Remove applications on Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus

Despite its age, the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus remains a popular device due to its excellent balance of features and price. However, over time, owners face a lack of free space in memory and slowdown of the interface. One of the main reasons for this is the accumulation of a large number of programs, many of which are rarely or not used at all.

The process of cleaning the device from digital garbage requires careful attention, because the MIUI shell has its own features of removing programs. Some applications can be simply erased, while others require deeper intervention or the use of special tools. In this article, we will discuss all the available methods that will help you free up precious gigabytes and speed up the gadget.

It is important to understand that removing system components can lead to instability of the operating system. Therefore, before starting active actions, it is necessary to clearly distinguish between user software and critical Android services.

Standard removal through settings

The safest and easiest way to get rid of unnecessary programs is to use the built-in application management menu, which is suitable for all versions of the MIUI shell installed on the Redmi 5 Plus. First, you need to open the Settings menu and find the section responsible for managing programs.

Depending on the firmware version, the path may be slightly different, but the logic remains the same: you need to find the App item or All Apps, and it shows the complete list of installed software, sorted by frequency of use or alphabet, so you can quickly find what takes up the most space.

If you select an unnecessary program, you will see a Remove button. If it is active, it means that the application can be safely erased from the device. The system will automatically free up the memory and delete all associated data. If the button is inactive or absent, it means that it is a system component that requires a different approach.

⚠️ Note: Removing standard applications such as Security, Themes, or Google Play Services may result in a disruption to the app store or antivirus protection system.

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Use the standard menu to remove programs you installed yourself and avoid removing system components unnecessarily.

Removing shortcuts from the desktop

Users often confuse deleting a program with removing its shortcut from the desktop. On Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus, you can simply hide the icon, leaving the application itself running in the background. This does not free up memory, but allows you to clear the visual interface of unnecessary clutter.

To do this, just click on the icon and hold your finger until the action menu appears. Select the option to Remove if the system suggests removing only the shortcut. In some versions of MIUI, when you drag the icon to the top of the screen, a basket with the words Delete or From the desktop appears.

If you want to completely erase the program, make sure you choose the right action. A pop-up will ask for confirmation: "Delete the application?" Only after confirmation will the program be completely deleted from the device's memory. This is especially useful for games that take up many gigabytes.

• 📱 Click and hold the app icon on the desktop.
• 🗑️ Drag the icon to the basket area or press the cross.
• ✅ Confirm the deletion in the dialog window that appears.

Use of the Developer Menu and ADB

For advanced users who want to remove the non-removable standard Xiaomi apps (called bloatware), there is a method through computer and USB debugging.This method requires enabling the developer mode on Redmi 5 Plus. To activate it, go to About Phone and seven times click on the MIUI build number.

Once activated, the menu will have a Developer option, and you'll need to find and enable the USB Debugging option inside, and then you'll connect to a computer that has the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) tool installed on it, and you can send commands to delete packets from the command line.

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

This command will remove the standard video player for the current user without affecting the system partition, which is safe for the device. However, using ADB requires accuracy: removing critical system packets can lead to a cyclic bootloop. Always check the packet name before deleting.

⚠️ Attention: Before use ADB Make sure to make a full backup of the data, as system recovery after removing important components may require a flashing.

Cleaning the cache and application data

Sometimes, you don't need to delete the program completely, you just need to clear the accumulated data and cache. Over time, messengers and social networks can take up gigabytes of memory from stored images and temporary files. On Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus, you can do this through the application management menu.

Go to the properties of a particular application and find the Memory or Storage section, and there will be two buttons: Clear cache and Clear all (or Erase data), the first deletes temporary files, the second resets the application to the state immediately after installation, removing logins and settings.

Using the built-in Cleanup utility also helps to quickly free up space, it automatically finds garbage in the system and suggests removing it. Regular cleaning of the cache helps to maintain the speed of the Snapdragon 625 processor installed in this model.

• 🧹 Open the Security app on the desktop.
• 📂 Select the Cleanup item for analyzing garbage files.
• ⚙️ For deep cleaning, go to Settings → Annexes.

Analysis of the occupied space

Before you uninstall apps, it’s important to understand what’s taking up the most space on your Redmi 5 Plus.The built-in storage analyzer provides detailed information about memory allocation, which helps identify “hidden eaters” of space that you may not have known about.

You'll see a diagram in the Memory menu, where you'll see different colors for systems, applications, images, etc. By clicking on the Apps section, you can sort the list by size, and it often turns out that old games or offline map navigators take up the lion's share of memory.

Also worth paying attention to is the Downloads and Messenger folder: Files received on WhatsApp or Telegram can be stored for years, and manually cleaning them through a file manager is often more effective than simply removing the application itself.

Comparison of removal methods

The choice of removal method depends on your goals and level of training. For the average user, standard system tools are sufficient. For enthusiasts who want to make the system as easy as possible, methods using ADB will be suitable.

Root rights are a complete control, but on modern versions of MIUI, this is difficult to implement and can disrupt banking applications, so the ADB method is a middle ground for experienced users.

Frequent questions and answers

To sum up, good application management on Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus significantly extends the life of the device: regularly check the list of installed programs, remove unused and monitor the amount of free space, which will allow your smartphone to work quickly and steadily even years after release.

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Make a rule: once a month, review the list of applications and remove those that have not been used in the last 30 days.