How to remove the sidebar on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Owners of modern smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO often face a situation when swiping from the corner of the screen appears unwanted assistant, it can be Google Assistant, built-in Global Assistant or the new feature Mi Sidebar. This behavior of the system by default annoys many users who are used to a clean interface without unnecessary elements.

Depending on the version of the MIUI operating system or the new HyperOS, the settings can be very different, sometimes hidden deep in the menu of special features, and in other cases it is activated by random clicking, to understand this maze of settings is necessary for comfortable use of the gadget.

In this article, we'll go into all the options you can get to fix this problem, where you can find switches for different versions of firmware and how to get rid of pop-ups forever, so you can personalize your device to your needs.

Differences between Google Assistant and Mi Sidebar

Before you start shutting down, it's important to understand what kind of tool is stopping you. Xiaomi devices can have two different types of sidebars, and the settings for them are in different places, and the confusion arises from the fact that visually they can behave similarly, appear when swiping.

The first option is the classic Google Assistant, which is swiped from the bottom corner of the screen upwards, and is deeply integrated into the Android ecosystem and responds to voice commands, and the second option is the Mi Sidebar, which is a floating menu with app shortcuts.

• 📱 Google Assistant: Appears when swiping from the bottom corner, responds to voice, has a search bar.
• 🛠 Mi Sidebar: appears when swiping from the top or middle edge, contains a list of favorite applications.
• ⚙️ Location: Assistant settings are in the Google app and panels are in the phone’s system settings.

If you misidentify the type of panel, you'll be looking for settings in the wrong menu, so be careful about how the interface behaves before you start setting up. If you see a microphone and colored dots on a swipe, you need the first method. If it's an icon list, the second method.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling system services may affect voice control. Make sure you don't really need voice input before fully deactivating Google services.

Disable Google Assistant through System Settings

The most common scenario is that Google Assistant is activated by default, and in modern versions of MIUI and HyperOS, this option is often turned on out of the box. To remove the sidebar calling the Assistant, you need to go deep into the system settings.

Open the settings menu of your smartphone and find the Advanced Settings section. Language and input are the keys to managing system input and assistants. Some firmware versions may have slightly different paths, but the logic remains the same.

Inside the menu, select the option Manage Assistant or Google Assistant, and here you will see a switch that activates the Swipe Assistant call, and just turn the slider to off, so that the function stops responding to your actions.

Once you turn it off, try swiping from the corner of the screen, and if the panel doesn't show up anymore, it's solved, but if the swipe is still causing some activity, you may have activated the second type of panel that we talked about earlier.

Removing Mi Sidebar in Special Opportunities

The Mi Sidebar feature is part of Xiaomi’s special features, designed to provide quick access to applications, but often turned on by accident, and can be found in the section on advanced interface settings.

Go to Settings → Additional Settings → Special Features. In the list that opens, look for Sidebar (or Mi Sidebar), where you can not only turn off the feature, but also adjust the sensitivity of the activation zone to avoid accidental pressing in the future.

Inside the sidebar menu, there's an important parameter, which is the panel type, which is sometimes confused by the main switch, and make sure you change the activation status, not just the look, and you can also choose which apps the panel will appear in.

If you use a Xiaomi Pad tablet or a smartphone with a large screen, the sidebar can be more intrusive. In such devices, it is often built into the multitasking interface. Check also the split screen settings, as there may be triggers for calling the menu.

⚠️ Note: Some global firmware versions may call it "Shortcut Panel" or "Shortcut Panel." Look for any term associated with side access.

Setting up the app panel in game mode (Game Turbo)

One of the things that you should notice is the sidebar that comes up during games, which is a Game Turbo feature that allows you to quickly respond to messages or change your performance settings, and many users confuse it with the system panel.

To manage this element, you need to open the Security app, which is preinstalled on all Xiaomi devices. In the lower right corner or in the menu, find the Game Turbo icon. This is where the overlay behavior is set up during game launch.

In the game mode menu, go to Settings (usually the gear icon). Find Toolbar or Sidebar when you play. You can turn off the menu display or configure it so that it does not interfere with Gameplay.

• 🚀 Performance: Disabling excess overlays can slightly boost FPS heavy-play.

It’s important to understand that Game Turbo works regardless of the Assistant’s system settings. Even if you’ve disabled Google Assistant, the game bar can continue to appear if it’s activated in the running app’s profile.

💡

Add frequently used apps (calculator, voice recorder, notes) to the game bar if you need to take screenshots or record steps without leaving the game.

Problems after upgrading to HyperOS

With the release of HyperOS, Xiaomi has changed the way it works, with many menu items moved and some features combined, and users who have recently upgraded may not find the switches they use.

In HyperOS, assistant management is often listed in a separate section called Additional Features. If the standard path doesn't work, try searching by settings. Type the word "Assistant" or "Sidebar" into the search box, and the system will specify the item.

It's also worth noting that new versions have a smart window feature that can mimic sidebar behavior, which allows you to run apps in floating mode. If that's what annoys you, look for settings in the Multitasking section.

Sometimes, after a major update, settings can get lost or canned in cache. If the switch doesn't respond to clicks, try simply restarting the device. This trivial action often resolves software conflicts of new interface drivers.

💡

In HyperOS, settings search is more efficient than manually wandering through menus. Use the search bar at the top of the settings screen to instantly access hidden features.

Using ADB to Advance Disconnect

For power users who lack standard methods, there is a way to disable system components via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to remove or freeze the packet responsible for the sidebar at the system level.

To do this, you will need a computer, a USB cable and installed ADB drivers. On the phone you need to activate the developer mode (7 times click on the build number in About Phone) and enable debugging over USB.

When you connect your smartphone to your PC, you can run a command to search for the package, usually called com.google.android.package.installer or an assistant, but be very careful: removing system components can cause the device to function in a disorderly way.

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox

This command disables the main Google app, which is often the source of the sidebar. To get it back, use the enable command, which doesn't require Root rights, but requires careful input.

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB-commands to disable system applications may result in a loss of warranty or disruption to other Google services.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)