Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO MIUI-based smartphones often come with pre-installed applications that are not always needed by the user. Some can be removed by standard means, others can only be turned off, and others continue to work in the background, consuming battery power and traffic. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to turn off applications on Xiaomi devices in 2026, including hidden system services and nuances for different versions of MIUI 14/15.
It is important to understand the difference between deleting, disabling and stopping an application:
- ποΈ Delete β completely erase the program from the device (possibly not for all preinstalled applications).
- βοΈ Disconnection β the application remains in the system, but does not start or update.
- βΈοΈ Stop β temporary shutdown (until the next system restart or manual start-up).
If you find that the application itself turns on after a reboot or does not appear in the list to remove, this is not a bug, but a feature of MIUI. The manufacturer limits the ability of users to work with system components, but there are still workarounds.
1. Standard removal of applications through the menu
The easiest way to get rid of unwanted software is to remove it through system settings, which works for most user applications (installed from Google Play or Mi App Store), as well as for some pre-installed programs that Xiaomi allows to uninstall.
To remove the app:
- Open Settings β Applications β Application Management.
- In the list, find the desired application and tap on it.
- Press the Remove button (if it is active).
If the Remove button is inactive or not, then the application is system-based and requires other methods of disabling, in which case you will only see the options to Stop, Disable or Remove updates (for built-in Google services).
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Before removing it, check if the application is critical to the system, for example, removing Mi Share or Security can cause a malfunction of the smartphone.
2. disabling pre-installed applications (without root)
Many Xiaomi system applications canβt be removed, but they can be disabled so they donβt run or consume resources.This method works without superuser rights (root) and is suitable for most models, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and Xiaomi 13.
Instructions for unsetting:
- Go to Settings β Applications β Application Management.
- Select an app from the list (e.g. Mi Video, Mi Music, Browser).
- Click Disable (button will appear if deletion is not available).
- Confirm the action in the dialog window.
Application disabled:
- π« It will not appear on the menu and on the desktop.
- π Will not receive automatic updates.
- π΅ Can't start in the background.
- π May be activated again after resetting settings or update MIUI.
What to do if the βDisableβ button is inactive?
3. Stop applications through settings
If you can't delete or disable an application, but it's actively consuming battery or traffic, you can force it to stop, and this is a temporary method, where once you restart the device or manually start the program, it will start working again.
How to stop the application:
- Open Settings β Applications β Application Management.
- Select the app you want (e.g. Facebook, Mi Browser).
- Click Stop (the button may be called Forced Stop).
- Confirm the action.
Please note:
- β οΈ Some system processes (such as Android System or Miui Daemon) cannot be stopped, and this will cause a failure.
- π After stopping, the application will not send notifications or use the Internet.
- π± In some models (for example, POCO F5) After stopping, the application can automatically restart in a few minutes.
Mi Browser|Mi Video|Mi Music|Facebook and social media|Games|Others-->
4. Removal of system applications via ADB (without root)
For power users, there is a way to completely remove system applications without obtaining root permissions β through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which works on all Xiaomi devices with the bootloader unlocked and USB debugging enabled.
Warning:
β οΈ Attention! Deletion of system applications can lead to unstable smartphone operation, errors when updating MIUI or complete loss of functionality of certain modules (e.g., cameras or NFC). Before executing commands, make a backup copy of the data!
Step-by-step:
- Turn on Developer Mode (7 times tap the MIUI version in Settings β About Phone).
- Activate USB Debugging in Settings β Additional β For developers.
- Connect your smartphone to your PC, install ADB drivers and open the command line.
- Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices (should display the serial number of the device).
- Delete the application by command (example for Mi Browser): adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.browser
List of popular removal packages:
| Annex | Packet name | Can I remove it? |
|---|---|---|
| Mi Browser | com.android.browser | β Yes. |
| Mi Music | com.miui.player | β Yes. |
| Mi Video | com.miui.videoplayer | β Yes. |
| Cleaner (Cleaning) | com.miui.cleanmaster | β οΈ Partially (may disrupt the optimization) |
| Security (Security) | com.miui.securitycenter | β No (critically for the system) |
Install ADB drivers on PC| Enable USB debugging on your phone | Download ADB platform (e.g. Minimal ADB) | Backup data | Check the name of the application package-->
5. Use of third-party utilities (with root)
If your Xiaomi has superuser rights (root), you can use specialized utilities to deep clean the system.
Top 3 Utility to Remove System Applications:
- π οΈ Titanium Backup β allows you to freeze or remove any applications, including system ones, with the possibility of recovery.
- π§Ή System App Remover β a simple interface for uninstalling embedded programs.
- π Root App Deleter β Supports batch removal and keyword search.
How to Work with Titanium Backup:
- Install the utility from Google Play and provide root access.
- Go to the Backup/Restore tab.
- Find an unnecessary app in the list and tap it.
- Choose Freeze (temporary shutdown) or Remove (complete erasure).
β οΈ Attention! Deletion of system components (e.g. com.qualcomm.qti or com.xiaomi.finddevice) may result in loss of module functionality. NFC, Bluetooth or GPS. Before removing, check the purpose of the package in specialized forums (for example, XDA Developers).
6. How to return a disabled or deleted application
If you have problems after disabling or uninstalling the application (for example, notifications stopped working, the camera does not open or Mi Account does not work), it can be restored.
Restore the disabled application:
- Go to Settings β Applications β Application Management.
- Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Show all apps.
- Find the application that is disabled (it will be marked in gray).
- Press Enable.
Recovery of Remote System Application:
- π Reset to factory settings β will return all pre-installed programs, but delete user data.
- π₯ Hand-mounted APK β If you have a backup of the application file (for example, com.miui.gallery.apk), can be installed through ADB: adb install com.miui.gallery.apk
- π§ Fastboot Flashing β a radical method that returns the device to its original state.
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If after removing the system application, the smartphone stopped booting, try to enter the recovery mode and reset. In extreme cases, you will need to flash through the Mi Flash Tool.
7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them
When working with disabling or uninstalling applications, users often face typical problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to solve them:
Error 1: The application itself turns on after restarting
- πΉ Reason: Some system services (Miui Daemon, SecurityCenter) automatically restore disabled components.
- πΉ Solution: Use ADB To remove the app completely or freeze it via Titanium Backup (root required).
Error 2: You canβt disable or delete Google Play Services
- πΉ Reason: This is a critical component of Googleβs services, and removing it will disrupt the Play Market, Gmail, and other apps.
- πΉ Solution: Instead of deleting, disable auto-update in Settings β Annexes β Google Play Services β Remove updates.
Error 3: After deletion, notifications stopped working
- πΉ Reason: It is likely that the com.xiaomi.xmsf app (responsible for push notifications in the app) was removed or disabled. MIUI).
- πΉ Solution: Restore the application via Titanium Backup or reset settings.
β οΈ Attention! If you delete an application associated with Mi Account (e.g. com.xiaomi.account), you will not be able to log in to Xiaomi account and use cloud services.