How to Disable Xiaomi Standard Apps: The Complete Guide

Modern Xiaomi smartphones, which are powered by MIUI shells or the new HyperOS, often come with an impressive list of preinstalled software. Many of these programs, such as Mi Browser, GetApps or various analytics services, not only take up precious memory space, but also consume CPU resources, reducing the overall autonomy of the device. Users who want a clean interface and maximum performance often look for ways to get rid of this digital garbage.

The process of removing or, more correctly, disabling system components requires careful attention, since careless actions can lead to unstable operation of the operating system. Unlike conventional application unloading, here we will use deeper methods of packet management. Disabling standard applications is the first step to customizing your gadget without the need to obtain superuser rights (Root).

In this detailed guide, we will discuss secure methods for deactivating embedded services, explain the difference between deletion and freezing, and provide ready-made commands for the Android Debug Bridge tool. You will learn to distinguish critical system processes from advertising modules, which will allow you to customize the phone to your needs, while maintaining the stability of all basic functions.

Analysis of pre-installed software and risks

Before we take action, we need to be clear about what we are fighting against. All embedded programs can be divided into three categories: mission-critical system components, manufacturer’s functional applications, and third-party advertising software. System components such as com.android.systemui or Google Play services, you can absolutely not touch – this will lead to a cyclical restart (bootloop).

The second group is Xiaomi’s proprietary utilities: Mi Video, Mi Music, GetApps. They are safe to remove if you plan to use alternatives from the Google Play Market. However, it is worth remembering that some system functions, such as a gallery or a guide, can be strictly tied to standard applications. If you delete the standard gallery, screenshots may stop saving or opening.

⚠️ Warning: Before any manipulations, be sure to create a complete backup of the data. Even with safe disabling methods, there is minimal risk of resetting or loss of personal data in the event of an unforeseen error.

The third category is hidden analytics and advertising services, like MSA, which are responsible for pop-ups in system applications, and turning them off is a priority for most users, and it's important not to confuse them with security services or cloud storage if you use them.

Preparing the smartphone for debugging

To manage system packages through a computer, we'll need to activate the hidden developer mode. Without this step, connecting to the ADB debugging interface will be impossible. The preparation process takes only a couple of minutes, but requires careful clicking on menu items.

First, go to the settings menu and find About Phone, and you need to quickly click on MIUI or HyperOS seven times until the notification “You’ve become a developer” appears, and then a new section will appear in the main settings menu, “Additional” or “Extended settings”, where you need to find “Developers”.

• 📱 Turn on the debugging switch. USB developer menu.
• 🔌 Connect your smartphone to your computer through high-quality USB-cable.
• ✅ On the phone screen, a request for debugging permission will appear - be sure to click "OK" or "Allow».

Now you need to install the Platform Tools on your computer. This is the official Google package containing adb and fastboot utilities. Download the archive from the Android developer site, unpack it in a convenient folder (for example, C:\adb) and open the command line in this directory.

Disconnection method through ADB (No Root rights)

The most effective and safe way to remove the excess is to use the command line ADB. This method does not require unlocking the bootloader or obtaining superuser rights, which preserves the warranty on the device. The essence of the method is to send a command to the system asking to change the state of the packet to “disabled for the current user”.

After successfully connecting the device (the status of the device in the command adb devices), you can proceed to delete.

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 name packet

Here, the packet name is replaced with a specific application identifier, such as com.miui.misystem. -k Stores the cache and application data in case you want to restore it in the future, and --user 0 indicates that deletion is only for the main user profile, without affecting the system partition.

If you make a mistake or an application stops working correctly, you can always reactivate it.

adb shell cmd package install-existing name packet

This feature makes ADB preferable to complete removal through Root rights, since the risk of “bricking” the phone is reduced to an absolute minimum.

Use of ADB AppControl graphical ulets

For those who don't want to mess with manual commands, there are handy graphical shells. One of the most popular and functional programs is ADB AppControl. It automatically scans the connected smartphone, determines the model, the version of Android, and shows a list of all packages installed with clear names.

The program's interface is divided into tabs that display system, user and hidden applications, and the uniqueness of the utility is that it labels applications in color: green for safe removal, yellow for safe removal, red for critical, which greatly reduces the risk of accidental removal of an important component.

When working with ADB AppControl, you just need to select the right lines in the list and click on the “Switch off” or “Delete” button, the program itself will generate and send the necessary commands to the device, and it also allows you to create restore points for the entire application system, which is a huge plus for experimenters.

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Use the Search feature in shells by entering a brand name (such as Facebook or TikTok) to quickly find and remove third-party software that is often preinstalled in global firmware versions.

Disabling Advertising and System Services

One of the main goals of cleaning the system is to combat intrusive advertising, which is the responsibility of MSA (Mi System Ads) in the Xiaomi ecosystem, and its disabling through ADB works wonders: banner ads in standard applications disappear, sentences in the download menu and settings stop popping up.

In addition to MSA, the analytics service com.miui.analytics collects data about the device’s usage and sends it to the company’s servers, and while it’s not technically an advertising module, turning it off has a positive effect on privacy and slightly reduces network activity in the background.

• 🚫 com.miui.msa.global – the main advertising agent, delete first of all.
• 📊 com.miui.analytics – collection of usage statistics, safe to disable.
• 🌐 com.android.browser – built-in browser with news feed, replaced with Chrome or Firefox.
• 🎵 com.miui.player and com.miui.videoplayer are standard media players, you can remove if you use third-party media players.

It is important to note that in newer versions of HyperOS, some packages may have changed names or be merged into system libraries. If you have left ads after you turn off the MSA, check the settings of specific applications (such as Explorer or Music) and turn off the Receive Recommendations manually inside them.

⚠️ Warning: Do not delete the com.miui.securitycenter package, even if you do not use it, it is necessary for the operation of permissions, call blocker and memory cleanup.

Recovery of Remote Components

The situations are different: the application was deleted by mistake, the system started to work unstable, or the new owner of the phone does not know the password from the account from which the changes were made, either way, the mechanism of disconnection through ADB is reversible, and everything is returned as quickly as possible.

The easiest way to do this is to reconnect to your computer and use the installation command that I mentioned earlier, but if you've used ADB AppControl, there's a built-in Backup or Journal tab that stores a list of all the modified packets, and just click Restore, and it will run the packet itself.

In an emergency, if the phone goes into a cyclic bootloop due to the removal of a critical component (which is rare, but possible with third-party optimizer scripts), resetting to factory settings will help. When reset, all changes made for user 0 are erased, and system applications return to their original state.

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All changes made through the uninstall command --user 0, Wipe Data is deleted when you completely reset your phone, as it is stored in the user profile, not in the system partition.

It is also worth mentioning the possibility of creating a full backup. APK-Utilities like Titanium Backup (requires Root) or built-in features of some shells ADB If standard restore via install-existing doesn’t work (for example, if the file was completely cleared from the cache), you can install it. APK manually.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)