If you own a Xiaomi, Redmi or a smartphone POCO Android-based applications have probably encountered the term Quick Apps (or “Fast Apps”) in the settings or list of installed software. These applications appear as if “out of nowhere”, take up space in memory, but do not have an icon on the desktop and are not deleted in standard ways. What is this technology, why is Xiaomi actively promoting it, and can we get rid of it? In this guide, we will understand all the nuances of the principle of operation to hidden functions.
Quick Apps is not a virus or malware. It's a legal development by Google and Xiaomi to speed up the launch of frequently used services without a full installation. But there's a downside to the technology: it can eat traffic, slow down the system and collect data about your activity. Next, we'll tell you how to manage these applications, which are safe and which should be removed first.
What are Quick Apps and How They Work?
Quick Apps are lightweight versions of mobile apps that run directly from the browser or through Android system services without requiring a full installation, introduced by Google in 2016 as an alternative to traditional apps. APK-files, but it was especially popular on Xiaomi devices due to deep integration with firmware MIUI.
The main difference from conventional applications:
- 🔹 No icon on the desktop – run through search, browser or system prompts.
- 🔹 They do not take up much space – they weigh several times less than full-fledged ones. APK (usually 1–10 MB versus 50-200 MB).
- 🔹 Update automatically – without user involvement through Google Play Services.
- 🔹 Limited functionality – often lacks push notifications, background synchronization, or access to some sensors.
On smartphones, Xiaomi Quick Apps are closely related to the service com.miui.quickapp (or com.xiaomi.quickapp in new versions). MIUI). This system component is responsible for downloading, caching and running fast apps. For example, when you search Google for a “taxi order,” the system may suggest opening Yandex.Taxi or Uber directly as a Quick App — without installing the full version of the app.
The benefits of the technology are obvious to developers: they don’t have to convince users to download the app, and Xiaomi and Google get an additional channel to display ads and collect behavioral data, while the benefits are less noticeable for the user, except for saving disk space and the ability to quickly try out the service.
Why Xiaomi Integrates Quick Apps into the Web MIUI
Xiaomi is actively promoting Quick Apps for a reason – the company has several key reasons for this:
- Saving device resources on budget models Redmi and POCO Fast apps allow users to offer additional services (such as Mi Pay or Mi Home) without downloading full-fledged ones. APK.
- Accelerated launch of popular services, such as if you rarely order food but occasionally use Delivery Club, Quick App will allow you to open the restaurant menu in 1-2 seconds instead of 10-15 seconds to download and install the full version.
- Monetization through advertising: Many Quick Apps (especially from Chinese developers) contain banners or promotional materials for which Xiaomi receives a commission.
- Analytics collection: Through fast apps, Xiaomi and Google track what services are popular among users, and then offer them as preinstalled apps APK.
But there’s a flip side: some Quick Apps can run in the background, consuming traffic and battery power even if you’re not using them, such as Mi Video or Mi Browser, which are often activated automatically when connected to Wi-Fi to download updates or show ads.
In addition, in MIUI There's a hidden mechanism that willfully installs Quick Apps when you first connect to the Internet, which is mostly in Chinese versions of firmware, but sometimes occurs on global builds. For example, after resetting the settings on Xiaomi Mi 11, users found in the Quick Apps system from Alibaba, TikTok or Xiaomi Mall, which were not installed.
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To check which Quick Apps are active on your device, go to Settings → Annexes → Application management → Quick Apps. This shows the full list with the option to disable.
How to distinguish Quick App from a regular app
You can recognize fast applications by several signs:
| Sign. | Normal appendix (APK) | Quick App |
|---|---|---|
| 📱 Desktop badge | There (can be moved, removed) | Not available (launched through search or system prompts) |
| 📦 Size | From 20MB to several GB | 1 to 50 MB (usually up to 10 MB) |
| 🔄 Updates | Through Google Play or manually (APK) | Automatically via Google Play Services or MIUI |
| ⚙️ Settings | Full access to permits | Limited permissions (for example, no access to contacts or SMS) |
| 🗑️ Removal | Through the App Menu or Settings → Annexes | Disconnection only (complete removal requires root or ADB) |
Another reliable way to identify the package is to look at the name in the application settings. Quick Apps usually have prefixes at the beginning of the name:
- com.quickapp. (e.g. com.quickapp.market)
- com.miui.quickapp. (e.g. com.miui.quickapp.center)
- com.xiaomi.quickapp. (in new versions) MIUI)
Also, fast apps often appear in the installed software list marked System or Quick App, when they are not actually part of the firmware. For example, on Redmi Note 10 Pro in the Settings section. → Quick Apps such as Mi Community, Mi Video or Xiaomi Mall that have not been installed by the user can be found.
How to check the name of the Quick App package?
What Quick Apps Xiaomi Set to Default
The list of preinstalled Quick Apps depends on the model of the smartphone, regional firmware (Global, China, EEA) version MIUI. However, there is a “classic” set that occurs on most devices:
- 🛒 Mi Mall (com.xiaomi.shop) – Xiaomi accessories and gadgets store.
- 🎬 Mi Video (com.miui.video) – a streaming service featuring movies and TV series (often with Chinese content).
- 💬 Mi Community (com.xiaomi.forum) – Xiaomi’s official support forum.
- 🏠 Mi Home (com.xiaomi.smarthome) – Smart home management (sometimes duplicated with full-fledged home management) APK).
- 💳 Mi Pay (com.xiaomi.payment) – payment service (only in China and India).
- 📱 Quick App Center (com.miui.quickapp.center) – the control center for all fast applications.
- 🌍 Browser Quick App (com.android.quicksearchbox) – a lightweight version of the browser for quick search.
On the Chinese versions of firmware (MIUI China expands list with local services:
- 🎵 Mi Music (com.xiaomi.music) – a music player with Chinese tracks.
- 📰 Mi News (com.xiaomi.news) – news aggregator (often in Chinese).
- 🛍️ Taobao or Alibaba – the fastest versions of popular Chinese marketplaces.
Quick Apps are especially aggressive on budget models (Redmi) 9A, POCO M3), Xiaomi is trying to compensate for the low price of the device through advertising and partner services, and on flagships (Xiaomi 13, Mix Fold) they are smaller, but they are still present.
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Even if you don't use Quick Apps, they can run in the background when connected to the Internet, consuming traffic and battery power, and it's recommended to manually disable unnecessary services.
How to remove or disable Quick Apps on Xiaomi
You can't completely remove Quick Apps without root rights, which is a limitation of Android, but you can turn them off, which will stop background activity and hide them from the system.
☑️ Turning off Quick Apps
If the Quick Apps section is not in the settings, try an alternative way:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- In the upper right corner, click on three dots and select "Show Systems."
- In the list, look for apps called com.miui.quickapp or com.xiaomi.quickapp.
- Open the app card and click "Disable".
Complete removal will require superuser (root) or team rights ADB. For example, to delete the Mi Video Quick App, run in the terminal:
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.videoIf ADB Unavailable, you can use third-party utilities like App Inspector or Package Disabler (require root).However, be careful: removing system Quick Apps can lead to unstable work. MIUI or errors in updating the firmware.
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After disabling Quick Apps, clear the system cache: Settings → Memory. → Cleanup → This will delete temporary files associated with fast apps.
Are Quick Apps Dangerous to Privacy?
There is no clear answer, but there are several risk factors:
⚠️ Note: Some Quick Apps (especially from Chinese developers) request redundant permissions, such as access to geolocation, contacts, or other applications. SMS. For example, the Mi Browser Quick App can collect data about your search queries even if you don’t use it.
According to the study Top10VPN (2022, about 30% of Quick Apps on Xiaomi devices transfer data to China, including:
- 📍 Location Information (for targeted advertising).
- 📱 Device model and version MIUI (analytically).
- 🌐 IP-address and network data (for tracking activity).
To minimize the risks:
- Turn off unnecessary Quick Apps (see instructions above).
- Disable them from geolocation and contacts in Settings → Confidentiality → Permits.
- Use it. VPN to block trackers (e.g. Blokada or AdGuard).
- Check the Active Quick Apps list regularly through Settings → Annexes.
If you use MIUI Global or MIUI EEA (In Europe, the risks are lower, with Xiaomi removing some of its Chinese services in these builds, but even here, Mi Video, Mi Community and other Quick Apps that can collect data remain.
How to prevent Xiaomi from installing Quick Apps automatically
Unfortunately, in MIUI There is no direct option to disable the automatic installation of Quick Apps:
- Turn off Google Play Services for Quick Apps: Go to Settings → Annexes → Google Play Services → Permits and disallows storage and internet access for com.google.android.gms. This will stop the background loading of new Quick Apps, but may disrupt other services (e.g. Google Pay).
⚠️ Warning: Blocking Google Play Services or removing system components MIUI This can cause you to not update your firmware or crash Google services (such as Gmail or YouTube!