Modern Xiaomi smartphones running MIUI shells or the new HyperOS offer users a variety of personalized features that often include news feeds, weather widgets and app recommendations right on the lock screen. For many device owners, this becomes a source of irritation, as intrusive advertising, articles from aggregators and random images take up useful space and distract from the main use of the gadget. Users often face a situation where, after updating the system or resetting, these functions are activated automatically, forcing them to look for ways to turn them off.
The problem is that standard interface settings aren’t always obvious, and some options can be hidden deep in the system menus or disguised as harmless names like “Wallpaper Carousel” or “Glance.” To effectively remove news from a locked screen, you need to understand the difference between desktop widgets, lock screen widgets, and system aggregators that manage content. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at all the possible deactivation methods that are relevant for different versions of firmware and smartphone models.
Importantly, the process of disabling may vary slightly depending on the regional version of the software (Global, China, EEA) and the specific version of Android. However, the overall algorithm of actions remains the same for the entire ecosystem of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO. We will consider both software methods through settings, and deeper ways to interfere with the operation of system applications if standard options are not available.
Differences between content sources on the lock screen
Before you start to disable, you need to clearly identify the source of the information, as users often confuse different types of notifications. The locked screen can display data from three main sources: MIUI widgets, wallpaper carousel service and third-party launchers or locking applications. Understanding this difference is critical to choosing the right method of solving the problem.
The first type is standard widgets that are embedded directly into the shell interface. They can show weather, date, steps or brief news reports. The second type is the Wallpaper Carousel (or Glance in global versions), which periodically changes the background image and adds text blocks with news and promotional offers on top of it. The third type is third-party applications that could be installed with other software and intercept control of the lock screen.
- 🔍 System widgets: built into the OS, controlled through lock screen settings, often show weather and time.
- 🖼️ Glance: a service for changing backgrounds with a news feed, requires a separate disconnection in the security menu or theme.
- 📱 Third-party apps: programs like Lock Screen Magazine that need to be removed or disabled from the app menu.
⚠️ Warning: If after all the instructions are completed, check the list of newly installed applications. Often, malicious software masquerades as system components and returns ads even after resetting the interface settings.
In some cases, users find that disabling one source is not effective because another content push is still active. For example, disabling a weather widget will not remove the news feed from Glance. Therefore, it is recommended to consistently check all possible entry points for advertising content described in the following sections.
Disabling widgets and summaries in the lock screen settings
The most common and safe way to get rid of unnecessary information is to use standard interface settings. In modern versions of MIUI and HyperOS, developers have brought the main switches into a single menu, but the path to these can vary, starting with the basic configuration of the lock screen, where the switches for widgets are located.
To access the settings, you need to open the Settings app and go to the Lock Screen section. Depending on the firmware version, this item may be at the root of the menu or hidden inside the System subsection or Additional, and this is where the key toggles that display widgets when the device is locked are located. If you see the activated Widgets or Summary, it must be deactivated.
☑️ Checking the lock settings
It is important to pay attention to the item "Style of watches" or "Time format". Some styles by default include displaying the date, pedometer and a brief summary of news. Changing the style to "Classic" or "Digital" without additional elements often solves the problem visually, even if the background processes are not stopped completely. It is also worth checking the double-press settings to turn on the screen, as some actions can activate the notification preview.
If the standard Settings → Lock screen is not yielding results, try searching by settings. Type the phrase “lock” or “widget” into the search box, and the system itself will suggest relevant menu items, this is especially true for devices with a changed menu structure, where familiar items may have been renamed or moved during the update.
Management of the service Carusol wallpaper and Glance
The most intrusive source of news is a service known in the Russian segment as “Wallpaper Carousel” and in global firmware as Glance, which not only changes pictures, but also actively broadcasts news headlines, banner ads and app recommendations over the image. Completely disabling this component requires a separate approach, since it is often integrated deeper than conventional widgets.
Managing this service often requires you to go to the basic settings, but to the Security app, which is a system for Xiaomi. Inside this application, you need to find the Wallpaper Carousel section, or Wallpaper Carousel. This is where the switches that control the frequency of image change and, most importantly, the display of the news feed, disabling the Receive Recommendations Toggle or similar in meaning, stops the loading of content.
| Name of service | Where to look in the menu | What's off? | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wallpaper carousel | Security/Thosemes | Background and news | Stops background traffic |
| Glance (Global) | Settings → Lock screen | Promotional blocks | Reduces RAM consumption |
| Mi Video/Music | Settings → Notifications | Media recommendations | Removes media player widgets |
| GetApps | Settings → Applications | Advertising of applications | Blocks push notifications from the store |
⚠️ Warning: When you turn off the wallpaper carousel, the automatic background image change function will stop working. If you like the variety of images but don't need news, look for the "Show only images" option or turn off only the "Recommendations" option».
In some firmware versions (especially in Indian and European builds), Glance can be built directly into the Wallpaper system application, in which case you open the Wallpaper app, click on the profile icon or menu (three dots) and find the Glance settings, where you can turn off the service completely, which guarantees the disappearance of news blocks. If the standard methods do not turn off the service, you can use the hidden menu.
Hidden method of disconnection through ADB
Setup of notifications and system applications
Often the source of “news” are not widgets, but the usual push notifications from Xiaomi system applications, such as GetApps (app store), Mi Video, Mi Music or Mi Browser. These applications can display previews of news, promotions and recommendations directly on the locked screen, if they are allowed to display important information.
To eliminate this type of content, you need to go to the Settings menu → Notifications and Status bar → Application Notifications. In the list that opens, you should find the system applications mentioned above and enter their detailed settings. You need to turn off the Important Notifications (or Priority) items, and also prevent the display on the lock screen. This will not remove the application, but will clear the screen from information noise.
- 🛑 GetApps: the main source of advertising installed applications, requires a complete ban on notifications.
- 🌐 Mi Browser: often sends news, you need to disable in the "Recommendations" section inside the browser itself.
- 🎵 Mi Music/Video: can show covers and industry news, disable in notification settings.
Security is also allowed to send notifications about “viruses” or “optimizations” that may look like news messages, and the notification settings of this app recommend leaving only critical system alerts, disabling all marketing mailings and optimization tips.
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Use Do Not Disturb mode with schedule settings if you want to ensure that any pop-ups and lights are removed at night, even if you can’t completely turn off the sources.
Use of third-party solutions and ADB-team
If standard methods do not help or the system interface is changed by the manufacturer so that the shutdown buttons are hidden, you can resort to more radical measures.The use of ADB (Android Debug Bridge) debugging tools allows you to forcibly stop or remove the system components responsible for news feeds, without the need to obtain superuser rights (Root).
For this method, you will need a computer, USB-cable and included on the smartphone "Debugging by USB» (Once you connect your phone to your PC and install the drivers, you can send a command to disable a specific package via the command line. For example, to disable the news aggregator, a command is often used that blocks the com.miui.personalassistant component or com.miui.contentextension component.
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.personalassistantThis command makes the aggregator application invisible to the system, which physically prevents it from running and displaying any data. However, be careful: disabling critical system components can lead to unstable interface operation.
An alternative to using ADB is installing a third-party launcher or a screen locking app from Google Play. Apps like Niagara Launcher or specialty Lock Screen will replace Xiaomi’s standard interface with pure Android or custom design, where there is simply no room for built-in MIUI advertising. This is a radical but effective solution for those who want to completely change the smartphone experience.
Solving problems with updates and resetting settings
One of the common reasons for sudden news is an operating system update. When you upgrade to a new version of MIUI or HyperOS (for example, from 13 to 14), the system can reset user preferences and reactivate services by default, which is why after each major update, it is recommended to recheck the sections described in this article.
If you’ve completed a full Hard Reset, all Xiaomi services will return to factory values, which means Carousel enabled and active notifications. In this case, when you first set up your phone (“initial setup”), read each screen carefully. Often there are hidden ticks or switches like “Recommended Content” or “Get News” that you need to uncheck before entering the desktop.
⚠️ Note: Don’t ignore app updates in Google Play and GetApps. Often bug fixes associated with intrusive advertising come through updates to system components, not the firmware itself.
In rare cases, news can be a sign of an adware virus. If you notice news blocks appearing even on your desktop or pop-ups on top of other apps, check the installed list for suspicious apps without icons or with strange names.
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A comprehensive approach, including disabling widgets, setting notifications and blocking aggregator services, guarantees complete disposal of news on the Xiaomi lock screen.