Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often encounter an intrusive interface element, the weather widget, which occupies a large part of the main screen, automatically displays in the notification curtain and can be annoying with its activity. Removing this component is not just a matter of aesthetics, but also a way to free up RAM and reduce battery consumption.
The removal procedure depends on the version of the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS. In some cases, a simple swipe is enough, in others you need access to system settings or even the use of third-party launchers. Below we will discuss in detail all methods, from standard to advanced.
We must take into account that the weather widget in the Xiaomi ecosystem is deeply integrated into system processes. Complete removal of the system application "Weather" without root rights is impossible without risk of disruption of the system operation.
Removal of the widget from the main screen
The most obvious and easiest way to get rid of temperature display and forecast is to remove the widget directly from the desktop, which doesn't require special skills or access to an engineering menu, just a few touches of the screen.
Press and hold your finger on the weather widget. In a second, you'll see a context menu or desktop editing mode. Depending on the version of the shell, you'll either drag the widget to the top of the screen where the basket icon appears, or click the "Delete" button in the menu that appears.
If the widget is part of the standard Watch/Weather set, removing the widget can cause the clock to disappear, in which case you will have to re-add the watch widget through the widget menu, selecting the design without displaying weather data.
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Before removing the widget, try to resize it by pulling over the edge. Some weather widgets can be compressed to a minimum, turning into a compact string that takes up less space.
It's important to understand the difference between deleting a shortcut and deleting an app itself. When you move the widget, you just remove the widget from a particular page. The Weather app itself stays in the device's memory and continues to work in the background, unless you force it to be disabled.
Setting up the widget in the notification curtain
One of the most annoying features of the MIUI shell is the display of weather reports at the top of the lock screen or in the notification curtain, which often takes up to a third of the useful area of the display.
To get the weather out of the curtain, you need to go to the system settings. The path may vary slightly depending on the regional version of the firmware (Global, China, EEA).
- 📱 Open the settings of your smartphone.
- 🔍 In the search for settings, enter the word "Stork" or "lock screen".
- ⚙️ Find the Notifications and Status bar section or Lock screen.
- 🌤️ Find the "Show the Weather" or "Show the Weather Widget" switch and deactivate it.
In some versions of HyperOS, the widget settings are placed in a separate widget menu. Click on the widget in the curtain (if it is clickable) and select "Widget Settings" where you can turn off the prediction display.
Note that after the operating system update, settings may reset. If the weather appears in the curtain again, check this settings section again. It is also worth checking the theme settings, as some third-party themes force widgets back.
Disabling the Weather System Application
If your goal is not just to hide the widget, but to completely shut down the app so that it doesn't consume traffic and battery power, you can use the forced stop feature, which won't delete the app, but will prevent it from running.
Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find the Weather app (or Weather) in the list. Click on it to open the management page.
There are a few important options that you can get on the app page, and you can click Stop first, the system will tell you that the app will stop working, you can confirm the action, and then the widget will disappear and the background processes will stop.
☑️ Checklist of full app stoppage
To clean up more deeply, you can also click Clear and select All Data, which will reset all widget settings and remove saved cities from the app's memory, but once the device is restarted, the system may try to automatically restart critical weather-related system services.
⚠️ Note: Do not attempt to remove the Weather system application through ADB-This can lead to a cyclic bootloop or a misfunction of the Battery widget, which is often tied to the same system libraries.
Use of third-party launchers
A radical but effective solution to completely change the look of the interface is to install a third-party launcher. the standard shell MIUI tightly controls widgets, but third-party shells allow you to ignore system limitations.
Popular launchers like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher are completely replacing the desktop. In them, you decide which widgets to install. Xiaomi's system widget simply won't show up unless you add it manually.
To install an alternative launcher, download it from Google Play. After installation, click the Home button (circle in the navigation center). The system will ask which application to use by default. Select a new launcher and click Always.
| Launcher | Difficulty setting up | Memory consumption | Support for Android widgets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Launcher | Tall. | Low. | Complete. |
| Microsoft Launcher | Medium | Average. | Complete. |
| Smart Launcher 6 | Low. | Low. | Complete. |
| Niagara Launcher | Low. | Minimum | Limited. |
Using a third-party launcher gives you maximum flexibility: you can install any weather widget from the Play Market store that will display data in the format you want, or completely abandon it, leaving the screen minimalistic.
Blocking Advertising in the Weather App
Often, users don't want to remove the weather itself, but rather the banner ads and news feeds that are embedded in the app, and in Chinese and some global versions of MIUI, the interface is oversaturated with ads.
To clear the app interface of debris, you need to disable personalized recommendations. Go to the Weather app, click on three dots in the corner (menu) and select Settings.
In the settings, find Receive recommendations or Privacy Policy, where you need to disable all switches related to personalization of advertising and news, this will not remove the widget, but will make the application cleaner.
Hidden setup of msa
It’s also worth checking the general ad settings on the system. Go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Access to Personal Data → Special features and limit the weather app’s access to unnecessary features if such an option is available on your version of the OS.
Problems after removal and their solution
After manipulating the system widgets, users may encounter artifacts, such as a remote widget that may remain empty and not rebuilt, or a widget may reappear after a reboot.
If the widget returns itself, check if sync with your Mi Account is enabled. Sometimes your desktop settings are saved to the cloud. Go to Settings → Mi Account → Cloud → Desktop and turn off sync, then delete the widget again.
If you see broken pixels or black squares in the widget, cleaning the launcher cache will help. Find the System Launcher system application in the application settings and clean the cache. This will return the desktop grid to its original state.
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If the weather widget is constantly returning after the reboot, it is likely fixed in the theme configuration. Change the theme to standard or classic to reset the anchors.
Remember that the weather widget is closely related to geolocation. If the app continues to request access to GPS even after removing the widget, be sure to revoke permission from the Apps → Weather → Permissions menu.