How to completely disable or uninstall applications on Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro is one of the most popular mid-range smartphones, but its MIUI firmware is known for its abundance of pre-installed apps. Many of them not only take up space in memory, but also consume battery power while working in the background. In this article, we will examine all possible ways to disable or remove unnecessary programs, from standard system functions to hidden settings for power users.

It is important to understand the difference between deletion (complete erasure of application files), disabling (saving data) and stopping (temporary blocking of background processes). Not all methods are available on the Redmi Note 9 Pro with factory-based superuser-free firmware (ROOT) - we will specify the limitations for each method.

This article is relevant for all versions of MIUI 12/13/14 based on Redmi Note 9 Pro (codename joyeuse).If your smartphone is running on custom firmware (for example, LineageOS or Pixel Experience), some of the instructions may not apply - specify the details in the documentation of your firmware.

1. Standard disabling of applications through MIUI settings

The safest and most recommended way is to use built-in tools, which is suitable for most pre-installed applications (Google Play Music, Mi Browser, Mi Video, etc.), but does not work for mission-critical services (for example, com.android.phone or com.miui.securitycenter).

To disable the application:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the All Apps tab (only user-generated ones are shown by default).
3. Find the right app in the list (use a title search).
4. Click on it and select Disable (the button will be active if the application can be deactivated).

After deactivation, the annex:

• 🔴 Disappears from the menu and desktop.
• 📵 Stop receiving updates through Google Play.
• ⚡️ It will not consume battery power in the background.
• 📥 Save your data (cache and files) on the device.

⚠️ Note: Some system applications (such as Mi Security or Cleaner) may cause a malfunction after the shutdown. If errors occur after the deactivation, return the application to its original state via the same button Enable.

2. Removal of updates for system applications

Many pre-installed programs (Google Play Store, YouTube, Gmail) can’t be removed completely, but you can return them to the factory version, saving space. This is especially useful if the application was updated through the Play Market and now takes up hundreds of megabytes.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (like Google Chrome).
3. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Remove Updates.
4. Confirm the action in the dialog window.

After that:

• 📉 The application will return to the version that was preinstalled on the smartphone.
• 🔒 Automatic updates will be blocked (but you can manually enable them in the Play Market).
• 🔄 Features may decrease (e.g., an outdated version of YouTube does not support new video formats).

3.Use ADB to remove system applications (without ROOT)

If standard methods don’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a debugging tool that allows you to remove system applications without obtaining superuser rights, which requires connecting your smartphone to your computer, but does not violate the warranty.

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on your computer (Windows, macOS or Linux).
2. Turn on the smartphone Developer Mode: go to Settings → About phone and 7 times click on the MIUI version.
3. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
4. Connect the Redmi Note 9 Pro to your computer USB-cable (use the original cable for a stable connection).
5. Open the command prompt (or Terminal) in the adb.exe folder and execute the commands:

adb devices


adb shell




pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.example.app

Replace com.example.app with the batch name of the app, and you can find out by using the command:

pm list packages | grep 'appendix name'

Examples of packet names of popular applications:

• 🌐 Mi Browser: com.android.browser or com.miui.browser
• 🎵 Mi Music: com.miui.player
• 📺 Mi Video: com.miui.videoplayer
• 📱 Facebook: com.facebook.katana

⚠️ Note: Deleting some system packages (e.g. com.miui.securitycenter) may make it impossible to boot the system. → System system → Backup or third-party utilities like TWRP.

4. Hiding apps from the menu (without deleting)

If you don't want to delete an app, but it's in the menu, you can hide it, and it doesn't save disk space or stop background processes, but it makes the interface cleaner. There are two ways to hide it in MIUI:

Method 1: Through the launcher

1. Open the application menu (swipe up the desktop).
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Hide Apps.
3. Check the unneeded programs and click Ready.

Method 2: Through settings (for system applications)

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the app and click Hide (not available for all programs).

Hidden annexes:

• 👁️ Not displayed in menu and search.
• 🔍 Stay in Settings. → Annexes.
• 📱 You can run through Google Assistant or third-party launchers (like Nova Launcher).
• 🔄 You can return visibility in the same settings.

💡

If you use Nova Launcher or another alternative launcher, hiding apps can be configured more flexibly: for example, create a separate folder for unnecessary programs or remove them from search altogether.

5. Stop background processes (without disconnection)

Some apps can't be disabled or removed, but you can force them to stop, which is a temporary measure -- after you reboot your smartphone, the processes will start again, but it will save you battery power here and now.

How to stop the application:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (such as Mi Security or Cleaner).
3. Press Forced Stop.
4. Confirm the action in the dialog window.

What the stop does:

• ⚡️ Battery consumption for background tasks is stopped.
• 📵 The app stops sending notifications.
• 🔄 After restarting or manually starting, processes will resume.
• 📊 In some cases, the work of the associated services may be disrupted (for example, stopping Google Play Services will break the geolocation).

To automatically stop unnecessary processes, you can use utilities like Greenify (requires ROOT for full functionality) or the built-in Power Saving Mode in Settings → Battery.

6. Complete removal of applications by ROOT-rights

If you are willing to take radical measures and get ROOT-This allows you to completely remove any application, including system applications, and this method requires you to unlock the bootloader and install a custom recaveri (TWRP), which cancels the warranty and may result in data loss.

Main steps:

1. Unlock the bootloader through the official Mi Unlock Tool (requires a binding Mi Account and wait 7-14 days).
2. Install TWRP Recovery for Redmi Note 9 Pro (the version should match your model!).
3. Download a utility to remove system applications, such as System App Remover (requires ROOT).
4. In the utility, mark unnecessary applications and click Remove.

Advantages of the method:

• 🗑️ Complete removal of application files (free up disk space).
• 🔧 Ability to remove even critical system packages (but at risk for stability).
• 🔄 You can return remote applications through backup TWRP.

⚠️ Attention: Removing the following packages may render your smartphone inoperable: com.android.phone (Telephony) com.android.settings (Settings) com.miui.home (Luncher) MIUI) com.qualcomm.qti.telephonyservice (Qualcomm Modem) Before removing, check for dependencies manually or use tools like Link2SD.

7. Alternative methods: freezing and debloating

If deleting or disabling is not appropriate, consider alternative methods:

1 Freeze via Titanium Backup

• Demands. ROOT-rights.
• The application “freezes” – does not work, but its files remain in place.
• You can defrost at any time.

2. Debloating through custom firmware

• Firmware like LineageOS or Pixel Experience go without preinstalled garbage.
• Requires unlocking the bootloader and installing via TWRP.
• Risk of loss of functionality (for example, the camera may work worse than on stock firmware).

3.Use of the Xposed Framework

• Allows you to block application components without removing them.
• It requires ROOT and a compatible version of MIUI.
• The AppOpsXposed module gives you fine-tuning permissions for each application.

For users without ROOT, Package Disabler (which works through ADB and does not require superuser rights) allows you to disable system packages, but does not remove them completely.

FAQ: Frequent questions about disabling apps on Redmi Note 9 Pro