Owners of Xiaomi devices often face a situation when a new smartphone is immediately turned on with unnecessary software. The question of how to remove unnecessary elements on the Xiaomi phone becomes especially relevant for users who appreciate the cleanliness of the interface and speed of the system. The standard shell MIUI or its modern version of HyperOS offer many functions, but at the same time include advertising modules and services that are not needed by everyone.
The process of optimizing the device requires careful attention, since removing critical system components can lead to unstable operation of the gadget. In this article, we will discuss in detail the safe methods of cleaning memory, disabling embedded advertising and removing system debris that accumulates during operation.
You will get comprehensive answers to questions about how to get rid of pre-installed Chinese applications, hide unnecessary widgets and customize the system to your personal needs. We will consider both the standard tools of the Android operating system, and advanced methods available through the engineering menu and special utilities.
Removal of pre-installed applications by standard means
The first step to cleaning a smartphone is to review the installed software, and many users don't know that a lot of the pre-installed software can be removed in the normal way, without obtaining superuser rights, and you just go to the settings menu and find the partition responsible for managing the programs.
Find games, services or utilities you don't need on the list. If the application has been installed by the manufacturer but is not a system one, the delete button will be active next to it. If the button is inactive, this means that the component is integrated deeper into the firmware and more complex manipulations will be required to remove it.
Look at folders with names like Tools or Google, and often those are the ones that hide duplicate browsers, email clients, and app stores that take up space and can interfere with navigation, and deleting them will not affect the functionality of the phone.
It's important to distinguish between user data and system files. When you clean through the standard menu, you only delete the user part of the application, leaving its system libraries, and it's a safe method that ensures that the phone continues to work correctly even after you delete dozens of programs.
Disabling advertising in the MIUI and HyperOS system
One of the most annoying features of the MIUI shell is the built-in advertising that can appear in various places on the interface. To remove ad units on the Xiaomi phone, you need to disable the MSA service (MIUI System Ads), which is responsible for showing advertising content in standard applications.
Go to settings, select Passwords and Security, and find Access to Data. Search the app list for msa and turn off the network access slider. The system will warn you that the app will not work without the Internet, and will prompt you to wait 10 seconds before you try again to disconnect. You must agree and wait for the timer to expire.
☑️ Privacy settings
You should also look at the settings of each standard application separately. Explorer, Music, Themes and Cleanup often have their own “Get recommendations” switches, and disabling these options allows you to significantly reduce the number of pop-ups and banners, making using your smartphone more comfortable.
⚠️ Attention: After the service is disconnected MSA In some cases, you need to reboot your device or wait for 24 hours until the servers update your account status.
Remember to check the Notifications section in your settings. Often, junk comes through push notifications from apps you don't even use. Disabling notifications for suspicious or rarely used programs is an effective way to keep the notification curtain clean.
Hiding system applications and folders on the desktop
Even if you can't remove a system application, you can hide it out of sight. The MIUI shell allows you to hide applications by removing their icons from the desktop and from the menu. This is useful for system utilities that are rarely needed but should stay on the phone.
To access hidden applications, you use a gesture or password to enter the search box. To set up the cover, go to the theme or desktop settings, and you will find Hide the apps, and select from the list the programs you want to remove from view.
You can also organize your desktop by removing unnecessary widgets and folders. Standard weather, news and promotion widgets often require a network connection and consume battery. Deleting them from the home screen does not remove the apps themselves, but frees up visual space.
How to get back hidden apps?
Use the option of setting up your desktop grid. Increasing the grid size allows you to place more icons, eliminating the empty space that you want to fill with unnecessary content. Minimalist approach to interface design helps to increase productivity.
Cleaning up memory from junk files and cache
Over time, a huge amount of temporary files, remnants of deleted programs and cache accumulate in the phone’s memory. The standard Security or Cleanup app helps remove some of this debris, but it does not always cope with deep deposits.
To clean it up more thoroughly, you can use the built-in storage analyzer, go to settings, select About Phone, and click on Storage, and it will show you which files are taking up the most space, often the messenger cache, downloaded files from social networks, or old updates.
| Type of data | Where to find out. | Can be removed | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash app. | Settings → Applications | Yes. | The app will run a little longer. |
| Folder.thumbnails. | File manager | Yes. | The gallery will re-create the preview |
| Downloads (Download) | File Manager | Selectively | Deletion of important documents |
| Remnants of remote games | Android/obb folder | Yes (if game is deleted) | No. |
The Download folder and the messenger catalogue like Telegram or WhatsApp are particularly worth considering, and it's where thousands of images and videos are viewed, which are duplicated in the gallery and take up gigabytes, and cleaning these directories regularly is the fastest way to free up space.
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Use the Deep Clean feature in the Security app once a month, which finds large files you haven’t opened in a long time, and suggests that they be deleted or moved to the cloud.
Using ADB to remove system software
For advanced users who want to remove everything from Xiaomi’s phone, including system components, the ADB tool (Android Debug Bridge) is designed. This method requires connecting the smartphone to the computer and allows you to remove even those applications that are hidden from the average user.
Before you start, you need to activate the developer mode, and then seven times click on the build number in the About Phone section. Then, in the Developer menu, turn on USB debugging. Connect the phone to your PC and install ADB drivers.
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.analyticsThe command above, for example, removes the system analytics module. There are many command lists to remove specific packets. However, be careful: removing critical system components such as com.android.phone or com.miui.securitycenter can lead to system inability to boot the system or loss of communication.
⚠️ Attention: Before use ADB A team error can turn a smartphone into a brick, the recovery of which will require reflashing the device.
There are ready-made graphical shells for ADB, such as Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools or Universal Android Debloater. They simplify the process by providing a list of packages with a description and the ability to safely delete with one click. This is the preferred option for those who do not want to memorize complex commands.
Resetting settings as a radical cleaning method
If the phone is slow, glitchy, or you just want to start with a clean slate, the most effective way is to completely reset to factory settings.This action will delete all personal data, photos, contacts and installed applications, returning the device to the “out of the box” state.
Before you reset, make sure that all important data is stored in the Mi Cloud or on an external medium.The process takes 5 to 15 minutes and requires a battery charge of at least 50%. Go to settings, select About Phone and click Settings Reset.
Once you reboot, you'll get a clean system. When you first set up, don't be in a hurry to restore all applications from the backup automatically. Install only what you really need, and this will avoid the re-clogging of the system with unnecessary software that often drags on to the main programs.
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A complete reset is not a panacea if the problem is caused by hardware wear or defect, but for software errors and accumulated debris, it is the best solution.
Regular maintenance of the device, including decache and control of installed applications, will avoid the need to do a complete reset in the future. Maintaining order in the digital environment is as important as cleanliness in the physical space.