Xiaomi widgets: purpose, configuration and hidden features

If you own a Xiaomi, Redmi or a smartphone POCO, You've probably noticed that there's a vertical bar that appears when you swipe to the right of the main screen, and that's the widget tape, which is one of the key elements of the branded shell. MIUI. Many users either ignore it or delete it without realizing its hidden potential, and a well-tuned tape can be your personal assistant, from quick weather access to smart home management.

In this article, we will analyze what is the widget tape on Xiaomi, how it works on different versions. MIUI (including MIUI 14 and HyperOS, and why it should be adapted to suit your needs, and how to return the tape if it accidentally disappeared, and what widgets are really useful in 2026.

What is a widget tape on Xiaomi and why you need it

The App Vault is an additional screen that swipes to the right of the main desktop, and by default contains:

• 📅 Calendar with reminders and events;
• 🌦️ Weather forecast for the week;
• 📊 Stepmer and data on physical activity;
• 🔋 Battery status and energy optimization;
• 📱 Quick action (light bulb, scanner) QR, translator).

At first glance, this may seem excessive, but in fact the tape solves several key tasks:

1. Saving space on the desktop – widgets do not take up space among the icons of applications;
2. Quick access to information – no need to open separate weather or calendar apps
3. Integration with Xiaomi ecosystem – Smart Device Management (Mi Home) directly from the tape

It's important to understand that the widget tape is not just "another screen," it's a dynamic hub that updates in real time, for example, if you're scheduled to meet in Google Calendar, it will automatically appear in the feed 30 minutes before the start.

How to open and close the widget tape on Xiaomi

By default, the tape is activated by swipe to the right of the main screen, but some users are faced with the fact that it disappears.

• 🔄 Update MIUI reset;
• 🧹 Clearing the launcher cache;
• 🛠️ Manual shutdown in settings;
• 📱 Installation of a third-party launcher (e.g. Nova Launcher).

To get the tape back:

1. Hold an empty space on the desktop → select Screen settings;
2. Go to Additional Settings → Widget tape;
3. Activate the switch Show the widget tape;
4. If necessary, adjust the display style (classic or compact).

If the tape still doesn't appear, check if you have an alternative launcher installed, in which case you can only return it by rolling back to the standard launcher. MIUI Launcher or through Settings → Annexes → By default. → Launcher.

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To quickly hide the widget tape, swipe left or click on the home button. Some firmware also supports the "clamp and pull down" gesture to fold.

What widgets are available in MIUI And how to add them.

Standard set of widgets in MIUI It depends on the firmware version and the region. MIUI Global is available by default:

To add a new widget:

1. Open the widget tape;
2. Scroll down to the Edit item (pencil icon);
3. Select a category (such as Tools or Social Networks);
4. Press. + near-widget.

To remove the widget, press its icon and drag it to the cart or click Remove from the edit menu.

Hidden features of the widget tape, which few people know

Many users use the widget tape only to check the weather, but it does much more. Here are some hidden features that favorably highlight the benefits of the new technology. MIUI lens-frame:

• 🔍 Device Search – At the top of the feed, there’s a search bar that searches not only in apps, but also in settings, contacts, and even messages;
• 📦 Quick access to files – widget Recent files show the latest downloaded documents, photos and videos;
• 🎵 Music management – if you listen to a track in Spotify or Yandex Music, a player control panel will appear in the tape;
• 🚗 Parking information – when connected to a car via Bluetooth, the tape can save the parking space on the map;
• 💳 Wallet and payments – Mi Pay or Google Pay widgets are available in some regions.

Another little-known feature is adaptive widgets, for example, a weather widget can change its size depending on the amount of information displayed: a compact view (temperature only) or an extended one (weekly schedule). To switch between modes, just pull the bottom edge of the widget.

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The widget tape in MIUI 14+ Supports smart hints – for example, if you use a flashlight often at night, the quick action widget will automatically rise up the ribbons.

How to Optimize Widget Ribbon for Maximum Productivity

To make the widget tape really useful, and not just “just another screen”, follow these recommendations:

1. Remove unnecessary widgets – only leave those you use daily (such as weather, calendar, fitness)
2. Prioritize the widgets – move the most important ones (such as a smart home) upwards.
3. Add widgets of third-party applications – Google Keep for notes, Todoist for tasks, Yandex.Weather for accurate forecast;
4. Set up notifications – in some widgets (for example, calendar) you can turn on alerts directly in the feed;
5. Use gestures -- in MIUI You can assign a swipe down the tape to open a search or voice assistant.

Example of optimal configuration for business users:

1. 📅 Google Calendar with upcoming meetings;
2. 📝 Google Keep widget with the latest notes;
3. 🌦️ Yandex.Weather widget (more accurate for Russia than standard);
4. ⚡ Widget Quick Actions with flashlight and scanner QR;
5. 📊 Mi Fit Widget for Activity Tracking.

If you use Xiaomi in conjunction with other devices of the brand (for example, Mi Band or Mi Smart Clock), the widget tape can become a central hub for managing the entire ecosystem.

• 🔦 Turn on the Yeelight lamp directly from the tape;
• 🧹 Start cleaning the robot vacuum cleaner Mi Robot Vacuum;
• 🔊 Adjust the volume of the Mi Smart Speaker.

Problems with the widget tape and how to solve them

Despite the convenience, users sometimes encounter bugs in the widget tape, and here are the most common problems and solutions:

If none of the solutions worked, try resetting the launcher settings:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Three Points (Menu) → Resetting App Settings

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If the widget tape began to open accidentally (for example, when scrolling the desktop), check the sensitivity of gestures in Settings. → System system → Gestures → Swipe sensitivity.

Widgets in HyperOS: what has changed in 2026

With the release of HyperOS (successor) MIUI) The widget tape has undergone several key changes:

• 🔄 New design – a more minimalist interface with a focus on transparency and smooth animations;
• 🤖 AI recommendations – the system analyzes your habits and offers relevant widgets (for example, if you often listen to music in the morning, the player widget will rise upwards);
• 🔗 Deep integration with the ecosystem – now the feed displays notifications not only from the smartphone, but also from connected devices (for example, low charge Mi Band);
• 📱 Support for foldable devices – on Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 tape adapts to different screen modes;
• 🔒 Improved privacy – personal data widgets (calendar, fitness) can now be blocked with a password.

However, not all of the changes were positive, with some users complaining of:

• ⚠️ Remove your favorite widgets – some third-party widgets that were in HyperOS disappeared MIUI 13/14;
• ⚠️ Higher battery consumption – due to background AI activity recommendations;
• ⚠️ Difficulty of disabling - now to remove the tape, you need to dig deeper into the settings.

If you are updating with MIUI on HyperOS, we recommend before that to make a backup copy of the tape settings, since after the update it will reset to factory parameters.

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In HyperOS, the widget tape is smarter, but also more resource-intensive. If you notice increased battery consumption, turn off the AI recommendations in the tape settings.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi widget tape