Antivirus programs on Xiaomi smartphones often cause conflicts: they slow down the system, block legitimate applications or just annoy with constant notifications. If you decide to get rid of unnecessary antivirus — whether it is an embedded solution MIUI Security or third-party software like Avast, Kaspersky — it is important to do it correctly. Incomplete removal can leave tails in the system that will continue to consume resources or interfere with the work of other programs.
In this article, we will look at all possible ways to remove antivirus from Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO phones, from a simple uninstallator to radical measures like resetting to factory settings. We will focus on the nuances of working with MIUI, where some system components cannot be removed by standard methods. You will also learn how to check if there are any traces of antivirus in the system, and what to do if the program “does not want” to be removed.
1. Standard removal through Android settings
The most obvious way is to remove the antivirus as a regular application, which is suitable for third-party programs (for example, Dr.Web, ESET NOD32), but will not work for built-in Xiaomi solutions (for example, Security or Cleaner).
Instructions:
- 📱 Open the Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
- 🔍 In the search box, type the name of the antivirus (for example, “Avast»).
- 🗑️ Click on the app. → Delete (or Deinstall).
- ✅ Confirm the action if required.
If the Remove button is inactive or not, then the antivirus is a system application (for this in the next section).
⚠️ Note: If the antivirus has administrator rights, standard removal will not work. First revoke the rights to Settings → Passwords and security → Device administrators.
Disable autostart in the application settings
Remove Administrator Rights
Clear cache and application data
Check for the presence of “doubles” of antivirus in the list of applications-->
2. remove the built-in antivirus MIUI (Security, Cleaner)
Xiaomi smartphones are equipped by default with the Security app, which includes an antivirus scanner, optimizer and other tools. Completely remove it without root rights is impossible, but you can disable unnecessary functions or hide the application from the eyes.
Ways to combat built-in antivirus:
- 🛑 Disabling Autostart: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Security → Auto-start → Turn off all switches.
- 🔕 Hiding from the menu: Keep your finger on the Security icon on your desktop → Remove from the screen (the application will remain in the system, but will not interfere with the system).
- 🧹 Clean up data: In the Security app settings, click Storage → Clear the data (this will reset the scanner settings).
- 🔧 Scanning Disconnect: Open Security → Settings (⚙️) → Antivirus → Turn off the automatic scan.
If you are critically important to get rid of Security completely, you will need to unlock the bootloader and install custom firmware - but this is risky and deprives of warranties. ADB-Deactivation commands (more on this below).
What happens if you turn off MIUI Security?
3. Removal of antivirus via ADB (for power users)
If the antivirus isn't removed in the standard way, but you have an ADB debugging bridge, you can try to uninstall it forcibly. This method works for most third-party antiviruses, but not for the system components of MIUI.
Step-by-step:
- Turn on Developer Mode: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times).
- Activate USB Debugging: Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging by USB.
- Connect your phone to your PC and open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (macOS/Linux).
- Enter the commands: adb devices (should appear your device) adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com. title.package For example, for Avast: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.avast.android.mobilesecurity
To find out the exact package name of the antivirus, use the command:
adb shell pm list packages | grep -i "anti"or check the name of the package in Settings → Applications → [antivirus name] → Additional.
⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB Do not delete Xiaomi system packages (starting with com.miui. or com.xiaomi.) – this is fraught with a “brick” of the device.
MIUI Security (built-in)
Avast/Kaspersky (third-party)
360 Security
McAfee
Other-->
4. factory reset (last resort)
If the antivirus has been ingested so much that it cannot be removed by other means, it is a complete reset, a radical method that will remove all data from the phone, including apps, photos and settings. Use it only as a last resort!
How to reset:
- 🔄 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Resetting settings.
- 📱 Select Erase All Data (or Reset to Factory Settings).
- 🔐 Enter a password (if required) and confirm the action.
- ⏳ Wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).
Once reset, the phone will be clean, as it is after purchase. Important: pre-backup data via Settings → Google → Backup or Mi Cloud.
- 📸 Photo and video in DCIM They may be saved, but it is better to transfer them to the PC.
- 📱 Google Play apps will automatically recover if sync is enabled.
- 🔑 Wi-Fi passwords and account data Xiaomi will have to re-enter.
💡
Factory reset is the only way to guarantee that you will remove ALL traces of the antivirus, including the system components of MIUI. However, it will also delete all your data, so use the method only if other options have not helped.
5. Check for residual antivirus files
Even after removal, the antivirus can leave behind:
- 📁 Residual files in folders /Android/data/ or /Android/obb/.
- 🔄 Tasks in the scheduler (e.g. automatic scanning).
- 🛡️ Firewall rules or restrictions for other applications.
How to check the system for "tails":
- File Manager: Open Mi File Manager → Go to Internal Drive → Android → Data and delete the folder with the name of the antivirus (for example, com.avast...).
- Task Manager: In Settings → Applications → Permissions → Autorun, check if there are any mentions of antivirus.
- ADB (Advanced Method): Follow the command: adb shell dumpsys package com.name.packet If the answer is Package not found - the antivirus is removed completely.
If you find residual files but can’t delete them (for example, due to lack of rights), try using root conductor (Magisk is required) or repeat resetting to factory settings.
| Type of residual files | Where to find | How to remove |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and data. | Settings → Applications → [antivirus] → Storage | Click Clear cache and Clear data |
| Application folders | /Android/data/[package_name] | Remove the folder manually through the file manager |
| Tasks in the planner | Settings → Battery → Energy saving mode | Disable all tasks related to antivirus |
| Firewall rules | Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → firewall | Reset the firewall settings |
6. Antivirus alternatives on Xiaomi: should I install another?
Many users, after removing the antivirus, wonder if it's dangerous to leave the phone unprotected? In fact, for most scripts, Android and MIUI are enough. Modern versions of the operating system have:
- 🛡️ Google Play Protect – Scanning Apps When Installed.
- 🔒 Sandbox – isolates applications from each other.
- 🔄 Automatic security updates from Google.
If you want more protection, consider the easy alternatives:
- 📱 Bitdefender Mobile Security – Minimalistic Antivirus with Low Resource Consumption.
Important: Most heavy antiviruses (Avast, Kaspersky, 360 Security) consume more resources than they do. On Xiaomi with MIUI 12+, they often duplicate built-in features, creating extra workload.
Blocking the installation of applications from unknown sources (Settings → Applications → Special Access → Installation of unknown applications).
Two-factor authentication for Xiaomi and Google accounts.
- Regular system updates (Settings) → The phone. → Updating the system).-->