Owners of Redmi smartphones often face a situation where the device starts to work slower or discharge faster due to background processes. MIUI has a set of programs preinstalled that are not always necessary for the average user and consume valuable resources. Disabling unnecessary components is the first step to optimize the work of the gadget without the need to obtain superuser rights.
The Redmi 9 is based on a Helio G80 processor and has enough performance for everyday tasks, but an excess of active software can offset this potential. In this article, we will discuss standard methods of deactivation of programs, as well as more advanced methods of cleaning the system, you will learn which processes can be safely stopped and which cannot be touched.
Before we go into action, we need to understand the difference between deletion and deactivation: Deletion erases files from memory, whereas deactivation simply freezes the component, making it invisible to the system and the user, and this is especially true for system services, which cannot be simply deleted by standard means.
Analysis of resources consumed and identification of culprits
The first step in optimization should always be diagnostics, and you should not blindly turn off everything, because it can lead to unstable interfaces, you need to go into the settings and analyze the statistics of battery use and memory to find the most voracious processes.
To get to statistics, use the Settings → Battery and Performance path, which shows the discharge graph and the list of apps that have had the most impact on autonomy over the past day, and look at programs that you haven't even opened, but they're at the top of the list.
Also worth checking is Settings → Applications → All Apps, which shows how much space each program’s cache and data takes up, and it’s often the case that social media or messengers grow to gigabytes, taking up precious internal memory space.
It is important to distinguish between user software and system services from Google or Xiaomi. If you see a high charge charge charge charge on the MIUI or Google Play Services process, this may be a sign of a sync failure or an error in the system itself, rather than malicious activity.
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Before mass deaktivation of applications, take a screenshot of the current list of installed programs, which will help quickly restore the system to work if you accidentally turn off an important component.
Staff disabling user applications
The easiest and safest way to get rid of excess software is to use the built-in functionality of the MIUI shell. This method is suitable for all programs that were installed by the user from the Play Market store or Mi GetApps, as well as for some system applications that the manufacturer allows to deactivate.
The algorithm is simple enough and doesn't require any special knowledge, so you have to find the application you want in the list, go to the properties of the app, and press the button, and the system will alert you to the consequences if you try to shut down other dependent components.
☑️ Algorithm of disabling the application
It's worth noting that the "Disable" button can be inactive for critical system processes, and it's an Android security mechanism that prevents the operating system from breaking down, and if the button is gray, it means that you can't get rid of it by standard methods.
After successfully disabling the application icon disappears from the desktop and menu, and the process stops starting when the system starts, which frees up RAM and reduces the load on the processor, which is especially noticeable on budget models like the Redmi 9.
Working with system applications through ADB
To remove or disable system components that are hidden from the user in the usual settings, you will need to use the Android Debug Bridge toolkit (ADB). This method requires connecting the smartphone to the computer through USB-cable and availability of drivers.
The first step is to activate the developer mode. To do this, go to Settings → About Phone and click 7 times in a row on the “MIUI Version”. After the “You became a developer” sign appears, a new “Additional” or “Extended Settings” section will appear in the settings menu.
In the menu for developers, you need to include the item “Debug by USB”. When you connect to the computer, a request for debugging permission will appear on the smartphone screen – this must be confirmed, and it is recommended to select the USB mode “File Transfer (MTP)”.
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.systemAdSolutionThe above command is an example of how you can disable MIUI system advertising, which often interferes with users.The pm disable-user command does not remove the application physically, but makes it inactive for the current user, which is tantamount to deletion, but is safe for the system.
List of safe to disable Xiaomi packages
It is important to understand that using ADB gives you the rights to manage the system, but it is not full root access.You can not damage the bootloader or change system files, but improperly disabling critical services (for example, com.android.phone) can lead to loss of communication.
Background activity restriction and battery
Even if the app is not completely disabled, it can significantly limit its impact on the smartphone. MIUI has an aggressive energy management system that can be manually configured for each case.
Go to the app properties and select Battery, and there are three modes available: No Limits, Charge Saving, and Hard Savings. For background programs that should only work when opened, Hard Savings is ideal.
In austerity mode, the system will force the process to stop immediately after you roll the program window, which ensures that the app will not use GPS, microphone or internet in the background.
- 🔋 No restrictions: the application runs in the background constantly, receives notifications instantly (ideal for instant messengers).
- 🌿 Charge savings: The system decides when to limit activity based on usage patterns.
- 🛑 Hard savings: background activity is completely banned, notifications may not come.
Using these settings allows you to fine-tune the balance between functionality and autonomy, for example, for the navigator you can leave the standard settings, and for a game that hangs in the background, you can include a rigid restriction.
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Properly configuring the battery mode for each application can increase the Redmi 9’s life by 15-20% without losing core features.
Managing permissions and access to data
Another aspect of app control is the management of their rights, where many applications request access to contacts, microphones, cameras, and geolocations without real need, and restricting those rights not only increases productivity, but also increases security.
In the Settings → Privacy Protection → Permissions management section, you can see which applications have access to sensitive data, and it is recommended that you regularly check this list and revoke unnecessary rights.
| Type of permit | Risk | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Geolocation | High battery consumption, surveillance | Allow only when used |
| Microphone | Recording conversations, noise in the background | Only for calls and dictaphones. |
| Contacts | Leakage of personal information | Only for messengers and phone |
| Camera. | Hidden footage | Photo and video only |
Also worth paying attention to is the AutoStart item, which has a separate menu in MIUI where you can prevent apps from running with the operating system, which greatly speeds up the loading of the smartphone after turning on.
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Use the dual space feature in MIUI to create an isolated environment, which can put apps you don't trust and shut that space down completely when you don't need it.
Possible problems and solutions
Users may face various difficulties in optimizing, sometimes when a system component is turned off, the associated functions, such as a gallery or music, may stop working, and in such cases, you need to know how to get everything back.
If you have disabled the app through settings, it can easily be turned back on in the same menu. The "Disable" button will change to "Enable." However, if you have used ADB, the recovery process requires you to enter a command with the enable prefix instead of disable.
⚠️ Warning: If after shutting down any process, the smartphone starts to restart in a loop (bootloop), you need to boot into safe mode. To do this, when you turn on Redmi 9, press the volume button. In Safe Mode, all third-party and disabled applications do not work, which will remove the problem component.
A common problem is re-activating disabled applications after a system update. MIUI has the property of restoring its services after major updates. Therefore, after updating the firmware, the procedure for checking the settings is recommended to be repeated.
It’s also worth remembering that some system applications can take up space in the “Other” section of the storage, and turning them off doesn’t always reduce the amount of space they take up, since files remain on the disk but stop executing.