Xiaomi Redmi’s Zen App: Why and How it Works MIUI

If you are the owner of a smartphone Xiaomi Redmi on the basis MIUI, You may have noticed a pre-installed app called Zen (or Yandex Zen in the international version), which is not just random software, but is closely integrated into firmware and often raises questions from users. Some consider it a useful source of news, others – annoying advertising, and still others do not understand where it came from.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what Zen is like on Xiaomi Redmi, how it got into your phone, what functions it performs and – most importantly – how to control it: disable, configure or delete. Particular attention will be paid to the hidden features of the application, which are not written in the standard instructions, as well as the nuances of working on different versions. MIUI (12-to-14).

What is Zen and why is it installed on Xiaomi Redmi?

Yandex Zen (or simply Zen) is a personalized recommendation feed from Yandex that tailor content based on your interests. In the context of Xiaomi Redmi, this app comes from a partnership between Xiaomi and Yandex that began back in 2018. Xiaomi pre-installes a range of Yandex services (including Yandex.Browser, Weather and Maps) on devices for Russian and some other markets.

At Redmi, Zen can manifest itself in several forms:

• 📱 Separate app in the menu (icon with the Zen logo).
• 📰 Widget on the home screen (often appears after updating) MIUI).
• 🔍 Integration into the search bar (when entering queries in system search).
• 📧 Notifications with article recommendations (even if you haven’t run the app).

It's important to understand that Zen is not a virus or malware, it's a legitimate service, but it's aggressively promoting it through the use of malware. MIUI For example, after a reset or firmware update, the application can automatically come back even if you have deleted it.

The main features of Zen on Xiaomi Redmi

Despite the criticism, Yandex Zen has some useful features, especially if you’re a big user of the Yandex ecosystem.

One of the hidden features is the ability to synchronize bookmarks between Zen and Yandex.Browser, so if you're logged in to one account, saved articles will be available on all devices. AMOLED-Adaptive light displays to save battery power.

⚠️ Note: If you notice that Zen is consuming too much traffic or battery, check the background activity settings in Settings → Annexes → Zen → Battery: By default, the app is allowed to run in the background, which can reduce Redmi's battery life by 10 to 15%.

How to Disable or Remove Zen on Xiaomi Redmi

Many users want to get rid of Zen, but it is not easy to do it because of the deep integration with Zen. MIUI. Let’s look at all possible ways – from soft shutdown to complete removal.

Method 1: Disabling notifications and background activity

If the application does not interfere but annoys the notifications, it is enough to limit its rights:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Zen (or Yandex Zen) in the list.
3. Open Notifications and turn off all switches.
4. Go back and select the battery. → Background activity, then set a limit.

Method 2: Hiding the widget from the main screen

Zen widget often appears after update MIUI. To get him out:

1. Press and hold the empty space on the main screen.
2. Select Widgets from the bottom menu.
3. Find the Zen widget and drag it to the basket (or click Remove).

Method 3: Complete removal (requires root or ADB)

Because Zen is a system application, you can't just delete it, but there are workarounds.

• 🔧 Through ADB (rootless):
• 🛠️ Root-rights: Use Titanium Backup or Root Explorer to delete application files along the way /system/priv-app/Zen/.
• ⚙️ Through Mi Unlock Tool (risky): unlock the bootloader and firmware custom version MIUI Yandex-free.

Enable USB debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times)

Install ADB drivers on PC

Connect Redmi to your computer and confirm debugging

Download the ADB platform (for example, from Google)

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⚠️ Note: Removing system applications through ADB or root can lead to unstable work MIUI, Especially if you use Yandex features (e.g. Yandex.Maps or Weather) in some cases, Zen may return after updating the firmware.

How to set Zen for yourself: hidden chips

If you have decided to leave Zen, but want to make it more useful, use these tips:

1. Subtle adjustment of recommendations

To ensure that the feed only shows relevant content:

1. Open the app and tap on the avatar in the upper right corner.
2. Select Settings → Interests.
3. Remove unnecessary themes (like Stars or Horoscopes) and add yours (like Android or Xiaomi).
4. Activate the option to Show less from this source for hated sites.

2. Saving traffic and battery

By default, Zen uploads high-quality video and updates the tape every 30 minutes to optimize:

• 📶 Open the Settings. → Networks and traffic and enable traffic savings.
• 🔋 B Settings → Battery disable Auto Update in the background.
• 🌙 Activate the Dark Theme in the application settings to reduce the load on the AMOLED-screen.

3. Integration with other Yandex services

If you use Yandex.Mail, Maps or Music, you can:

• 📧 Subscribe to mailings from Yandex.Mail directly in the tape.
• 🎵 Listen to podcasts from Yandex.Music without switching between applications.
• 🗺️ Save places from Yandex.Maps to bookmarks (for example, restaurants or hotels from articles).

💡

If you often read long articles, turn on the large font and Night mode option in the Zen settings – this will reduce the load on the eyes when reading in the dark.

Zen Problems on Xiaomi Redmi and Their Solutions

Redmi users often encounter Zen-related bugs, and here are the most common problems and ways to fix them:

After the update MIUI Zen has started to behave unstable (for example, to fly out or not to load content), try it:

1. Clear the application cache in Settings → Annexes → Zen → Warehouse.
2. Restart your phone in Safe Mode (hold the power button → Restart in Safe Mode).
3. Update Zen to the latest version via Google Play.

Alternatives to Zen for Xiaomi Redmi

If Yandex Zen is not right for you, consider similar apps for reading news and articles:

• 🌍 Google Discover is a built-in feed in the Google App, based on search history. Plus: no annoying notifications.
• 📰 SmartNews is an offline news aggregator, plus minimalist design. Less: limited personalization.
• 📱 Microsoft Start is a tape from Microsoft with Bing integration. Plus: good sorting by topic. Minus: lots of Western sources.
• 🔍 Flipboard is a social aggregator with the ability to create your own journals, plus: easy to save articles.
• 📡 Inoreader — RSS-Subscribe to your favorite sites, plus: full control of the sources.

For users of Xiaomi Redmi is especially interesting Google Discover, as it is already preinstalled in the Internet. MIUI (It's available when swiping to the left of the main screen, so you can set it up:

1. Open the Google App.
2. Slip on the avatar in the upper right corner → Settings → General. → Discover.
3. Turn on the option to Show results on the main screen.
4. In the Interests section, add or remove topics.

💡

If you’re looking for the lightest alternative possible, try SmartNews – it weighs less than 20MB and consumes little to no battery in the background.

Security and Privacy: What Zen Knows About You

Like any personalized service, Yandex Zen collects user data. On Xiaomi Redmi, it can access:

• 📍 Location (if permitted in settings).
• 🔍 Search Stories in Yandex.
• 📱 List of installed applications (for targeted advertising).
• 🕒 Activity times (when you use your phone most often).

To limit data collection:

1. Open Zen and go to Settings → Confidentiality.
2. Turn off Personalization of Recommendations and Statistics Collection.
3. In Redmi system settings go to Settings → Confidentiality → Application authorizations → Zen and disable access to Location, Contacts and Warehouse.

If you are concerned about data leakage, remember that Yandex stores information on servers in Russia, which theoretically reduces the risks compared to foreign services. VPN (e.g. ProtonVPN or alternative news aggregators without collecting personal data.

⚠️ Attention: B MIUI 14 has a Privacy Protection feature that allows you to block apps from accessing personal data. To activate it for Zen, go to Settings → Confidentiality → Protecting privacy and adding Zen to the list of limited apps will reduce the amount of targeted advertising.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Zen on Xiaomi Redmi