How to turn on and configure Xiaomi widget tape

Xiaomi’s modern smartphones offer users not just a standard desktop, but an ecosystem of right-swipe-readable widgets, a feature often referred to as “Widget Tape” or “Google Discover” that allows instant access to news, weather, pedometer and app shortcuts without having to open them. However, after buying a new device or updating a firmware, many owners find that the familiar dashboard is either hidden or overflowing with advertising content.

Turning this interface on and configuring it right is key to personalizing your Android device. Depending on the version of the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS, the paths to settings may vary slightly, but the general principle remains the same, and we will take a look at all the nuances of activating, disabling intrusive services and adding useful tools to improve productivity.

Controlling widgets gives you complete control over what you see every morning, and it's not just a decorative element, it's a powerful smartphone control tool that saves time when you set it up properly, and let's take a closer look at how to make it work the way you want it to.

Basic desktop settings

Before you delve into the finer points of customizing specific widgets, you need to activate the very ability to display them on the home screen. By default, on many global versions of firmware, this feature can be disabled or replaced with a simplified version. First, unlock your Xiaomi smartphone and go to the home screen.

Push two fingers across the screen (put them together) or just press the empty area on the desktop. This action will open the editing mode of the interface. In the lower right or left corner (depending on the version of MIUI), the gear icon or the Settings button will appear. By clicking on it, you will be taken to the desktop settings menu, where the desired switch is hidden.

Find a section that might be called “Widget Tape,” “Google Discover,” or “OneTap” (depending on the region), and activating that item will instantly add an extra page to the left of your main desktop, and then swipe to the right of the first screen and open the dashboard.

• 📱 Make a pinch with your fingers on the home screen to enter edit mode.
• ⚙️ Click on the settings icon in the bottom corner of the screen.
• 🔍 Find and turn on the switch “Tape widgets” or “Google Discover».

⚠️ Note: Some Chinese firmware versions may pre-installe Mi Video or other local services that do not work outside of China without additional manipulations instead of Google Discover.

After turning on, remember to exit the editing mode by pressing the Home button or tapping into the free area. Now the system is ready for further customization to suit your needs.

Managing and adding widgets

Once the tape is activated, you have a field to experiment with. The standard set of widgets is often sparse or overloaded with unnecessary news aggregators. To add really useful tools, tap the edit button (usually a pencil or plus-plus icon) at the top of the widget tape.

In the menu that opens, you'll see a list of all the widgets available on the system, and you'll find the watch, the weather, the Mi Fitness activity tracker, shortcuts for quick start-ups, and more, and you can add the widget by simply clicking the + button next to the desired element.

Some widgets require additional sizing adjustments, and once added, you can resize them by pulling on the markers at the corners of the element, allowing the widget to fit seamlessly into the overall composition of the screen, making it more readable or compact.

The optimal number of active widgets with a live update is 2-3 pieces, which allows you to balance between information content and autonomy of the device.

Setting up Google Discover and News Feed

Most users of global versions of Xiaomi are confronted with Google Discover feed, which is a powerful news aggregator that analyzes your interests, but by default it can show content in English or news from other regions. To fix this, open any Google app or go to search settings.

In the Settings section, look for Language and Region or Feed Settings, where you can select your preferred interest topics, disable ad personalization, or completely clear your browsing history, and the quality of news depends on how well you set those settings.

If you are annoyed by notifications from the feed itself or pop-up cards, you can turn them off in the Android system notification settings.Look in the Google app list and limit the rights to send push notifications, leaving only critical ones.

For those who prefer minimalism, it is possible to completely disable the news component, leaving only widgets, and for this purpose, in the settings of the Google Discover feed, you need to uncheck the item “Show cards” or similar.

Hiding the tape and alternative solutions

Not all users need an extra panel on the left, sometimes it interferes with navigation, or it just takes up space that you would like to use differently. Delete the widget tape is as easy as adding. Go back to the desktop settings menu (finger pinch → gear) and just turn off the Widget Ribbon switch.

However, if you want to replace the standard Xiaomi or Google tape with something more functional, you will be helped by third-party launchers. Apps like Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher allow you to create your own widget tapes with any design and functionality.

Using alternative launchers gives flexibility, but can consume more CPU resources. The standard MIUI shell is optimized best, so weigh the pros and cons before installing third-party solutions.

⚠️ Note: When installing third-party launchers, some Xiaomi system gestures (such as hiding bangs or specific swipes) may stop working correctly.

Solving problems with widget display

Often, users are faced with a situation where widgets stop updating, show old data or simply disappear from the screen. The first step in diagnosis is always to check the permissions. The weather widget needs access to the geolocation, and the calendar widget needs access to your events.

Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find an app that doesn’t work (like Weather or Google) on the list. Go to Permissions and make sure all the necessary items are activated. Autostart permission is especially important if the widget stops working after you restart.

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If the weather widget shows incorrect data, force the Weather app to stop in the settings and clear its cache, then add the widget again.

Another common cause of failure is energy saving mode. Aggressive battery optimization in MIUI can kill widget processes. Add important widgets to the exclusion list or set energy saving mode for them to the value of "No Limits".

If nothing works, try resetting your launcher settings. This won't delete your apps, but will return the icons and widgets to factory status. Path to reset: Settings → Apps → All Apps → System Launcher → Memory → Clean.

Widgets for HyperOS: new opportunities

With the release of the new HyperOS operating system, which gradually replaces MIUI, the widget interface has undergone significant changes, the design has become smoother, there is support for interactive widgets that can be controlled without opening the application, for example, you can set a timer or switch tracks directly from the lock screen or tape.

HyperOS has changed its approach to size widgets, making them more adaptable to different screen form factors, including foldable devices. Interactivity has become a key word: messenger widgets allow you to quickly respond to messages, and smart home widgets allow you to control light.

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Moving to HyperOS requires getting used to the new widget menu, but offers significantly more options for interactive management without opening applications.

New widgets in HyperOS often require the source apps themselves to be updated through the GetApps store or Google Play. Older versions of apps may not support the new display format.