Owners of Poco X3 smartphones and Xiaomi devices often face intrusive functionality that appears immediately after unpacking the gadget. One such element is the left screen, filled with widgets, news and recommendation services. For many users, this interface is redundant, as it consumes RAM, consumes traffic and simply takes up space that could be empty.
To make matters worse, in the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS, this element is deeply integrated into the launcher system. You can't just uninstall it as a regular application. However, knowing the right ways in the settings, you can easily deactivate this feature. In this article, we'll go into detail all the ways to make the home screen clean and minimalist by removing unnecessary interface elements.
Before we make any changes, it’s important to understand that turning off the tape doesn’t affect the stability of the operating system. On the contrary, many users notice a slight increase in battery life after disabling Google Discover background processes. We’ll look at the standard methods that don’t require superuser rights or complex software.
Setting up the main screen in MIUI and HyperOS
The first step to cleaning up the interface is to go to the launcher's basic parameters, and that's where the left-screen switch is hidden, and depending on the firmware version, the path to this option may vary slightly, but the logic remains the same for all models, including the Poco X3 NFC and Poco X3 Pro.
You have to go to the settings menu and find the partition that's responsible for the appearance of the system, which is usually called the Home Screen or the Desktop, and it's all about the app grid, the animations, and the very widget tape that we're going to take down.
Note the following items that may occur in different versions of the shell:
- 📱 Switch "Ribbon widgets" - the main control element.
- 📱 Google Discover – often duplicates the feature of the news feed.
- 📱 Setting up “Widget Card” – an alternative name in some builds.
⚠️ Attention: After changing the launcher settings, the system may require a reboot or a brief flashing of the screen occurs.
It is important to note that in some firmware regions (e.g. global version), the interface may be more “clean” by default, whereas in Chinese or Indian builds the amount of pre-installed software is much higher. If you do not find the right switch right away, check if you have activated Full-screen mode, which sometimes hides additional options.
Disabling the widget tape through the launcher settings
The most reliable way to get rid of the extra screen is to use built-in configuration tools. You don't have to download third-party apps. The algorithm is simple, but it requires care, because item names can be translated in different ways.
Open the Settings app on your Poco X3. In the search bar at the top, type in the word "Main" or "Screen." The system will tell you the section you want. If the search does not yield results, manually go to: Settings → Desktop. In the menu that opens, look for "Tape of widgets."
If you want to make sure you’ve removed the news source, not just the widgets, follow this sequence:
- 🔍 Press and hold your finger on the empty space of the desktop.
- 🔍 Select the “Settings” or “Add widget” button (bottom of the screen).
- 🔍 Find the switch "Tape widgets" and translate it to the "Off" position».
After doing this, swiping right on the home screen will stop opening the tape, instead you'll likely see empty space or immediately get to the first desktop, which is the desired result that makes navigation faster and more enjoyable.
☑️ Checking the launcher settings
Delete Google Discover and News Feed
Often users confuse the system tape of Xiaomi widgets and Google Discover service, two different, albeit visually similar elements. If the disabling in the launcher settings did not help, or the tape continues to appear, then it is Google search service that is activated.
To disable Google Discover, you need to act through the settings of the Google app itself. Go to the Settings of the phone, find the Apps or All Apps section. In the list, find the Google app (not Chrome, but Google with the colored letter G).
Inside the app menu, find the General or Settings section, and there should be a switch called Discover or Google Tape, and turning it off completely removes the news stream, and you can also do it through the widget:
- Swipe to the right to open the tape.
- Click on the profile icon in the upper right corner.
- Select “Settings” → “General”.
- Turn off Discover.
This method is especially relevant for those using a “clean” Android launcher or third-party shells where Xiaomi’s system settings may not work.Remember that Google Discover can consume a significant amount of traffic in the background by updating the news feed.
Using third-party launchers for full customization
If MIUI’s regular facilities seem too limited and you want to completely change the look of your Poco X3, installing a third-party launcher is a great solution.
Popular options like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Lawnchair allow you to flexibly customize swipe behavior, where you decide what happens when you move your finger left or right, and there are no obtrusive tapes by default.
Comparison of the capabilities of the standard launcher and third-party solutions:
| Function | Standard MIUI launcher | Nova Launcher | Microsoft Launcher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turn off the tape | Through settings | Full control. | Full control. |
| Animation. | Fixed. | Customizable | Customizable |
| Icon grid | Limited. | Anybody. | Flexible. |
| RAM consumption | Average. | Low. | Average. |
Installing a third-party launcher requires special permissions. After the first launch, Android will suggest selecting the default home screen app. Choose the launcher installed and the interface will change instantly.
Can a third-party launcher slow down the Poco X3?
Cleaning widgets and stub widgets
Sometimes users don't want to completely remove the left screen, but just to clear it of the unnecessary information noise, so you can leave the tape, but remove all the widgets from it, and you need to pinch your finger on each widget and select "Delete".
However, Xiaomi's system can automatically adjust the size of the remaining widgets or add new ones by default. To avoid this, some users use the "stub widget" method, which is an empty widget that takes up space but shows nothing.
The alternative is to use the Watch or Calendar widget in a minimalist style that is not visually annoying, but if you want to be empty, you'd better use the total shutdown method described above. The clean screen on the left is not just aesthetic, it's also not randomly tapped.
⚠️ Note: When removing system widgets (weather, music), make sure you don't need them elsewhere. You can restore the standard set of widgets through the widget add menu, but customizing each one will take time.
Also worth mentioning are the iOS-style widgets that have appeared in the newer versions of MIUI 14 and HyperOS. They look beautiful but require more resources to render. If you appreciate the Poco X3's performance, ditching heavy widgets will only benefit the phone.
💡
Save screenshots of the icons before installing a new launcher, which will help you recreate the desktop structure faster if you decide to go back to the standard interface.
Possible problems and solutions
During the setup process, users may find that the settings are not saved or the tape appears again after the reboot, this may be caused by an error in the launcher cache or a version conflict, in which case cleaning the data of the Louncher application helps.
To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Launcher (or Desktop). Select Clear Data and Clear Cache. Importantly, this will reset the desktop icons to factory status, so it’s best to remember your diagram beforehand.
If the problem persists, check for system updates. Newer patches often fix bugs related to interface behavior. Also make sure you don't have multiple launcher apps installed that may conflict with each other.
Let’s look at the main symptoms and solutions:
- 🔄 The tape returns after restarting - perform a launcher data reset.
- 🔄 Settings do not apply – check if the Google app has access rights.
- 🔄 Screen flashes when swiping - try to reduce the refresh rate of the screen in the display settings.
💡
Resetting the launcher data is a radical, but often the only way to fix the interface's software errors when simple switches stop working.
The impact of widgets on the performance of the Poco X3
Many people underestimate the impact of widgets on the smartphone. Each widget on the left screen is a running process that updates in the background. For the powerful Snapdragon 732G or 860 processor installed in the Poco X3, this is not critical, but combined with other factors can cause heating.
Weather, news and social widgets are particularly resource-intensive, and they use Internet connections all the time. GPS-Data update module: Disabling widget tape is one step to optimizing device autonomy.
If you notice that your phone is running out faster or slowing down more often when swiping, try turning off all the extra interface elements. In today's mobile environment, every percent of the battery counts, and the background processes of widgets can be invisible energy eaters.