How to completely disable YouTube on Xiaomi phone: from deleting to blocking updates

Are you tired of the annoying YouTube notifications on your Xiaomi, or is the app eating up too much traffic in the background?Maybe you want to restrict access to the platform for a child or just free up space on the device.Unlike many Android smartphones, Xiaomi phones (including Redmi and POCO) have their own nuances when working with Google preinstalled services - especially when it comes to YouTube, which is often integrated into MIUI firmware at the system level.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 proven ways to turn YouTube off on Xiaomi — from simple uninstallation to deep MIUI settings that will lock the app even after a phone reset. It’s important to understand that some methods require administrator rights or unlock the bootloader, while others work without root access. We’ll also explain how to prevent YouTube from automatically recovering from system updates, a problem that many users face.

If you’re looking for a way to delete YouTube permanently (not just hide the icon), look out for the sections on YouTube. ADB-commands and deactivation through MIUI Hidden Settings. Parents can use the time-limited parental control box, and if you just need to free up RAM, you just need to turn off the background activity of the app.

1. Delete YouTube via standard MIUI settings

The easiest way is to try to uninstall the app as usual. However, on most Xiaomi models (especially those with MIUI 13/14) firmware, YouTube is a system application and doesn't have a "Delete" button. Instead, you'll only see the "Disable" option.

Open Settings → Applications → App Management. In the list, search YouTube (may be called "YouTube" or "YouTube Music" if you have a package installed). Click on it and select:

• 🔄 Disable – the application will stop working, but will remain in memory (will not free up space).
• 🗑️ Remove updates – return the application to the factory version (useful if YouTube began to glittle after the update).
• ⚙️ Stop – will stop all processes, but after restarting the phone can restore it.

If the Remove button is active (some POCO models or after manual removal via ADB), press it. But remember, even after deletion, YouTube may return after the MIUI update via OTA.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI For example, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G) YouTube is often tied to Google Play services, and its complete removal could disrupt other apps that depend on Google Mobile Services (GMS).

2. disable YouTube via ADB (no root)

If standard uninstallation is not available, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a debugging tool that allows you to manage system applications. This method works on all Xiaomi models, including the Redmi 10C, POCO X5 Pro and others, but requires connecting the phone to a computer.

First, turn on the developer mode:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click 7 times on the MIUI version until the notification “You became a developer” appears.
3. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate Debugging over USB.

Now connect your phone to your PC, install ADB-tools and execute in the command line:

adb devices

(Your device should be displayed. If not, check the driver.)

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.youtube

This command will remove YouTube only for the current user (does not require root) and the app will disappear from the menu, but will remain in the system section.

adb shell cmd package install-existing com.google.android.youtube

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI 14+ After restarting, the system can automatically restore YouTube. To avoid this, before executing the command, turn off the Internet or block access to Google servers through the hosts file.

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If ADB does not recognize the device, try switching USB connection mode to File Transfer (MTP) in the notification curtain.

3.Blocking YouTube through parental controls

If you want to restrict access to YouTube for a child, but not remove the app completely, use MIUI's built-in parental controls, a method that doesn't require root rights and works even on blocked downloaders.

Algorithm of action:

1. Open Settings → Special Options → Parental Controls.
2. Create a profile of your child (you will need to link your Mi Account).
3. In the App Restrictions section, search YouTube and set a time limit or block it completely.
4. Activate Safe Mode so that the child can’t turn off the restrictions.

You can also set up content filtering:

• 🔞 Limit viewing by age rating (up to 13)+, 16+ etc.).
• 🕒 Set a timer for use (for example, 1 hour per day).
• 📵 Block access to YouTube at night.

The disadvantage of this method is that the child can reset the phone settings via Recovery or disable parental control if he knows the password from the Mi Account. For reliability, combine this method with locking through hosts (described below).

4. Block access to YouTube via hosts file (requires root)

If you have root rights, you can block access to YouTube at the system level by editing the hosts file, which will prevent content from downloading even through the browser.

Instructions:

1. Install any file manager with root access (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to /system/etc/hosts and open the file in the text editor.
3. Add the following lines at the end of the file: 127.0.0.1 www.youtube.com 127.0.0.1 m.youtube.com 127.0.0.1 youtubei.googleapis.com 127.0.0.1 youtube.com
4. Save the file and restart the phone.

Now, when you try to open YouTube in any browser or application, you will see a connection error. To unlock, just delete the added lines.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI 15 The hosts file is protected from changes. In this case, first execute the command to ADB: adb shell mount -o rw,remount /system Or use the Magisk module to edit system files.

5. Complete removal of YouTube via TWRP (for power users)

If you're willing to take drastic measures and you have a custom TWRP recap, you can delete YouTube permanently, even if it's embedded in firmware. This method is suitable for users who have already unlocked the bootloader and installed TWRP.

Step-by-step:

1. Download an archive with GApps removed (such as GApps Remover) or create your zip file with an delete script.
2. Load the phone into TWRP mode (press Power + Volume up when turned on).
3. Select Install and point the way to the downloaded archive.
4. Confirm the installation and wait for completion.
5. Run Wipe Dalvik/Cache and restart your phone.

YouTube will then be removed at the firmware level and can only be restored by re-running GApps.This method will also remove other Google services, so only use it if you are prepared for the consequences (e.g., Google Play, Gmail, etc.)

To selectively remove only YouTube, you can manually edit the system/app/YouTube/YouTube.apk file or system/priv-app/YouTube (the path depends on the version of MIUI).

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Removing via TWRP is the only way to permanently get rid of YouTube on Xiaomi, but it requires unlocking the bootloader and installing a custom recavator.

6.How to prevent YouTube from recovering from MIUI updates

The main problem when you delete YouTube on Xiaomi is that the app often returns after the system update via OTA. To avoid this, you need to block the recovery mechanisms:

• 🔧 Turn off auto-update MIUI: Go to Settings. → The phone. → Update the system and deactivate the option "Automatic boot".
• 🚫 Block the YouTube package through MIUI Hidden Settings: Install the app MIUI Hidden Settings (available on the 4PDA), Open the App Management section and mark YouTube as Frozen".
• 📥 Delete the cache of Google services: In Settings → Annexes → App management, find Google Play Services and clear the cache + This will reset the application recovery mechanism.

If you use ADB-To prevent YouTube from recovering, do it before updating:

adb shell pm hide com.google.android.youtube

This command hides the application from the system and it will not be updated.

For root users, there is another way: delete the file /system/priv-app/PrebuiltGmsCore/PrebuiltGmsCore.apk, which is responsible for restoring Google applications. But beware: it can disrupt other services.

FAQ: Frequent questions about disabling YouTube on Xiaomi