How to disable unnecessary apps on Xiaomi Redmi 4X

Xiaomi Redmi smartphones are deservedly popular due to their excellent price-performance ratio, but standard MIUI firmware is often overloaded with pre-installed software. Owners of the Redmi 4X model, released back in 2017, face a lack of RAM and slowdown due to a variety of background processes, many of which are run by system services that the user cannot uninstall using standard methods through settings.

Disabling the spare parts is not just a way to free up space on the internal drive, but also an effective way to extend the battery life of the device. System debris can consume up to 20% of battery life per day, working in the background and collecting analytical data. In this article, we will discuss safe ways to deactivate the shell components that do not require superuser rights.

Before you start manipulating, it’s important to understand the difference between regular applications and system services. While the former can be simply removed, the latter require a forced stop or disable procedure through special tools. The Redmi 4X model is based on a Snapdragon 435 processor, which is sensitive to the number of active streams, so cleaning up autoboot is critical.

Analysis of pre-installed software and its impact on the system

MIUI is famous for its aggressive approach to keeping users in the ecosystem, offering a host of built-in services from Yandex, Google and the company’s own developments. On Redmi 4X, these applications occupy a substantial part of the System partition, which is not available for normal cleaning.

The main problem is that many of these programs have deep system privileges: Trying to standardly remove them through the Settings menu → Applications is often blocked by the system with the message that it is a critical component.

Special attention should be paid to the ad modules that are built into system utilities like Explorer, Music or Security, which not only annoy with pop-ups, but also constantly access the network, consuming traffic and CPU resources, and disabling these components makes the interface cleaner and more responsive.

Basic cleaning through standard settings

Optimization starts with the simplest steps that don't require a computer connection or third-party software installation. There's a section in your smartphone settings that allows you to deactivate some of the user applications that the manufacturer installed during assembly, a safe first step for inexperienced users.

To start, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. Here is the full list of installed software. Find apps you don’t use, such as Google Movies, YouTube (if you watch videos through your browser), or various games from third-party developers. Click on the program name and select Remove or Disable.

If the delete button is inactive (gray), it means that the application is system-based, in which case you can try to clear its data and cache, which sometimes helps to free up some space, although it does not stop the process completely.

Turning them off will require more advanced techniques, as discussed below, but even a simple cleaning of user debris can dramatically speed up the Redmi 4X.

Using ADB for deep cleaning of the system

The most effective and safe way to remove system debris without obtaining Root-rights is to use the Android Debug Bridge debugging bridge (ADB). This method allows you to send commands directly to the operating system, bypassing the interface constraints. You will need a computer (Windows, macOS or Linux) and USB-cable.

The first step is to activate the developer mode on your smartphone. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly tap 7-10 times on the MIUI Version line until you notice that you have become a developer. Then, in the Advanced Settings menu → For developers, turn on Debugging over USB.

⚠️ Note: Before starting work, make sure to back up important data. ADB considered safe, erroneous removal of system components may cause unstable operation of the device.

Once you connect your smartphone to your PC and install the drivers, open the command line in the ADB tool folder. Enter the adb device command to check the connection. The phone screen will have a debugging permission request that you need to confirm. Now you're ready to delete the packets.

To remove or disable a particular packet, the command is used:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 name packet

Where the packet name is the technical name of the application (e.g. com.miui.videoplayer). -k Stores data and cache in case of recovery, and the flag --user 0 removes the application only for the current user without affecting the system partition, which makes it easy to return everything back.

List of system processes to disable

Redmi 4X owners should be especially careful when choosing uninstall packages, as some services are responsible for the phone's basic functionality. Below is a table with the most common components that can be safely deactivated to free up resources.

The com.xiaomi.joyose suite is also worth noting, and it's often responsible for advertising notifications and gaming services. On older devices like the Redmi 4X, it can put a lot of strain on the processor, and if you're not a hardcore gamer, it's good for the system to turn it off.

You should also consider turning off Google services if you don’t use them, but be careful: removing com.google.android.gms (Google Play Services) will render most modern applications, including cards and bank clients, inoperable. It is better to limit yourself to removing specific Google apps like Play Music or Google. TV.

Combating Advertising and System Notifications

One of the main reasons for wanting to clean a smartphone is the intrusive ads built into the MIUI shell, which appears in standard applications like Explorer, Downloads, and even the settings menu, and fortunately, most of these features can be manually disabled without using ADB.

First, you need to deactivate the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Access to personal data. Go to the msa list and turn off the slider. The system will ask you to wait 10 seconds, then confirm the action. If the first time failed, try repeating the procedure several times.

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If the MSA slider doesn't turn off on the first try, turn off the internet on your smartphone, turn off the service, and then turn the network back on. This often helps bypass server checks.

Next, go through the built-in apps. In File Manager, go to settings and turn off Receive recommendations. Similar steps should be taken in the Security, Music and Themes apps, and in each of them, you should find the section associated with recommendations or notifications in the settings and remove the ticks.

Another effective method is to disable personalized ads in your account settings. Go to Settings → Mi Account → Mi Cloud → Advertising (the path may vary depending on the version of MIUI) and disable personalization. This will not remove the ads completely, but will make them less intrusive and relevant.

Recovery of Remote Components and Problem Solving

Sometimes, after cleaning the system, users are faced with a situation where they have deleted something that is superfluous, and now they need to return everything as it was (--user 0), It is easy to recover the packets even if they have been removed from the ADB.

To restore any system application, use the command:

adb shell cmd package install-existing name packet

This command will return the application to the list of installed for your user. If you accidentally deleted a critical component, causing a bootloop (cyclic reboot), you may need to reset to the factory settings via Recovery Mode.

⚠️ Note: If after removing the packets the phone stopped turning on, press the Volume button. + and Power to log in to Recovery. Select Wipe Data (all data will be deleted!).

To avoid problems in the future, keep a list of deleted packets. Before starting a mass cleanup, create a text file on your computer where you write down the names of the packets you have disabled, which will quickly find the culprit if the system starts to behave incorrectly.

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The ADB method with the --user 0 flag is reversible. You can always restore a remote system application with the install-existing command without having to reflash the phone.

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