Taking into account its price, Xiaomi televisions are one of the most interesting proposals in the Smart TV sector today. One of its main advantages is that they integrate Android TV and this gives a lot of play. However, in China, the brand’s televisions use the PatchWall customization layer. International models are prepared for both systems, but what exactly is PatchWall and how can you disable it?
PatchWall: Xiaomi’s customization layer
PatchWall is neither more nor less than the customization layer that Xiaomi uses on its smart TVs. It allows you to access the apps on your Xiaomi TV that you use the most, as well as direct access to the TV’s HDMI inputs. It has interesting functions such as showing the television signal in PiP mode and another video source such as a console connected to the TV via HDMI.
It is a modified version of Android and is limited to the Chinese market in terms of content. That is, it does not have Google services or the Play Store. The brand’s televisions allow you to customize the home screen to show what interests you most.
PatchWall is developed by Xiaomi and authorized by Google for use on Android TV. It also includes support for Chromecast so we can send any content to television from our mobile device, for example. The brand’s interest with PatchWall is to become a content provider. In addition, the personalization layer is reinforced with a voice recognition system and an AI that studies our behavior to recommend content that is of interest to us.
In recent years, this Xiaomi customization layer has undergone several changes offering a better experience and design. At the end of 2021 Amagi announced that it is the company that Xiaomi has chosen to launch its own channel platform. A streaming service that would initially be available through the PatchWall interface, although at the moment the full details and the countries where it could be available are unknown.
How to disable PatchWall
However, you may have a Xiaomi Smart TV and want to go back to the traditional Android interface . Deactivating PatchWall on your Xiaomi TV is very simple by following these steps:
- At the top of the screen go to Settings
- Next, select Additional Settings
- Go to device preferences
First step to disable PatchWall
- Now access PatchWall
- And activate or deactivate the option “Set PatchWall as default interface”
Last step to disable PatchWall
If you want to go back to the PatchWall customization layer, you just have to follow the previous steps and activate it again or press the “My” icon that is integrated into the remote control of your television. If you keep it disabled, when you turn on the TV you will find yourself with the traditional Android TV interface.