Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face intrusive behavior from the branded MIUI shell or the new HyperOS. One of the most annoying elements for many users is the automatic widget bar that appears when swiped to the right of the home screen.This tape, often referred to as Google Discover or "Assistant," can slow down the device and consume traffic in the background.
Fortunately, the system allows you to configure your workspace flexibly, and you can turn it off completely or replace it with more functional ones if you don’t like the standard features. In this article, we’ll take a look at all the ways you can manage your widget tape, from standard settings to advanced methods through ADB.
Before you start taking any drastic measures, it’s worth assessing how much your current configuration really bothers you, and sometimes the problem is solved by simply replacing a launcher or shutting down a particular service, rather than completely locking down system components. Let’s look at the main options for solving this problem for different versions of firmware.
Staff disabling the tape widgets in the settings
The easiest and safest way to remove the extra panel is to take advantage of the built-in features of the system. In the latest versions of the shells from Xiaomi, this item is often hidden in the desktop management menu. You need to go to Settings → Desktop or pinch the empty space on the screen and select the appropriate menu item.
Here you'll find the switch that displays the left panel, and depending on the region and the version of MIUI, it can be called "Widget Tape," "Google Discover," or "Assistant," and turning the slider to "Off" instantly removes the extra page when you swipe to the right.
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If the switch is not in the settings, try changing the region of the device to India or Singapore – this will sometimes unlock hidden interface menu items.
It should be noted that after updating the firmware settings can reset, in which case you will have to repeat the procedure. Also keep in mind that disabling this feature does not remove the Google application, but only hides its integration into the desktop, which is an important nuance for understanding the system.
Removal through Google App Settings
If a standard disconnection from the desktop menu does not help or the item is missing, you can try to influence the problems — the Google app itself. The widget tape is part of the Google App service, and restricting its rights can lead to the desired result.
To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. Find the Google app (not Chrome or Play Market, but the app with the G logo) on the list. Inside the app menu, find the Notifications or Other Permissions section.
- 📱 Disable all notifications from the Google app to remove pop-up prompts.
- 🚫 Stop background activity if your version of Android allows it for system services.
- 🗑️ Try clicking “Stop” and then “Clear Data” which will reset the tape settings.
⚠️ Warning: Stopping or removing Google app updates completely may disrupt voice assistant and search bar. Act carefully and check functionality after each step.
This method is particularly effective on global firmware devices where Google services are integrated to the maximum extent, and on Chinese firmware versions, this may not work because it uses alternative content display mechanisms.
Use of third-party launchers
A cardinal but very effective solution is to replace the standard desktop with a third-party launcher.Installing an alternative shell like Nova Launcher, Lawnchair or Microsoft Launcher completely ignores the system limitations of MIUI and HyperOS.
Once you install a new launcher, the system will ask which app to use as default for the Home screen. By choosing a new launcher, you'll get a clean interface without the intrusive news feeds on the left. Moreover, third-party shells often offer much more customization options.
However, there are some features that are specific to the Xiaomi shell, such as gestures for control or integration with system widgets, may not work properly or require additional adjustments.
☑️ Choice of launcher
For users who value minimalism, this is often the best solution: you get the interface you want without the compromises imposed by the manufacturer, and the key is to carefully configure the access rights when you first run.
Advanced method: Disconnection via ADB
For power users who want to securely remove the component responsible for the tape, there is a method using ADB debugging (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to force the system package responsible for Google Discover, even if the settings are hidden.
To start, activate the developer mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on the MIUI version number seven times. Then, in the “Additional” → “Development by USB” menu, turn on “Debugging by USB.” Connect the phone to your computer and follow the command to search for the package:
adb shell pm list packages | grep googleFind a packet associated with discover or quicksearchbox. Usually, the deactivation is done by commanding adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox. The exact name of the packet may vary depending on the system version.
Risks of using ADB
| Team team. | Action. | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| pm disable-user | Disable the application for the current user | Low (can be restored) |
| pm uninstall | Complete removal (requires root) | High (possible loss of data) |
| pm enable | Turns the app back on | No. |
| adb reboot | Rebooting the device | Medium (if the system is damaged) |
This method gives you complete control over the system, but you need to be careful, and if you're not sure what you're doing, you'd better use the safer methods described above, and remember that the user is responsible for changing the system files.
Nuances of work in HyperOS
With the release of HyperOS, Xiaomi has changed the logic of widgets, which are integrated deeper into the system, so that a simple swipe menu can work differently. The new shell focuses on large widgets and their grouping, rather than an endless news feed.
HyperOS often splits into “classic” widgets and “smart” recommendations. You can only remove recommendations, while the basic functionality of widgets remains. The path to settings often changes: Settings → Desktop and Lock Screen → Left panel.
Users note that new versions of the system are more actively resisting the shutdown of Google services, especially in global firmware, due to the requirements of the certification of Google GMS. So in HyperOS, the launcher method is often the only working solution for complete removal.
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With HyperOS, the widget structure has been redesigned, so the old instructions for MIUI 12 or 13 may not work. Always check the relevance of the path in the menu for your version.
Cleaning the cache and resetting the widget settings
Sometimes the problem isn't with the panel, but with the panel running incorrectly, like freezes, blank screens, or boot errors, and in these cases, cleaning up the cache of Google Play services and the Google app itself helps, and it won't delete the panel, but it can fix the display errors.
Go to Settings → Applications → App Management. Find Google, select Memory, and click Clear Cache. Repeat the procedure for Google Play Service.
If nothing works, you can try resetting your desktop settings. Press two pinches on your desktop to enter edit mode, and find the reset or setting button in the corner of the screen, which will return the icons and widgets to factory status.
⚠️ Warning: Resetting your desktop settings will remove all folders, widgets and change the order of the icons you created. Take pre-screenshots of app layouts to quickly restore the familiar structure.
Regularly cleaning the cache is useful not only for error correction, but also for freeing up storage space in the device. Google cache services can take several gigabytes per year of use, which is essential for smartphones with a small amount of storage.