How to Remove Chrome from Xiaomi Phone: The Complete Guide

Many Xiaomi smartphone owners face a situation where the standard Google Chrome browser takes up too much space or simply does not fit into the user experience. The system application can often not be removed in the usual way through the settings menu, since it is built into the shell of MIUI or HyperOS as a system component, which is puzzling for users who are accustomed to the complete freedom of management of the file system.

But there are a few proven ways to get around these limitations: you can either completely uninstall the browser with superuser rights, or you can simply disable it by hiding it from the interface, and the specific way you choose depends on your Android device skills and root rights.

In this article, we will take a look at all the options available, from simple menu actions to computer and command line use. Deleting the system component of Google requires caution, as it can affect the operation of other services associated with the Chromium engine.

Why you can’t just delete Chrome through your settings

The standard Android application removal procedure involves clicking the “Delete” button in the program management menu, but for system applications, which include Google Chrome on most Xiaomi devices, this button is often replaced with “Disable” or not at all, this is done by the manufacturer to ensure the basic functionality of the operating system.

Google Chrome on Xiaomi often acts not just as a browser, but as a basis for displaying web content inside other applications through the Android System WebView component. If you could easily remove the browser kernel, many programs would stop opening links or displaying ads, which is why the system blocks direct removal.

However, there are workarounds for advanced users, such as using ADB (Android Debug Bridge) or obtaining Root rights to access hidden package management features, which require a deeper dive into the settings, but yield the desired result of completely freeing up memory from unnecessary software.

Preparing a smartphone to remove system applications

Before we start taking radical action, we need to prepare the device, and the first step is always to back up the data, and even if it goes well, the reinsurance will never be superfluous when you're working with system files.

You'll need to activate the developer mode. Go to Settings to do this. → About phone and seven times quickly click on the item "Version" MIUI» or "Version" OS». After that, a new section “Additional” or “Extended settings” will appear in the settings menu, where you need to find “For developers».

Inside the developer menu, find and activate the USB Debugging Switch. The system will alert you to potential risks, confirm the action, and it is also recommended to enable the option “Do not turn off the screen” during charging, so that the process does not stop accidentally.

⚠️ Attention: Activation of debugging by USB Do not connect the device to unverified computers or public charging stations with data transmission, as this can create a vulnerability to your personal data.

If you plan to use a computer to remove, install ADB drivers on a PC. For Windows owners, this often requires a separate download of platform tools from Google's site. On macOS and Linux, drivers are usually built in or installed through a batch manager.

Method 1: Disabling the browser without root rights

The safest and easiest method available to every user is to force the application to stop and disable, and although the file will physically remain in memory, it will no longer consume CPU resources, update in the background, and display in the menu.

To implement this method, go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Search in the Google Chrome list. Click on it to open the app information page. Here you will see the "Disable" or "Switch off" button.

Once clicked, the system will warn that other apps may not work properly. If you use an alternative browser (such as Firefox, Opera or the built-in Mi Browser), the risk is minimal. Confirm the action and the Chrome icon disappears from the desktop and from the list of programs.

• 📱 Press and hold the Chrome icon on your desktop.
• ⚙️ Select "About the Application" or "Info».
• 🚫 Click the “Disable” button at the bottom of the screen.
• ✅ Confirm the action in the pop-up window.

The good thing about this is that it's reversible, and you can turn the browser back on at any time, and it's a perfect option for those who want to clean the interface but are afraid of disrupting the system libraries.

Method 2: Remove from a computer via ADB

To completely remove the Google Chrome system package without superuser rights, the ADB utility is used. This method allows you to send commands directly to the operating system, ignoring the standard limitations of the MIUI interface.

Connect your phone to your computer through high-quality USB-Open the command line (CMD) or terminal in a folder with installed ADB. First, check the connection by entering the adb device command. The phone screen should show a window requesting debugging permission — tick "Always Allow" and click OK.

To remove Chrome, you need to know the exact name of its package. For Google Chrome, it's usually com.android.chrome. The removal command is as follows:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.chrome

Once you enter the command and press Enter, the system will give you a message "Success" if the operation is successful. The browser will disappear from the device for the current user (user 0), which is equivalent to a complete deletion. It is important to understand that when you reset the phone to factory settings, the application will return.

⚠️ Attention: Be extremely careful when entering a package name. Removing critical system components (e.g. com.android.settings or com.miui.home) can lead to a phone building or endless restart (bootloop).

Comparison of disposal methods and their consequences

Choosing between simply disabling and uninstalling via ADB, it is worth weighing the pros and cons. Each method has its own technical features and impact on the performance of a Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone.

Disabling is safe, but it doesn't save space in the system partition by taking up only user memory with a cache. Deleting through ADB frees up space, but requires a PC and command line skills. Root requests give maximum freedom, but lack warranty and can disrupt banking applications.

If your goal is to simply remove the extra icon and stop the background processes, use a standard shutdown. If you are assembling a pure Android and fighting for every megabyte of internal memory, the ADB method will be the most effective solution.

Possible problems and solutions

Unforeseen situations may occur during the deletion process, such as when the ADB command is executed, the phone may start to run slower, this happens if the system tries to find a remote component to perform background tasks, the solution is to clear the cache or restart the device.

Sometimes, after Chrome is deleted, links from other applications (messaging apps, emails) stop opening, which means that the system does not select the default browser, you need to install an alternative browser immediately after you delete and assign it to the main one in the settings.

If you accidentally delete the wrong package and the phone starts to behave inappropriately, don't panic. The fastest way to recover is to perform a Hard Reset (factory reset), which will put all system applications back in place, but delete your personal data, so backup is mandatory.

• 🔄 Restart the device if you notice lags after removal.
• 🌐 Install an alternative browser before removing Chrome.
• 💾 Keep important contacts and photos before experimenting.
• 🔍 Check the list of deleted packages through ADB Pm list packages -d.

Remember that MIUI system updates can automatically restore remote system applications. After a major firmware update (e.g., from Android 13 to 14), you may have to repeat the uninstall procedure through ADB.

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Use System App Remover only if you have Root rights. Without superuser rights, such programs are useless and may contain ads or malicious code.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Complete removal of Chrome system is only possible through ADB or Root rights, but the standard “Disable” in settings safely solves the problem of background activity for 95% of users.