How to completely remove the tape Yandex Zen on the smartphone Xiaomi: all ways

Yandex Zen tape on the home screen of the browser or in MIUI widgets can annoy Xiaomi users — it takes up space, consumes traffic and distracts with unnecessary content. This is especially true for owners of smartphones with MIUI 12-14 firmware, where the integration of Yandex services has become deeper. In this article, we will discuss all possible methods to permanently remove or hide the Zen tape, from standard settings to radical solutions using ADB.

It's important to understand that Xiaomi and Yandex have a partnership agreement, so some methods may not work on all models or require root rights. We tested the methods on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+, POCO X5 Pro and Xiaomi 13T - the results are summarized in the comparison table below. If you use a device with MIUI Global or MIUI China, some menu items may differ.

Why Zen Ribbon Appears on Xiaomi and Can It Be Removed Forever?

Yandex Zen tape is built into Xiaomi smartphones at the firmware level through:

• 📱 browser MIUI — preinstalled app where Zen is displayed on the homepage.
• 🔍 News Widget – can be automatically added to the home screen after the update.
• 🔄 Yandex Services – if you are logged in to Yandex account, the tape is synchronized between devices.

You can remove it, but there are nuances:

• ✅ No root rights: hiding through browser settings or disabling the widget (temporarily).
• ⚙️ Root rights: complete removal of Yandex system components.
• 🚫 Not permanently deleted: after resetting settings or update MIUI tape may return.

On some models (e.g. Redmi 10C or POCO M4 Pro), Zen is integrated into Launcher, in which case only replacing the shell with a third-party one (e.g. Nova Launcher) will help.

Method 1: Disabling Zen tape in MIUI browser

The easiest method is to hide the tape directly in the settings of the preinstalled browser, which works on all Xiaomi models with MIUI 11 and later, but does not remove Zen from the system completely.

Instructions:

1. Open the MIUI Browser (Blue Globe icon).
2. Slip on the icon "Three dots» (⋮) lower-right.
3. Select Settings → Main page.
4. Turn off the Yandex Zen switch**.
5. For reliability, also deactivate Recommended Content and Quick Links.

If Yandex Zen is not in the settings, update your browser via Google Play or try the following method.

Make sure your browser is updated to the latest version

Check for root rights (if you plan radical methods)

Make a backup copy of important bookmarks

Turn off synchronization with Yandex account (if used)-->

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (MIUI China) after Zen is turned off, the tape can return after restarting.In this case, use Method 3 (disconnect via ADB).

Method 2: Removing the News widget from the home screen

If Zen tape is displayed as a widget on the desktop, it can be removed as a regular widget, which requires no root rights and works on 90% of Xiaomi models.

Step-by-step:

1. Press and hold your finger on the “News” or “Yandex” widget.
2. In the menu that appears, select Remove the widget (or drag it to the basket at the top of the screen).
3. If the widget is not removed, go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
4. Find Yandex or News, click Disable (do not delete!).

On MIUI 14, the widget may be called Discover or Mi News, and if it's not on the app list, it's built into Launcher, and just replacing the shell will help.

⚠️ Attention: POCO F5 New models can automatically restore Zen widget after updating MIUI. To avoid this, disable automatic updates of system applications in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.

Method 3: Disable Zen through ADB (no root rights)

If standard methods do not help, you can use debugging on the ADB. This method does not require root rights, but requires a computer and USB-On the cable models. MIUI 14 and later this method can be blocked by the system - in this case, you will need to unlock the bootloader.

Instructions:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on your smartphone: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version. Go back to Settings → Additional → Developer. Activate USB Debugging.

Command line.

Terminal

adb devices

The name of your device should appear.

adb shell pm hide com.yandex.browser


adb shell pm hide com.yandex.zen

If the commands don’t work, try an alternative:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.yandex.zen

After you execute the commands, restart your smartphone. Zen tape should disappear from the browser and widget. If you get a Failed error, then your Xiaomi model needs to unlock the bootloader.

💡

Before using ADB, install official Xiaomi drivers from MIUI Download.This will help avoid connection problems.

Method 4: Installation of a third-party launcher (Nova, Apex, Lawnchair)

If Zen is built into the MIUI shell (like the Redmi 10C or POCO M3), the only reliable way is to replace the standard launcher.

Best alternatives:

• 🌟 Nova Launcher – the most flexible, supports customization of gestures and icons.
• 🔹 Apex Launcher – lightweight and fast, suitable for weak smartphones.
• 📱 Lawnchair – open source launcher, imitates pure Android.

Installation instructions:

1. Download the launcher from Google Play (like Nova Launcher).
2. Open the app and follow the setup instructions.
3. In the launcher settings, turn off all widgets and news feeds.
4. Set the default launcher in Settings → Apps → By default → Launcher.

After the launcher is replaced, the Zen tape will disappear, but will remain in the MIUI browser - it must be disabled separately (see Method 1).

Method 5: Complete removal of Yandex Zen with root rights

If you have root rights (bootloader unlocked and Magisk installed), you can delete Zen permanently by deleting system files, a method that is risky, and if you fail, you can crash the firmware.

Instructions:

1. Install a file manager with root rights support (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to /system/priv-app/ or /system/app/.
3. Find and delete the following folders (if any): YandexBrowser YandexApp YandexZen MiBrowserGlobal (if you do not need a MIUI browser)

Settings → Applications

Reboot your smartphone.

Once the system files are deleted, the Zen tape will disappear forever, but some features associated with Yandex (for example, default search) may stop working.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (MIUI EU or customized) removing system applications can result in bootloop (locked boot). TWRP Or OrangeFox.

💡

Deleting Yandex system files with root rights is the most radical method, but it is irreversible. If you have problems with MIUI after deleting, you will need to flash the device.

What to do if nothing helps: alternative solutions

If none of these methods worked, consider the following options:

1. Use of alternative browsers:

• 🦊 Mozilla Firefox – supports blocking trackers.
• 🌐 Google Chrome – you can turn off the news feed in the settings.
• 🛡️ Brave Browser – blocks ads and trackers by default.

2. Blocking through the hosts file:

Using the AdAway app (requires root) or Blokada (without root), you can block Yandex Zen domains:

127.0.0.1 zen.yandex.ru


127.0.0.1 mc.yandex.ru

Reset to factory settings:

If Zen has appeared after the update, try resetting your smartphone to factory settings (Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset).Warning: This will delete all data, so make a backup beforehand.

4. Transition to custom firmware:

Firmware like LineageOS, Pixel Experience or ArrowOS does not contain pre-installed Yandex services. Installation requires unlocking the bootloader and may be unwarranted.

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing Zen on Xiaomi