How to effectively remove widgets on Xiaomi and clean the desktop

Modern Xiaomi smartphones running MIUI shells or the new HyperOS offer users a huge functionality, but often overload the interface with unnecessary elements. Immediately after unpacking the device, you may notice that the main screen is filled with news feeds, subscription widgets and advertising blocks that do not bring practical benefits for many owners. Remove widgets on Xiaomi is the first step that should be done to improve the comfort of using the gadget and improve its performance.

The process of cleaning the interface does not require superuser rights or deep knowledge of programming. Standard features allow you to easily manage the location of icons, remove unnecessary modules and disable automatic news feeds. However, depending on the firmware version (Global, China, EEA) and regional settings, the paths to some functions may vary slightly, which requires careful adjustment.

In this article, we will take a closer look at all the ways to remove widgets, from simply moving icons to disabling system services like Glance or Mi Video, how to prevent ads from reappearing and what hidden settings affect the cleanliness of the desktop. Complete removal of system widgets is possible only through ADB-The team, but standard methods can hide 95% of the excess garbage.

Basic removal of widgets from the desktop

The most obvious and easiest way to get rid of the extra element on the screen is to use the standard removal mechanism built into the launcher, which requires finding the unnecessary widget, pressing it and holding your finger until the context menu or vibration appears, at which point the system enters edit mode, allowing you to manipulate the interface objects.

Then the action depends on the version of your shell. In most cases, a basket that says "Delete" or a cross will appear on the top or bottom of the screen. If you drag the widget into this area, you completely remove it from the current screen. If the widget is part of the system tape, simple deletion may not be available, and you will need to change the settings of the launcher itself.

It's worth noting that some widgets, like Music or Weather, can be deeply integrated into the system, and removing them from the desktop doesn't uninstall the application, it just hides the interface, and removing them completely will require more radical measures, which we'll talk about in the next sections.

• 📱 Press and hold the widget until the edit menu appears.
• 🗑️ Drag the object to the "Delete" area or click on the cross that appears.
• ⚙️ If deletion is blocked, check if the widget is fixed in the launcher settings.
• 🔄 After deleting, restart the device to apply interface cache changes.

⚠️ Note: When you delete system application widgets (e.g., “Security” or “Conductor”), you do not delete the application itself, but only its display on the home screen.

It is important to distinguish between widgets and folders. Folders are created by the user to group applications, and deleting them frees up space on the screen, but does not affect the system. Widgets often have active background processes that consume RAM, so cleaning them positively affects the speed of the smartphone.

Disable the widget tape on the left (Google Discover and Mi Video)

One of the most annoying features of Xiaomi’s interface is the swipe left from the home screen that opens the news feed or Google Discover services.This feature often loads content in the background, consuming traffic and battery. Fortunately, the developers have provided the ability to disable this element through the launcher settings.

To get to the right switch, go to your smartphone settings and find the Desktop section. In some versions of the firmware, it may be called Desktop Settings or be inside the Additional menu. This is where the key parameter that controls the left screen display hides.

Once you log in, you need to find the item responsible for the Widget Tape, Google Discover, or Mi Video (depending on the region) and the switch should be active. Just put it inactive, and the next time you swipe to the left, nothing happens - the screen will remain empty or immediately switch to the next desktop.

If the standard path doesn't work, try a long tap on the empty desktop space. In the bottom menu that appears, select Settings (the gear icon). In the list that opens, look for the option Add Screen or Ribbon Widgets and turn it off. This action will instantly remove the extra panel.

• 🔍 Go to Settings. → Desktop.
• 🚫 Find the Widget Tape or Google Discover switch».
• 📉 Turn off the function to remove the swipe to the left.
• ✅ Check the result by swiping from the main screen.

Removal and lock Glance (screen locker)

Many users confuse desktop widgets with a promotional tape on the lock screen known as Glance or Wallpaper Carousel.This service constantly changes the wallpaper and shows news when the phone is locked. Removing widgets on Xiaomi in this context means disabling this feature, as it is often perceived as visual noise.

To turn off, go to the "Screen Lock" section in the main system settings. Find "Wallpaper Carousel" or "Glance for Mi." Inside this menu, there will be a "Enable Wallpaper Carousel" switch. Deactivating this option will return the static wallpaper you chose yourself and remove the news feed.

In some cases, especially on global firmware versions, the app may be called Wallpaper or Themes. If you can't find settings through the menu, try going to the Security app -> Clean up -> Settings (cogs) -> Get recommendations. Disabling this option also helps reduce the amount of advertising content.

After the feature is disabled, it is recommended to restart the device so that the changes take effect correctly.The lock screen will become cleaner, and battery consumption in standby mode can be slightly reduced by stopping background image loading.

Configure security widgets and tools

Special attention should be paid to the widgets of system utilities such as Security, Memory Cleanup or Battery, which often occupy a significant amount of space on the screen and can display information that the user does not need every minute, and managing these elements requires understanding their nature.

Unlike third-party widgets, MIUI system tools often have their own display settings. Long-term clicking on the Security widget can trigger a menu where you can choose which indicators to show (for example, memory only or battery only), or completely remove the widget from the screen.

If the widget is not removed in the standard way, check if the Pocket mode or special themes are turned on. Some third-party themes downloaded from the Themes store can force their widgets to be added. Changing the theme to the standard ("Classic" or "Default") often solves the problem of intrusive interface elements.

Also worth mentioning are folder widgets. When creating app folders, Xiaomi sometimes adds recommended apps or ads to it, and to fix this, open the folder, click on its name, and disable the "Recommendations" or "Ads" option if it is available in your version of the software.

Table: Comparison of widget removal methods

For ease of perception, we have systematized different types of widgets and methods of eliminating them, and this table will help you quickly determine which way to use in your particular situation, whether it is a standard weather widget or a system news feed.

As you can see from the table, most problems are solved by standard means. However, if you encounter a widget that is not deletionable by any of the methods described above, it may be part of malware or a deeply hidden system process.

Advanced methods: Disconnection through ADB

For power users who want to completely clear the interface of built-in widgets and services, there is a method of using USB debugging (ADB), which allows you to remove or freeze system packages that are responsible for the operation of widgets that are not available for normal removal.

Before you start, you need to activate the developer mode. To do this, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on the MIUI version number seven times. Then, in the “Additional” menu, turn on “Debugging over USB.” Connect the phone to your computer and use the command to remove a specific package.

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.personalassistant

This command will remove the component responsible for the left-hand widget tape. Be extremely careful: removing critical system packets can lead to unstable device operation or cyclical reboot. Always check the name of the package before executing the command.

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Be sure to make a full backup of the data before using ADB, as removing system components may be irreversible without resetting to factory settings.

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB-commands to remove system applications cancels the warranty in case of software failures and requires high qualification of the user.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Regularly cleaning your desktop of unused widgets not only improves visual experience, but also prolongs the battery life of your Xiaomi smartphone.