How to remove the gallery from your Xiaomi phone: safe ways to use MIUI 14 and 15

Xiaomi’s standard gallery is one of the most controversial system applications in MIUI firmware. On the one hand, it offers easy viewing of photos, basic processing and cloud synchronization. On the other, many users complain about its intrusive advertising, slow operation and lack of flexible settings. If you decide to get rid of your native gallery in favor of Google Photos, Simple Gallery or another analog, it is important to do it correctly so as not to disrupt the stability of the system.

In this article, we will explore all the possible ways to remove the gallery on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, from simple shutdown to complete removal with ADB. We will focus on the risks of each method and how to avoid typical errors, such as why you can not just uninstall the application through the settings menu (spoiler: this will cause malfunctions in the camera) and how to return everything if something goes wrong.

Before you start, check the version of MIUI on your device: Settings path → About phone → MIUI version. This depends on which one is right for you. Also note that on some models (for example, Xiaomi 13T or Redmi Note 12 Pro+), the gallery is integrated deeper, and its removal may require additional actions.

1. Method: Disabling the gallery without deleting (the safest)

If you just don’t like the standard gallery, but don’t want to risk the system’s stability, it’s better to disable it, not remove it.This method works on all Xiaomi devices regardless of the MIUI version and does not require superuser rights.

To turn off, go to:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Gallery

Slip the "Disable" button (some firmware may call it "Delete Updates" → "Disable") and then the gallery icon will disappear from the menu and all photos will remain in place.

1. The next MIUI update may activate the gallery again.
2. Some camera features (such as viewing the photos taken right after the shoot) will be redirected to your chosen alternate gallery.

✅ Pros of the method:

• 🔄 Reversibility – you can turn the gallery back on at any time.
• 🛡️ Security – System files are not affected.
• 📱 It works on all models, including POCO F5 redmi K60.

⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Xiaomi) 12S Ultra) Disabling the gallery can cause photo thumbnails to stop showing up in the recent files menu.This is not critical, but can be uncomfortable.

2. Method: Removal of Gallery Updates (for MIUI 14 and later)

With MIUI 14, Xiaomi began separating system apps into base (stitched into firmware) and upgradeable (via Google Play or the App Store), which means you can roll back the gallery to the factory version, which often solves ad and brake problems.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management → Gallery.
2. Tap the three-point menu (⋮) in the upper right corner and select “Delete updates».
3. Confirm action. The app will return to the factory version (usually 12.XX.XX or lower).

After that:

• 🚫 Advertising in the gallery will disappear (it is added in updated versions).
• ⚡ The app will run faster but will lose some features (e.g. cloud sync with Mi Cloud).
• 🔄 MIUI You can update the gallery again the next time you update the system.

Turn off automatic app updates in Google Play

Make a backup of photos

Check the MIUI version (should be 14 or newer)

Make sure there is enough free space on the phone.-->

Important: On devices with MIUI 15 (e.g. Xiaomi 14 or Redmi Note 13 Pro+), this method may not work if the gallery is part of the com.miui.gallery system package and is not updated through the Play Market.

3. Method: Complete removal of the gallery through ADB (for advanced)

If you’re willing to take the risk of completely removing the gallery from your Xiaomi, you’ll need a computer and an ADB (Android Debug Bridge) tool.This method is irreversible and can crash if you do something wrong.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on USB debugging: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (tap 7 times to become a developer) Settings → Additional → For Developers → Debugging on USB (enable)
2. Connect your phone to your PC and confirm your trust in your computer.
3. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type: adb devices Make sure your device appears in the list.
4. Run the deletion command (for the standard MIUI gallery): adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.gallery

Once completed, the icon will disappear and all photos will remain in the DCIM folder.

• 📸 Camera may stop saving photos – some Xiaomi models depend on gallery for image processing.
• 🔄 Resetting settings will bring the gallery back.
• 🛠️ Update MIUI Can restore the application.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 15 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Pro) deleting the gallery can cause the error "Com.android.camera process stopped" when the camera starts. In this case, you will have to return the application command: adb shell cmd package install-existing com.miui.gallery

4. Alternative galleries: what to choose instead of the standard

If you delete or disable the MIUI gallery, you'll need an alternative. Here are the best options for Xiaomi's smartphone features:

💡 Adjustment advice:

Once you install the alternative gallery, go to Settings → Applications → Default → Gallery and assign it to the primary application for opening images. This will eliminate system questions every time you open a photo.

💡

If you use Google Photos, turn off the Backup and Sync function for the DCIM/Thumbs folder – it stores thumbnails that only take up space in the cloud.

5 How to get the gallery back (if something went wrong)

If you have problems after removing or disabling the gallery (camera is not working, photos are not opening, etc.), it can be restored.

If the gallery was disabled:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Turn on the display of all applications (tap on the ⋮ → «Show all applications»).
3. Find the "Gallery" in the list and tap "Enable".

If the gallery was removed via ADB:

You can get her back by team:

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

If this doesn’t work, try reinstalling the firmware through the Mi Flash Tool (instructions for power users).

If the gallery is missing after the MIUI update:

Download the latest version of the gallery in.apk format from a reliable source (such as APKMirror) and install it manually. Make sure that the settings allow installation from unknown sources.

⚠️ Note: Some devices (such as Xiaomi 12 Lite) may require a camera reset after the gallery is restored. → Annexes → Camera. → Warehouse → Clear the data.

6. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When you delete or disable a gallery, users often encounter typical problems, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to solve them:

• 🔴 The camera does not save photos Cause: Gallery MIUI Solution: Use an alternative camera app (like Open Camera) or return the standard gallery.
• 🔴 Photos don't show up in "Recent Files" Reason: System uses gallery to generate previews Solution: Install Files by Google - it shows thumbnails without gallery.
• 🔴 The error appears "android.media process stopped" Reason: Conflict with media provider. Solution: Reboot the phone or execute the command: adb shell pm clear com.android.providers.media
• 🔴 Gallery returns after update MIUI Reason: System restores remote system applications. Solution: Disable automatic updates MIUI or use ADB packet-lock.

🔧 Additional advice:

If you plan to experiment with system applications often, install Magisk and the App Systemizer module, which allows you to turn custom applications into system ones, which will help avoid problems with the camera after removing the gallery.

💡

Before any manipulation of Xiaomi system applications, always back up the data. It is best to use Mi Mover or Swift Backup (requires root).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions