How to permanently disable unnecessary apps on Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro: safe ways

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro is one of the most popular mid-range smartphones, but even it suffers from an excess of pre-installed apps. MIUI, Xiaomi’s proprietary shell, is known for its aggressive approach to service integration: duplicate galleries, unnecessary system utilities, and advertising modules, all of which not only occupy precious space in memory, but also consume resources in the background, reducing battery life.

In this article, we will look at all possible ways to disable unnecessary applications, from standard MIUI functions to hidden settings for power users, you will learn which programs can be removed without consequences, and which are better to simply freeze.

Why can’t you just remove all the pre-installed apps?

MIUI is tightly tied to a number of system services, such as the Security app, which is responsible not only for antivirus, but also for managing permissions, cleaning cache, and even working on your fingerprint, and removing it will cause critical malfunctions in your smartphone.

  • πŸ“± Mi Account – without it, cloud backups and device search will not work
  • πŸ”„ Updater – responsible for system updates (deletion will block the possibility of upgrades) MIUI)
  • 🎡 Music – Despite its apparent uselessness, it is associated with system sound profiles

But there are also safe candidates for deletion, such as Mi Browser, Mi Video, Mi Pay, or Mi Community, that don't affect system stability, and that can be turned off or uninstalled without the risk of bricking the phone.

⚠️ Attention: On the Redmi Note 9 Pro with firmware MIUI 12.5+ Attempt to remove GetApps (theme store) via ADB may lead to error INSTALL_FAILED_INVALID_URI. In this case, use the disable method through settings, not complete deletion.

Method 1: Standard shutdown via MIUI settings

The simplest and safest method is to deactivate applications without deleting them, and it won't free up memory, but it will stop the background activity and remove the icons from the menu.

  1. Open Settings β†’ Applications β†’ Application Management.
  2. Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Show all apps.
  3. Find an unnecessary app (such as Mi Browser) and open the page.
  4. Click Disconnect β†’ Confirm.

Once disabled, the app will disappear from the menu, but will remain in the system, its data will be stored, and if necessary, you can activate it again in the same settings.

Unnecessary browsers (Mi Browser, Chrome)

Social Services (Facebook, Mi Community)

Game Turbo (if you are not playing)

Music players (Mi Music if you use Spotify)

-->

Method 2: Remove via ADB (for power users)

If a standard shutdown is not enough, you can completely remove unnecessary applications using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting the phone to a PC and enabling debugging mode.

Warning: misuse of ADB may disrupt the system. Before starting, back up your data through Settings β†’ Additional β†’ Backup and Reset.

  • πŸ–₯️ Install Platform Tools on PC.
  • πŸ“± On your phone, turn on Settings. β†’ The phone. β†’ Version. MIUI (Tap 7 times to activate the developer mode).
  • πŸ”Œ Connect the phone to the PC and type in the command line:
adb devices


adb shell pm list packages | grep 'miui'




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

The last command removes Mi Browser.Replace com.miui.browser with a package of another application (e.g. com.miui.video for Mi Video).The full package list for Redmi Note 9 Pro:

AnnexPacket nameCan I remove it?
Mi Browsercom.android.browserβœ… Yes.
Mi Videocom.miui.videoβœ… Yes.
Mi Paycom.mipay.walletβœ… Yes.
Mi Communitycom.xiaomi.channelβœ… Yes.
Security (Security)com.miui.securitycenter❌ No.

Mi Browser|Mi Video|Social media (Facebook, Mi Community)|Gaming Utilities (Game Turbo)|Other-->

Method 3: Using applications to β€œfreeze” (without root)

If ADB seems complicated, you can use third-party utilities that block unnecessary applications without removing them.

  • 🧊 App Quarantine – Creates a β€œquarantine zone” for applications, preventing them from running.
  • ❄️ Ice Box – Freezes programs, saving battery life.
  • πŸ”’ Package Disabler – This works on the principle ADB, but with a graphical interface.

Example of working with Ice Box:

  1. Download the app from Google Play.
  2. Provide access rights through Settings β†’ Special features β†’ Ice Box.
  3. Select unnecessary apps and click Freeze.

⚠️ Note: Redmi Note 9 Pro with MIUI 13+ Some utilities (such as Package Disabler) may not see system applications. ADB Update the firmware to the latest version.

Method 4: Hidden MIUI settings to disable ads and services

MIUI is known for integrated advertising that appears in system utilities, and can be disabled through hidden settings:

  1. Open the Settings. β†’ The phone.
  2. Slip 5 times on the MIUI version, then go back to the main settings menu.
  3. Go to Additional Settings β†’ Special Opportunities β†’ Advertising Services.
  4. Turn off the option of personalized advertising.

To completely remove advertising modules, perform in ADB:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.systemAdSolution

πŸ’‘

If virus notifications are missing after disabling the ad in Security, check the settings in Settings β†’ Applications β†’ Application Management β†’ Security β†’ Notifications and turn them on manually.

What if after removing the applications, the phone began to slow down?

In rare cases, incorrect removal of system components can lead to slowdowns or errors.

  • πŸ”„ Cache reset: Go to Settings β†’ Additionally. β†’ Recovery and discharge β†’ Clear the cache.
  • πŸ“₯ Reinstall Remote App: If you delete something important, download APK with APKMirror and install manually.
  • πŸ› οΈ Recovery via Fastboot: The extreme case is the firmware of the original MIUI via Mi Flash Tool.

⚠️ Note: On the Redmi Note 9 Pro with an unlocked bootloader, recovery via Fastboot can result in data loss.Always back up via TWRP Mi Backup.

How to check if the bootloader is unlocked?
Connect your phone to your PC, open the command line, and type: adb reboot bootloader If the bottom of the screen says UNLOCKED, the bootloader is unlocked. If LOCKED is locked.

FAQ: Frequent questions about disabling apps on Redmi Note 9 Pro

Can Google Play Services be removed without consequences?
No. Google Play Services is a critical component for most applications, including banking and mapping, and removing it will cause massive disruptions. The most you can do is disable auto-update via Settings β†’ Apps β†’ Google Play Services β†’ Notifications β†’ Auto-Update.
Why does it reappear after the Mi Browser is disabled?
It's a feature. MIUI: Some system applications recover from major updates. ADB to completely remove the package or disable auto-updates in Settings β†’ The phone. β†’ Updating the system β†’ Settings (βš™οΈ) β†’ Auto-downloading updates.
How to return the deleted application via ADB?
If you delete the application with pm uninstall, you can only restore it by flashing the phone or installing the APK manually (if possible). For system utilities like Security, the only option is to reset to factory settings via Settings β†’ Additional β†’ Restore and Reset β†’ Reset.
Will NFC work after Mi Pay is removed?
Yes, NFC is a hardware module that doesn’t depend on Mi Pay. You can use contactless payments via Google Pay or other apps. However, to work properly, NFC may need to be included in Settings β†’ Connections and Sharing β†’ NFC.

πŸ’‘

On the Redmi Note 9 Pro with MIUI 14+, some system applications (such as GetApps) cannot be removed even through ADB – they are protected by Xiaomi’s new security policy.