Modern MIUI and HyperOS shells offer users many features, but often overload the interface with unnecessary elements. One such controversial solution is the endless tape of widgets that opens with a swipe to the left of the home screen. Many owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones prefer minimalism and a clean desktop, so the question of how to remove this element remains extremely relevant.
Removing or disabling the tape does not require superuser rights or complex system reprogramming. In most cases, MIUI allows you to flexibly configure the start page, hiding unnecessary services like Google Discover or Xiaomi's built-in tape.
In this article, we will take a look at all the available methods, from standard desktop settings to advanced methods through system applications. You will learn how to get rid of advertising, news aggregators and recommendations that consume traffic and CPU resources. Completely disabling system components requires caution, as it can affect the work of weather widgets or calendar on the home screen.
Analysis of the contents of the left panel on Xiaomi
Before you start to shut down, it’s important to understand what exactly occupies the space to the left of the icons. Depending on the settings and region, there can be completely different services displayed there, most often users encounter Google Discover, a news feed from the search giant that aggregates articles and videos based on your interests.
The second option is the company's own development, known as App Vault or "Widget Tape," which contains quick action shortcuts, pedometer statistics, weather, and often includes ad units and app recommendations. The third, less pleasant option is built-in services like Mi Video or Mi Music, which can obsessively offer content when you unlock the screen or swipe.
Sometimes the left panel is filled with third-party launcher widgets or system security widgets. Understanding the source of content is essential to choosing the right method of disabling. If you just want to remove news but leave the weather, the approach will be different from completely removing the system component.
- 📰 Google Discover: News Feed that consumes Internet traffic in the background.
- 📊 App Vault: Xiaomi’s built-in panel with widgets, pedometer and advertising integrations.
- 🎬 Media services: Mi Video or Music tabs, often appearing after system updates.
Disable Google Discover through Launcher Settings
The most common scenario is that you have a Google News Feed, which is often enabled by default in the standard System Launcher, and to remove it, you have to go to the desktop settings, press and hold your finger on an empty section of the screen until the edit menu appears, or go to Settings → Desktop.
In the menu that opens, find the section that handles additional features. In different versions of MIUI, it can be called "Additional", "More" or just displayed in the general list. You will need to find a switch called "Google Discover", "Google Tape" or "-1 screen." Put the slider in an inactive position.
After that, swipe left should stop opening the news feed, and if you have a global firmware version installed, this method works 95% of the time, but in Chinese versions or custom builds, the path may be different, and in some cases you need to turn off the Google Feed plugin in the application settings.
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If the switch is not in the desktop settings, try to clear the data of the Desktop application in the system settings, but pre-save the location of the icons.
It's worth noting that disabling Google Discover doesn't remove the Google app, it only hides its integration into the launcher interface. It's a safe operation that doesn't disrupt other services. If the tape reappears after the reboot, check if the system components of Google Play Services have updated.
Removal of the built-in Xiaomi widget tape (App Vault)
If the Google News Feed is already disabled, but the swipe to the left still opens the panel with Xiaomi widgets, it is a component of App Vault. In new versions of HyperOS, the management of this element has become more flexible. Go to Settings → Desktop and find the item “Ribbon widgets” or “App Vault”.
Inside this menu, you'll see a list of available widgets and content sources, and you can not only turn off the tape completely, but also choose which widgets will be displayed if you decide to leave it partially. To turn it off completely, find the "Enable Widget Ribbon" switch and deactivate it.
In some cases, especially on older versions of MIUI, there may not be a standard switch. Then you need to use a deeper setup method. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications, look in the list of "Ribbon widgets" (or mi home, app vault) and try to disable the update or clear the data. Sometimes it helps to turn off the Internet for this particular system process.
☑️ Checking the tape off
It's important to understand the difference between the desktop widgets and the tape on the left. Disabling App Vault won't remove the weather widgets or the clocks if they're attached to the home screen. It only affects the hidden Quick Access bar. If you've left the tape after all the manipulations, it might be anchored as part of the theme.
Combating Intrusive Services: Mi Video and Mi Music
Special attention should be paid to situations where a full-screen video or music player is opened when unlocking or swiping, and this is not a classic widget tape, but an aggressive content promotion function, which is often activated after updating the system applications Mi Video or Mi Browser.
To remove this, you need to find a specific app in the installed list. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find Mi Video, Mi Music or Browser. Go to the settings of each and find the "Get recommendations", "Show when unlocked" or "Floating window" section. Turn off all items related to content.
If standard settings don't work, you can use a radical but effective method: remove updates. In the app menu, click three dots in the corner and select "Delete Updates." This will return the app to the factory version, where aggressive promotion features are often absent, and then it is recommended that you disable auto-updates for these services in GetApps or Google Play.
⚠️ Note: When you delete system application updates, the functionality may be limited, for example, video formats may no longer be supported, or the ability to stream online will disappear.
It’s also worth checking the theme settings. Some third-party themes downloaded from MIUI Themes store may have a built-in left panel that can’t be turned off by standard means, in which case the output is a return to the standard theme “Classic” or “Free”.
Using third-party launchers to completely replace the interface
If the built-in tools can’t remove the tape, or you want to completely change the look of your smartphone, the best solution is to install a third-party launcher, programs that completely replace the standard Xiaomi desktop. Popular options include Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Lawnchair.
Once you have this launcher, the system will suggest you choose the default one, and in the new launcher settings, you have full control over the swipes, you can swipe left to open a particular application, search, or leave that action blank, and the standard MIUI restrictions don't apply.
Third-party launchers are often faster and consume less resources, as they lack heavy integrations with Xiaomi services. However, it is worth considering that some system features, such as control gestures or specific MIUI widgets, may not work properly or require additional configuration.
| Launcher | Flexibility of setting | RAM consumption | Compatibility with MIUI widgets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Launcher | Tall. | Low. | Partial |
| Microsoft Launcher | Medium | Average. | Low. |
| Smart Launcher | Tall. | Low. | Low. |
| System Launcher | Low. | Optimized. | Complete. |
Risks of using third-party launchers
Advanced Methods: ADB and Hidden Settings
For power users who haven't been helped by standard methods, there's a way to turn off system components via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to remove or freeze system applications that run the widget tape without having Root rights. You'll need a computer and a cable to connect your smartphone.
First, activate Developer Mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and press 7 times on either MIUI Version or OS Version. Then, in the advanced settings, turn on USB Debugging. Connect your phone to your PC and execute a command to find the packet responsible for the tape.
adb shell pm list packages | grep miuiYou need to find a package with a name that contains miui.daemon, miui.screenrecorder or com.miui.personalassistant. It is the latter that is most often responsible for App Vault.
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.personalassistant⚠️ Note: Disabling system packages through ADB If you turn off an important component, the phone may go into a cyclical reboot. Always check the name of the package before you delete it.
This is the most effective method, because it blocks the process from starting at the system level. The tape physically ceases to exist for the operating system. To get it back, use the command adb shell pm enable com.miui.personalassistant.
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Using ADB is the most reliable way to remove tape, but it requires a computer and basic command line knowledge.