Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a situation where the desktop is full of information blocks that interfere with viewing and consume resources.The standard shell of MIUI, and now the new HyperOS, offers many tools for personalization, but sometimes standard weather, news or advertising widgets become intrusive. You can remove them in several ways, depending on whether it is a system element, a widget of a third-party application or part of the Yandex tape and Google Discover.
In this guide, we’ll look at all possible scenarios for removing and deactivating unnecessary interface elements. You’ll learn to clean your desktop, set up your left panel, and disable ad units, which are often masquerading as useful widgets. Understanding the interface structure will allow you to create a clean and functional space to work with.
Before you get to specific actions, it’s important to determine the type of widget you want to remove, whether it’s a standard launcher widget, an app widget from the GetApps store, or a system recommendation block, and there’s a different algorithm for each case that ignores it can cause the item to come back after the reboot.
Basic removal of widgets from the desktop
The easiest and most obvious way to get rid of unnecessary elements on the home screen is available to all users: if the widget was added by you manually or appeared after installing the application, it takes a few seconds to remove it, you need to go to the editing mode of the desktop, holding your finger on the free area of the screen or on the widget itself.
Once you enter the edit mode, all installed widgets will start to shake slightly, and additional control buttons will appear at the top or bottom of the screen. You need to click on the cross or the Remove button, which usually appears above the selected element. Some versions of the MIUI shell require you to drag the widget to the top of the screen, where the red background removal zone will appear.
However, there are system widgets that cannot be removed in the standard way, as they are part of the launcher interface. For example, the "My Day" widget or Google search bar at the top of the screen are often blocked from being deleted by long pressing, in which case you need to go to the settings of the launcher itself.
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If the widget is not removed by long pressing, try dragging it to the very top of the screen - there may be a "Delete" button or basket icon.
It's important to distinguish between widgets and app shortcuts. A widget is a dynamic element that displays real-time information, whereas a shortcut simply opens the program. Deleting the shortcut doesn't remove the app itself, but removes its desktop icon, which also helps to clean up the order.
Setting up and cleaning the left panel (Google and Yandex)
One of the most common causes of interface contamination is the left panel, known as Google Discover or Yandex.Tape, which many users accidentally activate or it turns on by default after a system update, and is filled with news, recommendations and widgets that can't be removed piecemeal, but can be turned off entirely.
To turn off the left panel, go to the desktop settings. Click the empty area on the home screen and select Settings (the gear icon). In the menu that opens, find the "Additional" section or you'll immediately see the "Widget Ribbon" or "-1 screen" switch. Translating this switch to the "Off" position will completely remove the left panel.
If you have a Russified version of the system with Yandex services integration, the process may be slightly different. The launcher settings may have a separate item "Yandex.Lenta" Disabling this option will replace the news feed on an empty screen or the standard list of MIUI widgets.
- 📱 Click the empty space on the desktop to enter the menu.
- ⚙️ Click on the "Settings" gear in the lower right corner.
- 🔍 Find the "Widget Tape" or "Google Discover" option".
- 🚫 Switch the switch to the "Switched off" position".
It is worth noting that after disabling the left panel, you will still be able to access widgets swipe down or through the application menu, depending on the OS version. This allows you to save functionality, but removes visual noise when unlocking the smartphone.
Removal of advertising widgets and folders with recommendations
A special category is called "widgets" in the form of folders called Popular, Recommended or Hot Apps. Technically, these are not widgets, but special system folders that generate ads and offer to install applications. They are often impossible to remove by standard deletion of the folder - they come back.
To get rid of the ad folder, you need to disable the recommendation function in the launcher settings. Go to the desktop settings (long-click on the screen → Settings) and find the item "Recommendations" or "Receive recommendations." Disabling this option will turn the ad folder into a regular one that can be deleted or renamed.
⚠️ Note: If the ad folder does not disappear after disabling recommendations, try to clear the data of the Components application. MIUI" or "System Launcher" through the "Applications" menu" → "All applications." That'll reset the folder settings to the factory.
Ads can also appear as weather widgets or memory cleanups if the "Receive recommendations" function is enabled in the security settings. To completely clear the system of advertising, it is recommended to disable the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service in the authorization settings, although this is a separate procedure, which goes beyond simply removing widgets.
Newer versions of HyperOS have changed the way ads work, and some widgets can offer subscriptions or content from partners. Carefully read pop-ups when installing widgets - often there is a "Do Not Show Anymore" checkbox or the ability to select a data source.
Managing widgets in the Mi Home app
Special attention should be paid to smart home widgets that are controlled through the Mi Home app. Users often add widgets to quickly turn on lights or view cameras on the desktop, but over time they become unnecessary or take up a lot of space.
The device widget from Mi Home is removed just like any other widget — by long pressing and selecting "Delete." However, if you want to simply hide the status of the device or change its display, this is done inside the Mi Home app itself. Go to the settings of the particular device and find "Add to desktop" or "Vidget" where you can manage its presence.
It is important to understand the difference between a control widget and a statistics widget. The control widget allows you to turn on/off devices, and the statistics widget (for example, a step counter or humidity level) only displays data. Deleting the widget from the desktop will not untie the device from your Mi Home account.
What to do if the Mi Home widget is not removed?
For users of the Apple HomeKit ecosystem integrated into the Mi Home, widgets can be duplicated, in which case, also check the Home app on the iPhone if you use a bundle of Android-iOS, although on pure Android, control goes strictly through the launcher or the manufacturer's application.
Hiding system widgets through screen settings
Some interface elements, such as a watch, an iOS-style weather widget, or a search bar, are part of the theme. If standard removal doesn't work, it may be that these elements are sewn into an active theme. Changing the theme to a standard one (Classic or Default) often brings back the ability to manage these elements.
HyperOS has made it possible to customize widgets more flexibly, and many system blocks can now be removed and sized or transparently resized, so click on the widget and select Change Size or Settings if the theme developer has this option.
If the widget is part of the system status bar (e.g., a music widget when playing), it is hidden through notification settings. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar and turn off the display of media content on a locked screen or in a curtain.
| Type of widget | Deleting method | Is recovery possible? |
|---|---|---|
| Custom widget | Long pressing → Delete | Yeah, widget menu. |
| Advertising folder | Disabling recommendations in settings | Yes, when recommendations are included |
| Google/Yandex Tape | The launcher settings → The widget tape | Yeah, switching on the tumbler. |
| System clock/weather | Changing the theme or screen settings | Depends on the topic. |
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Most undeleteable widgets become manageable after changing the standard theme to the classic one.
Problems with removal and their solution
Sometimes users encounter bugs when the widget doesn't delete, freezes or reappears after a reboot.This may be due to damage to the launcher cache or conflicting application versions.The first step should always be to clear the Security and Louncher cache.
To do deep cleaning, go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find System Launcher (or Mi Launcher) and click Clear → Clear Cache. Don’t confuse it with Clear All Data, as this will reset the location of all icons on your desktop.
☑️ Checklist if the widget is not removed
In rare cases, the specific widget-creating app causes a problem. If you can't remove the weather widget, check if you have multiple weather apps installed (e.g., standard and from Yandex), the conflict between them can block the deletion.
⚠️ Note: When cleaning the launcher data, you will lose the location of icons and widgets on the desktop. It is recommended to take screenshots of the screen beforehand to quickly restore the convenient structure.
If nothing works, you can use a third-party launcher, such as Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher.They completely replace the standard Xiaomi interface and give full control over every pixel of the screen, allowing you to remove or hide any elements that the standard shell blocks.