Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often find themselves swiping to the left of the home screen with an endless feed of news, like aggregators like Google Discover or Yandex Zen, which consumes traffic and processor resources. Many users are looking for ways to remove the news feed on Xiaomi to free up space and speed up navigation.
The interface of the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS allows you to flexibly configure the desktop. However, the default settings often impose content from partners. In this article, we will discuss in detail all methods for disabling widgets, including standard system tools and advanced methods through ADB for complete removal.
You don't have to be a technician to do this, we've developed step-by-step instructions with screenshots of menu paths and an explanation of each step, so you can get back the clean interface and stop being distracted by hot news notifications.
Why is the news feed appearing and what it gives
A news feed on a lock screen or desktop is not just an information widget; it's a full-fledged service that is constantly updated in the background, it collects data about your interests, location and search queries to generate personalized results, for some it is convenient, for others it is a violation of privacy.
The main reason why users are trying to turn off this feature lies in the consumption of resources: Google Discover or Yandex actively use the Internet connection and GPS. This leads to faster battery discharge, especially on older models of smartphones with less capacious batteries.
Also, the tape is often overloaded with ads and clickbait headlines. It's annoying when you're trying to quickly find a weather widget or switch tracks. By turning off the extra elements, you make the interface cleaner and more minimalist.
There's a misconception that removing the widget completely removes the app, and in fact, you're just hiding it on the desktop, and the system components are there, but they stop messing with visually and consume resources in active mode.
Disable Google Discover on MIUI and HyperOS
The most common version of tape is Google's service, which is built into the default launcher, so you don't have to delete your system files, you just have to change your desktop display settings, and it's safe and reversible at any time.
First, unlock your smartphone and go to the main screen. Make a long swipe (pick) with two fingers over the free area of the screen to go into edit mode. In the lower right or left corner, a setting button, often indicated by a gear, will appear.
In the menu that opens, find the Additional or More section, and there's a switch called "Google Discover," "Google Tape," or "Google Feed," and you put the slider inactive, and the tape will disappear immediately the next time you swipe.
If the standard path doesnβt work or the interface is changed by the manufacturer, try an alternative method through system settings. Itβs relevant for global firmware versions where Google services are deeply integrated.
- π± Open the settings of your Xiaomi device.
- π In the search bar at the top, type the word "Discover" or "Tape".
- π Click on the menu item βGoogle Tapeβ or βGoogle Discover".
- β Turn the switch to the "Off" position".
It's important to understand that different versions of MIUI may have different item names, and Chinese firmware may have a built-in Mi Video or Mi Music aggregator instead of Google, which shuts down in a similar way.
βοΈ Checking for Google Discover Disconnection
Why can the switch be missing?
Removal of Yandex widgets on Russian versions
Smartphones officially shipped to Russia have a Yandex package pre-installed, and users often find that when swiping left, Yandex Zen or Yandex News opens, which is a legal requirement, but you can turn it off.
The procedure is similar to Google shutdown, but it has its own nuances: MIUI for Russia or HyperOS often uses a separate launcher or plugin. Go to desktop settings through a long tap on an empty space.
Find the item that is responsible for "Left Screen" or "Additional Screen." There may be a choice of source content. Select "No" or disable the display. If Yandex is, it will be marked with the corresponding logo.
Sometimes Yandex is integrated into the Card widget, in which case you need to remove the widget itself from the desktop. Press and hold the widget, then drag it to the basket or click "Delete".
If the tape keeps showing up, check the settings of the Yandex app itself. Open the app, click on the profile avatar and go to the settings. Find the "Tape" section and turn off notifications or personalization, although it is more reliable to hide the login completely through the phone's settings.
β οΈ Note: Complete removal of Yandex applications (Yandex, Zen, Browser) through settings can lead to errors in the operation of system weather widgets or search, if they are tied to these services. APK-file.
Setting up the lock screen and widgets
Newsfeed can be displayed not only on the desktop, but also on the Lock Screen. In new versions of HyperOS, the lock screen functionality is significantly expanded, reminiscent of iOS.
Go to Settings β Lock screen. You'll see a lot of options here. We're interested in Widgets or Widget Tapes. Turn off the news cards if you don't need them.
You should also check the wallpaper carousel settings, which is a service that changes wallpaper and shows advertising or news units, to remove this:
- πΌοΈ Go to Settings. β Wallpaper.
- π Find the section "Wallpaper carousels" (Glance).
- π« Turn off the switch "Enable the carousel wallpaper".
After that, only the time, date and standard notifications will remain on the lock screen, which greatly speeds up unlocking, since the system does not need to download heavy images from the network.
For owners of Redmi Note and Poco series, it is important to know that some firmwares have their widget settings set to a separate app called "Security" or "Conductor." Check these sections if you find nothing in the basic settings.
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If the swipe left still opens an empty white page after the tape is turned off, try changing the launcher.Installing a third-party launcher, such as Nova Launcher or Lawnchair, will completely replace the standard interface and remove all system tapes.
Using ADB to remove components completely
If standard methods donβt work or you want to cut Google and Yandex services out of the system completely, youβll need to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a powerful tool for developers to manage the system through a computer.
First, you need to activate the developer mode. Go to Settings β About the phone and quickly click on the build number (MIUI Version) 7 times.
Then turn on USB debugging from the Additional β Developer menu. Connect your phone to your computer with a cable. Install Google's Tools platform on your computer.
Run a command to find the packets that are responsible for the tapes. Type in the console:
adb shell pm list packages | grep googleFind packages containing the words discover, feed, or assistant.
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.apps.magazinesThis command will remove the Google Play Magazine app, which is often responsible for feeding.For Yandex, packages usually start on com.yandex.
β οΈ Attention: Use ADB Removing critical system components can cause a phone to bootloop, and only remove packages that you know are intended.
Restore remote through ADB application can be commanded adb shell cmd package install-existing [name packet] or simply reset the phone to factory settings.
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Using ADB is a radical method, which allows you to remove things that you can't hide in your settings, but requires a PC, a cable, and basic command line knowledge, and for 95% of users, a standard shutdown in the launcher settings is enough.
Comparison of disconnection methods and their consequences
The choice of method depends on your goals: simply hide the widget or completely clean the system. Below is a table comparing the main approaches to solving the problem of news feeds on Xiaomi.
| Method | Difficulty | Efficiency | Risks. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launcher settings | Low. | It hides visually. | No. |
| System settings | Low. | Shutting down service. | Minimum |
| Disconnection in the annex | Medium | Partial | No. |
| ADB team | Tall. | Complete removal | High (system error) |
Standard shutdown through launcher settings is the most secure.It doesn't violate system integrity and makes it easy to get everything back if you need the news feed again.It's the only method guaranteed to work once you update your firmware, since updates often return default settings, but don't restore components deleted through ADB automatically.
Using third-party launchers is a separate path. By installing a Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher, you completely ignore system limitations. However, it can change the way Xiaomi users are used to the icons and animations.
Remember that even after you turn off your tape, some system processes may remain active. For maximum optimization, it is also recommended to limit the background activity of Google and Yandex applications in the Battery and Performance section.
Check system updates regularly. With new versions of HyperOS, Xiaomi is gradually abandoning the aggressive introduction of third-party feeds, giving users more control over the βcleanβ Android-like interface.