Xiaomi Mi A3: How to remove Google widget from the screen

Owners of the Xiaomi Mi A3 smartphone, which runs on a clean Android One operating system, often face the desire to personalize the desktop by getting rid of standard interface elements. By default, the system suggests using Google widgets to quickly access search, news and other ecosystem services. However, not all users need constant access to these features directly on the home screen, which raises the question of how to remove or hide them.

The process of deactivating interface elements on the Mi A3 is not trivial, since the manufacturer and OS developer provide different levels of access to system widgets. Some components can simply be moved or removed, while others that are system require more in-depth intervention in launcher settings or the use of special rights. Understanding the differences between a regular widget and the system search bar is critical to successful execution of the task.

In this guide, we will look at all the available methods to clear the desktop of your smartphone from intrusive elements. We will discuss the regular tools of the operating system, launcher settings, and also touch on more advanced ways that may require the use of debugging over USB.

Basic methods of removing widgets on Android One

The easiest and safest way to get rid of the widget is to use the standard removal mechanism built into the launcher. On the Xiaomi Mi A3 with the Android One shell, this process is intuitive and does not require special skills. If the widget was installed by the user manually or is part of a standard set that the system allows you to modify, it will take a few seconds to remove it.

To do this, you need to press your finger on the widget area you're planning to remove, at which point the device will go into desktop editing mode, and a toolbar will appear at the top or bottom of the screen (depending on the firmware version), and you'll need to find a basket icon or a button that says "Delete."

• 🗑️ Press the widget with your finger before the vibration and action menu appear.
• 📉 Drag the object to the top of the screen where the removal zone appears.
• ✅ Confirm if the system requests additional confirmation.

It should be noted that this method only works for those elements that are not critical to the launcher's functioning. If the removal icon does not appear when dragging, this means that the widget is fixed by the system and requires a different approach to deactivate it.

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If standard removal doesn’t work, try temporarily changing the launcher to a third-party one, such as Nova Launcher, to get full control of the desktop grid.

Turning off Google Discover tape to the left of the screen

One of the most common complaints of Mi A3 users is the presence of a Google Discover News Feed that swipes to the right of the home screen, which automatically loads news, weather and recommendations, which can consume traffic and distract from the main work. Fortunately, pure Android has the ability to disable this element through settings.

To access the menu, you need to call the desktop settings, which can be done by clamping an empty area on the home screen or through the general smartphone settings menu. The settings list that opens will look for the section associated with the Google or Discover screen. The switch in this section will completely hide the tape, and the swipe to the left will no longer activate the news aggregator.

It is important to understand the difference between a desktop widget and a Discover tape. A widget is a static or dynamic block on the screen, and a tape is a separate page in the launcher's navigation. Disabling the tape does not remove the search widget if it is installed separately, but significantly clears the navigation space of your device.

⚠️ Warning: After disabling Discover tape, swipe to the right can become empty or lead to another page if you have multiple desktops set up.

Hiding Google Search String on the Home Screen

Google’s search bar, located at the bottom or top of the home screen, is one of those elements that is hardest to remove with standard means. On the Xiaomi Mi A3, this line is often embedded in the launcher itself as an integral part of the interface design. Simply dragging into the cart won’t help here, as the system blocks the removal of this component.

However, there is a workaround through the launcher settings itself. In some versions of Android One installed on the Mi A3, the desktop settings include the option “Show Search Bar.” If you don’t see this option, it means that the current firmware version has tightly integrated this element, in which case the only standard solution is to install an alternative launcher from the app store.

If you don't want to install third-party programs, you can try to minimize the visual presence of the string, change the wallpaper to dark, which will make the white search bar less contrasting, or use splitter widgets that visually "shatter" the space, distracting attention from the search bar, which will not remove the element physically, but will make it less noticeable in everyday use.

• 🔍 Check the launcher settings in the Screen or Main Screen section».
• 🚫 Search for the Google Search String Switch and Turn It Off.
• 🎨 If there is no option, consider installing a custom launcher for full customization.

Use of alternative launchers for full customization

The most effective way to (mapically) change the look of Xiaomi Mi A3 and get rid of all Google widgets is to install a third-party launcher. Apps like Nova Launcher, Lawnchair or Microsoft Launcher give the user full control of the desktop grid, allowing you to remove any embedded elements that are not amenable to standard removal.

After installing an alternative launcher, Android will request confirmation to use the new default app for the home screen.Agree, you will get a blank canvas on which you can create any configuration.In such launchers, the Google search bar is either missing by default or can be removed by simple drag and drop like any regular widget.

Using a third-party launcher also offers additional benefits, such as enhanced animation capabilities, icon changes, and more flexible gesture management. For smartphone owners who value minimalism, this is often the only true solution to the problem of intrusive interface elements.

⚠️ Note: When installing a new launcher, some specific Xiaomi gestures (such as double tapping to turn on the screen) may stop working or require additional setup in the system.

Advanced Methods: ADB and System Settings

For users who don’t want to change the launcher but have sufficient technical knowledge, there is a method of removing system widgets through the Android debugging bridge (ADB), which allows you to remove or disable the system packages responsible for the operation of Google widgets directly through the computer.

Before starting the procedure, you need to activate the developer mode on the Mi A3. To do this, go to the About Phone menu and press the build number seven times. Then, in the Developer menu that appears, you should enable debugging via USB. After connecting the smartphone to a PC with an ADB installed, you can execute commands to disable packages.

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox

This command disables the Google app, which is often responsible for the search bar and widgets. If you don't like the result, you can always turn it back by replacing the word disable-user with enable. It's a powerful tool that gives root-like features without actually getting superuser rights.

• 💻 Connect your smartphone to a computer with drivers installed ADB.
• ⌨️ Enter a command to disable the target system package.
• 🔄 Restart the device to make the changes effective.

Possible problems and solutions

When removing widgets, users may encounter various errors, such as when deleting the search bar, the launcher may start to run slower or “fly out” when trying to swipe, because some processes of the system try to access the remote component, in which case cleaning the launcher cache through the application settings menu helps.

Another common problem is the automatic recovery of widgets after a system update or reboot, which is typical for cases where the widget is part of the system synchronization process. To avoid this, you need not only to remove the visual element, but also to disable the appropriate permissions in the application settings, preventing them from changing the desktop.

If you notice that after all the manipulations, voice search or assistant functionality is lost, you will have to restore the deleted components, just turn on previously disabled packages again or reinstall the Google Play Services app. The balance between a clean interface and functionality is a key point in setting up the Mi A3.

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Using ADB is the most powerful, but also the riskiest method, and always check the name of the package before disabling it to ensure that critical system services do not disrupt the service.