Owners of Xiaomi’s smartphones, especially the Redmi and POCO series, often face intrusive system debris.The manufacturer preinstalles dozens of apps that consume RAM and charge the battery even in the background. This phenomenon, known as bloatware, can significantly slow down the device, especially on models with low RAM.
Fortunately, MIUI and its successor, HyperOS, provide flexible tools to manage software. Not only can you turn off standard services, but you can also remove them completely, freeing up precious space in internal storage. Deep cleaning requires caution, but the result is worth it — the phone starts to work noticeably faster.
In this guide, we will discuss secure methods for removing embedded software, using hidden developer menus, and advanced ways through the computer. You will learn to distinguish systemically important components from advertising modules that can and should be eliminated for comfortable use of the gadget.
Analysis of the space occupied and identification of candidates for removal
Before you start taking drastic measures, you need to audit the installed packages. The standard settings menu doesn't always show the full picture, so it's important to look at the memory usage statistics. Go to Settings → Memory and carefully study the list of the heaviest apps. Often there are analytics services or game stores that you never use.
Special attention should be paid to system-level applications, which are often disguised as regular utilities but have access to critical phone functions, and removing such programs without proper preparation can lead to unstable interfaces or endless restarts (bootloop).
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Use the built-in Security app for initial evaluation: it will show which programs are most often running in the background and consuming battery power.
You can use third-party snails for more detailed analysis, but even a standard Android app manager can provide basic information. Click on the gear icon in the app list and enable the system process display, which will allow you to see hidden services that are usually hidden from the eyes of the average user.
Basic removal via MIUI and HyperOS settings
The easiest and safest way to clean up is to use the standard shell functionality. Many pre-installed applications can be removed by dragging them to the cart or selecting the appropriate item on the menu, but system constraints do not allow you to get rid of all garbage in this way.
To remove available programs, go to Settings → Applications → All applications. Select an unnecessary service and click the Remove button. If the button is inactive (gray), then the application is system-based and requires deeper intervention. Don't forcefully stop such processes all the time, it will only temporarily free up memory.
☑️ Pre-deletion check
Newer versions of HyperOS firmware have introduced the Advanced Deletion feature, which allows you to hide system application icons and prevent them from running, which does not physically delete files, but prevents them from working, and for most users, this is the perfect trade-off between security and cleanliness.
⚠️ Warning: Never remove applications associated with SystemUI, Security or com.android.providers.This may result in a complete touch screen failure or loss of access to settings.
Using a Hidden Menu for Advanced Users
There's a hidden engineering menu in the MIUI shell that you can access through a special code in the "bell ringer." By entering the combination ##64663##, you'll be in a test mode where you can check the hardware, but to remove the software, you'll need a debugging menu. Activate the developer mode by clicking seven times on the build number in the About Phone section.
After activation of the developer mode, a new item will appear in the menu USB-Debugging. Turn it on so that the computer can give commands to the phone. Also on this menu you can find the option "Delete via" USB», Without this permission, the computer will not be able to modify the list of installed programs.
Some users try to use special codes to call the delete menu, but in modern versions of Android (11, 12, 13 and above), these loopholes are often closed by the manufacturer for security reasons.
Removing System Garbage Through ADB from a Computer
The most effective method to remove almost any embedded software without obtaining superuser rights (Root) is the use of the Android Debug Bridge debugging bridge (ADB). This tool is part of Google's platform tools and allows you to manage your device at a low level. You need a computer running Windows, macOS or Linux and a high-quality computer. USB-cable.
The process begins with installing drivers for your device and downloading the SDK Platform Tools from the official developer site. After unpacking the archive, open the command prompt (CMD or Terminal) in the tool folder. Connect the phone and enter the communication verification command:
adb devicesYou'll see a request for debugging permission on your smartphone screen, confirm it. You can now manage the packets. To find the name of the packet to delete, use the command:
adb shell pm list packages | grep "appendix name"For example, to search for Xiaomi services, you can type in grep miui. Once you get the exact name (for example, com.miui.analytics), execute the deletion command for the current user:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.analyticsWhat to do if your computer can’t see your phone?
It's important to understand the difference between complete deletion and deletion for the user. The --user 0 command hides the application and stops it from working, but leaves files in the system partition. This allows you to restore the program at any time just by performing a reset or a special recovery command. This is a safe method that does not violate the integrity of the system.
| Package name | Description | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| com.miui.analytics | Collection of usage statistics | Can be removed |
| com.facebook.katana | Facebook System Module | Can be removed |
| com.android.stk | Tools SIM-map | Leave (if SIM is needed) |
| com.xiaomi.mipicks | App Store GetApps App Store | Can be removed |
| com.miui.weather2 | Standard weather widget | As you wish. |
Automating the process with Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools
For those who don't want to mess around with manually typing commands into the console, there are graphical shells. One of the most popular and time-tested utilities is Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools from developer Szaki. It's an open source program that automatically identifies a connected smartphone and offers a list of secure apps to remove.
The interface is divided into tabs: Uninstall, Debloat, Clearer. The Debloat tab is the most interesting because it contains pre-made cleanup profiles. You can choose the Minimal profile to leave only the basic functionality, or Safe, which removes only explicit advertising junk. The program will create a list of packages and suggest cleaning.
⚠️ Warning: Before running any automatic cleaning scripts, make sure to make a full backup of important data. Even proven programs may not work correctly on specific versions of firmware.
Using GUIs reduces the risk of human error, so you don't have to memorize complex syntax constructs or search for exact packet names, but remember that these utilities require the ADB drivers you mentioned in the previous section. Without the right driver, the program won't see your Redmi or POCO.
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Graphics utilities are the best choice for beginners, as they minimize the risk of removing critical system components through built-in security lists.
Recovery of Remote System Components
If you have deleted the extra one during the optimization process or the system has started to work unstable (settings are gone, Wi-Fi is not working, black screen), do not panic (--user 0), The application files are still in the system, and they can be easily returned without flashing the phone.
To restore a particular application, use the command:
adb shell cmd package install-existing PACKAGE_NAMEInstead PACKAGE_NAME If you delete a lot of programs and don't remember their names, the easiest and most reliable way to get it back to normal is to reset it to factory settings. When reset, the system ignores user changes and restores the original list of applications from the protected partition.
It is also worth noting that some system applications can reinstalle themselves after a major air-to-air firmware update (OTA) – this is normal behavior: the updated version of the system checks the integrity of the system partition and returns missing components, in which case the cleaning procedure will have to be repeated.