How to permanently disable or remove unwanted apps on Xiaomi: Safe Techniques for 2026

The pre-installed apps on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones are a headache for many users, taking up precious memory space, using up battery power in the background, and often not being removed by standard means. But the good news is that even without super-user rights (root) you can effectively disable or delete most of the unnecessary programs.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 working methods, from simple shutdown through settings to deep cleaning with ADB. You’ll learn which applications can be removed without risk to the system, and which are better just “freeze”, and we’ll also tell you how to get it back if something goes wrong.

It's important to understand that not all pre-installed applications are useless. Some are responsible for basic MIUI functionality, such as com.miui.securitycenter or com.android.phone, and deleting them can cause malfunctions. So always back up your data before any manipulations!

1. Disable applications through standard MIUI settings

The safest way to get rid of unnecessary programs is not to delete them completely, but to disable them. This stops background activity, hides the icon from the menu and frees up RAM. The method works on all Xiaomi devices with MIUI 12 and later, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and Xiaomi 13.

To disable the application:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the top menu, select the All Apps tab (not Downloaded).
3. Find an unneeded app (such as Mi Video, Mi Music, or GetApps).
4. Click on it and select "Disable".
5. Confirm the action by clicking "Disable the application".

Once disabled, the app will disappear from the menu, but will remain in the system, and it can be activated again in the same settings section, which does not require root rights and is completely reversible.

📺 Mi Video (video player)

🎵 Mi Music (music player)

📱 GetApps (branded app store)

📊 Mi Browser (Xiaomi browser)

📧 Email (standard email client)

📰 Mi Community (Forum of Xiaomi)

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Restriction: Some system applications (e.g. Google Play Services or MIUI Daemon) will not be able to disable the button, but will be inactive.

2. Remove applications via ADB (without root)

If the shutdown isn’t enough, you can completely remove unnecessary apps using Android Debug Bridge (ADB), an official tool from Google that allows you to control the device via the command line.The method works on all Xiaomi smartphones with an unlocked bootloader, but does not require root rights.

First, prepare:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows, macOS or Linux.
• 📱 Xiaomi smartphone with enabled debugging USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times press to activate the developer mode, then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 USB-Type C Cable (preferably original).
• 📦 Installed drivers ADB Fastboot (you can download from the official Android website).

Now, follow the following steps:

1. Connect your smartphone to your computer and allow debugging (a request will appear on the phone screen).
2. Open the command prompt (cmd on Windows or Terminal on macOS/Linux) and go to the folder with ADB.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
4. Get a list of all packages installed: adb shell pm list packages Find unnecessary applications (e.g. com.miui.video for Mi Video).
5. Remove the application by command: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.video Replace com.miui.video with the name of the package of the desired application.

Important: some system applications (e.g., com.miui.securitycenter) cannot be removed, which will lead to errors in the MIUI operation.

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If the application reappears after the MIUI update after uninstalling, use the command adb shell pm hide instead of uninstall – this hides it from the system, but does not remove it completely.

3. Use of applications for "freezing" (without root)

If ADB seems too complicated, you can use specialized utilities that freeze unnecessary applications without removing them completely, which is safer than completely removing them, and makes it easy to get everything back.

The best applications for this task:

• 🧊 App Inspector – shows all installed packets and allows you to disable them through ADB single-click.
• ❄️ Ice Box – creates a sandbox for unnecessary applications, blocking their activity.
• 🔄 Package Disabler is a simple tool to disable system and user applications.

Example of working with Ice Box:

1. Download and install Ice Box from Google Play.
2. Open the application and provide access to special features (necessary for work).
3. In the list, find an unnecessary app (such as Mi Browser) and click on the snowflake icon. ❄️.
4. Confirm the freeze – the application will disappear from the menu and stop working.

The advantage of this method is reversibility: you can defrost the application at any time, but some utilities (for example, Ice Box) require constant operation in the background, which can slightly increase battery consumption.

I'm turning it off through the settings.

I'm using ADB.

I use apps like Ice Box.

I only remove with root rights.

I don't delete at all.-->

4. Removal of root-right system applications

If your Xiaomi has customized recaps installed (such as TWRP) and obtained root rights (via Magisk), you can remove any system applications, including those that are usually blocked. However, this method is risky: improper removal can lead to a “brick” (inoperability) of the device.

Removal will require:

• 📱 Smartphone with unlocked loader and installed TWRP.
• 🔧 Installed by Magisk (to obtain root rights).
• 🛠️ File Manager with support for root (for example, Root Explorer or Root Explorer) FX File Explorer).

Instructions:

1. Open the file manager and go to /system/app or /system/priv-app.
2. Find a folder with an unnecessary app (such as MiBrowser).
3. Delete the folder or rename it by adding.bak at the end (e.g. MiBrowser.bak).
4. Reset the device.

⚠️ Note: Before removing system applications, be sure to make a backup through TWRP! Removing critical packages (e.g. com.android.settings) can make your phone inoperable.

List of relatively safe to remove system applications:

5. How to return remote applications

If you have problems after deleting or disabling the application (for example, Google services stopped working or if you have a problem with the application). MIUI-Don't panic. You can bring it back in a number of ways:

Method 1: Through Settings (if the application is disabled)

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the top menu, select "Disconnected".
3. Find the right application and click "Enable".

Method 2: Through ADB (if the application is removed)

If the application was removed via ADB, you can restore it by command:

adb shell cmd package install-existing com.miui.video

Replace com.miui.video with the name of the package.

Method 3: Reset to factory settings

The last option is a complete reset via Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset. This will return all system applications, but delete your data. Before reset, back up!

⚠️ Note: If you have removed the root-right system application and your phone has stopped loading, use it. TWRP to restore the backup or reflash the device through Fastboot.

6.What apps can not be removed on Xiaomi

Not all pre-installed apps are useless, and some are responsible for keeping MIUI and Android running smoothly, and deleting them can lead to:

• 🔄 Cyclical reboot (bootloop).
• 📵 Network loss (mobile internet and calls will not work).
• 🔧 Failures in settings (cannot change the brightness, sound, etc.).
• 🔒 Mi Account block (if you delete com.xiaomi.account).

List of prohibited packets for removal:

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Before you delete any system application, check its name in the list of prohibited packages. If in doubt, it is better to just turn it off through the settings.

7. Alternative methods: hiding icons and disabling notifications

If you don’t want to delete or disable applications, but they interfere, you can go another way:

Hiding icons from the menu

• 📱 V MIUI There is a built-in function of hiding applications: press the icon on the home screen → "Hide".
• 🔍 To return a hidden app, swipe down on the home screen and type its name in the search.

Disabling notifications

1. Go to Settings → Notifications → Notifications Management.
2. Find the unnecessary app and turn off the "Allow Notifications" switch.
3. To completely ban background activity, click "Additional" and turn off "Autostart" and "Background Activity".

Limiting mobile traffic

Some apps (like GetApps or Mi Video) consume traffic in the background to stop it:

1. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Transfer of data.
2. Select the application and disable the "Background data".

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing apps on Xiaomi