiar one, where all applications are on desktops, like in iOS.

To change this logic, go to Settings → Desktop → Desktop Mode. Here you will be offered two options: Classic and C App Menu. When you select Classic, you turn off the swipe up to call the list of programs. All shortcuts will be distributed across pages.

Also, you should pay attention to system navigation. If you have Buttons enabled, a swipe up the center of the screen may do nothing or perform a Home function. If Full-screen gestures are enabled, a swipe up from the bottom of the screen always returns to the desktop, and a swipe up late (or center) opens the menu of running applications.

It's important to understand the difference between navigation gestures and desktop gestures, the first being Android-controlled, the second being MIUI launcher. Changing one setting doesn't always affect the other, so you need to set up in both sections to get the perfect result.

Blocking advertising widgets and wallpaper carousels

One of the most frustrating things is the accidental activation of the Glance or advertising widget when you unlock or swipe, often when your finger slides upwards when you just swipe across the screen.

To forget about this, you need to turn off the wallpaper carousel service. Go to Settings → Desktop → Wallpaper carousel (or Wallpaper Carousel). In the menu that opens, find the "Enable" switch and deactivate it. The system may try to convince you to leave the function, but insist on yours.

Also, you should check the widget settings. Sometimes users install news widgets (such as Yandex or Mi Video) that occupy the entire screen and respond to swipes. Remove unnecessary widgets from your desktop by long pressing "Delete".

⚠️ Note: After the wallpaper carousel is turned off, the standard wallpaper may not change immediately.You may need to manually set a static image as the background of the lock.

There's also hidden ads in folders. If you see recommendations when you open your app folder, you can turn that off, too. Go to Settings → Desktop and find "Recommendations" or "Receive recommendations," and then turn it off. This will remove unnecessary visual noise and prevent accidental clicks.

Use of third-party launchers

If standard MIUI and HyperOS tools don't allow you to achieve the desired behavior of the system, or if gestures are unstable, the best solution is to install a third-party launcher, which is a radical but effective method.

Launchers like Nova Launcher, Lawnchair, or Microsoft Launcher give you complete gesture control, and you can swipe up, down, left, and right, and you can decide what happens with every finger movement.

To install an alternative launcher, download the app from Google Play. Once installed, the system will prompt you to select the default home screen app. Select a new launcher. Now all gestures will be handled by it, ignoring Xiaomi's system settings.

• 📥 Download Nova Launcher from the app store.
• 🚀 Launch the application and complete the initial setup.
• ⚙️ In the Gestures and Input section, set the Swipe Up action as No».
• 🏠 Click the Home button to activate the new interface.

Using a third-party launcher also eliminates the built-in MIUI advertising, as many ad modules are tied to the system launcher, which makes the interface cleaner and faster.

Specifics of HyperOS and Old MIUI Versions

The HyperOS interface, which replaced MIUI 14, has made some adjustments to gesture control, with new skins that have changed the animation and sensitivity of swipes, and users note that HyperOS has made swiping up to search less intrusive, but new sign areas have emerged.

HyperOS has added a Smart Island widget that can also respond to swipes. If you’ve recently updated and noticed strange behavior, check the widget settings on the new system. The path is often hidden in Settings → Special Features.

For owners of older devices on MIUI 11 or 12 problems can only be solved by debugging USB and ADB-However, 95% of the time, it is enough to simply update the firmware to the current version, where many of the gesture bugs have already been fixed.

It is worth noting that in the Chinese versions of the firmware (CN) The logic of swipes is different from global ones. CN-Swipe up versions often opens search Mi AI, which cannot be turned off by standard methods without flashing.

Solving sensor and calibration problems

Sometimes the problem is not the software settings, but the physical calibration of the sensor, so if the swipe up is triggered by itself or does not respond, you may need to calibrate the touchscreen.

Xiaomi's engineering menu has sensor tests. To get there, open the Phone app and dial ##6484##. Select Touchpanel and follow the instructions to see if the screen detects false touches.

If the test shows errors, try resetting to factory settings. Be sure to back up the data before doing so. Reset will return all gesture settings to factory values, which often eliminates software conflicts.

⚠️ Attention: The engineering menu is for professionals. Do not change the settings that are not sure, so as not to disrupt the sensor or other modules of the phone.

Also, the cause of false swipes can be poor-quality security glass or film. If the edges of the screen are covered with thick glass, the phone may perceive this as a touch or block the swipe. Remove the protection and check the sensor.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)