How to remove the app on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8: 5 proven ways

Removing unnecessary apps on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 seems like a simple task — until you encounter system programs that are not deleted by standard methods, or residual files that occupy precious memory. Unlike the iPhone, where the process is unified, Android (especially with the MIUI shell) offers several ways to delete, from basic to advanced. But not all of them are equally effective.

This article will not just list the ways, but explain why some applications are not removed, how to completely clean their tracks, and what to do if after uninstallation the phone began to brake. We will look at both the official methods through Settings, and hidden MIUI functions, as well as tools for experienced users - ADB and disabling system applications without root rights.

1. Standard removal through the application menu

The most obvious way is to uninstall the app on the home screen or menu, but even here there are pitfalls. For example, on the Redmi Note 8 with MIUI 12+, some system applications (like Mi Video or Mi Music) don't have an uninstall button, although they look like regular programs.

How it works:

• 📱 Find the app icon you want to remove and hold it with your finger for 1-2 seconds.
• 🗑️ At the top of the screen will appear basket or the inscription Delete (if the application can be uninstalled).
• ⚠️ If instead of removing only Remove from the screen – the application is system or pre-installed (bloatware).
• 🔄 After removing the phone, restart it: sometimes MIUI Does not immediately release the cache of the remote application.

⚠️ Attention: Redmi Note 8 with MIUI Globally, some apps (like Facebook or Netflix) can be embedded in firmware as system apps, even if you haven't installed them.

If there is no Delete button but the app is not system-based (for example, you installed it from Google Play), try an alternative path:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the desired application in the list and tap it.
3. If the Remove button is active, press it. If not, read the next section.

2. Uninstall via MIUI settings: Hidden options

MIUI hides some deletion features in the depths of the menu. For example, on the Redmi Note 8, you can turn off (but not remove!) system applications if they are not in use. This will free up RAM, but not disk space.

Step-by-step:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the application from the list. If it is system, the Remove button will be inactive, but the option to Disable may be available.
3. Click Disable and confirm the action. The app will disappear from the menu and stop working, but its files will remain in memory.

To completely remove system applications, you will need developer or ADB rights (more on that later), and in the meantime, a table with examples of applications that can be safely disabled on the Redmi Note 8:

⚠️ Warning: Do not disable applications called com.android. or com.miui. in the package - these are critical system services. Disabling them can lead to a bootloop (a looped reboot of the phone).

3. Removal via ADB: for power users

If you're ready to dive into the technical details, ADB (Android Debug Bridge) lets you remove even apps that MIUI blocks, a technique that requires connecting your phone to your computer, but doesn't need root rights.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/Linux/macOS and established ADB.
• 📱 Redmi Note 8 with enabled debugging USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap to unlock the developer menu, then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).

Instructions:

1. Connect the phone to the computer and confirm the debugging permission on the smartphone screen.
2. Open the command prompt (or Terminal on macOS/Linux) and type:

adb devices

If the device appears on the list, go ahead. If not, check the drivers.

1. To see a list of all packages installed, enter:

adb shell pm list packages

Find the name of the package of the desired application (for example, com.facebook.katana for Facebook).

1. To remove, use the command:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.facebook.katana

The --user 0 flag means that the application is only deleted for the current user (does not require root).The -k flag stores cache and data, which speeds up the process.

If you want to remove the application completely (including data), use:

adb shell pm uninstall com.facebook.katana

⚠️ Note: Removing system applications through ADB may disrupt MIUI. For example, deleting com.miui.securitycenter will disable the security center, and without com.android.providers.downloads, the file bootloader will stop working. 4PDA XDA-Developers – Do not delete packets at random!

Install ADB on your computer |Enable USB debugging on your phone |Connect your phone with the original cable |Check the visibility of the device with the adb devices command |Find the exact application package-->

4. Cleaning up residues after disposal: cache and debris

Even after the app is removed, its files can remain in the phone’s memory. On the Redmi Note 8, this is especially noticeable because of the F2FS file system that Xiaomi uses on this model.

Where to look for garbage:

• 🗃️ folder /Android/data/[name packet] - here the application data is stored (game saving, cache).
• 🗃️ folder /Android/obb/[Packet name: Additional files (usually for games).
• 🗃️ Cash Dalvik (/data/dalvik-cache) — requires root cleaning.

How to clean:

1. Use a file manager (such as Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer) with access to the root folder.
2. Go to /Android/data/ and delete the folder with the name of the remote application package.
3. To clean the Dalvik cache, you can use the SD Maid app (requires root).

If you don’t have root rights, an alternative way is to use the built-in MIUI utility:

1. Open Security. → Cleanup.
2. Choose Deep Cleaning and wait for analysis.
3. The utility will find the residual files and suggest that they be deleted.

💡

Before cleaning up the residues, check to see if the files are being used by other software, such as some games sharing shared libraries in /Android/obb/ folders.

5. Remove pre-installed applications (bloatware) without root

The Redmi Note 8 comes with a dozen pre-installed apps that can't be removed by standard methods, including Mi Pay, Mi Community, GetApps, and others. Although they don't take up much space, their background processes consume battery power.

Ways to combat bloatware:

• 🛠️ Shutdown through ADB (as in Section 3 – Safe and does not require root.
• 📦 Using a debloater – for example, the Universal Android Debloater application (works through a ADB, but with a graphical interface).
• 🔄 Install custom firmware (for example, LineageOS or Pixel Experience) – a radical method that requires unlocking the bootloader.

Example of the command to disable GetApps (Xiaomi app store):

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.xiaomi.mipicks

If you don't want to use ADB, you can try "freezing" apps with the App Inspector (requires developer mode to be enabled).

1. Enable Developer Mode (as described in Section 3).
2. Open Settings → Additional → Developers → Inactive applications.
3. Add unnecessary apps to the list of inactive apps.

6 Recovery of Remote System Applications

If the phone starts to work unstable after deleting or disabling the app, it can be restored. On the Redmi Note 8, this is done through a reset or firmware reinstallation.

Recovery methods:

• 🔄 Reset to factory settings (deletes all data!): Settings → The phone. → Resetting settings.
• 📥 Reinstall the firmware via Fastboot (saves data if you select the option to save user data).
• 🖥️ Recovery through ADB (If you know the exact package):

adb shell cmd package install-existing com.xiaomi.mipicks

If you have removed an app through ADB with a --user 0 flag, you can return it as follows:

adb shell cmd package install-existing --user 0 com.xiaomi.mipicks

⚠️ Note: After restoring the system application, you may need to restart the phone. If the application does not appear in the menu, check for it in Settings → Annexes → All applications.

💡

Before you uninstall system applications, always back up through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset. This will allow you to quickly restore your phone in case of an error.

7.Alternative methods: disabling updates and hiding icons

If you can not delete the application, but it interferes with it, you can compromise:

• 🔕 Turn off auto updates in Google Play: Open the app page → ⚙️ → Auto-update → Never.
• 👁️ Hide the icon from the main screen: hold the icon → Remove from the screen (the app will remain on the menu).
• 📵 Block notifications: Settings → Notifications → Management of notifications → Find the app and turn off all switches.

The Redmi Note 8 also has a "Second Space" feature (in some versions of MIUI) that allows you to create an isolated profile without unnecessary applications:

1. Open Settings → Special Opportunities → Second Space
2. Create a new profile and set it up without unnecessary programs.
3. Switch between swipe spaces on the lock screen.

Frequently asked questions