How to disable automatic updates Get Apps on Xiaomi smartphones

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often encounter an intrusive service called Get Apps. It is the official app store from the manufacturer, which is built into the shell of MIUI and HyperOS. It works in the background, constantly checking for new versions for installed programs, even if you downloaded them from Google Play or third-party sources. This behavior often annoys users, as it leads to increased traffic consumption, battery drain and unnecessary notifications.

Many users are wondering if it's possible to completely deactivate this process. The answer is yes, but MIUI is designed to make it as difficult as possible to turn off its services. Simply turning off the switchboard in the settings is usually not enough, since the system automatically turns it back on after rebooting. However, there are proven methods to limit the activity of this component at the system level.

In this article, we'll look at all the ways you can do it, from simple internal settings to advanced computer-based techniques, how to disable background activity, disable auto-updates, and even remove the system component without obtaining super-user rights. It's important to act consistently so that you don't disrupt the stability of the operating system.

Understanding the role of Get Apps in the MIUI ecosystem

Get Apps (formerly known as the Mi App Store) is an integral part of Xiaomi’s ecosystem, and unlike Google Play, it is primarily targeted at the Chinese market, where Google services are blocked. However, in global firmware versions, the store is also pre-installed by default, with the main task of providing an alternative source of software download and controlling application versions.

Often users confuse this store with a system firmware update. These are different processes. Get Apps is solely responsible for user applications: messengers, games, utilities. System updates are for the Android version or MIUI. Disabling the app store will not affect the security of the device, but can eliminate intrusive pop-ups.

⚠️ Note: Complete removal of system components through ADB It is recommended to try to limit their functionality through settings, without resorting to radical measures.

Why is Xiaomi pushing its store so hard? The main reason is monetization and analytics. Every time an app is updated through their servers, the company gets data about its software usage, and the store contains ad integrations that can be displayed as push notifications.

Basic Configuration of Restrictions Within the Application

The first and safest step is to use built-in restriction tools. It doesn't remove the app, but it reduces its activity significantly. You need to find the app store itself on the desktop or menu. The icon is usually an orange bag with the GetApps logo.

Once you start the app, go to the user profile by clicking on the person icon in the lower right corner. Then select Settings. Here we are interested in Auto Update. By default, it can be "Only through Wi-Fi" or "Always." You need to change this to No or Never.

Next, turn off notifications. In the same settings menu, look for Notifications. Uncheck all boxes, especially "Recommendations" and "Promotions." This will prevent annoying banners from appearing in the notification curtain. It's also worth checking the "General" section, where the "Show Updates When Unblocking" switch sometimes hides.

These actions do not guarantee 100% of the background processes stop, as system services can ignore the internal settings of the store, but for most users this is enough to stop receiving notifications about the availability of updates for dozens of applications.

Disconnection through Android system settings

If the store’s internal settings don’t work, you can use standard Android operating system tools, which force you to stop the process and clear the accumulated data, which often resets auto-update cycles.

Go to Settings for your smartphone. Find the Apps → All Apps section. Search Get Apps (may be called Apps or have a Xiaomi logo) in the list. Click on it to open the app information page.

There are two important steps to do here: first, click Stop. This will end the current process. Then select Memory and click Clear All. This will delete the cache and temporary files that can trigger updates.

• 🛑 Find AutoStart in the app menu and turn it off. This will prevent the app from running with the system.
• 🔋 Go to the Battery section (or "charge savings") and select "No restrictions" or "Strict restriction" mode so that the system kills the process when the screen is locked.
• 🔒 In the permissions menu, turn off location, contacts, and phone. The app store doesn't need that data to work.

After this, the system will try to start the service, but auto-run restrictions should prevent this, but in new versions of HyperOS, the mechanism of protecting system applications has become more aggressive, so the method may require repetition after each firmware update.

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Periodically check the list of working applications in the Memory section. If you see that Get Apps is consuming resources again, repeat the data cleanup procedure. This is more effective than constantly fighting with settings.

Using ADB for Deep Deactivation

The most effective way to do this, which works at the level of the Android package manager, is to use the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) debugging bridge, which allows you to freeze or delete the application for the current user without obtaining root rights.

First, you need to activate the developer mode. Go to Settings → About the phone. Find the MIUI Version (or OS Version) string and quickly click on it 7 times.

Now turn on the debugging. Go to Settings. → Advanced settings → For developers, find and activate Debugging by USB. Also turn on Debugging by USB (Security settings) if such a item is present (insert required) SIM-Cards and Mi Account Login).

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.xiaomi.mipicks

This command will remove the Get Apps store for the current user. If you want to return it, just execute the command: cmd package install-existing com.xiaomi.mipicks. It is important to understand that the physical files will remain in the system partition, but the system will assume that the application does not exist.

⚠️ Please be careful when putting commands into ADB. A bug in the packet name can cause critical system components to be removed, causing a cyclic reboot).

Once the command is completed, the application will disappear from the menu, you can check its status by trying to find it in the list of all applications, if the search does not yield results, the procedure is successful, auto-updates will not come again, because the executable file is blocked.

Blocking through DNS and Firewall

An alternative method that doesn't require a computer connection is to block the network activity of the application, and if the application can't connect to the server, it can't check versions and download updates, and you can use a built-in firewall or third-party applications like NetGuard or NoRoot Firewall to do this.

Install the selected firewall from Google Play. After launching, grant the application the necessary rights (usually you need to create a local firewall). VPN-In the list of applications, find Get Apps and deny him access to Wi-Fi and Mobile data.

You can also use ad-blocked DNS, such as AdGuard or personal DNS, in Android settings (Settings → Connection and Sharing → Personal DNS). Server address: dns.adguard.com. This will help cut off the advertising domains associated with the store.

The downside of the firewall method is that it can consume extra battery power, as it constantly analyzes passing traffic, and some system processes can bypass a local VPN if they are of high priority.

Possible problems and solutions

Users may encounter a number of challenges when disabling updates. MIUI is known for its aggressive policy of returning to factory service settings. For example, after a major firmware update, all your settings can be reset and Get Apps will start working again.

A common problem is that you may have an "unable to access" error when you try to use ADB. Make sure your smartphone has USB debugging enabled and File Transfer mode selected. Also check if the ADB driver is installed on your computer.

• 🔄 Cyclical Appearance: If the app reappears, try disabling the service MSA (MIUI System Ads in a similar manner through ADB. He's often a trigger.
• 📉 Performance drop: In rare cases, blocking system packages causes lags. The solution is a complete reset of the phone's settings (Wipe Data) after applying all locks.
• 🚫 Refusal to install: Some applications may require a Xiaomi store to work properly (rarely, but it happens in regional versions).In this case, use the firewall method instead of completely removing it.

If none of these methods work, the only thing left is waiting for a firmware update, where Xiaomi can provide an official switch, but with the release of HyperOS, the company, on the contrary, has increased the integration of its services.

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Combining methods gives you the best result. Use ADB to remove, and firewall as insurance against reactivation after a firmware update.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)