Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often encounter the intrusive GetApps service, which is preinstalled in the shell of MIUI and HyperOS. It is the company's official app store, which runs parallel to Google Play and often offers unnecessary downloads or shows ads, many users want to get rid of this component to free up system resources and increase privacy.
However, the standard methods of uninstalling the system application through the settings menu are impossible. The "Delete" button in the program management section is usually inactive or hidden. In this article, we will discuss the proven ways to uninstall GetApps using and without a computer, and discuss the risks and features of working with Android system files.
It's worth noting that completely removing system components requires caution. Wrong actions can lead to unstable shell operation, so it's important to follow algorithms rigorously. Below are methods of varying complexity, from simple settings to the use of debugging tools.
What is GetApps and Why It’s Hard to Remove
GetApps (formerly known as the Mi App Store) is an integrated app store integrated into the Android system partition on Xiaomi devices, responsible for updating pre-installed programs, verifying security and distributing content in regions where access to Google services is restricted. Unlike regular applications, it has a system status and is protected from accidental removal.
The main difficulty is access rights. A normal user account on Android does not have the authority to change the content of the system partition /system. Therefore, the standard deletion mechanism through Settings → Applications is powerless. To remove the service, you need to obtain extended rights through ADB (Android Debug Bridge) or use special utilities.
⚠️ Note: Removal of system components may disrupt some functions MIUI, For example, automatic driver updates or system security services.
Also, after major firmware updates, remote system applications can return, which is because the /system partition is overwritten by the manufacturer's original files when it is updated, so the procedure sometimes has to be repeated.
Preparing a smartphone to remove system applications
Before you start deleting, you need to configure the device correctly. The first step is to activate the developer mode. To do this, go to Settings → About the phone and quickly click 7 times on the MIUI Version or OS Version. After that, a new section will appear in the menu “Additional” or “Extended settings”.
Inside the developer menu, find and activate the USB Debugging option. Without this permission, the computer will not be able to send commands to the smartphone, and it is also recommended to enable the USB Install option if available, although this is not always required for ADB to work.
☑️ Checking the device's readiness
It is important to use quality USB-Cheap cables can only charge the device without transmitting data, which will cause a connection error when trying to enter commands. ADB.
Remove GetApps via ADB (PC Method)
The most reliable and clean way to get rid of intrusive service is to use the command line and the ADB tool. This method does not require root rights and allows you to remove the application for the current user, effectively hiding it from the system.
First, download the platform-tools from Google's official website and unpack the archive. Open the command prompt (CMD or PowerShell) in the tool folder. Connect your phone and type in the adb device command. On the smartphone screen, you'll see a request for debugging permission — click "Allow".
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.mi.android.globalAppstoreThis command removes the GetApps package for the main user. If you have a global firmware version, the package may be called com.mi.android.globalAppstore, for the Chinese versions the name may differ. Once successful, you will see a Success message.
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If the command returns an error, check if the packet name is spelled correctly. Use the command adb shell pm list packages | grep getapps to clarify.
To return the app if something goes wrong, use the command: adb shell cmd package install-existing com.mi.android.globalAppstore. This will restore the remote component without the need for flashing.
Use of Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools
For those who don't want to work with the command line, there are graphical shells. A popular tool is Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools from developer Szaki. It's a cross-platform program that automatically identifies the connected device and offers a list of system applications to remove.
The process is simple: run the program, plug in the phone with debugging enabled, and wait for the connection. In the interface, select the "Debloat" tab. Find the GetApps list or MI App Store and press the delete button. the program will perform the necessary ADB-team.
The advantage of this method is visualization: you see icons and application names, which reduces the risk of removing a system-critical component by mistake (JRE) computer-based.
| Method | Difficulty | Risk of error | The need for a PC |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADB (teams) | Medium | Low. | Yes. |
| Xiaomi Tools | Low. | Low. | Yes. |
| Disconnection in settings | Low. | No. | No. |
Disable GetApps without a computer
If you don't have a PC, you can try to limit the functionality of the application to the system. Complete removal without root rights and a computer is impossible, but you can turn off its work and notifications. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications and find GetApps.
From the app menu, select Other Permissions and disable all items, including network, storage and location access. Then go to Notifications and turn them off completely, preventing pop-ups and ads from appearing.
⚠️ Warning: Do not try to “stop” the application forever without disabling auto-start, as the system service is available. MIUI It will run again the next time you update or restart.
Also, in GetApps itself, you can turn off auto-update. Open the store, go to profile and settings, find Auto-App Update, and select Never, which will reduce the service's background activity.
Possible problems and solutions
After removing GetApps, users sometimes experience errors in other Xiaomi services, such as the automatic update of themes or widgets, which is mostly solved by installing updates through Google Play, ignoring the system store.
If you see persistent “Application Stopped” pop-ups after deleting, the dependent component may have been removed, in which case you’d better use the recovery command mentioned above or reset to factory settings.
What if GetApps returns after the update?
Another problem may be that the Chinese version of GetApps will appear instead of the global version when changing region. To avoid this, set the region “Russia” or your country in your phone settings, not “China” in your phone settings.