How to permanently remove a floating window on Xiaomi smartphones: from settings to ADB-team

The floating window on Xiaomi is one of the most annoying features of MIUI that appears without warning and interferes with the work of applications, such as a miniature video from YouTube, a chat from Telegram or even a system notification that refuses to close in standard ways. In this article, we will discuss all possible methods of removing floating windows, from basic settings to advanced technical solutions.

Compounding the problem, the interface and paths to the options may differ from one MIUI version to another (12 to 14), and some floating windows are associated with system services (e.g. com.miui.freeform) that are not removed in the usual way. We tested all methods on the Redmi Note 11 Pro, POCO X5 Pro and Xiaomi 13 Lite models, the results are summarized in the compatibility table below.

If you've tried swiping down or closing a window with a Close button before, and it didn't work, don't despair. 90 percent of the time, the combination of shutting down permissions and resetting cache solves the problem. ADB-team.

1. Basic Ways: How to Close a Floating Window by Hand

Before you go into settings or install additional programs, try standard methods. They work in 60-70% of cases, especially if the window came from a user application (for example, VK, WhatsApp or Google Chrome).

Here’s what you can do without root and ADB rights:

• 👆 Swipe down the window - most floating windows (including YouTube videos) close with a gesture down to the bottom of the screen. 1-2 seconds, then brush off sharply.
• 🗑️ Close button -- sometimes there's a cross in the upper right corner of the window. 2-3 Seconds if the normal pressing does not work.
• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone – press the power button, select “Reboot”. Once turned on, the window may disappear (works in 30% of cases).
• 📱 App reset – if a window from a particular application (such as TikTok), go to Settings → Annexes → [Title of the annex] → Warehouse → Clear the data.

If the window is system (e.g., from MIUI Launcher or Security Center), these methods are unlikely to help.

⚠️ Warning: Some floating windows (like Google Assistant) block navigation gestures. To close them, first unlock the screen, then try swiping down from the top of the screen - this will cause a notification panel that can block the window.

2. disable floating windows in MIUI settings

MIUI 12-14 has hidden settings that limit the appearance of floating windows, and unfortunately, they don’t always work for system processes, but they will definitely help with third-party applications.

Step instructions:

1. Open Settings → Special features → Floating windows.
2. Turn on the "Display floating windows" switch (paradox: sometimes the shutdown only works after turning on and off again).
3. Scroll down to the "Application Permissions" section and disable permissions for unnecessary programs.
4. To completely ban, go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → [Triples] → Special Access → Display on top of other windows and disable permissions for all suspicious applications.

On some firmware (e.g. MIUI 13 Global), the path may be different:

Settings → Applications → Permissions → Additional → Display on top of other windows

If the application is not listed, but the window continues to appear, it is triggered by the system process, in which case only ADB or resetting will help (see sections below).

3. ADB-Teams: A Radical Solution for System Windows

If the floating window is connected to system services (e.g. com.miui.freeform or com.android.systemui), the usual settings won't help. ADB (Android Debug Bridge – a tool for debugging through PC.

You will need to:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original)
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Press 7 times, then return to Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB)
• 🛠️ Installed drivers Xiaomi and ADB Tools by Google

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the adb folder.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
4. Start the command to turn off floating windows: adb shell pm revoke com.miui.freeform android.permission.SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW For other system windows, replace com.miui.freeform with the desired package (you can find out through the adb shell dumpsys window).
5. Reboot your smartphone: adb reboot

If the window reappears after the reboot, try a more rigid command:

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.freeform

⚠️ Note: Removing system packages through ADB It can lead to unstable work. MIUI. Before executing commands, create a backup through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

4.Resetting settings to factory: Last chance

If none of these methods work, you'll have to reset hard, and that will delete all the data from the device, including the floating windows, but it'll also be erased.

• 📸 Photos and videos (if not saved to the cloud)
• 📱 Installed applications and their data
• 📞 Contacts (if not synced with Google)
• 🎵 Music and uploaded files

Resetting instructions:

1. Make a backup through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
2. Go to Settings → About Phone → Resetting → Erase all data.
3. Enter a password (if required) and confirm the action.
4. After the reboot, set up your smartphone as new.

If the floating window was caused by a virus or a system file corruption, resetting will help 99% of the time, but there is a risk that the window will return after the backup data is restored, in which case you will have to configure the smartphone from scratch without restoring the old settings.

💡

Before resetting, write down your device's IMEI (type *#06# in the dialer). In rare cases, after a hard reset, you may need to restore the IMEI through the engineering menu.

5. Alternative methods: from applications to firmware

If the standard methods didn’t help, try these options:

The most reliable way is custom firmware, but it's only for power users. If you're a beginner, try Island or ad blocker.

💡

The Iceland application creates a sandbox for problem programs, preventing floating windows from appearing without removing applications.

6.Prevention: How to prevent floating windows

To prevent the problem from returning, follow these rules:

• 🔍 Check permissions when installing new applications. Denie access to "Master over other windows".
• 🔄 Update. MIUI — Newer versions often fix bugs with floating windows. Check for updates in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🛡️ Use antivirus – some floating windows appear due to malware. Download Malwarebytes or Dr.Web Light.
• 📱 Turn off "Smart Assistant" in Settings → Additionally. → Special facilities → Smart assistant.

Also avoid installing apps from unverified sources (outside of Google Play).If you need to install an APK, pre-check it with VirusTotal.

On Xiaomi models with MIUI 14 Global, floating windows from system applications (such as Mi Video or Mi Browser) can appear even after reset, the only solution in this case is to roll back to MIUI 13 or install custom firmware.

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

Many users compound the problem by trying to remove floating windows in the wrong ways.

• ❌ Delete system files manually – this can lead to bootloop (locked download).
• ❌ Use cleaners like Clean Master – they often remove the necessary system processes.
• ❌ Resetting settings via Fastboot without backup – high risk of losing IMEI.

If you have already made one of these mistakes, try:

1. Restore your smartphone using the Mi Flash Tool (instructions on the official Xiaomi website).
2. Contact the service center if the device is not turned on.

adb shell cmd package install-existing com.miui.freeform

(Replace com.miui.freeform with a remote package).-->

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions