How to Remove Games in Xiaomi Phone: The Complete Guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a lack of free space in internal memory, especially after installing several heavy games. MIUI operating system or the new HyperOS can occupy a significant amount of space, and the cache of gaming applications grows to gigabytes, slowing down the device. Proper management of installed software becomes not just a way to restore order, but a necessity for stable operation of the gadget.

The removal process can vary depending on the shell version and application type. Standard methods often do not allow you to get rid of pre-installed garbage that manufacturers or carriers impose. In this article, we will discuss all available cleaning methods, from simple actions from the desktop to advanced methods through ADB for system components.

Freeing up space is not just removing the shortcut, but also completely cleaning up the residual files. Many users don't know that even after uninstallation, logs and temporary files can remain in the folders of the system. We'll look at how to do a deep cleaning to make your smartphone work as quickly and efficiently as possible using built-in tools and proven techniques.

Basic removal through the desktop and application menu

The most obvious and quick way to get rid of unnecessary games is to use the desktop interface. In Xiaomi shells, this is intuitive, but there are nuances depending on the menu mode you choose. If you have Classic Menu mode on, where all the shortcuts are on desktops, the process takes a few seconds.

Just hold your finger on the icon of the game you want to delete before the vibration and context menu appear. In the action list, select Delete or the basket icon. The system will request confirmation, as this action is irreversible without re-downloading from the store. Once confirmed, the label will disappear, and the application data will be marked for removal.

In No Menu mode, where all apps are listed together (like iOS), the algorithm is slightly different, so you just need to pinch the icon and drag it to the top of the screen, where you have a zone that says "Delete" or a shopping cart icon, which is standard for most Android devices, adapted to the visual style of MIUI.

⚠️ Note: When you delete from the desktop, you may accidentally delete the shortcut, not the app itself, if you drag it into the Tools or System folder".

💡

If you don't see the delete icon when you click on the icon, you may have Desktop Lock on. Go to your desktop settings and turn off this feature.

Note that some games may have additional data files (OBBs) that are sometimes not automatically deleted when a standard uninstallation is done, and in such cases, it is recommended that you check the Android/obb folder through the file manager after removing the shortcut, which will help free up several hundred megabytes that would otherwise remain in place.

Removal through application settings for complete cleaning

A more reliable method to ensure that all associated files are deleted is through system settings, which is especially useful if the game is frozen, not deleted from the desktop, or you want to make sure that the phone has no tails left. The path to the application management menu in HyperOS and MIUI is almost identical.

You go to the Settings menu, then select the Apps section and click All Apps. In the list that opens, find the game you want. You can use the search bar at the top of the screen to avoid manually flipping through the long list. Clicking on the game name, you will be taken to the control menu where the Delete button is available.

In the same menu, before deleting, it is useful to perform the action Clean -> Clear everything. This will delete saved passwords, resource cache and settings inside the game. Although this happens automatically with standard deletion, manual pre-cleaning helps to avoid errors in the uninstallation process if the system says that "the application is busy."

For advanced users, there is a USB Debugging mode available that can be activated in the Developer Menu. However, for normal game removal, this is redundant. The standard settings menu is enough to manage user software. It is important not to confuse the system components that are also displayed in this list, but do not have an delete button.

Removal of pre-installed games and system debris

One of the biggest problems with Xiaomi and Redmi devices is that they have software that can’t be removed by standard methods, often affiliate games, demos or duplicates of Google and Microsoft services, and the “Delete” button is either missing or inactive.

There are several ways to combat this software, and the safest way is to use the "Disable" function, and instead of deleting the app information menu (via Settings), the "Disable" button is available, and then the app disappears from the menu, stops updating and consumes resources, although it physically remains in memory, which is a compromise, but a safe option.

• 📱 Third-party uninstallers: Applications like System App Remover require root rights, which is difficult for the average user and can disrupt the system.
• 💻 ADB AppControl: A convenient program for PC, allowing you to remove system debris without root rights through a computer.
• 🛠️ Command line ADB: Manual method for experienced, requiring the input of specific commands for each package.

If you decide to use the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) method, you'll need a computer and a cable. Once you've turned on the debugging in your phone and installed the drivers on your PC, you can use a command to delete, for example, to delete a specific packet, you play a command:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 name.pack.games

⚠️ Note: Removing system applications through ADB, You risk disrupting the stability of the shell. Never remove components with Security names, MIUI, SystemUI or Framework, otherwise the phone may stop loading.

A full backup is recommended before drastic measures are taken. Xiaomi Cloud’s built-in cloud or local storage on PCs will help recover data in case of an error. Deleting system components is always a risk that should be justified by a lack of memory or a desire for full customization.

Cleaning Residual Files and Cache After Deletion

Even after the game is properly deleted, folders with the names of the deleted applications often remain in the file system, which can be error logs, saved profiles or media files. Android does not always automatically clean these "tails", especially if the application was deleted incorrectly or crashed.

To find these files, the best way to do this is to use Google’s built-in Explorer or Files app. Go to the root folder of internal memory and look at the Android directory. Data and obb folders can store heavy files of remote games. Look for folders with names resembling remote projects (for example, com.tencent.ig for PUBG).

It's also worth checking the Downloads folder. Often, APK installation files stay there after installation, taking up space. If the game is no longer needed, its installer is much less necessary. Regularly checking this folder is a good habit for maintaining order.

The built-in Cleanup tool in the MIUI security menu is also able to find residual files. Run the scan and the system will prompt you to remove the garbage. However, the cleaning algorithms are not always perfect and can skip some directories, so manually checking through the file manager gives a more guaranteed result.

Use of built-in cleaner and memory analysis

Every Xiaomi smartphone has a Security app preinstalled, and inside it is the Cleanup module, which analyzes memory occupancy, which is the first tool to look at if the system reports a space shortage, and it quickly scans cache, ad files, and remnants of remote applications.

Storage Analyzer, in the same menu, lets you visualize what's taking up space, and you'll see a diagram where you can clearly see that games take up, for example, 40 percent of the memory, and you can click on the Applications sector and sort them by size and remove the heaviest ones, even if you don't remember their names.

Regular use of the cleaner helps keep the system in good shape, but don’t fanatically aim for 100% free memory, and it’s recommended to keep 10-15% of the total storage free for the proper operation of flash memory and virtual memory systems.

Typical errors and problems with removal

Users often experience a situation where the system says "Failed to delete the application" or the deletion button is inactive, and this can be due to several reasons: an active process in the background, device administrator rights or damage to installation files, in which case standard methods are powerless.

If the application doesn’t get deleted, try going to Settings -> Apps first, find the problem and click Stop. Then try uninstalling again. If that doesn’t work, check if any strange apps (in the security menu or password settings) are admin rights.

Another common mistake is to try to remove system components through third-party cleaners with dubious reputations, which often require excessive permissions and can themselves become a source of advertising or viruses.

⚠️ Warning: If the phone is unstable after you delete the game, you may have removed the system component or library that other applications need to run.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)