How to Remove an Application Update on Xiaomi: A Complete Guide with Instructions

App updates on Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO are not always useful: new versions can slow down, contain bugs or impose unnecessary features. Fortunately, you can roll back changes or completely remove the update in several ways, from standard MIUI tools to manual manipulations through ADB. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods, including nuances for different versions of the firmware (from MIUI 12 to MIUI 14).

It is important to understand that not all applications support rollback. System services (for example, com.miui.securitycenter) often block removal of updates due to Xiaomi's security policy. It is also worth considering that after a rollback, some functions may not work correctly - especially if the new version of the application requires updated APIs. Before you act, check whether the "problematic" update is associated with critical components of the system.

If you encounter an error like “Failure to Remove Update” or a rollback button is inactive, don’t panic. 90% of the time, it’s solved by alternative methods, which we’ll describe below. First, determine which application to roll back: system (like Camera or Gallery) or third-party (from Google Play), which depends on the choice of method.

1. Standard rollback through MIUI settings

The easiest method is to use the built-in recoil feature in MIUI. It works for most system and some pre-installed applications (e.g. Browser, Music, Notes). However, not all firmware versions support this option: in MIUI 14, it can be hidden behind additional settings.

To check the availability of rollbacks:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the desired application in the list and tap it.
3. In the upper right corner, press three dots (⋮) and select Remove Updates.
4. Confirm the action in the dialog window.

If there is no update to delete, it means:

• 🔹 The app does not support rollback (e.g. Google Play Services).
• 🔹 You're using the old version. MIUI (12th where the function is not.
• 🔹 The update was installed through APK, Not through Google Play.

⚠️ Note: After rolling back system applications (such as Phone or Messages) may reset settings. We recommend you to back up beforehand through Settings → The phone. → Backup.

2.Removing updates via Google Play

For apps installed from the Google Play Market, you can use the rollback feature in the store itself, which is suitable for most third-party programs (for example, YouTube, Chrome, Gmail), but does not work for Xiaomi system components.

Instructions:

1. Open Google Play and find the problem app.
2. Tap it on three points (⋮) Next to the Install/Update button.
3. Select Remove Updates (if the option is active).
4. Confirm the action. The app will return to the factory version.

If there is no update button, try:

• 📱 Go to Settings → Annexes → Google Play Market → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
• 🔄 Restart the phone and try again.
• 🔧 Enable Developer Mode (7 times tap on the Version) MIUI In Settings → About the phone) and disable automatic update of applications.

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If the Google Play rollback doesn’t work, try uninstalling the app completely and then installing it again from the store.This will reset it to the current version, but not always to the factory version.

3. Cleaning the cache and application data

Sometimes the problems after an update are not with the program itself, but with its temporary files, and cleaning the cache and data can make the application work again without a full rollback, a method that is safe and does not require root rights.

How to clean:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the desired application and open its page.
3. Slip the Warehouse (or Memory in older versions of MIUI).
4. Click Clear the cache, then Clear the data (if necessary).

What this does:

• 🧹 Deletes temporary files that may have been damaged during the update.
• 🔄 Resets the application settings to factory (for example, in the Gallery or the Chamber).
• 🚫 Does not affect the version of the app, but often solves brake problems.

⚠️ Attention: Clearing the data will delete all saved settings, accounts and files within the application (for example, uploaded maps to Google Maps or history in the Browser.

Make a backup copy of the application settings|Record the login/password from the accounts|Check if important files are attached to the application|Make sure you have access to the internet for re-authorization-->

4. rollback through ADB (for power users)

If standard methods don’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires connecting your phone to your computer and basic command line knowledge, but allows you to roll back even those applications that are blocked in MIUI.

Step-by-step:

1. Install ADB Tools on your PC.
2. Turn on USB Debugging on your phone (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version → 7 times tap → Back to Additional → For Developers).
3. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
4. Open the command prompt (or Terminal on Mac/Linux) and type:

adb shell pm list packages -f | grep "name packet"

Replace the name of the package with the name of the application (e.g. com.miui.gallery for Gallery).

adb shell pm install -r -d /path/to/base.apk

Where /path/to/base.apk — path APK-Application file (can be extracted from firmware or downloaded from a trusted source).

Advantages of the method:

• 🔧 Works for system applications where rollback is blocked.
• 📦 Allows you to install any version APK, not just the factory.
• 🔄 No root rights (unlike manual removal via Root Explorer).

⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB Do not delete or modify files with the.odex extension or from the folder /system/priv-app — This is fraught with a "brick" of the device.

5. Remove updates via TWRP (for stitched devices)

If your Xiaomi has custom TWRP recovery installed, you can manually remove updates, even without root permissions.This method is suitable for advanced users, as it requires working with the file system.

Instructions:

1. Load the phone into TWRP mode (press Power + Volume up when turned on).
2. Go to Advanced → File Manager.
3. Open the /data/app folder and find the folder with the name of the problematic application package (e.g. com.android.vending-1 for Google Play Market).
4. Delete the folder or files with the.apk extension (except base.apk).
5. Reboot the phone.

What is important to consider:

• 🔧 TWRP It should be a current version that is compatible with your Xiaomi model.
• 📁 Do not delete files from /system/app — This could disrupt the system.
• 🔄 After removal, the application will return to the factory version at the next update. MIUI.

If you delete a critical system application (e.g. com.miui.securitycenter), the phone may stop booting, in which case you will need to reflash the device via Fastboot.

6. Alternative methods: disabling updates

If rollbacks have not helped or are not possible, consider preventing future updates:

To disable auto updates in Google Play:

1. Open the Google Play Market.
2. Slip on the profile avatar → Settings → Network settings → Auto-update applications.
3. Choose Not to Update Automatically.

For system applications (e.g., Camera or Browser), you can use the command:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.camera

This will freeze the app, preventing it from being updated. To defrost, use:

adb shell pm enable com.miui.camera

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Disabling updates does not remove the current version of the application, but only prevents the installation of new ones. If the problem already exists, first roll back one of the ways described above.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

When trying to remove an update, users often encounter typical problems, and here are the most common ways to solve them:

• 🚫 «Remove Updates button is inactive Reason: Application is critical to MIUI (Solution: Use the Security or Themes. ADB or TWRP (if there is root).
• 🔄 «After rollback, the app is updated again" Reason: Automatic update to Google Play or MIUI Updater.Solution: Disable auto-updates (see Section 6) or freeze the app through ADB.
• ⚠️ «The phone stopped turning on after removing the system APK» Reason: Critical files were removed from the /system. Solution: Refuse your phone via Fastboot or Mi Flash Tool.
• 📱 «Can't find the app in the list" Reason: The app is hidden or part of another package (e.g. Google Play Services combines multiple services).Solution: Use adb shell pm list packages | grep "keyword" for search.

If none of these methods worked, consider resetting your phone to factory settings. This is a radical method, but it is guaranteed to return all applications to the original state. Before reset, back up your data via Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions