Users of mobile devices based on Android often face a situation where the familiar interface changes after an update, and the necessary functions are hidden in the depths of the menu. One of the most popular questions concerns where is the collection located the Yandex ecosystem. This function serves as an aggregator of news, weather widgets, traffic jams and personalized recommendations, being a starting point for many smartphone owners.
The location of this element directly depends on which application you use as the main one: Yandex.Browser, a separate application Yandex with voice assistant Alice, or you installed Yandex.Launcher as the system shell. In each of these cases, the path to content management will be different, although the visual execution will often remain recognizable. Understanding the application architecture will help you quickly regain access to your favorite widgets.
In this article we will analyze in detail all possible scenarios for searching and activating the feed. We will look at both standard settings and hidden parameters that can affect the display of information. If you have just updated your software or bought a new phone, these instructions will become your navigator in the world of the search giant's services.
Differences between the Yandex application and Yandex.Browser
The first step to solving the problem is a clear distinction between software products. Many users confuse Yandex.Browser and the main application Yandex, believing that they are one and the same. In fact, these are different apps with different functional purposes, although they share common design elements. The collection is most often associated with the browser, where it occupies the entire start page.
In the application Yandex an analogue of the collection is the recommendations feed, which is activated by a swipe or a button on the main screen. Here the emphasis is on voice search and fast services such as taxis or maps. If you are looking specifically for a news feed with pictures, you need to make sure that you are in the right section of the interface.
⚠️ Attention: The interface of Yandex mobile applications undergoes frequent changes as part of A/B testing. What you see on your screen may differ slightly from screenshots online due to the shell version or regional account settings.
For correct operation of all functions, make sure that you have the latest version of the software installed from the store Google Play or Yandex.Store. Outdated versions may not support new widget formats or have changed navigation logic, which makes it confusing when finding the right buttons.
Setting up the start page in Yandex.Browser
If your goal is to customize the feed in the browser, then the default collection opens immediately after launching the application. It features an endless stream of articles selected by algorithms based on your interests. However, if the screen looks blank or only displays the search bar, the feature may have been accidentally disabled in the settings.
To return everything to its place, you need to go to the main menu by clicking on the three dots in the bottom corner of the screen. Next, select Settings and find the section Home screen. It is here that the switches responsible for displaying news, weather and other blocks are hidden. Activating the toggle switch Show Zen feed (or simply "Feed") will instantly change the appearance of the start page.
Also in this section you can configure the refresh frequency and interest categories. The system will prompt you to select the topics that are closest to you: technology, sports, politics or entertainment. The more precisely you configure these parameters, the more relevant the results will be in your personal collection.
☑️ Checking browser settings
It is worth noting that on some devices with limited RAM resources, the browser can automatically simplify the interface. In this case, heavy graphic elements of the collection may not be loaded to save RAM. Check your traffic and energy saving settings to eliminate this factor.
Using a widget on the Android desktop
For many users, the most convenient way to access information is to place the widget directly on the operating system desktop. This allows you to see news headlines and weather without opening the app itself. A collection widget is a dynamic element that takes up different space depending on the selected size.
To add it, long press on an empty area of your smartphone's desktop. In the menu that appears, select Widgets. In the list, find the block labeled as Yandex or Yandex.Browser. Having opened the list, you will see several design options: from a compact search bar to a large information board.
| Widget type | Occupied place | Functional |
|---|---|---|
| Search (small) | 4x1 | Input line and microphone only |
| Scoreboard (medium) | 4x2 | Weather, traffic jams, quick links |
| Feed (large) | 4x4 and more | Full news feed with photos |
| Alice (large) | 4x3 | Voice assistant and recommendations |
After selecting the appropriate size, drag the widget to an empty space on the screen. Please note that for the large news feed widget to work correctly, you need a constant Internet connection and permission to run in the background. Without this, the data will not update automatically.
⚠️ Attention: Placing too many active widgets on the home screen can significantly reduce the battery life of your smartphone due to constant data synchronization.
Why is the widget not updating?
If the widget shows old ones data, check the power saving settings of your smartphone. Manufacturers (Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei) often aggressively “kill” background processes. Add the Yandex application to the list of exceptions or allowed apps to run in the background.>
Integration of the collection into Yandex.Launcher
Owners of devices that have installed Yandex.Launcherget the deepest integration of services into the system. In this shell, the collection is located on a separate screen to the left of the main desktop. It can be accessed by simply swiping to the right from the central home page.
This space is configured by long pressing on an empty area of the screen and selecting the item Desktop settings. Here you can enable or disable the display of various blocks: news, weather, exchange rates. The launcher interface is more flexible and allows you to fine-tune the density of information on the screen.
If swiping left or right does not open additional screens, check whether the "Yandex Feed" function is disabled in the global settings of the launcher. Sometimes after a factory reset or initial installation, this option is set to "Off" by default so as not to overload the user.
The launcher also allows you to pin important widgets inside the feed itself so that they are always at hand when scrolling. This is convenient for tracking exchange rates or transport schedules without launching separate applications. Flexibility of configuration makes this option preferable for advanced users.
Solving problems with display and synchronization
Even with the correct settings, users may experience that the collection does not load, a white screen is displayed, or a network error occurs. Often the reason lies in the application cache, which accumulates errors and data conflicts over time. Clearing the cache is the first action that should be taken in such a situation.
To do this, go to Settings your smartphone, section Applications, find in the list Yandex or Yandex.Browser. Go to the subsection Storage and click the button Clear cache. It is important not to confuse this with the "Clear data" button, since the latter will delete your logins, bookmarks and saved passwords.
Path for cleaning: Settings → Applications → Yandex → Storage → Clear cacheThe second common problem is account desynchronization. If you changed your password or logged into your account from a new device, your personal collection settings may not be updated automatically. Try logging out of your profile and logging in again, making sure that synchronization is enabled in your Yandex account settings.
Clearing the cache solves 80% of problems with visual glitches and freezing of the news feed without losing the user's personal data.
It is also worth checking the application permissions. Go to your permissions settings and make sure your browser has permission to use geolocation (for weather and traffic) and file storage (for downloading pictures). Without these permissions, some blocks of the collection may simply not be displayed.
Personalization of search results and interest management
A collection in Yandex is not a static set of news, but a dynamic system that learns from your behavior. Algorithms analyze which articles you open, how much time you spend on the page, and which topics you ignore. To make your feed truly useful, you need to actively manage your preferences.
At the bottom of the collection screen you will often see “I’m not interested” buttons or crosses on specific news cards. Clicking on them signals the system that this type of content is not suitable for you. Regular use of this function allows you to quickly “clear” your feed of information noise and unnecessary topics.
In addition, there is a section in the profile settings My interests. Here you can manually add or remove themes. For example, if you don't like reading about politics, simply turn off this switch and relevant news will disappear from your search results. This gives the user complete control over the information flow.
How to reset the recommendations settings to factory settings?
If you no longer like the feed and it seems that the algorithms are “stuck” on one topic, you can try resetting your interest history. To do this, go to your Yandex account settings, find the “Portal Settings” or “Personalization” section and select the option to clear the preference history. After this, the system will begin to learn again.
Is it possible to watch the collection without the Internet?
Full use of the collection is impossible without a network connection, since the content is loaded in real time. However, some applications allow you to cache the most recently downloaded articles. If you open the application in airplane mode, you will be able to read what was saved in memory before the connection was disconnected, but new posts will not appear.
Why is there a lot of advertising in the collection?
Advertising blocks are an integral part of free Yandex services. Their number and frequency of appearance are regulated by monetization algorithms. It is impossible to completely disable advertising in the standard version of the application, but you can use the "Turbo" mode in the browser, which sometimes filters out heavy advertising scripts, speeding up page loading.
Where can I find the archive of read articles?
There is no explicit "Article" folder in the mobile application, but the entire history of your actions is saved in the "History" section of the browser. To find a read article from a collection, open the browser menu, select "History" and filter entries for the desired date. This is the only way to return to material that you previously viewed.
Does incognito mode affect the creation of a collection?
No, views in incognito mode are not taken into account by personalization algorithms. Articles opened in a private window will not affect what content is offered to you in the main collection feed. This allows you to study new topics without “contaminating” your main search results with temporary interests.