Many Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners, when they first switch on the device or update the firmware of MIUI and HyperOS, experience unusual interface behavior. When swiping to the right of the home screen, an additional panel is opened, filled with news, weather cards, app recommendations and other information, this is the Xiaomi widget tape, also known as the App Vault or Mi Smart Assistant.
For some users, this feature becomes a convenient tool for quick access, allowing you to see the exchange rate or manage a smart home without opening applications. Others perceive it as an intrusive element that overloads the system and consumes resources. Understanding what Xiaomi widget tape is for will help you decide whether to use it or not to turn it off.
In this article, we will go into detail about the purpose of each block, learn how to customize the information displayed, and look at ways to completely turn off the service if you do not need it, and learn how to turn this screen from a source of noise into a useful desktop.
The main purpose and functionality of App Vault
The main purpose of creating a widget tape is to aggregate important information in one place, and instead of opening ten different apps to check the weather, the dollar, the latest news or the state of the pedometer, the system suggests swiping to the right, which is the implementation of the concept of "information in the palm," which is especially relevant for the large screens of modern smartphones.
The interface is based on App Vault (formerly known as Mi Smart Assistant), a system service that collects data from installed applications and system services, structuring them into different size cards, some of which are static, others are updated in real time, requiring a constant connection to the network.
It's important to understand that Xiaomi's widget tape is not just a set of shortcuts, it's a dynamic environment. It analyzes your actions: if you order a taxi often, the corresponding widget will go higher. If you plug in the Mi Band, the pulse data will appear on the screen. The flexibility of the setting allows you to tailor the space to the specific tasks of the user.
⚠️ Attention: Widget tapes require constant access to geolocation and the Internet to update data. If you are strictly monitoring traffic consumption or battery charge, active use of a large number of dynamic widgets can accelerate the discharge of the device.
The functionality is divided into several key zones, the top part is usually reserved for the search bar and user profile, below are the quick action, sports, finance and smart home cards, each zone is customized separately, giving the user full control over the content.
Analysis of popular widgets and their practical application
To see if you need this feature, consider specific usage examples. The standard set of widgets covers most everyday scenarios. For example, the Weather widget displays not only temperature, but also the probability of rainfall hourly, which is more convenient than running a separate application.
For owners of the Xiaomi Home ecosystem, a smart home widget is critical, allowing you to turn off the lights, check the status of the air purifier or see the security camera with a single touch, which turns the main screen of your smartphone into a full-fledged control panel for your apartment.
The financial block is interesting for those who follow the market, widgets support the display of exchange rates and cryptocurrency quotes, but it is worth remembering that data may be late, and it is not suitable for trading, but it is quite good for a general understanding of the situation.
- 📰 News Feed aggregator that can be customized to specific topics (technology, sports, politics) by pulling up information from various sources.
- 🏃 Health: Integration with Mi Fitness or Google Fit, showing steps, calories and sleep data without having to open the app.
- 🚀 Quick start: Ability to add shortcuts to frequently used features, such as turning on a flashlight, voice recorder or running a scanner QR-code.
The Memory widget, which shows how much space is occupied on the internal drive, and suggests (with a single touch) clearing the cache, is a useful feature for models with a small amount of internal memory, such as the entry-level Redmi Note.
Instructions for setting up and personalizing the tape
Setup of Xiaomi widget tape is an intuitive process, but hidden in the editing menu. To change the content, you need to go to edit mode. To do this, you need to make a long tap (press your finger) on any free place of the tape or swipe to the right and press the menu button (usually three dots or a gear in the corner).
In the Settings → Ribbon widgets (or App Vault) menu that opens, you'll see a list of all the cards available. The system allows you not only to turn them on and off, but also to change the order. Just drag the item up or down the list to change its display priority.
☑️ Setting up the perfect tape
Some widgets have their own settings. For example, clicking on a news widget, you can choose sources or topics of interest. Smart home widgets will require authorization to your Mi Account account and the presence of associated devices. Without this, the block will be empty or offer to connect equipment.
For advanced users, the ability to resize some widgets is available. Long-term clicking on the widget itself often allows you to stretch it to make it more informative. For example, an extended calendar widget will show a list of events for the week, not just for today.
| Type of widget | Resource consumption | The Necessity of the Internet | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weather. | Low. | Tall. | Keep it, good. |
| News | Average. | Tall. | For the amateur. |
| Smart home. | Low. | Medium | For IoT Owners |
| Finance. | Low. | Tall. | For investors |
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Use the Notes widget on your feed to quickly record ideas without unlocking your phone completely or looking for an app.
How to turn off the widget tape on Xiaomi and Redmi
Despite the functionality, many users prefer minimalism: the widget tape can be annoying with accidental openings when unlocked or just take up space. Fortunately, the MIUI and HyperOS shells provide the ability to completely disable this component.
The easiest way is through desktop settings. Go to Settings, find the Desktop section (or press your finger on the desktop and select Settings). In the options list, look for "Ribbon widgets" or "App Vault." The switch next to it needs to be translated to "Off."
Some firmware versions may have different paths. If the standard method doesn't work, try searching your phone's settings by searching for "widget" or "assistant." Disabling the service won't delete your data, but it won't show the tape when you swipe to the right.
⚠️ Note: After disabling the widget tape, the swipe to the right can either do nothing or open Android widgets (if Google Discover is enabled.
If you use a third-party launcher (for example, Nova Launcher or Lawnchair), the settings of the system tape of Xiaomi widgets will not apply, since the third-party launcher completely replaces the standard interface.
Impact on autonomy and performance of the smartphone
The question of the effect of widget tape on the battery is often controversial. In theory, every active widget that updates data in the background consumes a charge. However, modern processors and MIUI optimization minimize this cost if you do not abuse the number of widgets.
A widget that updates every minute (like a ticker) will consume more power than a widget that is updated once an hour. If you notice that the phone is running out of power fast in standby mode, try turning off the extra widgets and check the statistics.
- 🔋 Background activity: A widget tape can prevent a processor from sleeping deeply if it constantly requests data from the network.
- 📶 Use of the GPS: Weather and traffic jam widgets constantly poll the geolocation module, which is one of the most energy-consuming processes.
- 📉 RAM: On devices with 3-4 GB RAM: The presence of multiple active widgets can lead to more frequent unloading of background applications.
For owners of budget models such as the Redmi 9A or Poco C series, where resources are limited, disabling the widget tape can be one way to slightly improve the responsiveness of the interface. On flagships of the Xiaomi 13/14 series, the difference will be almost invisible.
Problem Solving: Widgets Are Not Working or Losing
Users often experience widgets that stop updating, show old data, or disappear after a reboot, most often due to the aggressive MIUI energy saving system, which kills background processes to save charge.
To fix this, you need to configure autostart and work in the background for the system application “Framework Services” or “App Vault”. Go to Settings → Apps → All applications, find the appropriate system service and in the “Energy saving” option, select “No restrictions”.
Also make sure the app has the necessary permissions. The permissions menu must activate the "Location", "Out-Start" and "Master on top of other applications" items, without which the widget will not be able to function properly.
What if the weather widget shows the wrong city?
If the widgets are completely gone after the firmware update, the launcher settings may have gone wrong. Try clearing the desktop app cache (not the data, but the cache) through the app menu, which will bring the standard widgets back to their places without losing personal files.
Differences between Widget Ribbon in MIUI and HyperOS
With the release of the new HyperOS shell, Xiaomi has updated not only the visual style, but also the logic of widgets, with the new system, they are more integrated into the overall ecosystem, and there is support for larger widgets and more complex interactivity.
HyperOS has improved the animation of widgets, making them more liveable, and it also allows you to group widgets into folders directly on the tape, which was not possible with older versions of MIUI, making navigation easier on tablets and foldable devices.
The key difference is the depth of integration with the smart home: In the new version, the Xiaomi Home widget interface has become unified for all devices running HyperOS, including laptops and tablets, creating a single interaction environment.
⚠️ Note: When transitioning from MIUI On HyperOS, widget settings may reset, it is recommended to recheck the order of the cards and activate the desired widgets after a major system update.
It’s also worth noting that in HyperOS, some widgets previously only available in the Chinese firmware version (CN ROM) have started to appear in global builds, including health widgets and more detailed smartphone usage statistics.