App Vault on Xiaomi: hidden features and whether this program your smartphone

If you own a Xiaomi, Redmi or a smartphone POCO, I'm sure you've noticed a strange widget called App Vault (or "App Storage" in Russian firmware) on the home screen, which appears immediately after the first setup of the device and often raises questions: What kind of program is it, why is it needed and whether it can be removed without consequences for the system?

In fact, App Vault is not just another pre-installed app, but a whole ecosystem of fast access to Xiaomi tools and services. MIUI It offers users a convenient feature, from weather and calendar to smart device management, but not everyone likes it: some people think it's useless, some complain about resource consumption, and some people just don't understand how to use it.

In this guide, we will discuss in detail:

• 🔍 What is App Vault and How it Appeared in the App MIUI
• 📱 What features this widget hides and how to use them
• ⚙️ Can I disable or remove App Vault without root rights?
• ⚡ Does it affect the performance and autonomy of the smartphone?
• 🔄 Alternatives and how to replace a standard widget with a more useful one

What is App Vault and Why is it Necessary? MIUI

App Vault (in Russian localization – “App Store”) is a system widget from Xiaomi, which debuted in the mobile app. MIUI 9 and has since become an integral part of firmware, essentially a universal quick access center for frequently used features and services that is placed on the home screen to the left of the main icons.

Xiaomi originally positioned App Vault as an analogue of Google Discover, but with a focus on its own services. Over time, the widget has expanded to include:

• 🌦️ Weather with weekly forecast and precipitation notifications
• 📅 Calendar with reminders and events from the Mi Account
• 📊 Smartphone usage statistics (screen time, active applications)
• 🏠 Smart Home Management (Mi Home)
• 🎵 Music player with quick access to tracks
• 📰 News Feed (configured according to interests)

It is important to understand that App Vault is not a separate application, but part of the shell. MIUI. It doesn’t take up space in the app menu, but it can consume RAM and data in the background (for example, to update weather or news).

What features the App Vault hides: a full review of the features

Many users mistakenly believe that App Vault is only for weather or news displays, and in fact, it's much more functional than that, especially when you consider integration with other Xiaomi services.

1.Weather and climate notifications

One of the most popular features is a detailed weather forecast with geolocation support.

• 🌡️ Current temperature and sensations (how to dress»)
• ☔ Probability of rainfall by the hour
• 💨 Wind speed and atmospheric pressure
• 🌅 Sunrise/Sunset Time

The data is updated in real time, and when the weather changes (for example, a thunderstorm) push notifications come.

Calendar and reminders

App Vault syncs with Mi Calendar and displays:

• 📅 Forthcoming developments and meetings
• ⏰ Birthday reminders (from contacts)
• 🎯 Tasks from Mi Notes or Google Keep (if synchronization is configured)

3.Managing a smart home

If you have Mi Home devices (lamps, sockets, robot vacuum cleaners), then through App Vault you can:

• 💡 Lights on/off quickly
• 🔌 Manage the sockets
• 🤖 Run vacuum cleaner cleaning
• 🌡️ View data from sensors (temperature, humidity)

4.Music and media

The widget is integrated with Mi Music and allows you to:

• 🎶 Quickly launch the last song you heard
• 🔊 Manage playback (pause, next track)
• 📻 Switch between playlists

News Feed and Recommendations

App Vault aggregates content from a variety of sources:

• 📰 News (configurable by subject: sports, technology, finances)
• 🎬 Video recommendations (from YouTube or TikTok, if you allow access)
• 🛒 Promotions and discounts (integration with Mi Store)

All of these features can be flexibly configured or disabled through the widget menu.

How to Disable or Remove App Vault on Xiaomi

Not everyone likes having this widget — especially those who prefer a minimalist home screen or use alternative launchers (like Nova Launcher). Fortunately, App Vault can be disabled, although full removal without root rights is impossible.

Method 1: Disconnection through launcher settings

The simplest method is:

1. Make a long press in the free place of the main screen.
2. Select “Screen Settings” (or “Starter Settings”).
3. Find the “App Vault” option and move the slider to the off position.

After that, the widget will disappear from the main screen, but will remain in the system.

Method 2: Hiding through the ADB (rootless)

If the standard shutdown fails (for example, on some versions) MIUI for POCO), can be used ADB:

adb shell pm hide com.miui.miservice

This command hides the widget, but doesn't remove it completely. To return the App Vault back, do this:

adb shell pm unhide com.miui.miservice

Method 3: Removal with root rights (for advanced)

If you have root access, you can remove App Vault completely through:

• 📱 Root Explorer (delete folder) /system/priv-app/MiuiSystemAdSolution)
• 💻 ADB superuser:

adb shell


su




pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.miservice

⚠️ Warning: Removing system applications can lead to unstable work MIUI. Before that, make sure to back up through TWRP Mi Cloud.

Does App Vault affect performance and battery life?

One of the big questions is, does the App Vault put a load on your smartphone, and should you turn it off to save resources? The answer depends on how you use it.

Memory consumption (RAM)

According to the tests Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and POCO F5:

As you can see, if you don't use the widget, it's minimal in the background, but when you're using it, especially with the news feed, you're consuming it. RAM grows.

Battery consumption

App Vault can affect autonomy in two ways:

1. Weather updates GPS — If geolocation is enabled, the widget periodically requests location data.
2. Background news synchronization – if the feed is updated more than once an hour, it increases traffic and energy consumption.

According to the tests on Xiaomi 13 Ultra, the widget in the “weather only” mode adds ~1 to 2 percent of battery consumption per day, and if all functions are fully activated, this figure can rise to 3 to 5%.

💡

To reduce the impact of App Vault on the battery, turn off automatic news updates in its settings and leave weather only with manual updates.

Impact on productivity

On modern smartphones (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Dimensity 9000), the App Vault has no noticeable impact on performance. 10A helio G25) its background activity may cause:

• 🐢 Reduced when opening heavy applications
• 🔄 Delays in switching between tasks

If you notice similar problems, try turning off the widget and check if the situation has improved.

Alternatives to App Vault: how to replace the standard widget

If you’ve decided to get rid of App Vault but want to keep quick access to the weather, calendar, or music, consider these alternatives:

1. Google widgets

• 🌦️ Google Weather: Minimalist Widget with Accurate Forecast.
• 📅 Google Calendar – syncs with your account and supports reminders.
• 📰 Google Discover – News and Recommendation Feed (similar to App Vault, but with content from Google).

2. Third-party launchers

Launchers like Nova Launcher or Lawnchair allow you to:

• 🎨 Completely customize the main screen.
• 🔄 Add widgets from any application (e.g. AccuWeather or Spotify).
• ⚡ Disable unnecessary system elements (including App Vault).

Specialized widgets

For specific purposes:

• 🎵 Musicolet – lightweight music widget without advertising.
• 🏠 Home Assistant – for managing a smart home (alternative to Mi Home).
• 📊 Digital Wellbeing – to track smartphone usage times.

💡

If you only need weather and calendar, just install Google widgets – they are lighter and do not load the system.

Frequent problems with App Vault and how to solve them

Despite its usefulness, the App Vault sometimes doesn't work properly.

1.The widget doesn't update the weather

If the weather data is frozen or displayed incorrectly:

• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone.
• 📍 Check if geolocation is enabled for App Vault in Settings (Settings) → Annexes → Permits → geodata).
• 🌍 Make sure the right city is selected in the widget settings.
• 📶 Check your internet connection (widget requires network access for updates).

2. News is not loaded or shows spam

If the news feed is empty or filled with unnecessary content:

• 🔄 Update the widget swipe down (like in the browser).
• ⚙️ Go to App Vault Settings and reset your interests (Settings) → Personalization → Drop it).
• 🚫 Turn off the news feed completely if you don’t need it.

3 The widget disappeared after the MIUI update

After major updates (e.g., with the MIUI 13 on MIUI 14) App Vault may be missing to get it back:

1. Go to Settings. → Main screen screen.
2. Find the option “Additional settings” or “System widgets”.
3. Turn on the switch next to the App Vault.
4. If the item is not, reset the launcher settings (Settings) → Annexes → Launcher → Warehouse → Clear the data).

4. High battery consumption

If the App Vault consumes too much energy:

• ⚡ Turn off automatic weather updates (set manual mode).
• 📵 Disallow the widget to access geolocation in the background.
• 🗑️ Clear the app cache (Settings) → Annexes → App Vault → Warehouse → Clear the cache).

⚠️ Note: If after disabling App Vault on the home screen appeared empty space that can not be removed, try to change the theme in Settings → Topics. Sometimes it helps to reset the widgets.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions about App Vault