How to disable unnecessary programs on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often experience a situation where the device starts to work slower than in the first days after purchase, the main reason for this phenomenon is not only the natural wear of components, but also the excess background processes that run the shell MIUI or HyperOS. Many preinstalled services consume RAM and battery power, even if you do not use them.

Fortunately, Android provides powerful tools for managing applications, and the company’s engineers have provided hidden settings for advanced users. Proper optimization allows you to free up the CPU resources and significantly extend the battery life of the gadget. In this article, we will discuss safe methods for deactivating excess software without the need for root rights.

Before making changes, it is important to understand the difference between deleting and disabling: Deleting system components completely can lead to unstable operation, whereas disabling them simply prevents the process from starting. We will focus on those elements that can be safely frozen or hidden from the interface while maintaining the functionality of the main phone.

Analysis of pre-installed software and system debris

The first step to optimizing is to understand what your device’s resources are, and the MIUI shell is known for its aggressive approach to pre-installing applications, often called “bloatware,” which can be useful in certain regions, but for most users, they are just a ballast that takes up space in memory.

System processes like Analytics, Mi Credit, or Mi Video often run in the background, collecting usage statistics or waiting to be launched, and even if you've never opened these applications, they can activate when you boot a system, and turning them off is the first step to a clean system.

Embedded advertising services such as MSA (MIUI System Ads) can not only show banners in standard applications, but also consume traffic. Blocking these components does not affect the operation of the basic functions of the smartphone, but makes the use of the interface more comfortable.

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Before a mass application shutdown, create a restore point or back up important data in case of unforeseen crashes.

Basic configuration through the application menu

The easiest and safest way to get rid of unnecessary software is to use the standard Android settings menu, which requires no connection to a computer and is available to anyone, but it does not disable all system components, as the manufacturer restricts access to critical services.

To start, you need to go to the settings section and find application management, which displays the full list of installed software, including hidden system processes, and navigate the menu as follows: go to Settings → Applications → All applications.

In the list that opens, find the app you want to disable, it could be a standard browser, a theme store, or a Google service you don't use, click on the program name to open a page of information about it, and if the "Disable" button is active, you can safely click on it.

Importantly, once you turn off the app icon, it will disappear from the desktop and all its processes will stop. If you need this functionality again in the future, you can turn the app back on through the same menu, a reversible operation that does not delete program files from the device's memory.

Removing Advertising and Tracking through MIUI Settings

One of the most annoying features of Xiaomi smartphones is the built-in advertising, which can be turned off without the need for complex code manipulation, and the first step is to turn off personalized advertising in the system privacy settings.

You need to find a privacy and security section. The path may vary depending on the firmware version, but it's usually at Settings → Passwords & Security → Privacy → Advertising Services. You need to switch the Personalized Ads slider to the off state.

⚠️ Attention: Complete shutdown of the service MSA It may require several attempts, because the system will show a countdown timer, trying to persuade you to leave the ad on.

Then you turn off the recommendation in the system applications, and this is done internally, and in Explorer, Music, Topics, and Security, you go to the settings and find Receive recommendations, and disabling this option will remove news feeds and banner ads from the interface.

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Disabling advertising identifiers not only removes banners, but also reduces the load on the processor, as it stops collecting and sending data about your actions.

Using Developer Mode to Optimize

To get a deeper setup, you need to activate the hidden Developer menu, which provides access to the animation, background limits, and debugging, activated by repeatedly tapping the build number in the About Phone section.

When activated, a new option will appear in the settings menu, "Advanced" or "Advanced Settings", where the desired section is located. Here we are interested in the option "Background Process Limit", by default it may not be set or stand on the value "Standard Limit".

Changing this to “No background processes” or “No more than 2 processes” can radically speed up the performance of older devices with a small amount of RAM. However, be careful: too tight restrictions can lead to the fact that messengers will stop sending notifications on time.

Also in this section, you can find the option "Absolute minimum of background processes," which causes the system to aggressively close applications that are not in use right now, which is useful if you use the phone only for calls and one or two main applications.

Advanced Cleaning through ADB (for Power Users)

If standard methods are not enough, the ADB tool comes to the rescue, a powerful command-line tool that allows you to control the system at a level that is not available through a normal interface, and it can remove even system applications that do not have a “Disable” button.

You will need a computer to work, USB-cable and installed drivers ADB. After connecting the phone and turning on debugging USB, You can send commands to delete packets. The command has the following format:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 name packet

For example, to remove the standard Mi Browser browser, you need to type in the command adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.browser. It is important to know the exact name of the package, which can be found on the Internet or through the analyzer applications on the phone itself.

⚠️ Be very careful when removing packages through ADB. Removing critical system components, such as com.android.phone or com.miui.securitycenter, may result in system booting or loss of communication.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)