Many Xiaomi smartphone owners are confronted with an intrusive widget tape that appears when swiping to the left of the home screen.This feature, known as Google Discover or “Widget Ribbon,” can consume traffic and distract from device management. In modern MIUI shells and the new HyperOS, developers have provided several ways to deactivate this interface element.
Removing tape doesn't require root rights or complex software, just know where to look for the right switches in launcher settings or system settings, and we'll look at all the current methods for different firmware versions, including hidden settings that often change after system updates.
If you want to return a clean desktop and stop seeing the news feed when unlocked, this article will be a comprehensive guide.We will break down the regular methods of disabling through the settings menu, as well as alternative options for advanced users.
Standard disconnection through desktop settings
The easiest and safest way to remove the widget tape on Xiaomi is to use the launcher’s built-in settings menu, which works on most current versions of MIUI 12, 13, 14 and HyperOS. You don’t need third-party apps or debugging access.
First, unlock the device and go to the main screen. Push two fingers together to open the desktop editing menu. The top right corner of the screen will see the gear icon, which is the entry into the launcher settings.
In the menu that opens, find "More" or "More" and that's where the left-screen switch is hidden, and find an option called "Widget Ribbon" or "Google Discover" and put the slider inactive.
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If the slider is inactive (gray), it may not be Google that is the default search engine. Try changing the search engine in your browser or system settings.
Once you turn off the option, just click on any free screen or home button to exit edit mode. The tape should disappear instantly. If the swipe left no longer opens the news page, then the procedure was successful.
- 📱 Make a pinch with two fingers on the desktop to call the menu.
- ⚙️ Click on the settings icon (cog) in the corner of the screen.
- 🔍 Find the “More” section in the settings menu.
- ❌ Turn off the Widget Tape or Google Discover switch».
Customization of widgets in the system menu Xiaomi
In some versions, the widget shells are placed in a general system menu, not just in the launcher settings, which is typical for devices that use the Mi Content Center widget or similar service tapes from the manufacturer, where management is carried out through the Widgets section.
Open the standard Settings app for your smartphone. Scroll down to the Desktop section or search for settings for the word “widget.” In some firmware, this item may be called “Widgets and Lock Screen.”
Inside the menu, look for the Left Screen or Negative First Screen option, and if you click on it, you'll see a list of available content sources, and you can not only turn off the feed, but you can also choose what will be displayed if you decide to return it.
Importantly, new versions of HyperOS have changed the logic of the left screen, and now it can display the Xiaomi smart assistant, so to completely clear the space, you need to turn off all active cards in this section.
- 🔧 Go to the general “Settings” of the smartphone.
- 🖥️ Select the "Desktop" or "Widgets" section».
- 📉 Find the setting “Left screen” or “Negative screen».
- 🚫 Remove the box from the item "Show the tape».
Remove via Google Settings (Discover)
Often users confuse the Xiaomi system tape with the native tape Google Discover. If your device is a launcher from Google or activated service Google Feed, you need to turn it off through the settings of the search engine itself. This is especially true for global versions of firmware.
Open the Google app (G icon) on your desktop. Click on your profile avatar in the top right corner. In the drop-down menu, select Settings, then go to General.
In the list of common settings, find the Discover switch, which will remove the news feed from Google widgets. However, if you have a standard MIUI launcher, it may not remove the swipe left completely, but only clear its contents.
⚠️ Note: Disabling Discover in Google Settings Does Not Affect the System Widget Ribbon MIUI. These are two different mechanisms that can work in parallel.
For full effect, it is recommended to combine this method with turning off the feed in the desktop settings described in the first section, which ensures that no source of news debris will work in the background.
- 🅿️ Launch the Google app on your smartphone.
- 👤 Touch the user's avatar in the corner of the screen.
- 📂 Go to "Settings» → «General».
- 📵 Turn off the Discover switchboard (Discover).
Resetting launcher settings as a radical method
If the standard switches don't work, are gone after the upgrade, or the widget tape reappears, you can try resetting the launcher to the factory settings, which will return the desktop to its original state, just like when you bought the device.
Go to Settings → Applications → All Apps. Find System Launcher (or Launcher) in the list. Click on it and select Clean → Reset (or Clear All Data) option.
After this action, the icons on the desktop can regroup and the widgets disappear. You have to reconfigure the location of the shortcuts. However, this often helps to reset the stuck left-screen settings that you could not change through the menu.
☑️ Check before launcher reset
Be prepared for the fact that after reset, the system may again suggest turning on the widget tape on the first run. Carefully read the pop-ups and immediately refuse offers to activate Google Discover or Mi Content.
- 📲 Open the application settings in the phone menu.
- 🔍 Find the "System Launcher" in the list.
- 🧹 Click “Clean” and select “Reset».
- 🔄 Restart the device to apply changes.
Use of third-party launchers
When MIUI’s built-in tools are not flexible enough, the only option is to install a third-party launcher. Popular shells like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Lawnchair completely replace Xiaomi’s standard interface.
Third-party launchers don't usually have the default widget obtrusive tape on the left, and even if they do, it's more straightforward to turn off, and it doesn't hide in deep menus, and it also speeds up the interface on older smartphone models.
To install a third-party launcher, download the app from Google Play. Once installed, click the Home button and select the new launcher as the default default. Xiaomi's standard interface will stop loading and the tape problem will disappear forever.
| Launcher | Presence of left ribbon | Difficulty setting up | Impact on the battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Systemic (MIUI) | Got (obtrusive) | Medium | Low. |
| Nova Launcher | Optionally. | Tall. | Low. |
| Microsoft Launcher | There's (customizable) | Low. | Average. |
| Lawnchair | No. | Low. | Low. |
Can I remove the system launcher?
Hiding the left screen through ADB (for advanced)
For users who are not afraid of the command line, there is a method of hiding the left screen through USB debugging (ADB), which allows you to forcibly disable the component responsible for Google Feed, even if there is no such button in the interface.
You'll need a computer, USB-cable and installed drivers ADB. On the phone, you need to turn on “Developer Mode” (7 times click on the build number in “About Phone”) and activate Debugging by USB.
Connect your smartphone to your PC and enter the following command in the command line to disable the Google Discover component:
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchboxThis command doesn't delete the application completely, but it does prevent it from starting and integrating into the system. The widget tape will stop loading. To return it, use the command adb shell pm enable com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox.
⚠️ Attention: Use ADB Disabling system components can lead to errors in the voice assistant or search.
This method is justified if you want to make the system as light as possible and you don’t need Google services in the background, it also helps to get rid of advertising and recommended content that sometimes seeps into the feed.
- 💻 Connect your smartphone to your computer through USB.
- 🛠️ Activate debugging mode in the developer settings.
- ⌨️ Enter the command to disable the component in the console.
- ✅ Check the result swipe left on the screen.
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The most reliable way to remove tape is to turn it off in the launcher settings through a finger pinch, and ADB and reset methods are only needed in rare cases of failure.