How to remove unnecessary apps on Xiaomi phone: from standard to system

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face a situation where the device starts to run slower or free memory suddenly runs out. One of the main reasons for this phenomenon is the accumulation of large amounts of software, some of which is rarely used and others are not needed at all. Cleaning up the gadget from digital garbage is not just a way to free a couple of gigabytes, but also an effective method to extend battery life.

The process of uninstalling applications on the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS can vary depending on the type of program. Some are removed by clicking, others require access to hidden developer menus, and still others can only be turned off. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the existing methods, from the simplest to the most advanced, that will help you return the phone to its previous speed.

Before we start taking drastic measures, it's important to understand which software is really safe to remove. Careless actions can lead to unstable system operation or loss of important features such as calls or Internet access. We structured the information so that even a beginner could safely optimize their device without risking harm.

Basic removal of user applications

The easiest and most obvious way to get rid of excess software is the standard uninstallation procedure, which is suitable for all programs that you downloaded yourself from the Google Play store or installed through the Internet. APK-To do this, just find an icon on the desktop or in the menu of all applications.

Click on the icon and hold your finger until the context menu appears. In the list that opens, select Delete or the basket icon. The system will request confirmation of action, and after pressing the OK button, the program will be completely erased from the device along with its cache and data.

If the standard menu doesn't appear, you can use the system settings. Go to Settings → Applications → All Apps. Here is the full list of installed software. Find the desired application in the list, click on it and select the "Delete" button at the bottom of the screen.

⚠️ Note: When you delete some games or social media, saved progress or correspondence may disappear if they were not synced to the cloud.

It's worth noting that this method doesn't work for system components that are protected by the manufacturer, and trying to remove them through a standard interface simply won't succeed -- the button will be inactive or absent -- and there are other, deeper cleaning methods available for these cases.

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Before mass cleaning of the phone it is recommended to make backup of important contacts and photos so as not to accidentally lose the necessary information along with garbage.

Working with system applications through settings

Many pre-installed services Xiaomi and Google can not be removed in the classic way, but they can be disabled.Switching off puts the application into sleep mode: it stops updating, consume traffic and load the processor in the background.

To perform this operation, go to the Settings menu → Annexes → All applications. Find the system component you want deaktivirovat (e.g., unnecessary Google services or branded Mi services.

In the app information window that opens, look for the "Disable" button, if it's active, the system will alert you to the possible consequences. Confirm the action. After that, the app icon will disappear from the desktop and its processes will stop.

• 📱 The disabled application takes up the minimum space in memory, storing only the installation file.
• 🔋 Background activity and battery consumption of the disabled service are reduced to zero.
• 🔄 Updating disabled apps via Play Market also stops automatically.

Not all system components are deactivable: Critical services such as Security, Themes, or Explorer often don’t have this option because they are integrated into the shell core, and attempts to force them to be removed require root rights, which is not recommended for ordinary users.

Using the Developer Mode to Clean

For more advanced users who want to take full control of the device, there is a developer mode that allows access to hidden Android features, including detailed application management, activating this mode is the first step to deep cleaning.

To enable the Developer Mode, open Settings → About the phone. Find the line "Version." MIUI» or "Version" OS» And press it fast. 7-10 Once you've been a developer, you can go to the settings.

Go back to the main settings menu and select “Additional” or “Extended Settings” and a new “Developers” option will appear, and inside that menu you can find the USB debugging you’ll need for the next, more powerful uninstall method.

⚠️ Warning: Do not change the settings in the Developer Menu unless you are sure of their purpose. Incorrect settings can lead to unstable interface operation or data loss.

It is through USB debugging that you connect to your computer to use the ADB command line, a powerful tool that allows you to remove even those applications that are hidden from the user's eyes in normal mode, but it requires a PC and execute certain commands.

Removal through ADB-computer-team

The most effective way to get rid of any embedded debris is to use the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) toolkit, which allows you to delete apps for the current user without compromising the integrity of system files. If something goes wrong, the phone can always be returned to its original state with a simple reset.

First, you need to download the Platform Tools package to your computer and install drivers for your smartphone. Connect your phone to your PC with a cable, pre-allowing debugging over USB in the developer menu. Open the command line or terminal in the folder with ADB.

adb devices

This command will check the connection. If you see the serial number of the device, the connection is established. Next, you need to know the exact name of the package of the application being removed. URL-post-id=) or through the team:

adb shell pm list packages

Once you find the right name (e.g. com.xiaomi.scanner for scanner), use the deletion command. It does not physically erase the file from the system partition, but makes it invisible and inactive to the user.

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

Once you've done the command, the app will disappear from the phone, and to return the app that's deleted, you'll need to reset to factory settings, or use a packet recovery command if you know its syntax. Be careful when you type in packet names.

Analysis of space and application types

Before you mindlessly delete everything, it’s helpful to audit what exactly is taking up space on your Xiaomi, and it often turns out that the bulk of the memory is eaten not by the apps themselves, but by their cache, media files, or downloads.

The built-in analyzer will help you understand the structure of the storage. Go to Settings → About Phone → Memory (or through the Security app → Cleanup).

Special attention should be paid to messengers like Telegram or WhatsApp, which can take up tens of gigabytes from stored photos and videos from chat rooms, and cleaning is better done inside the applications themselves through the “Data Use” menu, rather than simply removing the messenger itself.

Regular storage monitoring helps to avoid situations where the phone stops accepting new photos or messages due to space shortages, and try to keep at least 10-15% of the total storage space free for the system to work properly.

Cleaning up advertising garbage and hidden installers

A common problem for owners of budget models Redmi and Poco is the appearance of intrusive advertising and unknown applications, often installed covertly when downloading files from the browser or installing “modified” versions of games.

The first sign of infection is the appearance of icons without a name or with a transparent icon in the list of applications, and you can also spontaneously open browsers with ads, and to combat this, you need to find the source.

Go to the app settings and sort them by installation time. Suspicious programs that don't have an icon or name (empty field) are usually at the bottom or top of the list depending on sorting. Delete them immediately.

• 🛡️ Disable the installation of applications from unknown sources in security settings.
• 🌐 Disable receiving push notifications from the browser that often lead to websites with viruses.
• 📉 Use the built-in antivirus in the Security app for regular scanning.

If the ad modules are embedded in system applications (which happens in some regions), the usual removal will not help, in which case it is recommended to change the region in the phone settings (for example, India or Greenland), which often reduces the frequency of displaying ads in the system interfaces.

⚠️ Warning: Never grant device administrator permissions to unknown applications, which may block the ability to delete them using standard methods.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Use of the ADB-commands are the most powerful and safe method of removing embedded software that does not require root rights and does not violate the device warranty.