How to completely remove the widget tape on Xiaomi Redmi 5: from setup to reset

The widget tape on Xiaomi Redmi 5 is one of the most controversial elements of the MIUI interface. For some users, it is a convenient way to quickly access the weather, calendar or notes, for others – a useless screen that only slows down navigation on the smartphone.

In this article, we'll look at all the ways that you can remove the widget tape, from simply turning it off through settings to radically resetting the system. MIUI You can't have root rights without it, but we'll show you how to hide it or deactivate it as much as possible (MIUI 9, MIUI 10, MIUI (11) and the possible consequences of each method.

If you find that the widget tape slows down your smartphone, shows unnecessary advertising or just interferes with it, this guide will help you get rid of it once and for all. The main thing is to first try safe methods (hiding, disabling updates), and only if they do not work, move on to more radical steps.

1. How to temporarily hide the widget tape without deleting

The easiest way to get rid of tape is to turn it off in the launcher settings, which doesn't physically remove the widgets, but makes them inaccessible to accidentally open, and is suitable for users who want to keep the functionality "just in case" but don't want to see it every day.

Instructions for Xiaomi Redmi 5:

1. Press and hold the empty space on the home screen (not the icon!).
2. In the menu that opens, select Screen Settings (or Launcher Settings, depending on the MIUI version).
3. Scroll down to the Widget Ribbon section (may be called Screen minus one or Left screen).
4. Switch the slider to the off position.

After that, the swipe left on the home screen will stop opening the tape, but the widgets will stay in the system and consume minimal resources. If you need to completely disable the background processes, move to the next section.

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If the tape still appears after the shutdown, try restarting the smartphone. Sometimes the settings are applied only after the reboot.

2. Disabling updates and background tape activity

Even if you have hidden the widget tape, it can continue to work in the background: update the weather, download news or display ads. To avoid this, you need to block the background activity of associated applications.

List of system applications responsible for the widget tape on Redmi 5:

• 📱 MiuiDaemon - Widget Update Service.
• 🌦️ Weather - Weather widget (if used).
• 📰 MiuiSystemAdSolution – Advertising module in widgets.
• 🔄 AnalyticsCore – statistics collection (can influence feed recommendations).

How to turn them off:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search bar, enter the name of the application (for example, MiuiDaemon).
3. Select the application → Battery → Background activity → Limit.
4. Go back and press Notifications → turn off all sliders.
5. For full effect, also turn off AutoRun in the same menu.

These actions will not remove the tape, but they will significantly reduce its impact on productivity and traffic consumption. If you need a radical solution, read on.

3. Removal of widget tape via ADB (no root)

If standard methods didn't work, you can try turning off the widget tape via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which doesn't require root rights, but requires connecting the smartphone to a computer. Importantly, once disabled through ADB, the tape will disappear forever, but can return after resetting or updating the MIUI.

Step-by-step:

1. Enable Developer Mode on Redmi 5: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times)
2. Activate USB Debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your smartphone to your PC, install ADB drivers (for example, via Mi PC Suite or Minimal ADB and Fastboot).
4. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (Linux/macOS) and type: Adb devices Make sure your Redmi 5 appears in the list.
5. Follow the command to turn off the tape: adb shell pm hide com.miui.miservice If it doesn't work, try: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.miservice

Once you have completed the command, restart your smartphone. The widget tape should disappear. If it does appear, then another app is responsible for it on your version of MIUI (e.g. com.miui.weather2 - try disabling it in a similar way).

Install drivers ADB PC-only|Enable the Developer Mode on Redmi 5|Activate debugging by USB|Check the connection of the adb device team|Make a backup copy of the data-->

4. Complete removal of root-right widget tape

If you're willing to take drastic measures, you can remove the widget tape permanently, getting root rights, a method that is suitable for power users, as it requires unlocking the bootloader and installing a custom recavator (for example, TWRP).

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Attention: Getting root rights will void the warranty on Xiaomi Redmi 5 and may lead to unstable system operation, also increases the risk of malware infection. Before the procedure, be sure to back up your data via Mi Cloud or TWRP.

Instructions:

1. Unlock the bootloader through the official Xiaomi tool (you will need a Mi Account and wait 7-15 days).
2. Install TWRP Recovery for Redmi 5 (the version should match the smartphone model: rosy for global firmware, vince for Chinese).
3. Download and install via TWRP Magisk to manage root rights.
4. With a root-access file manager (e.g., Root Explorer), delete the following folders: /system/priv-app/MiuiSystemAdSolution/system/priv-app/Weather/system/priv-app/MiuiDaemon
5. Reboot your smartphone.

After that, the widget tape will be removed without the possibility of recovery (except through flashing).If you are not sure about your actions, you should use the methods from the previous sections.

5. Alternative solutions: replacement of the launcher

If none of the methods worked or you are afraid to interfere with system files, you can simply install a third-party launcher that does not support widget tape. This is the safest way, since it does not require changes to the firmware.

The best launchers for Xiaomi Redmi 5:

How to install and configure:

1. Download the launcher from Google Play (like Nova Launcher).
2. When you first start, select it as the default launcher.
3. Go to the launcher settings and disable all options related to widgets or "screen minus one".
4. If necessary, hide the MIUI system launcher through Settings → Applications → Disable.

This method doesn’t physically remove the widget tape, but it makes it completely inaccessible, and third-party launchers often run faster than the standard MIUI Launcher, especially on older smartphones like the Redmi 5.

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Replacing the launcher is the only way to get rid of the widget tape without risk to the system.Suitable for users who want to keep the warranty and don't want to mess with ADB or root.

6. Resetting settings as a last resort

If the widget tape came after a MIUI update or third-party app install, and all previous methods didn't work, you can try resetting your smartphone to factory settings. This is a radical step, but it often helps to get the system back to its original state.

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Warning: Reset will delete all data on the smartphone, including photos, contacts and installed apps: 📱 Make a backup copy through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset. 🖥️ Copy important files to your PC or cloud (Google Drive, Mi Cloud). 📝 Write down usernames and passwords from accounts (they will only be saved if synchronized with Mi Account).

How to perform the reset:

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.
2. Select Resetting → Delete all data.
3. Enter the password (if installed) and confirm the action.
4. After the reboot, set up your smartphone as new, but don’t restore data from the backup – this can bring back the widget tape.

If the tape appeared again, it means that it is sewn into the current version of MIUI. In this case, it remains only to update the firmware (sometimes in new versions the tape is removed) or use methods from previous sections.

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When you try to remove the widget tape, users often encounter typical problems, and here are the most common ones and how to solve them:

• 🔄 The tape returns after the reboot: This means that the system application responsible for the widgets automatically restarts.Solution: disable autorun for MiuiDaemon and Weather (see section 2) or use ADB complete removal.
• ⚠️ The smartphone stopped turning on after the teams ADB: Most likely, a critical system service has been removed. Solution: boot into Fastboot (press Power) + Vol Down and reflash your smartphone using the Mi Flash Tool.
• 📵 Weather or alarm clock not working after widget removal: Some system features MIUI Solution: Install third-party applications (e.g. AccuWeather or Google Clock).
• 🔒 It can’t get root rights: Xiaomi blocks unlocking the bootloader for some regions.Solution: use alternative methods (for example, Magisk without unlocking through patch) boot.img).

If none of these methods worked, you may have a hardwired widget tape in your MIUI version, so you just have to wait for updates or consider switching to custom firmware (like LineageOS).

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing widget tape