How to Remove Excess Xiaomi Software: A Complete Cleanup Guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face intrusive pre-installed software that takes up space and consumes resources. After buying a new device, users find dozens of applications that cannot be removed by standard methods through the settings menu, not just an inconvenience, but a systematic policy of the manufacturer aimed at monetizing and promoting its own services.

Fortunately, there are several effective ways to get rid of digital debris: you can use the built-in features of the system for basic cleaning or use more advanced tools like ADB (Android Debug Bridge) for deep uninstallation.

In this article, we will discuss in detail the safe algorithms of actions, you will learn to distinguish between safe to remove packages and those that are strictly forbidden to touch, the correct configuration of the gadget will significantly speed up its operation and free up gigabytes of usable space.

Why Xiaomi is preinstalling unnecessary apps

The company's strategy is based on the low margins of the hardware itself. To sell powerful smartphones at a competitive price, the manufacturer compensates for costs through advertising and pre-installed software. In MIUI firmware or the new HyperOS, you will often find games, streaming services and utilities from third-party developers.

Some of these programs are system-based, and they run themes, the GetApps app store, or the Mi Account services, while others are ads that can and should be removed, and understanding this difference is key to secure optimization.

Often users confuse the necessary drivers and unnecessary additions, for example, removing the component responsible for the operation of the lock screen can lead to a “brick” of the device, so before starting any manipulations, it is worthwhile to study the purpose of the packages.

⚠️ Warning: Removing system packages such as Security or SystemUI can cause a cyclical reboot of the phone.Always check the name of the process before uninstallation.

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Pre-installed software is divided into three categories: system (cannot be removed), user (can be removed through settings) and hidden system (requires ADB).

Preparing a smartphone for removing programs

Before we start taking any drastic measures, we need to set up the device correctly, and the standard menu won't let you remove most system applications, so we'll need access to debugging, and it's a special mode for developers, hidden by default.

To activate, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on MIUI or HyperOS seven times. After the message “You became a developer”, a new menu will open in the main settings.

In the menu "For developers" find the item "Debugging by USB» You can also activate it. You can also enable the "Installation through" option. USB» and «USB-debugging (security settings)" if available, which will allow the computer to interact with the phone's file system.

Remember that connecting to a computer requires quality cables. Cheap wires can only charge the device without transmitting data, which will lead to errors when trying to run cleaning tools.

Removal through settings and built-in tools

The easiest and safest method is to use the regular Android functionality, which is suitable for removing custom applications that you downloaded yourself or that can be deactivated without superuser rights.

Go to Settings → Applications → All apps. Find the program that is not needed in the list. If the Remove button is active, feel free to press it. If only the Disable button is available, it means that the application is system-based, but it can be frozen.

Disabling the program hides its icon and prevents the start of processes, which is effectively equivalent to deleting for the average user. Freeing up disk space this way will not work, but RAM will become freer.

• 📱 Find the Mi Video or Mi Music app in the list and select “Delete” if you use third-party players.
• 📱 Disable GetApps if you do not plan to download software from the Xiaomi store.
• 📱 Remove shortcuts from your desktop by clamping the icon and dragging it to your cart or selecting “Delete».

This is ideal for beginners, because the risk of damage to the system is zero, but it does not eliminate the deeply integrated advertising and services that the company considers important.

Using ADB for deep cleaning of the system

To remove truly system applications, such as the Mi Browser browser or advertising services, you will need a computer and the ADB utility. This method does not require root rights, which retains the warranty on the device.

First, download Platform Tools from Google’s official website and unpack the archive on disk C. Connect your phone to your PC in debugging mode. Open the command line in the ADB folder and enter a command to check the connection:

adb devices

You'll see a request for debugging permission on your smartphone screen, confirm it, and your gadget's serial number should appear on the device list, and you can start looking for packages.

To find out the exact name of the package, use the command:

adb shell pm list packages

The list will be huge, so it is better to search for a specific application by adding a filter, for example, to search for packages related to advertising:

adb shell pm list packages | grep miui

To remove directly, use the command adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 name packet. For example, to remove system advertising:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.misys

⚠️ Note: The command removes the application only for the current user (user 0). When you reset the settings to the factory remote programs will return, as the system partition does not modify.

Automation of the process with ADB AppControl

Working with the command line can seem difficult for the untrained user. Fortunately, enthusiasts have created handy graphical shells such as ADB AppControl or Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools.

These programs automatically scan the phone and display a list of all the apps installed with clear names, not just packet codes. You can see which apps are active and which are hidden.

The interface allows you to tick off unnecessary components and delete them with a single click. Programs often have built-in databases with recommendations, telling you whether it is safe to remove a particular process.

Using GUIs reduces the risk of error because you can visually see what you're turning off, but even then, you should back up important data before you start.

List of safe to remove system packages

To avoid damaging the device, it is important to know the specific packet names, and here is a list of MIUI components that can be removed without affecting the basic functionality of the communication and calls.

First of all, they remove the ad modules. The com.miui.mipicks package is responsible for recommendations in folders, and com.miui.analytics collects usage statistics, and removing them makes the interface cleaner.

Duplicate apps are also often removed. If you use Google Photos, you can disable com.miui.gallery. Third-party launchers can get rid of the standard com.miui.home, but with caution.

• 🗑️ com.miui.videoplayer - standard video player, replaced by any other.
• 🗑️ com.miui.player is a standard music player.
• 🗑️ com.xiaomi.joyose – gaming service, removal can improve performance in games.
• 🗑️ com.miui.daemon – statistics collection service, secure for removal.

Be careful with the com.android.browser package. If you delete the standard browser, make sure you have an alternative browser installed, otherwise links from other apps may not open.

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Before mass deletion, make a full backup of your data via Mi Cloud or locally to your computer. This will take 10 minutes, but save your photos and contacts in case of an error.

Possible risks and system recovery

Even experienced users can make a mistake: If the phone starts to behave strangely, freeze or reboot after deleting programs, you need to return the deleted components. Fortunately, ADB makes it easy to restore packets.

For reinstal remote application, use the command:

adb shell cmd package install-existing name packet

This command will return the system application from the hidden recovery section. If the phone doesn't turn on at all (bootloop), you will have to do a full reset via Recovery Mode.

From the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data, which will delete all user data and return factory settings, including all previously deleted system applications, so regular backup is critical.

⚠️ Warning: A full Wipe Data reset will destroy all photos, contacts and files on the internal drive.

Don't try to delete everything. Android and HyperOS are complex mechanisms where some processes are interrelated. Leave a minimum set of Google and Xiaomi services to work smoothly.