How to remove unnecessary app from the screen Xiaomi: hide, remove and disable

Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones are often filled with pre-installed apps that the user doesn’t always need. Even after manually installing the software, the home screen can turn into a mess of shortcuts, folders, and widgets. In this article, we’ll look at all the working ways to remove an app from the Xiaomi screen, from simple concealment to complete removal of system programs (including those that aren’t removed by standard methods).

It is important to understand the difference between deletion, disabling and concealment:

• 🗑️ Delete – completely erasing the application from the device (possibly not for all system programs).
• ⚙️ Disable – deactivate an application without deleting its files (saves resources, but does not free up memory).
• 👁️ Hiding – removing the shortcut from the main screen without affecting the application itself.

The instructions below are relevant to all modern Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO and Black Shark devices on MIUI 12-15 (including global and Chinese firmware versions).If your device is running HyperOS (the new flagship shell of 2026), some menu items may differ slightly, as we will mention separately.

1. How to remove the app shortcut from the home screen (without deleting)

The quickest way to clean the home screen is to simply remove the shortcut without affecting the app itself, which is useful if you need the software, but its icon gets in the way.

Instructions:

1. Press and hold your finger on the icon of the app you want to remove.
2. At the top of the screen, a panel with options will appear. Drag the icon to the Delete zone (usually indicated by a basket or cross).
3. Confirm the action if a request appears.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO F5 s MIUI 14) after a long press, the context menu opens. In this case, select Remove from the main screen or Hide.

If the shortcut is gone, but the app is still in the app menu (swipe up from the bottom of the screen), then you did the right thing. To bring the icon back, find the app in the menu, click on it and hold it, then drag it to the main screen.

The shortcut is not a widget (widgets are deleted differently)

The application is not system (if system – it is better to hide, not remove the shortcut)

There is free space on the screen to return the icon if necessary.

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2. How to hide the application from the menu (without deleting)

If you want to not only remove the icon from the home screen, but also hide the application from the general list (so that it does not appear when swiping up), use the built-in Hidden Applications feature in MIUI.

Step-by-step:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Annexes.
• 🔍 Scroll down and select Hidden Apps (on some firmware, the item may be called Application Management). → Hide applications).
• ✅ Check the programs you want to hide.
• 💾 Click Save or Ready.

After that, the applications will disappear from:

• 📱 App menu (swipe up).
• 🔍 Searches by system (unless the option “Show hidden” is enabled»).
• 📊 Use statistics in Settings → Battery.

⚠️ Attention: Hidden applications continue to run in the background and may consume battery power. To completely stop them, use the shutdown method (section 4).

3. How to remove the user application (completely)

If the application was installed by you from Google Play or.apk file, it can be removed completely, freeing up space in the device memory.

Methods of disposal:

1. Through the app menu: 📱 Swipe up to open a list of all apps. 🔍 Find the right app, click and hold its icon. 🗑️ At the top of the screen, select Delete or drag the icon to the cart. ✅ Confirm the action.
2. Through settings: ⚙️ Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management. 🔍 Find the app in the list and tap it. 🗑️ Click Remove (if the button is inactive – the application is system-based).

If the Remove button is inactive or not, then the application is system (preinstalled by Xiaomi).

4. How to disable the system application (without deleting)

System applications (e.g. Mi Video, Mi Music, GetApps) can’t normally be removed by standard methods, but they can be disabled, which will stop them from working and hide them from the menu, but the files will remain in the device’s memory.

Instructions:

• ⚙️ Open the Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 Find the right app in the list (use the filter All, not just Downloaded).
• 🚫 Click Disable (button may be called Disable or Deactivate).
• ✅ Confirm the action in the window that appears.

⚠️ Note: Do not disable apps with names:

• com.android. (Android system services),
• com.miui. (MIUI shell components),
• Google.com (Google services if you need them).

Their deactivation can lead to the inoperability of the smartphone (for example, access to settings or mobile network will disappear).

💡

Before disabling a system application, check its name online (for example, by searching for "com.miui.video what it is"). Many "unnecessary" programs are actually responsible for important functions such as updates or synchronization.

5. How to remove the system application without root (via ADB)

If you’re ready to connect your smartphone to your computer, you can completely uninstall system applications without getting root permissions using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that works on all Xiaomi devices, but requires caution.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 📥 Installed drivers Xiaomi and ADB Tools.
• 🔓 Included debugging by USB smartphone.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on USB debugging: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap 7 times on MIUI Version to activate Developer Mode. Go back to Settings → Additional → Developer. Activate USB Debugging.
2. Connect your smartphone to your PC: Agree to a request for trust on your smartphone screen. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with ADB.

Check the connection:

adb devices

The serial number of your device should be displayed.

Delete the annex:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 title.packet

For example, to remove Mi Video:

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

📌 Where to find the name of the package?

• Install the App Inspector app from Google Play.
• Or use the command: adb shell pm list packages | grep "miui" (will display a list of all packages with miui in the title).

💡

Removal via ADB does not require root rights, but is valid only for the current user. After resetting settings or updating the firmware, applications can return.

6. How to remove the root-rights application (for experienced)

If your Xiaomi has root access (for example, after unlocking the bootloader and installing Magisk), you can uninstall any application, including critical system components.This is the riskiest method - an error can lead to a "brick" (inoperability) of the device.

Instructions:

• 📱 Install a root-enabled file manager (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
• 🔍 Go to the folder. /system/app/ or /system/priv-app/ (This is where system applications are stored).
• 🗑️ Find a folder with the name of the application being removed (such as MiBrowser) and delete it.
• 🔄 Reset the device.

⚠️ Note: Before deleting, back up the folder /system through TWRP Or another custom recovery, removing the following packets is guaranteed to break the system:

• com.android.settings (Settings),
• com.miui.home (Luncher) MIUI),
• com.android.phone (phone calls).

An alternative way is to use the command in Terminal Emulator (requires root):

su


mount -o rw,remount /system




rm -rf /system/app/NameFolds




rm -rf /system/priv-app/Names




reboot

7. How to return a deleted or disabled application

If you realized after you uninstall or disable the app that it was needed, there are a few ways to get it back:

For applications disabled:

• ⚙️ Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 In the filter, select Unplugged.
• 🔄 Click on the application and select Enable.

For remote system applications:

• 🔄 Settings Reset: Returns all pre-installed apps but deletes your data. → The phone. → Resetting settings.
• 📥 Manual Installation: Some system applications (such as Mi Calculator) can be downloaded as.apk from sites like APKMirror.
• 🔧 Flashing: Install firmware via Fastboot or Recovery (will return all system files).

⚠️ Note: If the application has been removed through ADB flag-headed --user 0, You can get it back by team:

adb shell cmd package install-existing name.packet

FAQ: Frequent questions