The lock screen on Xiaomi smartphones often becomes a battleground for free space: notifications, weather widgets, fast buttons — and suddenly there is a hated music player that occupies half the display. Even when you closed all the audio applications long ago, it hangs stubbornly, showing the album cover and the progress of the track. Why this happens and how to completely disable this element without root rights — let’s go into the details.
The problem is common to all MIUI devices (from Redmi Note 8 Pro to Xiaomi 14 Ultra), regardless of Android. The culprit is the system integration of the media player into the shell, which automatically picks up active audio sessions. But the good news is that you can hide the player both by standard means and with hidden settings. We tested all methods on MIUI 14.0.5 (Android 13) and selected those that work stably.
Why does the player appear on the lock screen?
The mechanism for the player’s appearance is built into the MIUI architecture and is linked to the MediaSession API, the Android playback interface, where any application (even YouTube or Telegram with voice messages) starts playing audio, the system automatically creates a session and displays it on lockdown.
- 🎵 Active playback: even a pause does not always remove the player - the session remains in the background.
- 📱 Background apps: Mi Music, Spotify, VK Music can keep the session open.
- 🔄 System errors: sometimes the player "wilts" after updating or resetting settings.
- 📀 Notifications: Media notifications from messengers (for example, voice on WhatsApp).
Interesting fact: on the POCO F5 and Xiaomi 13T with MIUI 14, the player can appear even when the sound is turned off if the app requests audio focus.This is a bug that Xiaomi hasn't fixed since 2022. Fortunately, it can be bypassed.
Method 1: Disconnecting through notification settings
The most obvious and safe method is to block the display of media notifications. This will not remove the player completely, but will make it invisible. MIUI 12–14:
- Open Settings → Notifications → Notifications Management.
- Scroll down to the "Special Permissions" section and select Notifications on the lock screen.
- Find a player app (such as Mi Music or Spotify) and turn off the slider.
- For reliability, go back to the basic notification settings and block all notifications from this app.
⚠️ Note: This method will not work for the com.miui.player system player, as it is integrated into the system. MIUI It's going to need a way to do it. №3 or №4.
☑️ Preparing for player shutdown
Method 2: Reset media settings (for MIUI 13–14)
If the player appears on its own without active playback, resetting media settings will help, which removes all saved sessions and resets application rights:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Reset App Settings.
- In the list, look for Media Storage and reset your settings.
- Reset the device.
Once rebooted, the player will disappear, but the earphone uniformity settings and resolution for some applications may reset.This method works on 80% of devices, but it doesn't help if the problem is in the Xiaomi system player.
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If the player is back after reset, check the apps in Settings → Battery → Power Saving Mode. Some players (like Poweramp) keep the session in the background for a quick start.
Method 3: Disconnect via ADB (for advanced)
For users who are ready to work with Android Debug Bridge (ADB), There's a radical method, which is to turn off the system player at the Android level. USB-cable.
Step 1: Preparation
- 🖥️ Install. ADB Tools on PC.
- 📱 Turn on Debugging. USB on a smartphone: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Press 7 times, then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB.
- 🔌 Connect your phone to your PC and confirm your trust in the device.
Step 2. Follow the commands:
adb shell
pm hide com.miui.playerIf the pm hide command doesn’t work (on some firmware), use the alternative:
adb shell
pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.player⚠️ Warning: Disabling the system player may cause Mi Video and some features to malfunction MIUI. To get it all back, do it:
adb shell
pm enable com.miui.playerWhat if the ADB can’t see the device?
Method 4: Using Third-Party Applications
If the system methods didn't work, Google Play utilities will come to the rescue, and we tested 3 apps that effectively remove the player:
| Annex | How it works | Pluses | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lockscreen Music Remover | Blocks media notifications at the system level | No rooting required, works on MIUI 12-14 | Paid version for full functionality |
| HexTune | Intercepts media sessions and hides them | Free, open source code | A complex setup for beginners |
| Music Widget | Replaces the standard player with a custom widget | Flexible configuration of the appearance | It does not remove the player completely, but masks it. |
🔹 Recommendation: For MIUI 14 is best suited to Lockscreen Music Remover – it blocks the player at the level of the MediaSessionManager service without conflicting with the shell.
Method 5: Manual removal of system player (root)
If you have root rights, you can completely remove the Xiaomi system player, which is a radical method, but it is guaranteed to solve the problem. Use Root Explorer or ADB with superuser rights:
- Open Root Explorer and go to /system/priv-app/MiuiMusic.
- Remove or rename the folder (for example, in the MiuiMusic_bak).
- Go to /system/app and delete MusicFX.apk (if any).
- Clear the cache and data in Settings → Apps → Music.
- Reset the device.
⚠️ Warning: Deleting system files can lead to bootloop (locked boot) or work failures MIUI. Before the action, make a backup copy through TWRP Or OrangeFox.
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Removing the system player through root is the most effective method, but requires technical skills. For most users, there are only 1-3 methods.
Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
When trying to remove a player, users often face typical problems.
- 🔄 Player returns after reboot: This means that the player app (like Spotify) automatically restores the session.
- 🚫 Not working through the shutdown ADB: On some firmware, Xiaomi blocks pm hide commands. Use the alternative: adb shell cmd package disable-user 0 com.miui.player.
- 📵 All notifications are gone: You accidentally disabled the com.android.systemui system service. Return your default settings to Settings → Notifications → Reset.
- 🔊 Player visible but not controlled: It's a bug MIUI 14 when using the themes. Return the standard theme.
If none of these methods worked, check if your device has custom firmware (e.g. xiaomi.eu or PixelExperience) that can be hard-stitched into the system and require firmware reflashing.