How to permanently remove Yandex Zen on Xiaomi smartphone: 5 working methods

Yandex Zen’s recommendation tape is embedded in many of the company’s services, from the browser to the search bar. On Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi and POCO), it can appear in unexpected places: in the weather widget, when you open a new tab, or even in search results. If you’re tired of intrusive news, memes and advertising, this article will help remove Zen from all the system components of MIUI without root rights.

We tested all the methods on the current MIUI 14/15 firmware (Android 13/14) and found nuances for different models. For example, on Xiaomi 13 Pro and Redmi Note 12, the shutdown algorithms differ due to the preinstalled services.

• 🔧 System settings for blocking Zen in the browser and search
• 📱 Hidden parameters MIUI, which are not shown in official guides
• ⚙️ Advanced methods for users with unlocked bootloader
• ⚠️ What to do if Zen returns after a firmware update

Warning: some methods require changing system files. If you're new, start with the first two methods (they're safe and reversible).

Method 1: Disabling Zen in Yandex browser

The most obvious place where the tape appears is the Yandex browser, where Zen is built into the application kernel level, but it can be removed through the settings:

1. Open the Yandex browser and tap the icon ⋮ (three points) in lower right corner.
2. Select Settings → Main page.
3. Switch the slider Show Zen tape to the off position.
4. For reliability, also disable Personalized Recommendations in the Privacy section.

⚠️ Note: After updating the browser, the settings may reset. To avoid this, prevent the application from auto-updating in Google Play:

1. Open Play Store → find Yandex Browser.
2. Tap it on. ⋮ → uncheck the auto update box.

If Zen still appears after these actions, then the tape is loaded from another source.

Method 2: Removing Zen from the MIUI search bar

On Xiaomi smartphones, the search bar on the home screen often uses Yandex's Zen-integrated engine to remove recommendations:

1. Long click on the search bar → Search settings.
2. Select Search Engines and set Google or DuckDuckGo by default.
3. Go back and turn off the weather and news slider.

🔹 For MIUI 14+: If there is no search setting, then the search bar is tied to Yandex.Search as a system application:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Yandex.Search → Disable (if the button is active).
3. If you can’t disable – Limit background activity and Remove updates.

Method 3: Remove the Zen widget from the main screen

On some Xiaomi firmware (especially on Redmi Note 11/12), the Yandex.Weather widget automatically loads the Zen tape to remove it:

1. Long press on the widget → Delete the widget or settings widget.
2. If you can’t delete, turn off its update: Settings → Applications → Application Management → Yandex.Weather → Data → Clear the cache
3. Use ADB for complete removal (see Method 5).

⚠️ Attention: POCO F5 Xiaomi 13 Lite weather widget can be part of the system application com.miui.weather2. Disabling it will result in loss of weather functionality at the Control Center.

If the widget returns after the reboot, it is tied to Yandex.Services, in which case only a complete disconnection through ADB will help.

Method 4: Configuring the Yandex application

If you use the official Yandex app (with the icon "I"), Zen tape there is disconnected separately:

1. Open the app → tap on the avatar in the upper right corner.
2. Select Settings → Ribbon.
3. Turn off all sliders: 📰 News 🎬 Video 📊 Personal recommendations

Settings → Notifications

🔹 For MIUI 15: If the settings don't have Tape, the app is using a new version of the interface:

1. Go to Profile. → Interests.
2. Remove all topics (stamp on the cross next to each).
3. Clear your browsing history in Settings → Privacy.

📌 Instructions through ADB:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: Adb devices (the name of your device should appear).
2. Enter alternately: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.yandex.browser adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.yandex.searchplugin adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.yandex.zen
3. Reboot your smartphone: adb reboot

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi firmware (e.g. Redmi) 10C s MIUI 13 Global) these commands may cause an Operation not allowed error:

• Try first to remove app updates through Settings → Apps.
• Use the alternative command: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.yandex.zen

💡

Disconnection via ADB is the only way to permanently remove Zen on firmware with Yandex services preinstalled (for example, on Xiaomi for the Russian market).

🔧 For power users: If you have a bootloader unlocked, you can remove Zen through debloat scripts (e.g. Universal Debloater:

• com.yandex.browser - browser
• com.yandex.searchplugin – search plugin
• com.yandex.zen - Recommendment tape
• com.yandex.mobileads – Advertising Module

What if Zen returns after the update?

After updating MIUI or Yandex applications, the settings may be reset.

1. Ban auto-renewal: 📌 For system applications: Settings → Annexes → Application management → ⋮ → Auto-update → Wi-Fi only (or never). 📌 For Yandex Services: in the Play Store, disable auto-update for all applications called Yandex.

Use the firewall:

Apps like NetGuard or AFWall+ (requires root) can block Zen's access to the Internet.

com.yandex.browser


com.yandex.zen




com.yandex.mobileads

Install an alternative launcher:

Nova Launcher or Lawnchair allows you to completely replace system search and widgets. In the launcher settings, select Default Search → Google.

⚠️ Attention: On firmware MIUI for Russia (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T Pro RU) Yandex services are protected from system-level shutdowns, in which case the only radical way is to run a global or European firmware version. MIUI (loss-of-safety).

Frequent questions