Many users of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones face a situation where, after another system update, the device starts to run slower, discharge faster or there are annoying ad units. Often there is an acute desire to return everything as it was, or at least stop this endless process of modernization, which does not always benefit the stability of the gadget. The question of how to remove the update from the phone becomes especially relevant when the new version of MIUI or HyperOS contains critical errors.
Unfortunately, simply clicking the “delete” button in the settings, as is done with regular applications, will not work, since system files are protected from accidental interference. However, there are proven methods to block automatic boot, clear already downloaded installation packages or even roll back to the previous version of the firmware. In this article, we will discuss in detail all available ways to control the upgrade system of your device.
It is important to understand that completely removing an already installed system requires a complex firmware reflashing procedure, but blocking future updates and cleaning temporary files is available to every user without obtaining root rights. We will consider safe methods that will not lead to loss of warranty or breakage of the smartphone, if you act strictly according to the instructions.
Why you should consider disabling auto updates
Xiaomi’s policy is to release security patches and new features regularly, but in practice this often results in lower performance on older models. Newer versions of the shells are optimized for fresh hardware, and previous generations of processors may not cope with the increased load, which leads to lags and heat of the case. Users often notice that after the update the phone starts to work noticeably worse.
Another reason to block is the intrusive advertising and interface changes that are often implemented along with system updates. Developers can add new services that consume traffic and battery power in the background, which is especially critical for devices with a smaller battery. Disabling updates is the only way to fix a stable version of the system that you are completely satisfied with.
In addition, new firmware versions sometimes contain software bugs that developers only fix in the following patches, which can turn smartphone use into a test, so many experienced users prefer not to rush to install new versions of the software.
Blocking through developer settings and Wi-Fi
The easiest, but not the most reliable way to prevent an unwanted update from being installed is to use the built-in system constraints. First of all, you need to turn off automatic booting over the mobile network and Wi-Fi in the standard update menu. To do this, go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and click on the three dots in the upper right corner, selecting “Update settings”.
You should check the Auto Update box and disable the Download Updates via Wi-Fi option, which will prevent heavy data packets from loading in the background, but does not guarantee 100% protection, as the system service may try to check for a new version when connecting to the network.
- 📱 Go to the About Phone menu and click on the system version logo 7 times to activate the developer mode (if not already activated).
- 🔍 Find the “Automatic Update Check” option in the developer menu and try to deactivate it (not available on all versions).
- 🚫 In the application settings, find “Component Update” and forbid data transfer in the background.
You can also limit the background activity of the update service by finding the system process that controls the updates (often called “Component Update” or Updater) in the application list and denying it access to the Internet, which will create an additional barrier to new data from the server.
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If you use a Xiaomi or Mi Router router, you can block access to update servers right at the router level by adding miui.com domains to the blacklist.
Cleaning Update bootloader Cache
If the update has already downloaded and takes up space in memory, it can be deleted by clearing the system bootloader data. This method does not prohibit future checks, but allows you to free up space and remove the installation readiness notification. You will need access to the hidden application menu.
To start, activate the developer mode by quickly clicking on the build number in the About menu. Then search for settings by type in the word "Permissions" and go to "AutoStart Permissions" or immediately open the hidden menu through the code in the call. Enter the code ##6484## or ##64663## to get into the engineering menu, although the standard path through application management is more often used to clear the cache.
⚠️ Warning: When cleaning system applications, be extremely careful. Only remove the cache and data of the Updater application, without touching other system processes, so as not to disrupt the phone.
Find the Update app list (may be called MIUI Updater or System Update) and go to its properties and select Clear Cache and Clear All Data. This action will delete the downloaded installation file, which can weigh several gigabytes, and then the notification of the new update should disappear before the next server check.
☑️ Checklist for cache cleanup
Blocking through hosts file and ADB
A more advanced method, which is almost guaranteed, is to block the phone from accessing network-level update servers, and you can use the hosts file to redirect requests to nowhere. To edit this file, you will need root rights or use a computer with installed ADB (Android Debug Bridge).
If you have access to a computer, connect your phone to USB debugging mode. With the ADB command, you can try to disable the update component, although this is difficult on modern versions of Android. A more effective way without root is to use blocking applications that create a local VPN and filter traffic, such as Blokada or AdGuard.
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.updaterThe above command in the ADB console tries to disable the packet update manager. However, on global firmware, this component can be protected and the command will return the error. In this case, only software domain lock remains.
- 🌐 update.miui.com
- 🌐 update.intl.miui.com
- 🌐 api.miui.security.xiaomi.com
- 🌐 resolver.msg.xiaomi.net
Using third-party apps to block ads and trackers often solves the problem in a comprehensive way: you will not only remove updates, but also get rid of system advertising in standard applications, which will significantly speed up the interface.
Risks of editing system files
Comparison of blocking methods and their effectiveness
To make it easier for you to choose the right method, we have systematized the methods in a table, each of which has its pros and cons depending on your technical background and goals.
| Method | Difficulty | Efficiency | I need a Root. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disconnection in settings | Low. | Low (auto boot only) | No. |
| Updater data cleanup | Low. | Medium (deletes the file, but not the verification) | No. |
| Blocking via Hosts/VPN | Medium | Tall. | No (with annex) |
| Disconnection through ADB | Tall. | High (depends on firmware) | No. |
As you can see from the table, the most balanced solution is to use traffic blockers or VPN-They don't require deep system tampering and they're easy to shut down if you still need to upgrade your phone.
The ADB method is good for one-off promotions, but after a reboot or update of the service itself, the locks can fly, so for a long-term result, it is better to combine several ways: disable autoboot in the settings and put a domain blocker.
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The combination of disabling auto-update in the menu and locking domains through a DNS or hosts file gives a 99% guarantee that the phone will not update itself.
Possibility to roll back to the previous version (Downgrade)
If the update is already installed and you are not satisfied with the device, the only way out is to roll back (downgrade) to an earlier version of the firmware, which is more complicated and requires complete data cleaning, so backing up contacts and photos is a must.
To roll back, you will need to download the desired version of the firmware (Recovery ROM) from the official website or proven resources. The file must have a.zip extension and weigh about 3-5 GB. It is important that the version you roll back on is older than the current one, otherwise the system will give an error.
⚠️ Note: Downgrade will completely remove all data from your phone, and be sure to save important information to your computer or the cloud before starting the procedure.
Upload the firmware file to the root of the internal memory or to the memory card. Next, go to the update menu, click three dots and select "Select firmware file." If the system gives an error "Cannot update" or "Can't verify update", you will need to rename the file to update.zip and possibly use the Fastboot mode to force installation through the computer.
In some cases, the standard menu does not allow you to roll back for security reasons. Then you will have to unlock the bootloader, which is officially allowed by Xiaomi, but requires a wait (usually 7 days) and a Mi Account. After unlocking the bootloader, you can flash any version through the Mi Flash Tool program in Clean All mode.