How to completely disable Google Play Market on Xiaomi: all working methods

Google Play Market is an integral part of the Android ecosystem, but it's not always necessary on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, and you might want to limit your child's access to the store, save battery life, or just prefer alternative app sources. Unlike iOS, where you can't remove the App Store without jailbreaking, there are several legal ways to disable or hide Google services on MIUI.

It’s important to understand that you can’t completely remove the Play Market without superuser rights, it’s a system application integrated into firmware. However, it can be deactivated, hidden from the menu, blocked updates, or restricted through parental control. In this article, we’ll break down all the current methods for MIUI 14/15 (including HyperOS), and also talk about the nuances for different models, from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

Why you can’t just remove Play Market from Xiaomi

Play Market is not a regular app, but part of Google Mobile Services (GMS), which are pre-installed on all certified Android devices. On Xiaomi, this applies to all global versions of smartphones (marked Global in the model name).

• 🔒 System protection: Play Market has the status of a privileged application that blocks its removal without root rights.
• 🔄 Auto-Recovery: Even if you disable the app through settings, the system can automatically return it the next time you update. MIUI.
• 📦 Dependencies: Some features (such as push notifications or geolocation) may not work properly without Google services.

However, there are workarounds, such as the Chinese versions of Xiaomi (without GMS) Play Market is initially absent — it can only be installed manually. If your smartphone is purchased in China, you may want to use a method that completely replaces firmware with a global one without GMS (for more information, see the MIUI Fastboot section).

⚠️ Warning: Disabling Play Market may disrupt other applications that rely on Google services (such as Gmail, YouTube, or banking apps.

Method 1: Disable Play Market through MIUI settings

The easiest and safest method is to deactivate the application, and it won't remove it completely, but it will hide it from the menu and stop the background processes. MIUI 12-15 and HyperOS:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search box, enter the Play Market (or Google Play Store on Russian firmware).
3. Slip on the application, then select Disable (or Deactivate).
4. Confirm the action in the pop-up window.

After that, the Play Market icon will disappear from the home screen and from the app menu.

• 🔍 The application will remain in the list All applications in the settings.
• 🔄 It may be activated again after the update. MIUI.
• 📥 Updates to other apps via Play Market will be unavailable.

Make a backup copy of important data|Check the list of dependent applications|Make sure you have an alternative source of apps (APKMirror, Aurora Store)|Remember the password from your Google account in case of recovery-->

Method 2: Remove updates and block them via ADB

If you want to not just disable, but return the Play Market to the factory version (without updates), use Android Debug Bridge (ADB).

First, turn on USB debugging:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the MIUI version to activate Developer Mode.
3. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.

Next, connect your smartphone to your PC and execute commands in the terminal (or PowerShell for Windows):

adb devices


adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.vending




adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.vending




adb shell pm clear com.android.vending

These teams:

• 📉 Remove all Play Market updates (return to factory version).
• 🚫 Disable the application for the current user.
• 🧹 Clear the cache and data.

⚠️ Note: After rebooting your device, Play Market may reappear if the system deems it critical. To avoid this, block automatic updates via Settings. → Annexes → Google Play Store → Notifications → Disable updates.

Savings in battery charge|Restriction of access for the child|Use alternative stores (APKMirror, Aurora)|I don't like Google's services.|Other-->

Method 3: Parental Control and Access Restriction

If the goal is to block the Play Market for your child without completely turning it off, use the built-in MIUI tools:

1. Go to Settings → Special Features → Parental Controls (or Digital Well-Being on newer versions).
2. Create a profile of your child and install it. PIN-code.
3. In the Application Limitations section, find the Play Market and set a time limit or block it completely.

Alternatively, use the Google Family Link:

• 📱 Install Family Link on your smartphone and your child’s device.
• 🔒 Set up restrictions for the Play Market (e.g., require approval for each installation).
• ⏰ Set a time limit for using the store.

The advantage of this method is flexibility: you can unlock access temporarily (for example, to install a training application) without completely disabling Google services.

💡

If your child is trying to bypass restrictions through guest mode, turn it off in Settings → System → Multiplayer mode.

Method 4: Install custom firmware without GMS

For advanced users willing to sacrifice a warranty, there is a radical method: MIUI firmware without Google services.

• 🇨🇳 Chinese versions of Xiaomi (e.g. Redmi) K60 Pro where the Play Market is not originally available.
• 📱 Devices with unlocked loader (bootloader).
• 🛠️ Smartphones that you are ready to lose access to official updates.

The most popular firmware without GMS:

The firmware process includes:

1. Unlock the bootloader through the Mi Unlock Tool (requires waiting 7-15 days for new accounts).
2. Install custom recovery (TWRP or OrangeFox)
3. Firmware selected ROM through recovery.

⚠️ Note: Unofficial firmware voids the warranty and may result in a device blocking (brick) if you interrupt the process or use an inappropriate firmware version. XDA Developers or 4PDA for your model.

Method 5: Use of alternative stores

If you are not happy with the Play Market but do not want to turn it off, consider alternatives:

• 🛒 Aurora Store – open client for Play Market with anonymous access (does not require a Google account).
• 📦 APKMirror - Official Repository APK-virus-checking files.
• 🌍 F-Droid – Open source store (free apps only).
• 🇨🇳 APKPure – a popular store in Asia with a wide catalog.

To install the Aurora Store (recommended option):

1. Download APK from the official website.
2. Allow installation from unknown sources in Settings → Applications → Special Access → Install unknown applications.
3. Install the Aurora Store and set up an anonymous sign-in (without a Google account).

Advantages of Aurora Store:

• 🔒 No tracking (can be used without an account).
• 📥 Automatic application updates.
• 🛡️ Blocking advertising in applications (optional).

What to do if the Play Market itself is turned on after the shutdown

Some users are faced with the fact that the Play Market is automatically activated after:

• 🔄 Updates MIUI.
• 📱 Resetting the device.
• 🔧 Resetting settings.

Decisions:

1. Freeze via ADB (more reliable option than shutdown): adb shell pm hide com.android.vending This command hides the application even from the system.
2. Use Tasker: Create a task that will automatically turn off the Play Market when you start. Set a trigger for the event Download the device.
3. Remove via Magisk (requires root): Install Universal GMS Doze or DisableForceEncrypt. Use Magisk Module Manager to remove com.android.vending.

If nothing works, consider rolling back on an older version of MIUI, where Google's policies are less aggressive.For example, on MIUI 12, the Play Market shutdown worked more consistently than on MIUI 14+.

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On HyperOS devices (such as Xiaomi 14), disabling the Play Market can lead to errors in the Google Play Services, in which case it is better to use the method of parental control or the use of the Internet. ADB-commands.

FAQ: Frequent questions about shutting down Play Market on Xiaomi