ADB AppControl on Xiaomi: How to use it to manage applications

If you own a Xiaomi smartphone and want to gain full control over installed applications, from hiding system programs to disabling ads in MIUI, ADB AppControl will be your indispensable assistant. This method allows you to manage applications at the system level without root rights using the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) protocol. Unlike standard MIUI settings, where many options are blocked, ADB opens access to hidden operating system functions.

In this article, you will find step-by-step instructions on how to set up ADB AppControl on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, including current commands for MIUI 14/15, security tips and solutions to common bugs. We will discuss how to hide unnecessary applications, disable system updates and even remove embedded software without the risk of “bricking” the device.

What is ADB AppControl and why is it needed for Xiaomi?

ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is a tool from Google designed to debug Android devices through the command line. AppControl in the context of ADB is a set of commands that allow you to manage application packages (.apk) at the system level. On Xiaomi smartphones, this method is especially popular because of the features of the MIUI firmware:

• 🔒 Hiding system applications: MIUI does not allow you to delete many pre-installed programs (for example, com.miui.analytics or com.xiaomi.midrop), but through ADB they can be deactivated.
• ⚡ Disabling background activity: Even after “deleting” through settings, many applications continue to work in the background — ADB block them out completely.
• 📦 Management of updates: MIUI frequently force updates of system applications (e.g. Mi Browser or Security) that take up space and resources. ADB It allows you to stop it.
• 🛡️ Fighting Advertising: Some Advertising Modules MIUI (com.miui.systemAdSolution can only be disabled by ADB.

The main advantage of the method is that it does not require root rights, but there are limitations: once you reset or update the firmware, all changes are reset via ADB, and the procedure will have to be repeated. Also, not all system applications can be safely removed, some are critical to the operation of MIUI.

Preparation: What you need to work with ADB on Xiaomi

Before you start managing applications, you need to prepare the device and the computer, and here are the minimum requirements:

• 🖥️ Windows computer 10/11, macOS or Linux (in the instructions examples for Windows).
• 📱 Xiaomi smartphone with unlocked bootloader (not necessarily with unlocked bootloader, but sometimes required).
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original to avoid connection problems).
• 🛠️ ADB-Android drivers and platform SDK Platform-Tools (download from the official Google website).

The easiest way to get the necessary files is to download the official platform-tools package from Google (weight). ~10 Unpack the archive to the root of the disk. C:\, so that the path looks like: C:\platform-tools\. This will make it easier to work with the command line.

Download platform-tools from Google| Unpack in C:\platform-tools\|Enable USB debugging on Xiaomi| Connect your phone to your PC with the original cable |Check the connection with the adb device-->

On the Xiaomi smartphone, you need to turn on the developer mode and debugging via USB:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click 7 times on the MIUI version until the notification “You became a developer” appears.
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Activate switches: USB Debugging Allow debugging (USB only) Disable MIUI check (optional, for some commands)

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro)+ Xiaomi 13 Ultra after enabling debugging USB You may need to confirm on the lock screen. If the connection fails, try changing mode. USB file transfer (MTP) notice-curtain.

Installation ADB-drivers and connection check

Even if you downloaded platform-tools, Windows may not recognize a Xiaomi device without special drivers. Official ADB drivers for Xiaomi can be found on the MIUI website or use universal drivers from Google.

To install drivers manually:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and open Device Manager (Win + X → Device Manager).
2. Find a device with a yellow exclamation point (usually under Other Devices or Portable Devices).
3. Right-click → Update the driver → Search for drivers on this computer.
4. Point the way to the folder. C:\platform-tools\ and wait for the installation.

💡

Before you delete or disable an application, check its name online! Some system packages (e.g. com.android.phone or com.miui.home) are critical to MIUI operation.

How to Hide or Remove System Apps on Xiaomi

One of the most popular use cases for ADB AppControl is to remove or hide pre-installed apps that cannot be uninstalled by standard means, such as many users wanting to get rid of Mi Browser, Mi Music, Mi Video or ad modules.

Algorithm of action:

1. Get a list of all packages by command: adb shell pm list packages To find the desired application, use a filter. For example, to search for a browser: adb shell pm list packages | find "browser"
2. Determine if you can safely remove the package you find, and below is a list of safe apps to remove on most Xiaomi devices:

• 🌐 com.android.browser – the standard browser MIUI (You can delete it if you use Chrome or other).
• 🎵 com.miui.player - Mi Music player.
• 🎬 com.miui.videoplayer - Mi Video player.
• 📊 com.miui.analytics – analytics module MIUI (Sends data to Xiaomi).
• 📱 com.xiaomi.midrop – Mi Drop service (unhelpful if you do not use Wi-Fi file transfer).
• 🛒 com.xiaomi.shop – Mi Store app (Xiaomi store).

To remove, use the command:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 <package_name>

For example, to remove the Mi Browser:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.browser

⚠️ Note: Some applications (e.g., com.miui.securitycenter or com.miui.gallery) are associated with system functions. Deleting them may lead to errors in camera operation, security or design themes. Be sure to back up your data through Settings before deleting them. → The phone. → Backup.

💡

Removing applications via ADB does not require root rights, but the changes are only valid for the current user. After resetting or updating MIUI, all remote applications will return.

Disconnecting Advertising and Analytics in MIUI via ADB

One of the main problems of MIUI is the built-in advertising in system applications (for example, in Security, Download Manager or Themes). Many advertising modules can only be disabled through ADB. Below are commands for the most intrusive services:

After completing the commands, restart the device. The ads should disappear from:

• 🔍 Search for Security.
• 📥 Download Manager (Download Manager).
• 🎨 Themes Appendices (theme of design).
• 📱 Block screen (advertising banners).

If the ads are still there, check if the system applications have been updated. Sometimes after the MIUI update, the ad packages return, you will have to repeat the procedure. To completely remove the adverts, you may need to disable automatic updates to the system applications (more about this in the next section).

How to disable automatic update of system applications

MIUI updates system applications by default via Google Play or Xiaomi's own servers, which causes programs that are deleted through ADB to return after the update, and to avoid this, you need to disable updates for specific packages.

First, get a list of apps that are automatically updated:

adb shell dumpsys package | find "autoUpdatePolicy"

This command will display a list of packages with an update policy, such as:

com.android.browser: autoUpdatePolicy=4

AutoUpdatePolicy = 4 means that updates are allowed.

To disable automatic updates for a specific application, use:

adb shell pm set-install-location 2 <package_name>

Then set the update policy to 0 (forbidden):

adb shell settings put global auto_update_policy 0

To massively disable updates of all system applications, you can use a script (save as). disable_updates.bat):

@echo off


adb shell pm list packages -f | find "priv-app" > temp.txt




for /f "tokens=2 delims=:" %%a in (temp.txt) do (




adb shell pm set-install-location 2 %%a




adb shell pm disable-user %%a




)




del temp.txt




All system applications are disabled from updates.

⚠️ Note: Disabling system application updates may affect device security, for example, if a security or Mi Browser vulnerability is found, it will not be fixed automatically. MIUI manually through settings → The phone. → Updating the system.

Recovery of Remote Applications and Error Solving

If you have a problem after you manipulated ADB (e.g. Google Services stopped working or the notification bar disappeared), don't panic. Most changes through ADB are reversible. Here's how to get it back:

• 🔄 Recovery of hidden application: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 <package_name> Replace uninstall with enable if the application has been disabled: adb shell pm enable <package_name>
• 🔧 Dumping everyone ADB-Changes: If you don’t remember which packages you touched, reset to factory settings via Settings → Additionally. → Recovery and reset. That'll bring back all system applications.
• 🐞 Error "adb: device offline": reconnect USB-Cable, restart your phone and PC, then repeat the adb device command.
• 🚫 Error "Operation Not Allowed": Make sure that the debugging is done USB On, and try the command with superuser rights (if you have root): adb shell su -c "pm uninstall -k --user 0 <package_name>"

If after removing the system application, the phone stopped turning on or got stuck on the MIUI logo, try the following steps:

1. Press the Power button + Volume up to enter Recovery Mode.
2. Select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data (this will erase all user data!).
3. After resetting, the phone should boot in standard mode.

FAQ: answers to frequent questions about ADB AppControl on Xiaomi