How to remove Xiaomi tabs: cleaning the interface from garbage

Modern Xiaomi smartphones running MIUI shells or the new HyperOS offer users rich functionality, but often suffer from an overloaded interface. A host of pre-installed widgets, ad units and extra panels, which users often call “tabs,” can significantly slow down the device and distract from basic tasks. Removing these elements is not just a matter of aesthetics, but a way to improve the performance of the system and ensure more comfortable use of the gadget.

In this article, we will discuss in detail how to get rid of intrusive interface elements, hide unnecessary tabs in the standard Mi Browser browser, and how to clean the desktop of system widgets. You will learn what settings you need to change to make the phone cleaner and faster, and why some elements are better not to touch without a deep understanding of the process.

The cleaning process can vary depending on the operating system version and regional firmware. It is enough to turn off the switch somewhere, and in other cases, you will need to use special commands or third-party launchers. We will consider all the current methods available to the average user without the need to obtain root rights, which makes instructions safe to execute on any device of the brand.

Removing widgets and panels from the desktop

The first thing that catches your eye when using Xiaomi smartphones is the abundance of widgets on the home screen and in the negative bar (swipe to the right). Often users want to remove the tab with news or services that opens when you move your finger from the left edge of the screen. To do this, you need to pinch the empty area on the desktop and go to the design settings. Here you can turn off the display of Glance tape or the news aggregator that consumes traffic and CPU resources.

If you're looking at widgets that are placed directly on your desktop, you can remove them in the Android standard way, just click on the widget icon and hold it until the menu or vibration appears, and then drag it to the Delete area or click on the cross. However, some system widgets, such as Stepmer or Battery Status, can be built into the launcher and not be removed in the usual way, and in such cases, it helps to disable the relevant services in the Security settings.

⚠️ Note: When you remove weather or search-related system widgets, Google Assistant or Xiao may stop working. AI. Be prepared for the fact that the functionality of the search on the screen may be limited.

For deeper cleaning, you can use third-party launchers that completely replace the standard shell. Installing an alternative interface, such as Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher, allows you to completely ignore the system limitations of MIUI. This is a radical but effective method that gives you complete control over which tabs and widgets will be displayed on your device.

• 📱 Click the blank space on the screen to enter the editing menu.
• 🗑️ Drag unnecessary widgets into the removal basket.
• ⚙️ Turn off the “Tape of widgets” in the desktop settings.
• 🔄 Install a third-party launcher for full customization.

Clean tabs in the standard Mi Browser browser

Xiaomi’s standard browser is often criticized for the intrusive news feed and tabs that open when you launch an app. To remove the news feed, you need to go to the browser settings, usually available through the three-bar menu in the lower right corner. Select Settings, then find the Home Page or General section. Here you should turn off the Recommendations or News Feed switch, which will instantly clear the start screen of information noise.

If your goal is to close the open tabs themselves, which accumulate and consume RAM, you can do this through the window management menu. Click on the square icon with a number in the center of the browser interface. You will see all the open pages. For mass cleaning, use the Close All button (often looks like a cross or basket). Regularly cleaning the tabs helps speed up the browser and prevents from loading heavy content in the background.

Some firmware versions have a "Unlimited Tabs" feature that allows you to keep hundreds of pages open, and if you don't use this feature, it's better to turn it off in your browser performance settings, which will force the system to unload old tabs from memory, freeing up resources for active applications and games, which is especially important for devices with a small amount of RAM.

Also worth paying attention to the permissions that the browser requests, which often requires access to geolocation and notifications to show localized news. Disabling these rights in the Android system settings ("Apps" → "Mi Browser" → "Permissions") will help reduce the number of pop-ups and advertising fluffs that can appear even outside the browser.

Managing system tabs and services

By “system tabs,” users sometimes mean background processes and services that are displayed in Task Manager or consume a battery. MIUI has an msa service (MIUI System Ads) that is responsible for displaying ads in system applications, and its disabling or restriction in settings (Passwords and Security → Access to Personal Data) allows you to significantly reduce the number of pop-ups and tabs in standard utilities such as Music, Video and Explorer.

Another important aspect is managing notifications that create the illusion of open tabs in the curtain. Many Xiaomi apps, such as Mi Video or Mi Music, are set to aggressively promote content by default. Go to the settings of each such application and turn off (Push notifications) and “Receive recommendations.” This will remove information noise and make phone use more calm.

For advanced users, there is a possibility of using ADB-commands to remove system components that are not removed through the interface. For example, the com.miui.misys package is responsible for some system functions, but its removal can lead to instability. Always check the effect of the package on specialized forums before removing it through the computer.

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.msa.global

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB-A mistake in the name of the package can lead to a "bootloop" (cyclic reboot) of the device.

Hiding unnecessary elements in the notification curtain

The top panel (curtain) in Xiaomi smartphones is often filled with icons that many consider redundant. Although you can not completely remove system tabs from here without modifying system files, they can be hidden or made inactive. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status Bar → Hiding Content. This will not remove the icons, but will hide the notification text, which will visually clear the space.

To control the visible switches (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, flashlight) you need to extend the curtain down to the end and click on the editing icon (usually a pencil or gear), where you can drag the unwanted buttons to the bottom, hidden area, which allows you to leave only key functions that you use daily, and remove rarely used control tabs such as NFC or modem modem.

There is also the option to change the display style of the control center. In the new versions of HyperOS and MIUI 13/14, the control center is divided into two parts: notifications on the left and switches on the right. Switching between “Old” and “New” style in the Control Panel setting can subjectively improve the experience of the interface and make the desired tabs more accessible.

• 🔽 Open the curtain completely to access the editing.
• ✏️ Click on the pencil icon to change the button set.
• ❌ Move the extra toggle buttons to the lower zone.
• 🎨 Experiment with the style of the control panel in the settings.

Ad blocking as a way to clean the interface

Often, tabs mean pop-up ads that block the desktop. The main source of such ads is MIUI System Ads. To deactivate it, go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Access to Personal Data. Find the msa list and turn off the slider. The system will try to dissuade you by running a countdown timer — wait until you finish and confirm the shutdown.

And you also have to go through the built-in apps, and in Music, Video, Themes, and Explorer, every app has a "Get recommendations" or "Show ads" setting, and disabling those features removes banner ads and tabs with offers, making the app interface clean and functional, and this is especially true for global firmware versions where monetization is built deep into the system.

An effective method is the use of private DNS. In connection settings ("Connection and Sharing» → «Private DNS») write the address dns.adguard.com. This method blocks advertising requests at the network level, which prevents the loading of advertising tabs and banners not only in the system, but also in the browser and some applications.

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After changing your DNS settings or disabling your MSA, it is recommended that you completely restart your device so that the changes take effect for all system processes.

Using third-party launchers to completely replace the interface

If standard cleaning methods don’t give the desired result, the only way to completely get rid of all the tabs and features of MIUI is to replace the launcher. Third-party shells such as Nova Launcher, Smart Launcher or Lawnchair completely ignore the system settings of the Xiaomi desktop. Once you install such an application and assign it to the main default, you will get a clean Android without intrusive tapes and widgets.

The advantage of this method is that it is completely independent of Xiaomi system updates. Even if the company releases an update that adds new advertising modules, your launcher will remain unchanged. You decide which widgets to put, which icons to place, and whether you have a search bar, this gives you maximum control over the appearance of the smartphone.

However, it is worth considering that some system functions associated with MIUI gestures may not work properly. For example, flashlight swipes or calculators may stop working, and launchers consume slightly more battery life than the native shell, as they work as a separate application on top of the system.

⚠️ WARNING: When you reset your phone or update your firmware through Recovery, the third-party launcher settings may be reset. Save backups of the launcher settings to the cloud or memory card.

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Replacing the standard launcher is a radical but most effective way to completely remove all Xiaomi system tabs and ads, turning the interface into a pure Android.

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