Xiaomi smartphone owners often face intrusive interface elements that the company implements into its MIUI shell. One such controversial decision is the widget tape that appears when swiped left from the home screen. On the Redmi Note 8 T, despite its popularity and reliability, this feature can annoy users who accidentally open it when unlocking the device.
Removing or hiding this element does not require superuser rights or complex flashing of the gadget. System settings allow you to flexibly manage the workspace, disabling unnecessary services from Google and Xiaomi. In this article, we will discuss in detail all available methods that will help you make the interface cleaner and more convenient.
It is worth noting that the location of the switches may vary slightly depending on the version of the firmware installed. However, the logic of the MIUI shell remains the same for most devices of the brand. Complete disabling of the widget tape on the Redmi Note 8 T is possible only through hidden launcher settings or system flags.
Why does the widget tape appear and what is it?
The widget tape, often referred to as Google Discover or Google Feed, is an aggregator of news, weather reports and personalized recommendations. On Xiaomi smartphones, it is built into the default system launcher.This is done to increase user engagement in the ecosystem, but often results in reduced performance on devices with limited resources.
On the Redmi Note 8 T, active tape can consume RAM even in the background. The system processes responsible for updating news put additional strain on the processor, and many users prefer to turn off this feature to save battery power and speed up the interface.
Visual noise also distracts from the main task of launching applications quickly. If you are used to pure Android or minimalism, having color cards on the left of the first screen can seem counterintuitive.
Basic shutdown through launcher settings
The easiest and safest way to remove the extra panel is to use the standard desktop settings, and the MIUI has a switch that hides the left screen, which does not require third-party software and is completely reversible.
To start, you need to go to the launcher settings menu. Press and hold your finger on any free area of the desktop until the screen is reduced, displaying page thumbnails. In the lower right corner or in the upper menu (depending on the version of MIUI), find the Settings button or gear.
☑️ Tape-off algorithm
In the menu that opens, look for the -1 screen switch, or the -1 screen switch, which is responsible for displaying the left panel. Once the switch is turned off, the swipe to the left will stop calling the news feed, and you will remain on the first desktop.
⚠️ Warning: After the firmware update, the launcher settings may reset to factory values.
Customization of widgets and Google Discover
Even if you don't want to remove the tape completely, it can be made much easier, because in the Google app settings, you can turn off the display of news cards, leaving only widgets like pedometers or weather, which will reduce traffic and resource consumption.
Go to the settings of the Google app itself through the smartphone menu. Find Settings → General → Discover. You can turn off automatic updates to your news feed here. This is useful if you're only interested in local widgets, not global news.
And you also need to pay attention to personalization of advertising, because collecting data to create a tape can invade your privacy, and if you turn off your activity history, you make it less accurate, but more neutral.
| Parameter | Impact on the system | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Update of news | High traffic consumption | Shut down. |
| Geolocation | GPS battery consumption | Only for cards. |
| Personalization | Collection of user data | Limit |
| Animation. | GPU loading | Simplify |
Use of third-party launchers
If standard methods do not work well or the MIUI interface seems too overloaded, an alternative launcher is a great solution, and applications like Nova Launcher, Lawnchair or Microsoft Launcher completely replace the desktop and application menus.
Third-party launchers often run faster than standard ones, especially on previous-generation devices such as the Redmi Note 8 T. They provide deep customization capabilities: changing icons, desktop grids, gestures and animations. They don't have an obtrusive news feed on the left.
Risks of installing third-party launchers
To install a new launcher download APK-You can find the file or the application in Google Play. Once you install it, you can then choose the default desktop application. You can select a new launcher and the old interface will disappear.
Advanced methods through ADB and hidden menus
For power users who want to gain maximum control over the system, there are methods to disable system components through USB debugging. Connecting to a computer and using the ADB toolkit allows you to delete or freeze packets responsible for the widget tape.
Before you start, you need to activate the developer mode. To do this, go to Settings → About the phone and quickly press 7 times on the MIUI build number. Then, in advanced settings, turn on Debugging over USB.
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchboxThis command disables the Google App app, which is often the source of the feed. However, be careful: disabling system components can lead to unstable work of the voice assistant or search widgets.
⚠️ Attention: Use of teams ADB To remove system applications may result in loss of warranty or disruption of the smartphone.
Cleaning the cache and optimizing work
Once the widget tape is turned off, it is recommended to clean up the accumulated garbage.Residual files of the Google and Xiaomi applications can take up space in memory. Use the built-in Security app or third-party utilities for cleaning.
Rebooting the device will consolidate the changes made. When you start the first time after disabling heavy services, you may notice an increase in the response speed of the interface. Redmi Note 8 T has enough power, but the release of resources always has a positive effect on performance.
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Periodically clear the launcher cache in the application settings if you notice twitching interface or slow opening menus.
Regular maintenance, including removing unused widgets and live wallpaper, extends battery life. Fewer active processes means less workload on the processor in standby mode.
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A comprehensive approach to customizing the interface – disabling unnecessary services and using light launchers – significantly improves the user experience on Xiaomi smartphones.