How to permanently remove the tape widgets on Xiaomi and POCO

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face situations where the usual MIUI or new HyperOS interface seems overloaded with unnecessary elements. Especially the so-called “left screen” – the widget tape that appears when swiping to the right of the main desktop. For many users, this feature is intrusive, as it takes up space, consumes RAM and distracts from the main content. In 2026, as interfaces have become even more complex, the issue of space optimization becomes more urgent than ever.

Fortunately, the developers have provided flexible system configuration, allowing you to get rid of unnecessary elements without the need for root-rights. The process of disconnecting may vary slightly depending on the version of the operating system and regional firmware, but the basic principles remain the same throughout the ecosystem. Understanding how the system launcher works will help you not only remove the tape, but also significantly speed up the device.

In this detailed guide, we’ll look at all the known ways to deactivate your widget tape, from standard settings to advanced methods for power users. You’ll learn why this screen can slow your phone and how shutting it off completely affects battery autonomy. We’ll also look at the nuances of working with the shells of Android 14 and Android 15, which are actively being implemented in Xiaomi devices this year.

Why you should turn off the left screen on Xiaomi

The widget tape, often referred to as "App Vault" or "Google Discover," is an aggregator of news, weather, pedometer and fast action. While some users find it convenient, for most it is a source of constant visual noise. The main argument against it is resource consumption: even when you're not looking at the left screen, system processes continue to update data in the background, which puts extra strain on the processor.

In addition, the presence of additional desktops affects the speed of animations. When you scroll between screens, the system must render the contents of each of them, and the left screen often becomes a bottleneck, especially on budget models of the Redmi Note series. Disabling this element allows you to focus on the applications and widgets that you really need daily, removing information chaos.

There's also the privacy aspect: Widget tapes often collect your preferences, location and search history to personalize content, and deactivating this feature minimizes telemetry collection and makes smartphone use more private, especially for those who value digital hygiene and want to clean up their gadget from intrusive services as much as possible.

⚠️ Warning: Complete shutdown of system components through ADB-commands can lead to unstable operation of the launcher.It is recommended to use the regular setting methods described in this article to avoid the need to reset settings.

Standard method of disconnection through launcher settings

The easiest and safest way to remove the widget tape is to use the built-in desktop settings, which work on the vast majority of Xiaomi devices running MIUI 12-14 and HyperOS. You don't need to install third-party software or connect to a computer.

You can start by going to the desktop editing menu, and you can do this by just holding an empty space on any screen or by pinching two fingers (finger mixing on the screen), and you can see a gear icon in the menu that opens at the bottom or in the corner of the screen, which is the input to the desktop system.

• 📱 Press and hold your finger on the free portion of the home screen until the edit menu appears.
• ⚙️ Select the Settings icon (cogs) in the lower right or left corner of the interface.
• 🔍 Find the option “Add screen” or “left screen” in the list of options.
• 🚫 Switch the slider to the "Off" position or select the "No" option».

Once you do this, swipe right will stop opening the widget tape. If you have a global firmware version installed, the name of the items may vary slightly, but the logic remains the same. In some cases, especially on older versions of MIUI, this item may be called the "-1 screen."

Google Discover and News Feeds Setup

Often users confuse Xiaomi widget system tape with Google Discover, two different entities that can be activated when swiping to the right. If switching off through the launcher settings didn't help, you may have Google Search activated, which is deeply integrated into the Android system and is managed separately.

To remove Google Discover, you have to go to the settings of the Google app itself, which can be done through the general settings menu of your smartphone or directly from the search widget. It's important to understand that disabling this service will not affect the work of the search engine or voice assistant, only the news feed will be removed.

Settings → Applications → All applications → Google → Tape

Inside the Google Settings menu, you need to find General or Feed Settings, and there's a switch that displays news cards, and when you turn it off, you'll either swipe to the right and either open a blank search page or nothing, depending on the launcher version.

In some regions, for example, in Russia and CIS countries, Xiaomi smartphones preinstalled a mandatory “package” version of the software. In such devices, the left screen can be replaced by a news feed from Yandex or another local partner. The mechanism of disconnection is similar: you need to find the settings of the corresponding widget or aggregator application.

Using third-party launchers for complete freedom

If you don’t think the standard methods are effective enough or you just want to change the look of the interface, the best solution is to install a third-party launcher. Replacing the standard shell MIUI Launcher with an alternative gives you complete control over the desktop, including the ability to completely ignore any system swipes.

Popular launchers like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher allow you to manually configure swipe behavior, so you can swipe right to open a particular application, run a macro, or just leave that action without a feature, which is ideal for those who want maximum customization.

• 🚀 Nova Launcher – a classic of the genre, offers incredible flexibility in setting up the grid, icons and gestures.
• 🌐 Microsoft Launcher integrates perfectly with the Windows ecosystem and has a clean, minimalist design.
• 🧠 Smart Launcher 6 – uses artificial intelligence to sort applications and has a unique organization of the workspace.

When installing a third-party launcher, Xiaomi may insist on returning to the standard interface. To avoid constant reminders, select the Always option when you first start a new launcher when you ask about the default application. Also, Xiaomi’s security settings sometimes require you to allow the new launcher to display over other windows.

⚠️ Note: Using third-party launchers on HyperOS can lead to conflicts with system navigation and gestures.Some features, such as iOS-style widgets or specific Xiaomi animations, may not work properly or be available.

Advanced method: Disconnection via ADB

For experienced users who want to achieve absolute cleanliness of the system and are ready to work with a computer, there is a method to disable components through the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) debugging bridge. This method allows you not only to hide the tape, but actually “freeze” or remove the system package responsible for its operation, which guarantees complete freeing up of resources.

Before starting the procedure, you need to turn on the developer mode. To do this, seven times click on the build number in the About Phone section. Then activate the USB debugging menu in the Developer menu. Connect the smartphone to the PC with a cable and install the ADB drivers on the computer.

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.personalassistant

This command disables the Xiaomi personal assistant, which is responsible for the left screen. If your goal is to remove Google Discover, the command will look different: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox (be careful, this can affect the search widget).

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Before use ADB-While the risk is minimal, interfering with system packages always requires caution. Keep a list of commands you used to quickly roll back changes if necessary.

Problem Solving: If the tape returns itself

Sometimes users are faced with an unpleasant situation: it seems that all settings are completed, but after a while after updating the system or rebooting, the left screen appears again, this can be caused by resetting the launcher settings after updating the firmware or conflict with preinstalled applications.

First, check to see if the desktop and security system components have been updated in the background. New versions can overwrite user configurations. It’s also worth checking the app autoload list – sometimes third-party programs (such as memory cleaners or antiviruses) can initiate a reset of interface settings.

If the problem persists, try resetting the launcher settings manually.This won't delete your apps or personal files, but will return the location of the icons and desktop settings to factory values, which often helps to "fix" new tape-off options.

• 🔄 Go to Settings. → Annexes → All applications.
• 🔍 Find the "Desktop" (or Launcher) list).
• 🗑️ Press "Clear» → «Clear all data».
• ✅ Reset your desktop and turn off the left screen.

In rare cases, the cause may be a specific version of the firmware with errors. If you are using a beta version of MIUI or HyperOS, consider rolling back to a stable branch. Errors in the beta code often lead to incorrect behavior of system interfaces.

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The most reliable way to remove the widget tape is a combination of disabling in the launcher settings and, if necessary, blocking through ADB. This ensures that even after updates, the system will not return intrusive functionality.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)