How to completely disable or delete Gmail on Xiaomi smartphones: all ways

For some reason, many Xiaomi users are faced with the need to disable Gmail — whether it is due to intrusive notifications, sync problems or the desire to switch to alternative email clients. But standard removal of the application through the menu is often not available: the system gives an error “App is preinstalled and can not be removed.” In this article, we will analyze all the working methods from simple disabling notifications to complete deletion through ADB, including nuances for different versions of MIUI and Android.

It's important to understand that Gmail on Xiaomi is more integrated than it seems, and it's not just about email, but also about Google Play, backup, and even some MIUI features (like contact sync), so before you start shutting down, check if you're using these features. If so, prepare alternative solutions.

This article is relevant for all modern models Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO based on MIUI 14/15 and Android 13/14. For older versions (for example, MIUI 12), some methods may not work – we will warn about this separately.

1. disable Gmail sync without removing the application

If you're just tired of notifications or automatic email sync, but you don't want to delete the Gmail app, this is for you. It doesn't require superuser rights and it's reversible at any time.

Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google. Here you will see a list of all Google accounts connected. Slip it and turn off the slider next to Gmail. This will stop the background sync of emails, but the app itself will remain functional.

• 🔔 Notifications: To disable push notifications, go to Settings → Annexes → Application management → Gmail → Notifications and deactivate all switches.
• 🔄 Auto Update: In the same app menu (Gmail) → Mobile network data) disable "Background data transfer" and "Auto Update».
• 📵 Saving Charge: Add Gmail to the list of apps with limited activity: Settings → Battery and productivity → Optimizing the battery → All applications → Gmail → Limit.

This method is suitable if you are temporarily not using mail or want to save battery power, but it does not physically remove the application - it will still take up space in memory and appear in the menu.

2 Delete your Google account (and with it Gmail)

If you're willing to completely abandon Google services on your Xiaomi, you can delete the account itself, which will cause Gmail to stop working, but the app will remain on the system (just require authorization), but all the associated data will disappear: contacts, calendars, backups, etc.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Accounts and Sync → Google.
2. Tap your account and select “Delete Account” (some versions of MIUI refer to “Delete Account”).
3. Confirm the action by entering a password or pattern lock.

⚠️ Note: Deleting your Google account can cause Google Play, YouTube and other services to crash. On some Xiaomi models (such as the Redmi Note 12), it will also reset your Find My Device settings, making it harder to find your phone if you lose it.

If you want to return to Gmail after deleting your account, you will have to re-add your account through Settings → Add an account → Google. All previous data (emails, contacts) will be restored automatically if it was synced to the cloud.

3. Hiding the Gmail app (without deletion)

MIUI has a built-in hidden system application feature, which doesn't remove Gmail, but makes it invisible in menus and search, and it works without root rights and doesn't affect system stability.

How to hide it:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Gmail in the list and tap it.
3. Select Hide App (on MIUI 14/15, this item may be in the "Additional" menu).
4. Confirm the action.

To return Gmail back, go to Settings → Apps → Hidden Apps, find it in the list and click Show.

4. rollback of Gmail updates to factory version

If Gmail on your Xiaomi was updated through Google Play, you can return it to the factory version, which often weighs less and has no unnecessary features.This method does not remove the app completely, but reduces its size and resets the settings.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Gmail.
2. Slip on the three-point in the upper right corner and select "Delete Updates".
3. Confirm the action.

After the rollback, Gmail will return to the version that was pre-installed on the phone to prevent automatic updates:

• 🛑 Open Google Play, find Gmail in the list of apps.
• 🔧 Slip on the three-point next to the “Update” button and uncheck the “Auto Update” box».

⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi models (e.g, POCO X5 Pro) rollback of updates may cause Google Play Services to crash. If after the procedure, errors such as “Google Play Services has stopped” appear, restart your phone or manually update services.

5. Completely delete Gmail via ADB (no root)

This is the most radical method that physically removes Gmail from your device, which does not require root rights, but requires access to ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which is suitable for advanced users, because if you do not act correctly, you can disrupt the system.

Step-by-step:

Enable debugging over USB in the developer settings

Install ADB drivers on your computer

Connect your phone to your PC via USB (file transfer mode)

Download the ADB platform from Google’s official website

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1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About the phone and 7 times tap on the item "Version" MIUI».
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable “Debugging by USB”.
3. Connect the phone to your computer, select File Transfer mode and confirm debugging permission.
4. Open the command prompt (cmd) on your PC and type: adb devices make sure your device appears in the list.
5. Run the command to delete Gmail: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.gm

If the command is successful, Gmail will disappear from the menu and stop working. To return it, you just need to update Google Play Services or manually install Gmail from the store.

6.Alternative email clients for Xiaomi

If you have removed Gmail or are simply looking for a replacement, consider these apps, all available on Google Play and optimized for MIUI:

• 📧 Microsoft Outlook: Supports all popular email services, including Gmail, Yandex and Mail.ru. There is a built-in calendar and OneDrive cloud storage.
• 🔒 Proton Mail: Email client with a focus on privacy. all emails are encrypted, no advertising. Perfect if you're worried about security.
• 📱 Mi Mail (built-in application) MIUI): Xiaomi’s lightweight client, which is hidden by default in the Tools folder, supports Gmail, Yandex and Exchange.
• 🌐 FairEmail: Open email client with minimalist design and multi-account support. no tracking and no unnecessary permissions.

Before you switch to a new client, export your contacts and emails from Gmail:

1. Open Gmail. → Menus (☰) → Settings → Export of data.
2. Select “Archive Data” and specify the format (.zip or.mbox).
3. Download the archive to your device or to the cloud.

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If you use Mi Mail, add the mail widget to the home screen for quick access. For this, long tap on the free screen space → “Widgets” → find “Mail” and drag to the desktop.

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

Unexpected errors may occur when you disable or delete Gmail on Xiaomi, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

• 🚫 «Failed to delete the app": The error appears if Gmail is system. ADB or disable the application for the current user (see Section 5).
• 🔄 Automatic reinstallation: If Gmail returns after a Google Play Services update, disable auto-update for all Google apps in the store settings.
• 📵 Notifications in Alternative Clients: Check the Permissions for New Mail App in Settings → Annexes → Permit management. Enable "Show notifications" and "Support startup».
• 🔋 Quick battery drain: After removing Gmail, some Google Play Services processes may not work properly.Reboot your phone or reset the service cache to Settings → Annexes → Google Play Services → Warehouse → Clear the cache.

If none of these methods worked, you may have additional manufacturer restrictions on your Xiaomi model, leaving you with two options:

1. Get root permissions and delete Gmail via Titanium Backup or Root Explorer.
2. Install custom firmware (like LineageOS) where there are no pre-installed Google apps.

⚠️ Attention: Getting root rights or installing custom firmware will void the warranty on the device and may lead to unstable performance. On models with a locked bootloader (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T) This will require an official unlocker from Xiaomi, which takes up to 720 hours of waiting.

FAQ: Frequent questions

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If your goal is simply to get rid of notifications or save battery, just turn off sync and background activity (Section 1). Complete removal of Gmail is only justified if you do not use Google services or install custom firmware.