Owners of smartphones based on Android often encounter an intrusive news feed that opens when you swipe right on the main screen. This function, known as “Yandex Zen” or “Google Discover” with the integration of Yandex services, consumes processor resources, mobile traffic and simply annoys users who accidentally open it instead of searching for the desired application. Remove Yandex Zen there are several ways, but the choice of method directly depends on the manufacturer of your device and the version of the operating system.
The problem is aggravated by the fact that on many smartphones of Chinese brands, such as Xiaomi, Realme or Oppo, this service is built deep into the system shell and does not have an obvious shutdown button in the basic menu. Users are forced to look for workarounds: from simply disabling the widget to using ADB commands to completely uninstall the system package. It is important to understand that incorrect removal of system components can lead to unstable operation of the launcher.
In this article we will look at all the current methods of cleaning the interface. We will look at standard settings for popular shells, methods of blocking through the app menu, and advanced methods for experienced users. You will learn to distinguish a system widget from a regular shortcut and safely free your screen from information noise, returning the phone to its former response speed.
Disable through the home screen settings
The easiest and safest way to get rid of the annoying tape is to use the built-in launcher settings. On most devices, you just need to press and hold an empty space on the desktop to bring up the edit menu. In the list of options that appears, you need to find the item responsible for additional screens or the left panel. The names may differ: “Additional screen”, “Google Discover”, “Yandex.Feed” or “News summary”.
After going to the corresponding menu, you will see a switch. Move the slider to the inactive position. On smartphones Samsung this is often located in the Settings → Home screen → Roundupsection. The important thing here is to select the "None" option or disable a specific content source. If the switch is active, but the ribbon does not disappear, try rebooting the device for the changes to take effect.
However, on some firmware, especially custom or outdated versions MIUI, this switch may be missing or present inactive (shaded). In this case, the system forcibly imposes the service, and software shutdown through the interface is impossible. Then you will have to look for alternative solutions, such as changing the launcher or disabling it through the app menu.
⚠️ Attention: On devices with a shell ColorOS (Oppo, Realme), disabling the tape may require logging into the manufacturer's account or resetting the launcher settings if the standard toggle switch does not work.
Removing widgets and shortcuts from the desktop
Frequently users they confuse Zen's system integration with a regular widget that was accidentally added to the screen. If the news feed appears as a separate block among application icons, it can be deleted like any other widget. To do this, you need to click on the widget area and hold your finger for 1-2 seconds until the action menu or vibration appears.
In edit mode, drag the widget to the top of the screen, where “Delete” or the trash can icon will appear. Release your finger to confirm the action. If, with a long press, a menu appears with the item “Application Information”, it means that this is not just a widget, but an active system extension. In this case, deleting the icon will not remove the feed from the swipe, but will clear the visual space.
It is also worth checking the “Tools” or “Services” folder, where manufacturers often put system utilities. Sometimes the label "Zen" or "News" is right there. Removing this shortcut may break the connection between the launcher and the news service, although the background process may remain active.
- 🗑️ Long-press the widget and drag it to the deletion area.
- 📂 Check your system folders for the presence of the news shortcut.
- 🔍 Make sure that you are deleting the widget, not the application icon.
If the widget is not deleted in the standard way, try temporarily changing the theme to the standard one - this often resets the custom widget settings and allows you to delete them.
Disabling a system application in the settings
If visual deletion does not help, you need to influence the application itself, which broadcasts content. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications. In the list, find an application called "Yandex", "Zen", "News" or "Google". On some devices it may be called com.yandex.zen or have a similar system name.
Having selected the desired application, click the "Disable" or "Delete" button. If the "Delete" button is inactive (gray), it means that the application is a system application and cannot be deleted by a regular user. In this case, only the "Disable" function is available. Once disabled, the application will stop launching, updating and consuming RAM.
It is important to note that on smartphones Xiaomi and Poco the application may be called "GetApps" or have a hidden name in the list of system processes. If you can't find it by name, use search by package name or sort by size (system widgets usually take up a little space, but their presence is required).
| Smartphone brand | Process name | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung | Google Discover / Summary | Disable in screen settings |
| Xiaomi / Redmi | News application / Glance | Clear data + Disable |
| Honor / Huawei | Magazine Unlock / News | Uninstall updates + Disable |
| Realme / Oppo | Smart Assistant / Zen | Switch in the launcher |
⚠️ Attention: Settings interfaces may change with firmware updates. If you do not find the item in the specified location, use the search in the settings by entering the word “screen” or “news”.
Using third-party launchers
A radical, but extremely effective solution is to completely replace the standard launcher with a third-party one. Standard shells from manufacturers are often overloaded with advertising modules and services like Zen. Installing a pure launcher, such as Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Lawnchair, allows you to completely control the appearance of your desktop.
After installing the new launcher, the system will ask you which application to use as the default for the Home screen. Select the installed launcher and click "Always". After this, swiping to the right will open either a blank screen or new launcher widgets that you configure yourself. The Yandex system feed will no longer be called, since the new launcher does not have access to it.
This method also often speeds up the operation of the old smartphone, since third-party launchers are usually better optimized than stock solutions. However, it is worth remembering that some advanced control gestures (for example, calling up the voice assistant with the power button) may no longer work or require additional configuration in the accessibility menu.
Disadvantages of third-party launchers
Some brand-specific features (for example, game modes or themes) may become unavailable. Also, widgets from the manufacturer (weather, steps) may not be displayed correctly on someone else's launcher.
Full removal via ADB (for advanced)
For users who want to be guaranteed remove Yandex Zen even with superuser rights, but without obtaining root access, there is a method of using USB debugging (ADB). This method allows you to remove system applications that cannot be disabled through the settings menu. You will need a computer, a USB cable and installed ADB drivers.
First you need to activate developer mode on your smartphone. Go to Settings → About phone and click 7 times on the "Build number" item. Then, in the "For Developers" menu that appears, enable "USB Debugging". Connect your phone to the PC and enter a command to check the connection.
adb devicesAfter confirming the connection on the phone screen, you can enter a command to remove the package. For Yandex it often looks like this:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.yandex.zenIf the package is called differently, its name can be found out using the command adb shell pm list packages | grep yandex. After executing the command, the application will disappear from the system for the current user. To return everything back, you will need to reset the settings to factory settings, since there is no standard recovery command for uninstall --user without root access.
☑️ Preparing for ADB removal
Clearing data and cache as a temporary measure
If deletion is impossible, and changing the launcher is not part of your plans, you can try to “reset” the application. Go to application settings, find Zen and select "Storage". Click the "Clear cache" and "Clear data" buttons. This will reset all feed settings, your preferences and temporary files.
After this procedure, the next time you open the feed, it will be empty or will need to be configured again. Sometimes this helps to temporarily get rid of loading content if the server part of the service is not working correctly. However, this method is not a permanent solution: when updating the system or the application itself, the settings may be restored.
This method is useful if the news feed starts to slow down or consumes too much traffic. Clearing data frees up space in the internal memory that could have been occupied by cached images and videos from articles.
- 🧹 Clearing data resets the personalization of the feed.
- 💾 Frees up space in the internal memory of the device.
- 🔄 The method is temporary and requires repeating after updates.
Clearing data does not delete the application, but can temporarily stop intrusive downloading of content and free up memory space.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Why did the phone start working slower after uninstalling Zen?
This is unlikely. Most likely a coincidence or background processes of other applications. Removing Zen usually frees up RAM. Check if other applications in the background have been updated.
Is it possible to uninstall Zen without a computer?
Yes, in most cases it is enough to disable it in the home screen settings or in the application menu. ADB is only required to forcefully remove system packages on locked firmware.
Will Yandex Zen return after a factory reset?
Yes, a factory reset (Hard Reset) returns the phone to its original state, including all pre-installed applications and launcher settings. You will have to disable it again.
Is it safe to use ADB to remove system applications?
It is safe to remove unnecessary services like Zen. However, removing critical system components (for example com.android.systemui) may make your phone unable to boot. Be careful with package names.
What to do if the "Disable" button is inactive?
This means that the application is built into the system as critical for this firmware. In this case, only installing a third-party launcher or using ADB commands will help.