Where to look for widgets on Xiaomi: location, configuration and hidden features

The widgets on Xiaomi smartphones are mini-programs that display useful information directly on the home screen, from weather and calendar to smart home management and health statistics. However, their location and availability depend on the version of the MIUI firmware, the device model (Redmi, POCO, Mi) and even regional settings. Many users face the problem: widgets either disappear after the update, or they simply can not be found in the standard menu.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible places that widgets on Xiaomi can hide, from the obvious (long-click on the screen) to the non-obvious (hidden system folders). You will also learn how to return missing widgets, add third-party widgets (such as from Google or Samsung) and customize them to your needs. Special attention will be paid to the differences between MIUI 12, 13 and 14 - in the new versions, the logic of working with widgets has changed dramatically.

1. Standard location of widgets in MIUI

In most cases, widgets on Xiaomi are in the add-on menu on the home screen.

1. Make a long press on any free place of the main screen.
2. At the bottom of the screen will appear a panel with tabs: Wallpaper, Widgets, Settings (in MIUI 14 may be called Additional).
3. Select the Widgets tab – all available mini-programs grouped by application will be displayed here.

In MIUI 12/13, widgets were displayed as a preview list, and in MIUI 14 the interface became more visual: they are now displayed as icons with live previews. For example, the Weather widget immediately shows the current temperature, and the Calendar - the nearest events.

Important: If the Widget tab is missing, this may mean:

• 📱 You have a POCO Launcher or a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher) that blocks system widgets.
• 🔄 The firmware has been updated with irregularities (e.g., via Fastboot without data cleaning).
• 🌍 Regional restrictions: In some countries (e.g. the EU) some widgets are hidden because of GDPR.

2.Where to look for widgets in different versions of MIUI

The logic of widgets varies greatly depending on the firmware version, and below is the comparison table for MIUI 12, 13 and 14:

If you have a MIUI 14 or younger, try an alternative method:

1. Make a swipe to the left of the main screen (called a Minus screen or Negative Screen).
2. At the bottom of the screen, click on the icon ➕ (Add widget).
3. Select the widget you want from the list (there may be options that aren’t in the standard menu).

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If the widget isn’t added to the home screen, try dragging it to the Minus screen first and then moving it to the main desktop.

3. Hidden widgets: where to look for them

Some widgets on Xiaomi are hidden deep in the system and don’t appear in the standard menu.

• 🔍 System widgets: go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Widgets. This displays all installed widgets, including those that are not shown in the add-on menu.
• 📁 Office folder: In some firmware (e.g., Redmi Note 10 Pro) Health, Battery, or Sensor widgets are hidden in the Service folder (located in the general widget list).
• 🔄 Post-Update Widgets: If you upgrade from MIUI 12 to MIUI 14, older widgets can be “hidden” in the Unused section (available through a search in the widget menu).

To access hidden system widgets (e.g., Device Information or Network Monitor), you can use a workaround:

1. Install a Nova Launcher or Apex Launcher.
2. In the launcher settings, find the Widgets section → Show hidden ones.
3. All system widgets will appear here, including those that Xiaomi hid in the standard interface.

4. Widgets on POCO and Redmi: features

POCO and Redmi devices often have stripped-down versions of MIUI, where widgets may be missing or work differently.

• 📱 On POCO X3/X4, the widgets are disabled by default — you need to activate them in Settings → Home Screen → Widgets.
• 🔋 On the Redmi Note 9/10, the Battery widget is hidden in the Service folder and requires manual activation.
• 🎵 On POCO F3/5 the Music widget only works with the standard Mi Music player, not Spotify or YouTube Music.

For POCO with custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience), widgets may not be available at all – in this case, installing KWGT (Kustom Widget Maker) or UCCW to create custom mini-programs will help.

Make sure widgets are enabled in the launcher settings | Check the Service folder in the widget menu | Update the firmware to the latest version |Install an alternative launcher (Nova, Apex) |Empty the cache of system applications-->

Note: Some Redmi models (e.g. Redmi 9A/9C) have their widgets disabled at the firmware level, and only flashing to a global or European version of MIUI will help.

5. How to add third-party widgets (Google, Samsung, etc.)

By default, Xiaomi blocks widgets from other manufacturers (such as Google or Samsung), but they can be installed manually:

1. Download an app that contains a widget (like Google App for search widgets or Samsung Weather).
2. Install an alternative launcher (Nova Launcher or Lawnchair is recommended).
3. In the launcher settings, find the Widgets section and enable the option to Show all widgets.
4. Add the widget to the main screen via the launcher menu.

For Google widgets (such as Google Search or Google Calendar) you may need to:

• 🔧 Install Google App from APKMirror (if it is not available in your area).
• 🔄 Enable Google Play Services in the AutoRun settings (Settings → Apps → Permissions → AutoRun).
• 📱 Reboot the device after installation.

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The side widgets (such as those from Samsung or Huawei) may not be automatically updated due to MIUI limitations.

Note: on Xiaomi with HyperOS (MIUI 15), third-party widgets may not work as well due to security changes, in which case a pullback on MIUI 14 or using Magisk to modify system files will help.

6. Solving Widget Problems

If the widgets don’t show up, update, or disappear after a reboot, try the following solutions:

For a deep diagnosis of problems with widgets:

1. Check the system logs via ADB: adb logcat | grep -i "widget" This will show errors associated with downloading widgets.
2. Reset the launcher settings: go to Settings → Applications → Launcher and click Clear Data.
3. If the widget of a particular application does not work (for example, Mi Fit), reinstall this application.

7.Creating custom widgets on Xiaomi

If standard widgets aren’t enough, you can create your own with specialized apps:

• 🎨 KWGT Kustom Widget Maker – allows you to design widgets from scratch (requires knowledge KLWP for animations).
• ⚙️ UCCW (Ultimate Custom Widget) is a simple widget builder with pre-patterns.
• 📊 Another Widget is a minimalist widget for weather, time and battery.

Example of creating a widget in KWGT:

1. Install KWGT and KLWP from Google Play.
2. Download your favorite template (for example, on the Play Store or Telegram channels of theme for KWGT).
3. Import the template to KWGT and customize it to your needs (colors, fonts, data).
4. Add the widget to the home screen via the Widgets menu (it will be called KWGT).

Attention: Custom widgets can drain the battery faster than standard ones, because they constantly update data in the background.

• Increase the refresh interval (e.g., once every 30 minutes instead of 5 minutes).
• Turn off animations and complex effects.
• Use dark themes (AMOLED- screens consume less power when displaying black).

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi widgets