Google News (formerly Google Discover) automatically appears on the home screen of many Xiaomi smartphones to the left of the desktop. For some users, it is a convenient source of relevant information, for others - an annoying feature that eats traffic and battery power. If you are in the second group, this article will help completely remove or hide the news feed without root rights and complex manipulation.
The problem is that MIUI (Xiaomi firmware) is deeply integrated with Google services, and simply removing the Google app through the menu often doesn’t work – the tape returns after the reboot. We tested all the current methods on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+, POCO X5 Pro and Xiaomi 13T (MIUI 14/15) models and selected only those that are guaranteed to work.
Why Google News is coming to Xiaomi and can it be removed forever?
The news feed is embedded in MIUI at the system level through two components:
- 📱 Launcher MIUI — It's the one who's responsible for displaying the widgets on the home screen, and it's the one who's actually reserving the space for the tape on the left.
Technically, you can't completely remove the tape without root rights, it will come back after resetting or updating MIUI.
- ✅ Hide the news widget (does not remove the app, but removes it from view).
- ✅ Disable background activity of Google service.
- ✅ Replace the standard launcher with a third-party launcher (for example, Nova Launcher).
On models with MIUI Global (European/Russian firmware), the news feed is active by default; in the Chinese version of MIUI China, it is not, instead, Xiaomi News is used (but that is another story).
Method 1: Disconnect via MIUI launcher settings
The easiest method is to hide the news feed right in the shell settings. Works on all Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO smartphones with MIUI 12 and later:
- Press and hold the empty space on the main screen.
- In the lower menu, select Screen Settings (or Home Screen Settings in English firmware).
- Scroll down and find the Google App or Google Discover option.
- Switch the slider to the position Off (Off).
If there is no such item, try an alternative path:
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- In the search, type in Google and select the Google app (the G icon).
- Turn it off (do not delete!) and confirm the action.
☑️ Preparing before disabling Google News
⚠️ Note: Disabling the Google app may disrupt other services, such as Google Assistant or Phone Search. If you need these features, use Method 3 (replace the launcher).
Method 2: Remove updates and reset Google App
If the news feed continues to appear even after the shutdown, the reason may be automatic updates to Google services.
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Google.
- Slip on three dots in the top right corner and select Remove Updates.
- Confirm the action and restart the smartphone.
- Go back to the Google app settings and select Storage → Clear Data.
After that, the news feed will disappear, but temporarily, when the next update to Google Play services, it can return.
- 🛡️ Turn off auto-update for Google app on Google Play → Settings → Auto-update of applications.
- 📵 Ban the application from accessing the Internet: Settings → Annexes → Google → Mobile Data & Wi-Fi (Switch off both switches).
| Action. | The result | Reversibility |
|---|---|---|
| Removing Google Updates | The tape disappears, but returns after the update | Yes (manually upgrade) |
| Google's data cleanup | Resetting news and search settings | Yes (on the next login to the account) |
| Banning Internet access | The tape is not updated, but the search is offline | Yes (return access) |
💡
If after resetting the Google app stopped opening, reinstall it via Google Play – this will not return the news feed if you have banned auto updates.
Method 3: Replace the standard launcher with a Nova Launcher or other
If previous methods have not worked, a radical solution is to install a third-party launcher, which will completely remove the Google News feed, as it is tied to the standard MIUI launcher.
We recommend Nova Launcher (free version is quite functional):
- Download Nova Launcher from Google Play.
- After installation, click Home and select Nova as the default launcher.
- In the Nova settings (Long Press → Nova Settings), turn off the Google Discover option (if any).
Advantages of the method:
- ✅ The news feed disappears forever (until you return to the standard launcher).
- ✅ Additional customization functions (themes, gestures, icons).
- ✅ There is no risk of disrupting other Google services.
⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi models (e.g, POCO F5) when changing the launcher may disappear brand gestures MIUI (For example, swipe down to search. They can be returned in the System settings. → Gestures.
How to return the standard MIUI launcher?
Method 4: Disconnect via ADB (for power users)
If you are ready for more complex manipulations, you can forcibly turn off the news feed through the ADB (Android Debug Bridge. This method doesn't require root rights, but it will require a computer and a computer. USB-cable.
Instructions:
- Turn on the Developer Mode on your smartphone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times).
- Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
- Connect your phone to your PC, install ADB Tools and execute the command:
adb shell pm hide com.google.android.googlequicksearchboxAfter the reboot, the news feed will disappear. To get it back, do this:
adb shell pm unhide com.google.android.googlequicksearchboxLimitations of the method:
- ❌ Not working. MIUI 16+ Latest security updates (Google blocks hidden system applications).
- ❌ After resetting settings or updating MIUI tape may return.
💡
ADB is the most reliable method for older versions of MIUI (up to the 15th), but requires technical skills.
Method 5: Manual removal via TWRP (advanced only)
If you have custom TWRP recovery installed, you can physically delete your newsfeed files, which is irreversible and only suitable for users with an unlocked bootloader.
Step-by-step:
- Boot to TWRP (hold Power + Volume up when turned on).
- Go to Advanced → File Manager.
- Delete folders: /system/priv-app/GoogleQuickSearchBox /data/app/com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox*
Wipe → Cache
Risks of the method:
- 🔥 It may disrupt other Google services (e.g. Play Market).
- 🔄 After updating MIUI through OTA tape may return.
- ⚠️ Does not work on devices with Dynamic Partitions (e.g. Xiaomi) 12/13 series).
What to do if the news feed is back after the update
After updating MIUI or Google services, the news feed may reappear.
- Download APK version 12.45.16 (the last without a news feed) from APKMirror and block updates.
- Use the Magisk Module: Install the DisableForceEncrypt or Universal GMS Doze module to limit Google activity.
If nothing works, there are two options:
- 📵 Go to firmware without Google services: for example, MIUI China or custom firmware like LineageOS.
- 🛠️ Humiliate and customize the feed for yourself: in the settings of Google (Settings) → Google → Tape) you can disable unnecessary themes and reduce the frequency of updates.