How to Remove Chinese Apps from Xiaomi: Full Instruction

Owners of Xiaomi smartphones bought on AliExpress or imported from China often face intrusive system debris. The global version of firmware is free of these problems, but China's Miui China is full of useless services that not only take up space, but actively consume battery power.

The cleaning process does not require a deep knowledge of programming, but it requires care. System applications are deeply integrated into the shell, so simply removing them through a standard interface will not work. You will need special tools and a clear understanding of which packages can be touched and which are responsible for the basic functionality of the phone.

In this article, we will discuss safe methods of cleaning the system from Chinese software. ADB-The right approach will eliminate advertising in system applications and speed up the interface without the risk of turning a smartphone into a brick».

Risk assessment and device preparation

Before you start removing system components, you need to be aware of the potential risks. Incorrect removal of critical packages such as com.miui.securitycenter or system frameworks can lead to endless restart of the device or loss of the ability to make calls. Backup data is a mandatory step that can not be ignored.

To get started, you'll need to turn on USB debugging mode, which is a hidden feature that allows the computer to send commands to the phone. Without activating this mode, none of the methods described below will work. Also make sure that the device has an ADB driver installed on the PC.

⚠️ Attention: Removal of system packages responsible for work SIM-Cards or touchscreens can make the phone unusable without flashing it.

Create a restore point, or simply copy important photos and contacts to the cloud, and if something goes wrong in the cleaning process, you can get your data back, even if you have to reset your phone to factory settings. Data security should always be the number one priority.

Make sure the battery is at least 50 percent, and the process can take time, especially if you plan to manually sort each packet, and suddenly shutting down power while working with system files is highly undesirable.

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Use the original. USB-Cheap cables may not provide a stable connection for data transmission, which will lead to errors in connection. ADB.

Activation of the developer mode and debugging

The first step to gaining control of the system is to activate the hidden menu. Go to Settings → About Phone and find the MIUI Version line. You need to quickly click on it 7-10 times in a row until the notification “You became a developer” appears.

Then you'll see a new option in the settings menu called "Additional" or "Extended Settings," where you'll select "Developers For," find the USB Debugging Switch and activate it, and the system will alert you to the risks, confirm the action.

When you first connect to your computer, you'll see a request for debugging permission on your smartphone screen, and you'll be sure to tick the "Always Allow from this computer" box and click "OK." Without that confirmation, your computer won't be able to send a command to delete the apps.

Some Chinese versions of MIUI may require additional sign-in to your Mi Account to activate debugging. If the system requires authorization, sign in using a phone number or email. This is a security measure introduced by the manufacturer.

Removal via ADB AppControl and Graphical Interfaces

The easiest and safest way for beginners is to use graphical interface programs like ADB AppControl or Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools. These utilities automatically identify the connected device and display a list of installed packages with clear names, not just technical codes.

Once you install the program on your PC and connect your smartphone, you'll see a complete list of apps, and it will tell you which ones are system-based and which ones can be uninstalled, and you can select several Chinese apps at once and click "Delete" or "Disable".

The advantage of this method is that many programs allow you to backup the application you delete before you eliminate it, APK-The file can be easily recovered through the same interface.

Note that for these programs to work, drivers must be installed correctly. In Windows Device Manager, your phone must appear as Android Composite ADB Interface. If there is an unknown device, the drivers will have to be installed manually.

Manual removal via ADB command line

For those who prefer full control, there is a method of manual removal through the console, which requires knowing the exact names of the packages. First download Platform Tools from the official Google website and unpack the archive. Open the command line in the tool folder.

Enter the adb device command to check the connection. If done correctly, you'll see the serial number of the device. Now you can start searching and uninstalling the excess software. The list of Chinese packages often begins with the prefixes com.miui, com.xiaomi or com.android.browser (Chinese version).

To remove a particular application, a command is used:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 name packet

For example, to remove a Chinese browser, the command will look like this: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.browser. The --user 0 flag means that the application is removed for the current user, but physically remains in the system partition, making it easy to return it by resetting the settings.

Use the adb shell pm list packages to display a complete list of all packages installed, which will help you find specific Chinese services that may be called differently.

Disabling Advertising in System Applications

Even after removing the extra apps, the remaining system utilities can pop up ads. China's version of MIUI is known for its aggressive marketing. To turn off ads, you need to deaktivirovat msa (MIUI System Ads) service.

Go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Data Access. Find msa and deny it access to the network (Wi-Fi and mobile data). Without the Internet, it can not download banner ads. A similar procedure should be done for the application “Security” and “Conductor”.

Also, in the settings of each system application (for example, "Themes", "Music", "Video"), there are hidden switches, usually in the "About" section or in the recommendation settings, you need to find the "Receive recommendations" item and turn it off.

⚠️ Attention: msa may be trying to recover. If the ad reappears after the reboot, repeat the procedure for disabling network access for this process.

An effective way is to disable personalized ads in your account. Go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Privacy → Advertising Services and disable Personalized Ads. This will reduce the frequency of intrusive offers.

Recovery of Remote Components

If you delete something that's superfluous during the optimization process and the system starts to malfunction, you don't need to panic (--user 0), It's not erased forever, it's just hidden. It can be restored by a single command.

Use the adb shell cmd package install-existing name of the package. This will return the application to the installed list, for example, to restore a remote browser: adb shell cmd package install-existing com.android.browser.

In graphics utilities like ADB AppControl, there is a tab called Remote or Restore, which displays a list of uninstalled programs. Just click the Recover button on the right item, and the system will return everything as it was.

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The ADB removal method for user 0 is reversible. You can always return the system application without flashing the phone, knowing its exact packet name.

In extreme cases, if the phone stopped loading or there is a critical interface failure, a full reset to factory settings (Wipe Data) will help. This will return all system applications to their places, but delete your personal data, so backup is mandatory.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)