How to Hide Standard Apps on Xiaomi: A Complete Guide to MIUI

Xiaomi’s MIUI desktop is often hijacked by dozens of pre-installed apps, from Mi Video and Mi Music to underutilized services like Mi Pay or GetApps. Even after resetting, they come back, taking up space and creating visual chaos. Unlike Android in its pure form, where it’s enough to hold an icon and drag it into the cart, in MIUI, this process requires knowledge of hidden system functions.

To make matters worse, many system applications cannot be removed without root rights, they can only be disabled or hidden. In this article, we will examine all working methods from basic (through launcher settings) to advanced (using ADB), paying special attention to the nuances for different versions of MIUI (12-15) and smartphone models – from the budget Redmi Note to the flagship Xiaomi 13.

Why you can’t just remove Xiaomi’s system apps

In MIUI, pre-installed applications fall into three categories:

• 📱 Custom – you can remove the standard way (for example, Mi Browser or Mi Calculator on some models).
• 🔒 System (disabled) – not deleted, but can be deactivated through settings (e.g. Mi Pay or Game Turbo).
• ⚙️ Critical Systems – You can neither remove nor disable without root (e.g. Security or Mi Share).

Attempting to remove critical applications through ADB or third-party utilities (such as App Inspector) can lead to:

• 🚨 Cyclical reboot of the smartphone (bootloop).
• 📵 Loss of functionality (for example, access to network settings or camera will disappear).
• 🔄 Automatic recovery of applications after updating MIUI.

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi HyperOS models (starting in 2026), some of the methods of hiding applications may not work due to the changed system architecture. → The phone. → Version. MIUI.

Method 1: Hiding through launcher settings (without root)

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI launcher features.It works on all models, including the Redmi 10/12, POCO X5 and Xiaomi 13T, but has a limitation: hidden apps will remain on the All Apps menu.

Step-by-step:

1. Press and hold the empty area on the desktop.
2. Select Desktop Settings (or Screen Settings on older versions).
3. Go to Hide Apps (in MIUI 14+, the path may differ: Settings → Desktop → Hide Apps).
4. Check the boxes for unnecessary apps (for example, Mi Video, Mi Music, Themes).
5. Click Ready – the icons will disappear from the desktop, but will remain in the app menu.

Make sure the launcher is not updated via Google Play (use the regular one)

Check the MIUI version in the settings

Backup important data (in case of failure)

Do not hide system utilities (for example, Settings or Phone)-->

This way, it doesn't physically remove the apps, it just removes them from the public view.

• 📥 Take up a place in memory.
• 🔄 Can be updated through Google Play.
• 📊 Consume resources in the background (if not disabled).

Method 2: Disabling applications through settings

If there is not enough hiding, you can turn off unnecessary applications, stop their background activity and free up some of the RAM, and the method works for most system applications, except for mission-critical ones (for example, Security or Settings).

How to turn it off:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Show All Apps.
3. Find the app you want (such as Mi Video) and tap it.
4. Click Disable (if the button is inactive – the application is critical).
5. Confirm the action in the dialog window.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO F4 Xiaomi 12 Pro – Disabling apps like Mi Share can disrupt the Quick File Transfer between Xiaomi devices.

Mi Video and Mi Music|GetApps and Mi Pay|Game Turbo and Second Space|Themes and Wallpapers|Others-->

Method 3: Using a third-party launcher

If the standard methods do not suit, you can install an alternative launcher (for example, Nova Launcher, Lawnchair or Microsoft Launcher), which will not only hide the application, but also customize gestures, animations and the appearance of the system.

Advantages of third-party launchers:

• 🎨 Deep customization – changing icons, fonts, transitions.
• 🔍 Hiding applications without restrictions (unlike the MIUI).
• 📁 Grouping icons into folders with user names.
• 🔄 Backup of desktop settings.

How to hide apps in Nova Launcher:

1. Install Nova Launcher from Google Play.
2. Press and hold the empty area on the desktop → Nova Settings.
3. Go to Apps and Widgets → Hide Apps.
4. Check the unneeded apps and save the changes.

Important: When using a third-party launcher, Xiaomi system applications (such as Security or Themes) can continue to run in the background, consuming resources. To turn them off completely, combine this method with Method 2 (disable via settings).

💡

If the weather or calendar widgets are missing after installing a third-party launcher, check the launcher permissions in Settings → Apps → Permissions. Often permission is required to display over other windows.

Method 4: Remove via ADB (for power users)

For those willing to take the risk, there is a method of removing system apps via Android Debug Bridge (ADB).This requires connecting a smartphone to a PC and knowing commands, but allows you to get rid of unnecessary apps forever (until the next MIUI update).

What you need:

• 💻 Computer with installed ADB-driver.
• 📱 Xiaomi smartphone with enabled debugging USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times tap the version number → Return to the Additional Settings → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 USB-Type C Cable (preferably original).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm your trust in your computer on your phone screen.
2. Open the command prompt (or Terminal on Mac/Linux) and type:

adb devices

If the device appears on the list, continue. If not, check the drivers and connection.

1. Get a list of all the apps:

adb shell pm list packages | grep 'miui'

This command will display all packages associated with MIUI, for example, com.miui.video is Mi Video.

1. Remove the unneeded app (e.g. Mi Music):

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.player

Replace com.miui.player with the name of the package of the desired application.

List of popular removal packages:

⚠️ Note: Removing packets through ADB irreversibly until the next update MIUI. If after removal there are problems (for example, the notification panel is missing), you can return the application with a command:

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

Method 5: Reset to factory settings with a selection of applications

A little-known feature of MIUI is the ability to selectively restore applications after a reset, which is useful if you want to start from a clean desktop, but save user data.

How it works:

1. Back up important data (photos, contacts, messages) through Settings → About Phone → Backup.
2. Go to Settings → Additional settings → Restore and reset → Reset settings.
3. Choose Reset Settings, but don’t confirm immediately.
4. The screen will show the option to Select which apps to restore (not available on all models).
5. Uncheck the unneeded system applications and confirm the reset.

This method has two disadvantages:

• 🔄 Requires a complete system reboot and setting up the smartphone from scratch.
• 📦 Not all applications can be excluded from recovery (for example, Security or Mi Account will return anyway).

💡

Factory reset is the only way to completely remove preinstalled apps without root rights, but it erases all user data. Use it only if other methods have failed.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When trying to hide or remove system applications, users often encounter problems, and here are the most common errors and solutions:

1 Applications are returned after MIUI update

This is because the update reinstalls the system packages.

• 🔄 After the update, repeat the procedure of hiding / disabling.
• 📵 Turn off automatic updates MIUI In Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Three points. → Settings → Auto-update.

2. widgets do not work after installing a third-party launcher

Some MIUI widgets (such as weather or pedometer) are tied to the system launcher.

• 🔧 Install alternative widgets (e.g. Chronus for weather).
• 🔄 Return to the standard launcher if widgets are critical.

Error "Cannot disable the application"

So that means that the application is protected by the system.

• 🔒 Try to turn it off through ADB (see method 4).
• 📵 If it is a critical application (like Security), leave it running.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions