Xiaomi widgets: what it is, whether it is needed and how to disable

Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners running MIUI or HyperOS often find themselves swiping to the right of the home screen to open an extra page, an area known as the Widget Ribbon or App Vault, filled with news, app recommendations and service shortcuts, which many users perceive as an intrusive element that interferes with navigation and consumes system resources.

The question is whether this functionality is a system necessity or just a marketing tool to promote the company’s services. In this article, we will discuss in detail what a widget tape is, how much it puts on the processor and battery, and also consider effective ways to completely disable or remove it. Understanding these processes will help you optimize the operation of the device for your own needs.

What is the Widget Ribbon and App Vault

Functionally, the Widget Ribbon is a separate desktop that is swiped to the right. Unlike standard Android widgets that are placed on desktops, this unit is an integrated component of the MIUI shell. It is designed to provide quick access to frequently used features such as pedometer, weather, news or app shortcuts.

But behind a simple interface, there’s a complex data-gathering mechanism. App Vault (as it’s often called in system processes) constantly updates content, synchronizes weather location data, and analyzes your actions to generate personalized recommendations, which means that even when you’re not looking at the screen, the process can remain active in the background.

It is worth noting that in different versions of firmware and regions of implementation, this element can be called differently: Google Discover, Yandex.Zen or Xiaomi’s own tape. Regardless of the name, the principle of operation remains similar: it is an information aggregator that seeks to keep the user’s attention within the manufacturer’s ecosystem.

Impact on productivity and autonomy

One of the main arguments against tape use is its effect on device autonomy, because widgets require periodic updates over the Internet, they prevent the smartphone from going into deep sleep, especially on low-end models of the Redmi series with the smallest batteries.

⚠️ Warning: If you notice your smartphone is heating up in your pocket or your battery is running out faster than usual, even in standby mode, check the power usage statistics.

In addition, the presence of active widgets increases the consumption of RAM: on devices with 4 GB of RAM or less each megabyte in the account. background work of the news feed can lead to more aggressive unloading of other applications from memory, which causes the system to restart them more often when opened.

For users who value cleanliness and minimalism, visual noise in the form of ads and recommended articles is also a negative factor: disabling unnecessary elements returns the feeling of “clean” Android and speeds up desktop navigation.

Should I Remove: Weigh the Pros and Cons

The decision to remove or disable the tape depends on your smartphone usage habits. If you regularly check the exchange rate, follow the news or use a built-in pedometer, the functionality can be useful, but for most users, this data is duplicated by individual applications or widgets on the home screen.

Below is a comparison table that will help determine the need for this component in your system:

If you use your smartphone to play games or work with heavy applications, the release of resources will be tangible. Optimizing the interface is the first step to speed up the old device. By removing unnecessary visual elements, you reduce the load on the GPU when you scroll through the screens.

On the other hand, removing the system component completely (via ADB) can cause some Xiaomi services to fail if they are linked to shared libraries, so for most users, the best solution is to disable the software through settings, rather than radically delete files.

Method 1: Disconnection through shell settings

The safest and easiest method, which doesn't require root rights or a computer connection, is to hide the tape or replace it with standard Google search, and the algorithm of actions can vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI or HyperOS.

You need to start by going into desktop editing mode, so you can pinch it with two fingers on the home screen, or you can hold the empty area for a long time, and you'll see a settings button in the bottom corner, often indicated by a gear.

In the menu that opens, find Settings or Additional. There's a Widget Ribbon or App Vault switch, and you turn it off, you'll return the default swipe behavior to the right, and then you'll find Google or nothing when you move your finger, depending on the option you choose.

In some regions, Google Discover can be activated instead of your own firmware tape, and you can also turn it off in the same menu by selecting the "No Service" or similar option, which will completely clear the space to the left of the first screen.

Method 2: Deep Cleaning through ADB

For advanced users who want to get rid of all system components associated with tape, there is a method of using the Android debugging bridge (ADB), which requires connecting the smartphone to the PC and the presence of drivers.

Before starting the procedure, activate the developer mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on the build number seven times. Once you have become a developer, the appropriate section will appear in the settings menu.

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.personalassistant

This command disables the Personal Assistant package, which is responsible for running the tape. Depending on the model, the package may be called com.miui.globalmiuihome or have other variations. Be careful when you type commands, as disabling critical system components can lead to unstable operation.

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB-Inexperienced users are advised to limit themselves to standard settings to avoid having to flash the device in case of errors.

If after executing the command, the swipe stopped working or errors appeared, you can return everything back by the command: adb shell pm enable com.miui.personalassistant

This will restore the component to factory condition.

Possible problems and solutions

After disabling the widget tape, users may encounter a number of nuances, such as some firmware versions, when you try to swipe to the right, you may experience a brief interface hanging, as the system is still trying to poll a non-existent service.

It is also possible to remove the Stepmer or Weather widget from the home screen if they were tied to the tape libraries, in which case it is recommended to install alternative widgets from Google Play or use standard widgets of the system that are independent of App Vault.