How to disable the application on Xiaomi: from standard to system

Modern Xiaomi smartphones running MIUI or HyperOS shells often come with pre-installed software that the user doesn’t always need. Many are wondering how to turn off the app on the shaomi to free up RAM, extend battery life, or simply remove unnecessary icons from the desktop. Standard removal methods are often not available for system components, which requires a deeper dive into the device’s settings.

The process of deactivation depends on whether the application is user- or system-based, with standard settings sufficient, while the second may require special tools like ADB (Android Debug Bridge), and it is important to understand the difference between deleting and disabling: the second action only hides the program and stops its processes, leaving files in memory in case of recovery.

In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available ways to stop the work of programs, from simple actions in the menu to advanced methods for experienced users. You will learn which services can not be touched, and which can be safely “freeze” without harming the smartphone.

Standard shutdown via Android settings

The safest and easiest way to stop a program is to use the built-in functionality of the operating system, which is suitable for most user applications and some system services that Xiaomi developer has authorized to deactivate.

You need to go to the application management menu first. The path may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI, but the general logic remains the same. Open Settings, find the Apps section, and select All Apps. In the list that opens, find the program you want.

Once you select a particular application, you'll see a Remove or Disable button, and if only the delete button is active, it's a regular user application, and if the delete button is not available (gray), but there's a turn off option, you have the system component.

• 📱 Click on the app icon in the list to open the information page.
• 🛑 The “Disable” button will replace the “Delete” button for system services.
• ⚙️ Confirm the action in the pop-up warning window.
• 🔄 After disabling the icon will disappear from the desktop and menu.

It’s worth noting that once turned off, the app stops updating through Google Play or GetApps, and also doesn’t consume traffic in the background.This is a great way to combat intrusive services that can’t be removed by standard methods.

Disabling System Applications through ADB

When the standard menu makes it impossible to disable an application, the Android developer Debug Bridge toolkit comes to the rescue, which allows you to manage packages at the system level, forcibly hiding them for the current user. This does not delete files physically, but makes the application invisible and inactive.

You will need a computer (Windows, macOS or Linux) to work), USB-Xiaomi cable and installed drivers. On the smartphone, you need to activate the developer mode. → About the phone and seven times quickly click on the version MIUI. Then in the advanced settings, turn on the debugging by USB.

After connecting the smartphone to the PC and confirming the connection on the phone screen, you can proceed to the commands. The main command to disable is as follows:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 name packet

Here, the packet name is the technical name of the application (e.g. com.miui.videoplayer), and you can find out the exact name of the package using the commands adb shell pm list packages or install the packet inspector application on the phone.

It is important to understand that disabling critical system components can cause the device to function unstable, for example, removing the system launcher or telephony service will make the smartphone unusable.

Use of the Debloat Tools app

For those who don’t want to work with the command line, there are graphical utilities like Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools or Universal Android Debloater.These programs automatically identify the connected device and offer a list of apps to remove or disable with clear descriptions.

The way these utilities work is similar to the manual way they work through ADB, but the interface is much simplified. You see a list of all the packages installed, often with notes on whether the application is safe to remove, which reduces the risk of an important system component being accidentally disabled.

• 🔌 Connect your smartphone and run the program on PC.
• 📋 Wait for the list of all installed packages to load.
• ✅ Select the boxes of the applications that you need to disable.
• 🗑️ Click the "Uninstall" or "Disable" button to apply the changes.

Using such tools allows you to quickly clear the system of pre-installed garbage (bloatware), which is often found in global firmware, but even in this case, it is recommended to back up important data.

💡

Graphics utilities are the best choice for beginners, as they minimize the risk of typing an erroneous command and contain safe packet removal bases.

Limitation of background activity and battery

If your goal is not to hide the application, but to prevent it from affecting performance and battery power, you can use the power saving settings. The MIUI shell has an aggressive background control system that can be manually configured.

Go to Settings → Battery. Here you can customize the behavior of each application. Select the desired software from the list and set a background activity limit. This will not turn off the application completely, but will prevent it from starting when you are not using it.

Also worth paying attention to the function "Out-Run". In the menu of the Applications → Permissions → Auto-Run can prevent programs from running with the operating system. This greatly speeds up the turn on of the smartphone.

For particularly intrusive applications, you can use Advanced Settings in the battery menu, where there is no restriction mode (which you need to uninstall) or, conversely, a strict restriction. Some versions of MIUI allow you to freeze applications in the Second Space folder or special mode.

Hidden functions and developer mode

There are additional management options hidden in Xiaomi’s settings, such as enabling developer mode to allow access to animation options and background process limits. Setting a back-end limit on “No Background Processes” may temporarily solve memory devouring problems, but it’s a radical measure.

Another method is to use a special code in the Phone app, where you can enter code ##64663## (or similar to your model) and you can use an engineering menu where you can test components, but you can't actually turn the applications off, but you can check the status of the sensors that can block the programs.

⚠️ Warning: Making changes to the engineering menu without a clear understanding of the functions can lead to equipment (camera, sound, communications) malfunctioning.

There's also a method of creating a "Second Space," which is creating a second isolated environment on your phone, so you can avoid installing unnecessary apps in the second space, leaving it clean, and switch between profiles as needed.

Possible risks and consequences

Before you turn off applications, it is worth assessing the risks. System components are often interconnected; disabling Google Play Services will disrupt maps, notifications and many third-party applications; disabling the system bootloader can lead to a cyclical restart (bootloop).

The table below gives examples of packages that can and cannot be touched:

Always check the destination of the packet on the Internet before turning it off via ADB. If after disabling any component the phone begins to behave strangely, you must execute a recovery command.

How to return a remote or disabled application

If you've been experimenting with something important, you can easily fix it, and if you use standard settings, just go back to the app menu, find the one that's disabled (it'll be marked with the appropriate status), and click the "Enable" button.

In the case of ADB, recovery is performed by the command:

adb shell pm enable name packet

Or a more complete version for the current user:

adb shell pm enable --user 0 name packet

This command will return the application to active state and it will reappear on the menu. If the application was removed completely (not just disabled), you will need to reinstall it through the menu. APK-file-store.

⚠️ Note: When resetting the phone to factory settings, all disconnected through ADB The only way to roll back changes without a computer if you forget what you turned off.

It is recommended to keep a text file with a list of packages that you have disabled, which will help you quickly restore the system if necessary and not guess which component caused the problem.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)