How to completely turn off the widget tape on Xiaomi: 5 working ways

The widget tape on the left of the main screen on Xiaomi smartphones is one of the most controversial elements of the MIUI shell. For some users, it is convenient access to the weather, calendar and quick notes, for others it is a useless element that takes up space and brakes the system.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to disable widget tape on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, from standard settings to hidden shell features. Importantly, the methods work on MIUI 12, 13 and 14, but may differ depending on the model and regional firmware. If you use custom firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.EU), some menu items may be called differently.

Before we start, consider that the widget tape is tightly integrated into the system, and it is impossible to completely remove it without root rights, but we will show you how to hide it from view as much as possible and turn off the background processes.

1. Standard shutdown via MIUI settings

The easiest way is to use the built-in shell options, and it is suitable for most models, including the Redmi Note 11/12, POCO X4/X5 and Mi 11/12 series.

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings. → Main screen screen.
2. Scroll down to the Widget Ribbon section (or Screen minus one on some firmware).
3. Turn off the slider Show the widget tape.
4. Reboot your smartphone (required!) to make the changes take effect.

⚠️ Note: On certain devices (e.g, POCO F4/F5) This item may not be available. In that case, move on to the next method.

Make a backup copy of the main screen|Check the version. MIUI In Settings → The phone.|Close all background applications|Connect to Wi-Fi (for stability)-->

If after turning off the tape still appears when swipe to the left, try resetting the launcher settings:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Launcher (or “Home Screen”) → Storage → Clear Data

Note:

2. Disconnection through "Left-handed mode" (hidden method)

Little-known life hack: MIUI has a left-handed feature that indirectly affects the display of the widget tape.This method works on Xiaomi 13/14 and some Redmi models with the latest updates.

How to activate:

1. Go to Settings → Special Opportunities → Mode for left-handed.
2. Turn on the option to Turn the layout of the main screen.
3. Go back to the main screen and try swiping to the right (not the left) and the widget tape should open from the opposite side.
4. Now turn off left-handed mode – the tape can disappear completely or open only when a targeted swipe is used.

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If after these manipulations the tape began to open on the right, but you are less satisfied with it than on the left - return the settings to the original state and try the method. №3.

This doesn't guarantee 100% results, but it has helped many users avoid random tape openings, and the main advantage is that it doesn't require superuser rights and doesn't affect performance.

3. Removal of widgets from tape (partial solution)

If you can't remove the tape completely, you can leave it empty by removing all the widgets, which will reduce the load on the system and make the swipe left useless.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the widget tape swipe to the left.
2. Tap and hold any widget (like Weather or Calendar).
3. At the top of the screen will appear button Remove (or basket) – drag widget there.
4. Repeat for all items, including Quick Notes and Google Discover (if any).

Once all the widgets are removed, the tape becomes an empty gray page. To return it back, you just need to add at least one widget through a long press on the home screen → Widgets.

Every day |Sometimes when you need |I accidentally open |I never use |I don't have one-->

Important: On some firmware (for example, MIUI Global POCO M4 Pro) after removing all widgets, the tape can automatically restore the standard set after rebooting. ADB (method №4).

4. Disconnection via ADB (for power users)

If standard methods fail, you can block the widget tape via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires a computer and basic command line knowledge, but gives a guaranteed result.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux
• 📱 USB-cable (original)
• 🔧 Included debugging by USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to tap → Return to the Extra → For developers → Debugging by USB)
• 📦 Installed drivers Xiaomi and ADB Tools

Instructions:

1. Connect the phone to the PC and allow debugging (a request will appear on the smartphone screen).


2. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with ADB.




3. Enter a command to check the connection:




adb devices




(Your device serial number should appear)




4. execute the command to disconnect the tape:




adb shell pm hide com.miui.miservice




5. Reboot the smartphone.

⚠️ Warning: This command doesn't physically remove the tape, it just hides it from the system. MIUI Some system functions (e.g., Quick Payment) may not work properly.

5.Use of third-party launchers

If none of these methods worked, the radical solution is to install an alternative launcher, which would completely replace the standard MIUI interface, including the widget tape.

The best options for Xiaomi:

• 🏆 Nova Launcher - flexible gesture setting, no forced widget tape, icon pack support.
• 🎨 Lawnchair – lightweight open source launcher, minimalist design.
• ⚡ Hyperion Launcher – Optimized for performance, there is built-in ad blocking.
• 🔄 Microsoft Launcher – Windows integration, but no forced tape on the left.

How to determine:

1. Download the launcher from Google Play.
2. After installation, click Home and select the new launcher as the main one.
3. In the launcher settings, disable all options related to Discover or Feed (if any).

⚠️ Note: When using third-party launchers, some chips may stop working MIUI, for example:

• Super Wallpapers (live wallpaper) gestures.
• Quick access to Control Center swipe down.
• Integration with Xiaomi Cloud to synchronize wallpaper.

6. Firmware rollback (extreme case)

If the widget tape came after the MIUI update and is in a big way, you can return the previous firmware version where it wasn't, which is a risky method that only works for advanced users.

What you need to know before pulling back:

How to perform rollback:

1. Download the necessary firmware version from the official Xiaomi website.
2. Unclose the file and put it in a folder downloaded_rom root-directory.
3. Go to Settings → About Phone → System Update → Three Dots → Select a firmware file.
4. Confirm the installation and wait for the reboot.

⚠️ Note: Firmware rollback can lead to:

• Data loss (do backup!).
• Lock the bootloader if the phone is tied to the Mi Account.
• Problems with the operation of banking applications (due to changes in security certificates).

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Firmware rollback is a last resort. Before the procedure, check if there are alternative ways to disable the tape in your version of MIUI via settings or ADB.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi widget tape