Removing games from Xiaomi phones seems like a simple task — until you encounter system apps like Game Turbo or pre-installed games from the Mi App Store. Even after standard removal through the app menu, many games leave behind cache, data and background processes that continue to consume battery power and take up memory. In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways — from basic to advanced, including working with ADB and hidden MIUI settings.
Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi, POCO, and Black Shark) have a feature that aggressively integrates gaming services into firmware, such as Game Center or Mi Game Space, which not only offer games, but also optimize the performance of the device for them, which means that even after the game itself is removed, its service modules can remain active, and we will show you how to fully deactivate game functions at the system level if you do not use them as intended.
1. Standard removal through MIUI settings
The most obvious way is to uninstall apps through the app menu, which is suitable for most custom games (like those downloaded from Google Play or Mi App Store), but does not affect system components.
Instructions:
- 📱 Open the Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
- 🔍 Enter the game name in the search bar (for example, PUBG Mobile or Genshin Impact).
- 🗑️ Click Delete (if the button is active) If it is displayed instead, Disable, then the application is system-based.
- 🧹 After deleting, clear the cache: go back to the list of applications, select Warehouse → Clear the cache.
⚠️ Note: Some games (such as Mi Game Center) are automatically restored via Mi Cloud or updates after removal. MIUI. To avoid this, disable auto-update applications in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Settings (⚙️) → Auto-update of applications.
Check if the game is system (mark "System" in the information about the application)|
Try to disable the application (the "Disable" button)|
Use the methods in the following sections to remove completely |
Install an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher) to hide the game icon-->
2. Removal via ADB (for system games and services)
If the game is built into firmware (like Game Turbo or Mi Game Space), it can't be removed by standard methods, and Android Debug Bridge (ADB) -- a low-level device management tool -- will help.
Step-by-step:
- Download and install Google’s Platform Tools (includes ADB).
- Activate Developer Mode on Xiaomi: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times) Then go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers and turn on USB Debugging.
- Connect your phone to your PC, open the command prompt (cmd) in the ADB folder and type in: adb devices (you should display your device).
- To remove the system game, first find its packet name: adb shell pm list packages | grep "game" For example, for Game Turbo it is com.miui.gameturbo.
- Remove the application by command: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.gameturbo Replace com.miui.gameturbo with the desired package.
⚠️ Note: Removing system packages can lead to unstable operation MIUI. Before the procedure, create a backup copy through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset: Some packages (e.g. com.xiaomi.gamecenter) are associated with performance optimization – removing them can make gaming experience worse.
List of safe to remove gaming packages Xiaomi
3. Disabling gaming services without removal
If you don't want to risk system stability, but you want to get rid of intrusive gaming notifications and background processes, you can turn off unnecessary services. This won't free up memory, but it will reduce battery load.
Methods of shutdown:
- 🔕 Game Turbo: Go to Settings → Special facilities → Game Turbo and disable the slider. You can also remove the icon from the notification bar in Settings → Notification panel → Edit.
- 📵 Mi Game Center: In the app menu, click Disable, then clear the data and cache.
- 🚫 Advertising Games: Go to Settings → Memory. → Clean, select the Recommendations tab and turn off the game display.
To completely disable game optimizations (if you don’t play at all) do:
- Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Performance Mode.
- Choose Balanced instead of Game.
- In Settings → Display → Update frequency set 60 Hz (if there was Auto or 120 Hz for games).
Every day.|
1-2 times a week |
Rarely (once a month) |
Never play.-->
4. Delete residual game files manually
Even after the game is deleted, its data can remain in the device’s memory, for example, PUBG Mobile leaves up to 1-2 GB of cache in the Android/obb and Android/data folders, to completely clear the device:
Instructions:
- 📁 Connect your phone to your PC or use a file manager (such as Mi File Manager or Solid Explorer).
- 🔍 Go to the folders: /storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/ /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/ Look for folders with game names (e.g. com.tencent.ig for the game name). PUBG Mobile).
- 🗑️ Delete these folders manually, and this may require you to grant permissions to access the storage.
- 🧹 Clear the cache of system applications: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Google Play Games → Warehouse → Clear the cache
⚠️ Note: Do not delete folders with unknown names, it may be data from other applications. For example, com.android.vending belongs to Google Play Market. /system or /vendor — it could cause a failure. MIUI.
| Type of file | folder | Can I remove it? | Example of contents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash games. | Android/data/<package_name>/cache | Yes. | Temporary files, textures, logs |
| Additional data (OBB) | Android/obb/<package_name> | Yes. | Levels, graphics packages (weighing up to several GB) |
| Game settings | Android/data/<package_name>/files | Yes (but lost saves) | Configurations, progress, accounts |
| Game system files | /system/priv-app/ or /system/app/ | No (root rights required) | APK System Games (Game Turbo, etc.) |
5. Use of third-party tools (without root)
If manual methods don't work, you can use specialized applications that allow you to remove system games without ADB or root rights, but you need to be careful.
Popular tools:
- 🛠️ App Inspector - shows hidden system applications and lets you disable them.
- 🧹 SD Maid, which cleans residual game files and optimizes storage, has a feature to search for zombie files).
- 🔧 Debloater Tool (for PC) – removes system applications through ADB It's a graphical interface. XDA.
⚠️ Note: Titanium Backup or Root Uninstaller applications require root rights and may disrupt the work MIUI. Without root, use only proven tools from Google Play with a rating above 4.5.
💡
Before using third-party tools, check reviews from the past 2-3 months. Some applications (such as Clean Master) may install unnecessary games through affiliate programs themselves.
6. Reset to factory settings (last resort)
If games continue to appear after deletion (e.g., recover via Mi Cloud), the only radical way is to completely reset settings, which will delete all data from the device, including system applications that were installed after purchase.
How to perform the reset:
- Back up important data (photos, contacts, messages) through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Local Backup.
- Go to Settings → About Phone → Resetting → Delete all data.
- Choose Clear everything and confirm the action. The phone will reboot.
- After reset, do not restore data from Mi Cloud if you want to avoid re-installing games, instead transfer files from your PC or other device.
⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Black Shark) do not remove pre-installed gaming services (Shark Space) in which case you will have to reuse after the reset. ADB or manually disable them.
💡
Factory reset is the only way to get rid of games that are recoverable through Mi Cloud or MIUI updates. However, it will also delete all your data, so use the method only as a last resort.