How to Remove Unnecessary Apps on Xiaomi Redmi 9: 5 Verified Ways

Xiaomi Redmi 9 is one of the most popular budget smartphones, but even it suffers from an excess of pre-installed applications. Many users are faced with the fact that memory is filled with unnecessary Miui services, advertising utilities and duplicate programs. In this article, we will analyze all possible ways to clean the Redmi 9 – from standard methods to advanced techniques for power users.

It is important to understand that not all applications can be removed without consequences. Some system components are critical to Android, and removing them can cause crashes. We will explain in detail which programs are safe to remove and which are better to simply disable.

Why are there so many unnecessary apps on Redmi 9?

Smartphone manufacturers, including Xiaomi, often install pre-loaded app packages on devices, due to several factors:

💰 Partnering agreements – many apps (e.g. Facebook, Netflix, LinkedIn) are preinstalled for a fee from developers.
📱 Branded shell MIUI — It includes its own services (Mi Browser, Mi Video, Mi Music) that duplicate the functions of Google.
🌍 Regional features – firmware for different countries can have unique sets of applications (for example, Yandex for Russia, PayTM for India).
🔄 Updates MIUI — After upgrading the system, new system utilities often appear that cannot be removed by standard methods.

Redmi 9 (model M2003J15SC/M2003J15SS) has a particularly high number of junk apps because of the budget focus of the device, which compensates for the low price through advertising and affiliate programs, and even after resetting to factory settings, all of these apps come back, because they are sewn into the firmware.

⚠️ Note: Removing system applications without root rights can lead to errors in the work MIUI, For example, if you lose your icons on your menu or you crash your settings, always back up before you experiment.

Method 1: Standard removal through settings

The easiest method is to remove the settings menu and it is suitable for custom applications installed by you from Google Play or third-party sources.

Instructions:

Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
Select the All Apps tab (or Downloaded if you only want to remove the programs you installed).
Find an unnecessary app in the list and tap it.
Press the Remove button (if it is active).

Limitations of the method:

🚫 Does not work for system applications (Delete button will be inactive).
🔄 Some apps (such as Mi Browser) can only be disabled, but not completely removed.
🗑️ After deletion, cached data may remain (you need to clean them separately in the Warehouse).

Installed games (e.g. Candy Crush, PUBG)

Social networks (if not used: TikTok, Snapchat)

Messengers-doubles (for example, if you have Viber and Telegram)

Unused banking applications

Test programs (e.g. benchmark utilities)-->

If the Remove button is inactive, try the following method.

Method 2: Disabling system applications (without deleting)

When complete deletion is not possible, you can disable unnecessary programs, hide them from the menu, stop background processes and free RAM.

How to turn it off:

Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → All applications.
Select a system application (e.g. Mi Pay or Mi Community).
Click Disable (if the button is active).
Confirm the action in the dialog window.

What the blackout does:

Advantage	Shortcoming
✅ Frees up the working memory.	❌ The application remains in the memory of the device
✅ Stops background activity	❌ Some updates MIUI Can activate the disabled programs again
✅ Removes the icons from the menu	❌ Does not delete the cache and application data
✅ Safe for the system.	❌ It does not work for mission-critical services (e.g. Google Play Services)

⚠️ Warning: Disabling Google services (such as Google Play Services or Google Services Framework) may disrupt the app store, contact sync, and other features.

💡

Before disabling a system application, check its name on Google – many MIUI services have non-obvious features. for example, com.xiaomi.mipicks is responsible for content recommendations in Mi Video, and com.miui.analytics collects data to improve MIUI (disabling it will not harm the system).

Method 3: Removal via ADB (without root rights)

If standard methods don't work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a tool for debugging Android devices, which allows you to remove system applications without obtaining root permissions, but requires a connection to a computer.

Step-by-step:

Download and install ADB Tools on your computer (Windows, macOS or Linux).
Turn on Redmi 9 Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version. Tap the MIUI Version 7 times until the notification appears You became a developer!

Settings → Additional → For Developers

USB debugging

File transfer

adb devices

If the device appears in the list, enter:

adb shell

pm uninstall -k --user 0 name.package

For example, to remove the Mi Browser:

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.browser

List of popular removal packages on Redmi 9:

🌐 Mi Browser: com.android.browser
🎵 Mi Music: com.miui.player
📺 Mi Video: com.miui.videoplayer
💳 Mi Pay: com.mipay.wallet
📱 Mi Community: com.xiaomi.xmsf
🔍 Cleaner (Cleaning): com.miui.cleanmaster

How to find out the name of the application package?

1. Install the App Inspector app on your phone (available on Google Play). 2. Open it and find the app in the list. 3. Copy the value in the Package Name field. 4. Use this name in the ADB command. Alternatively, you can use the ADB command: pm list packages | grep "key word" For example, to search for all applications with "miui" in the title: pm list packages | grep "miui"

⚠️ Attention: Removal through ADB It doesn't erase the application completely -- it stays in the system partition, but it becomes inaccessible to the current user. Once reset to factory settings, all the programs that are deleted in this way will return.

Pre-installed games (e.g. Mi Games)

Xiaomi branded services (Mi Music, Mi Video)

Social networks (Facebook, TikTok)

Advertising (Mi Advertising, User Feedback)

Other (I will write in the comments)-->

Method 4: Complete removal with root rights

Root rights are required to permanently remove system applications, a risky method that can lead to a brick, but gives you maximum freedom.

How to get root on Redmi 9:

Unlock the bootloader through the official Xiaomi website (en.miui.com/unlock). This will take up to 72 hours (requires an account binding Mi).
Install custom recovery (e.g. TWRP) for your model (Lancelot for Redmi 9).
Sweep Magisk through recovery to obtain root rights.

After getting root, use:

📱 Root Explorer is a file manager with access to system folders. /system/app/ or /system/priv-app/.
🛠️ Titanium Backup – allows you to delete backup system programs.
🧹 SD Maid – Clears residual files after deletion.

Examples of safe to remove system packages (checked on Redmi 9 with MIUI 12-14):

com.miui.analytics # Analytics collection MIUI


com.xiaomi.ab # Advertising Services




com.miui.bugreport # Error Reports




com.miui.hybrid # Hybrid Services (can be deleted if you don't use Dual Apps)




com.miui.hybrid.accessory # Accessories for Dual Apps

💡

Before removing any system file through root, back up the /system partition to TWRP, which will allow you to restore the phone if something goes wrong.

Method 5: Alternative Memory Optimization Methods

If you can’t delete applications or are afraid to risk system stability, use alternative ways to free up memory:

🗃️ Cache Clearing: Go to Settings → Warehouse → Clean. Select Clear cache of applications (can be done for all programs at once).
🔄 Transfer of applications to SD-Insert the map SD-card (preferably of class 10 or UHS-I). In the application settings, select Storage → Change. → SD-map. ⚠️ Note: Not all applications support portability SD. System programs and many games (e.g, PUBG Call of Duty will not give you this option.
☁️ Use cloud services: Move photos and videos to Google Photos or Mi Cloud. Delete local copies of files, leaving only thumbnails.
🧹 Disabling Autoboot: In Settings → Annexes → Application management select the program. Press Autostart and disable it.

For deep cleaning, third-party utilities can be used:

Annex	Function	Reference
SD Maid	Removal of garbage, duplicates, residual files	Google Play
Files by Google	Search and delete unnecessary files, cache	Google Play
Greenify	Background applications hibernation (works without root)	Google Play

What to do if after removing the applications the phone began to glittle?

If after manipulation with the system programs Redmi 9 began to work unstable (fly out, overheat or not turn on), follow the following steps:

Safe Mode Reboot: Press the power button before the turn off menu appears. Hold your finger to Turn off until you have a suggestion to go to Safe Mode. Check in Safe Mode if errors persist. If not, a problem in one of the remote applications.
Recovering Remote Packets via ADB: Connect your phone to your PC and execute: adb shell cmd package install-existing name.packet
Reset to factory settings: Go to Settings → About Phone → Reset. Select Erase all data (it is recommended to make a backup beforehand).
Fastboot Firmware (extreme): Download the official firmware for Redmi 9 from Xiaomi. Use the Mi Flash Tool for Fastboot Firmware.

⚠️ Note: If the phone does not turn on after deleting system files, try to log in to the phone. TWRP (if installed, and restore backup. TWRP No – only the firmware through Fastboot or contacting the service center remains.

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing apps on Redmi 9

Can I delete Google Play Services to free up memory?

No, Google Play Services is a critical component for most applications, including Google Play, Gmail, YouTube, and many games, and removing it will cause system failures. The most you can do is turn off automatic updates to Settings → Apps → Google Play Services → Three dots → Disable auto-update.

Why After Removing the Application ADB It appears again after the update. MIUI?

When you update your system, Xiaomi restores all system applications that have been removed via pm uninstall --user 0. To avoid this, you can: Disable automatic MIUI update in Settings → About phone → System update → Three points → Settings → Auto Update. Use Magisk and Universal SafetyNet Fix module to block the recovery of deleted packages.

How to remove embedded games (such as Mi Games Center)

Embedded games (Mi Games Center, Game Turbo) can be removed either through ADB (pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.xiaomi.glgm for Mi Games) or by root rights. If the game is preinstalled as a system application, standard removal will not work. Alternative: disable it in the settings and hide the icon from the home screen, holding your finger on the icon and dragging it to Delete (this will not delete the program, but only remove the shortcut).

Is it safe to use applications like System App Remover?

System application removal applications (e.g. System App Remover, Debloater) can be dangerous for several reasons: They often require root rights, which in itself is risky for beginners, and can remove critical components, leading to a bootloop. Some of these tools contain malicious code (especially if they are not downloaded from Google Play: ADB or manual removal through TWRP backup.

How to return a remote system application if the phone is not working properly?

If you have removed the system application and Redmi 9 It started to glitches, you can restore it like this: If you used it ADB: adb shell cmd package install-existing name.packet If you used root: Download APK Remote application (you can find it on sites like APKMirror). /system/app/ or /system/priv-app/ Root Explorer: Set the right access rights (rw-r)--r-- or 644). Reboot the phone. The last option is factory reset or flash.