Xiaomi branded mobile devices running MIUI or HyperOS shells have strict power management and permissions. Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the standard procedure for uninstalling Kaspersky antivirus software is blocked by the system or the application itself. This can be caused by activated device administrator rights, enabled anti-theft protection or a conflict of system security processes. Understanding the reasons for blocking the removal is the first step to successfully solving the problem.
In most cases, Android operating system tools can be easily managed by the installed software. However, Kaspersky Internet Security or Kaspersky Standard often require advanced privileges to scan traffic and protect in real time. These privileges create an additional layer of protection that prevents accidental or malicious removal of the antivirus. If you decide to completely abandon the use of products of this company, you need to consistently disable all levels of protection.
Incorrect deletion can cause file residues to continue to consume battery life or cause system errors. In this article, we will look at all possible scenarios, from standard settings to the use of special debugging modes. It is important to act consistently so as not to violate the integrity of Xiaomi system files.
Disabling the rights of the device administrator
The most common reason that an antivirus cannot be removed is that an application has device administrator rights, which allow an application to lock the screen, reset a password, or delete data when you try to hack. While those rights are active, the delete button in the settings menu will be inactive or hidden. The first step should always be to remove those privileges through the system security menu.
To do this, the user needs to go to deep system settings. The path may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI, but the logic remains the same. Find the section responsible for device security and go to the list of special rights applications. Here you will see active programs that have control over the device.
⚠️ Note: After the admin rights are disabled, the protection level of your smartphone will temporarily decrease. It is not recommended to click on suspicious links or connect to unknown Wi-Fi networks until the removal process is completed or a new antivirus is installed.
In the application list, find Kaspersky and click on the corresponding menu item. The system will request confirmation of action, warning of loss of security features. Confirm the disabling of rights. Now the application can no longer prevent its uninstallation at the system level.
- 📱 Go to the Settings of the main menu of your smartphone.
- 🔒 Select the Passwords and Security section or Privacy Protection.
- 🛡️ Find the Administrators of a device or Application with special rights.
- ❌ Uncheck or click Revoke rights next to Kaspersky app.
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If the item "Device Administrators" is not found, use the search by settings, typing the phrase "administrator" into the search bar of the menu.
Standard uninstallation through Android settings
Once the administrator rights are revoked, you can start the standard deletion procedure. In the Android operating system, which runs Xiaomi smartphones, this process is unified. However, in the MIUI shell there are peculiarities of displaying the application management menu. The user needs to find a section where information about all installed software is stored.
Open the Settings menu and select the App. Go to All Apps. Search Kaspersky for the list that opens. Please note that the name may vary depending on the version: Kaspersky Standard, Kaspersky Plus or Kaspersky Internet Security. Click on the program name to open the management page.
On the app information page, you'll see a few action buttons. We're interested in the Remove button, which should be active now. When you click, the system can request confirmation again, as personal data and program settings are deleted. Confirm the action, and the uninstallation process will take a few seconds.
- 🗑️ Click the Remove button on the application page.
- ✅ Confirm the action in the system pop-up window.
- ⏳ Wait for the data cleanup process to be completed.
- 🔄 Restart the device to apply changes.
Sometimes the system may suggest that you save the application data before you delete it, and if you don't plan to go back to using this antivirus, it doesn't make sense to save the data and only takes up space in memory, and completely delete it ensures that no background processes are running again.
☑️ Checking for removal
Remove from Google Play Store
An alternative and often easier way to remove is to use the Google Play Digital Content Store, which is convenient because it synchronizes the installation status of the app across all devices associated with your account. If you have difficulty finding the app in your phone settings, the app store will provide direct access to management.
Run the Play Store app on your Xiaomi smartphone. Type the name of the antivirus, like Kaspersky, in the search box. Go to the app page. If the program is already installed on your device, instead of the "Install" button, you will see the Delete button or the basket icon. Click on it.
The system will issue a warning that all app data will be deleted, which is Google's standard security procedure, and once confirmed, the uninstallation process will begin, and the advantage of this method is that it works even if the app's shortcut has been hidden or removed from the desktop, but the program file itself remains in the system.
⚠️ Attention: Deletion through Google Play requires an active Internet connection. If the network is unstable, the process may freeze, and you will have to try again or use the offline method through the settings.
In some cases, if the application was installed not through Google Play, but through the APK-The file, the store, may not have the right to delete it, and in this situation, the system will redirect you to the standard Android settings menu described in the previous section.
Use of safe mode for removal
If the antivirus is aggressive, blocking removal attempts or hiding its processes, the effective solution is to go to Safe Mode.In this mode, the Android operating system loads only with basic system components. Third-party applications, including Kaspersky, do not run automatically, which allows you to safely delete their files.
To enter Safe Mode on Xiaomi smartphones, it is usually enough to press the power button and then (hold your finger) on the "Stop" icon on the screen, you will be prompted to switch to Safe Mode, you can also use a combination of physical volume buttons when booting, depending on the device model. After rebooting, the corner of the screen will be marked "Safe Mode".
While in this mode, repeat the uninstall procedure through settings or Google Play. Since the antivirus itself is not active, they will not be able to (block) the removal process. After a successful uninstallation, simply restart the phone in the usual way to exit safe mode.
- 🔌 Press the power button and select "Switch off" (holding your finger).
- 📉 Confirm the transition to safe mode.
- 🧹 Remove the application in the standard method.
- 🔄 Restart the device to return to normal mode.
What to do if the safe mode is not turned on?
Comparison of methods of removing antivirus
The choice of removal method depends on the specific situation: the level of blocking, the version of MIUI and the availability of root rights. Below is a table that helps determine the best way to solve the problem for your case.
| Method | Necessary rights | Difficulty | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Through Android settings | Customized | Low. | High (if there is no lock) |
| Through Google Play | User + Internet | Low. | Medium |
| Safe regime | Customized | Medium | Very high. |
| ADB Teams | USB debugging | Tall. | Maximum |
As you can see from the table, standard methods are enough for most users. However, if the antivirus is embedded deep in the system or damaged, more advanced tools may be needed. Using ADB (Android Debug Bridge) allows you to remove applications at the packet level, ignoring the user interface.
To use ADB, you need to turn on the developer mode on Xiaomi, and this is done by seven times pressing the build number in the About Phone section. Then the USB Debugging menu is activated in the Developer Menu. By connecting the phone to a PC, you can execute a deletion command.
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.kms.free.androidThis command will force the antivirus packet to be removed for the current user.Be careful when entering commands, as an error in the name of the package can lead to the removal of the system component.
Cleaning of residual files and cache
Even after successful removal of the application, temporary files, logs and cache can remain in the system. On Xiaomi smartphones with their aggressive memory management policy, these files usually do not take up much space, but deleting them is a good practice to maintain the system clean. Remains may take up space in the section Android/data.
Use the built-in Security app (green zipper icon) that is pre-installed on all Mi and Redmi devices. Launch Cleanup. The system will analyze the storage and suggest removing debris, including residual files from remote applications. This is a safe and recommended way.
For a deeper cleanup, you can use a file manager. Go to the root directory of internal memory and check folders called Kaspersky or KMS. If you have these folders, you can manually delete them, and you should also check the Downloads folder for installation. APK-file.
⚠️ Note: When manually cleaning folders, do not delete files you are not sure of, only delete directories that are clearly related to the remote antivirus, so as not to damage the operation of other programs.
After cleaning, it is recommended to reboot the device, which will allow the MIUI system to rebuild the file index and free up occupied memory blocks.
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Regularly cleaning residual files after removing heavy applications prolongs the life of the drive and speeds up the interface.
Possible problems and solutions
Users may encounter errors during the deletion process, such as the message "Can't delete the application" or the endless process of uninstallation, often because the antivirus process is still active in RAM, in which case a forced stop before deletion helps.
Go to Settings → Applications → All Apps. Find Kaspersky. Press Stop (or Forced Stop). Only after the application is stopped will the delete button be clickable, ensuring that no program stream is running in the background.
Another problem may be a family subscription or Kaspersky account. SAFE KIDS. If parental controls are activated on the device, deletion can be blocked. PIN-In this case, you need to know the code or delete the application through the web interface of the Kaspersky account, if such a feature is provided.
- 🛑 Perform a forced stop of the process before removal.
- 🔑 Check if parental controls are activated.
- 🌐 Make sure the internet connection is stable when you delete via Play.
- 💾 Free up disk space if the storage is full.