How to Remove Application Updates on Xiaomi: 5 Verified Ways

Application updates on Xiaomi smartphones often bring not only new features, but also bugs, increased power consumption or an uncomfortable interface. If after the update of the Google Play Market, Mi Browser or system software began to work worse, it is quite possible to return the previous version. In this article, we will analyze all the current methods, from standard MIUI tools to advanced solutions through ADB.

It’s important to understand that not all apps can roll back to the old version without consequences, for example, system services (com.miui.securitycenter) can block rollbacks due to security policies, and some programs (such as WhatsApp) require mandatory updates to continue working, and we will explain in detail what restrictions exist and how to circumvent them.

Why you should remove the application update

The most common reason is performance deterioration after an update, for example, users of the Redmi Note 10 Pro often complain that after updating Google Play Services to version 23.30+, the smartphone begins to warm up and discharge faster.

• 🔄 A modified interface that is hard to get used to (e.g. the new Mi Music design in the UI) MIUI 14).
• 🐞 Critical bugs: crashes, freezes or authorization errors (relevant for Mi Home after 2023 updates).
• 📱 Incompatibility with custom firmware: some modifications MIUI conflict with the latest versions of system applications.
• 🔒 New restrictions: for example, in Gallery version 5.1+ Removed the ability to hide albums without password.

Another big reason is software testing. Developers often check the stability of applications on different versions, and rollbacks help to reproduce bugs that were in previous releases. For example, in POCO F3, some users specifically return Game Turbo to version 4.5.2 because of the better optimization for Genshin Impact.

⚠️ Note: Recoiling system applications (e.g. com.android.settings) can cause a cyclical reboot of the device.Before experimenting, back up through Settings → The phone. → Backup.

Method 1: Recoil through application settings (without root)

The easiest method is to use the built-in MIUI tools. It works for most user applications (such as Facebook, Instagram) and some system applications (such as Calculator or Notes).

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the app you want in the list (use a search at the top of the screen).
3. Stick to three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select Remove Updates.

If the Remove Updates item is inactive or absent:

• 🔹 The application is a system critical component (e.g. com.miui.home – launcher).
• 🔹 You have disabled administrator rights for this application (check in Settings) → Passwords and security → Administrator rights).
• 🔹 The app was installed not through Google Play, but manually (.apk file).

Check out the MIUI version (should be 12+)

Make sure the application is not system-based

Disable Auto Update in Google Play

Make a backup of the application data (if important)

-->

On Xiaomi with MIUI Global firmware, this method works stably, but on the Chinese versions (MIUI China) additional confirmation may be required via Mi Account. If the button Remove gray updates - try to clear the app cache first (Storage → Clear cache).

Method 2: Remove updates via ADB (for power users)

If the standard method didn't work, Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a computer debugging tool, is a good way to do this for system applications that are locked in the MIUI.

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Tap 7 times, then return to the additional → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 Cable USB Type-C (preferably original).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm the debugging permission on your phone screen.
2. Open the command prompt (cmd) in the folder with adb.exe.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your device.
4. Find out the name of the application package (for example, for Google Play Store it is com.android.vending). You can do this through the command: adb shell pm list packages | grep "application name"
5. Do a rollback to the factory version: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 name package For example, for Mi Browser: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.browser

⚠️ Note: Adb uninstall teams with flag --user 0 If you have multiple profiles on your device, repeat the procedure for each. To completely remove the system application, root rights will be required, which voids the warranty.

Once the command is executed, the app will return to the version that was installed out of the box to prevent it from automatically updating:

1. Open the Google Play Store.
2. Go to profile → Settings → Auto-update applications.
3. Choose Do Not Update Automatically or add the app to exceptions.

Method 3: Use APK-file

If previous methods didn’t work or you want to install a specific version of the application (not necessarily a factory version), you can manually download and install the.apk file.

• 🌐 APKMirror – a verified archive with application versions.
• 📦 APKMonk – an alternative with easy search by update date.
• 🔍 APKPure – suitable for popular applications (for example, WhatsApp, Telegram).

Algorithm of action:

1. Download the desired version of.apk to your computer or directly to your smartphone.
2. Before installing, delete the current version of the application (if possible) or clear its data (Settings → Apps → Storage → Clear data).
3. Allow installation from unknown sources (Settings → Passwords & Security → Install Unknown Applications).
4. Install the downloaded.apk and block the auto-update in Google Play.

A critical nuance: when you install an old version of the system application (for example, Mi Home), there may be a conflict of signatures, in which case MIUI will block the launch of the program with the error "Application not installed", the solution is to use modified.apk from sites like Xiaomi.EU (only for firmware Xiaomi.eu!).

Google Play Services

Mi Browser

Gallery

Security (Security)

Other-->

Method 4: Recoil via TWRP (only for unlocked bootloader)

For owners of devices with unlocked bootloader and installed custom recavator (TWRP), the most flexible method is available - recovery of the system partition backup or manual replacement of.apk files.

• 🔧 Recovery of remote system applications (e.g. com.miui.fm — FM-radio).
• 🔄 Firmware rollback MIUI The whole thing (if the update brought global bugs).
• 📦 Install modified versions of applications (e.g. Mi Home without region restrictions).

Instructions:

1. Download the full system partition backup (system.img) for your model with Xiaomi Firmware Updater.
2. Reboot to TWRP (clip Power + Volume up when turned on).
3. Select Mount → System.
4. Connect your smartphone to your PC and copy the desired.apk to /system/priv-app/ or /system/app/ (depending on the application).
5. Set the correct access rights: chmod 644 /system/priv-app/packet name/packet name.apk
6. Reset the device.

⚠️ Note: Incorrectly changing files in /system This can cause a device to "break" before working with a device. TWRP Make sure you have a full NANDroid backup and know how to recover through Fastboot.

For devices on MIUI 14 dynamically partitioned (dynamic_partitions) This method is complicated by using a Fastboot firmware that disables signature verification. 4PDA (Look for the theme of your model).

💡

Before working with TWRP, check that the recovery version is compatible with your firmware. For example, TWRP 3.7.0 may not support MIUI 14 on the Xiaomi 12 Pro due to changes in partition structure.

Method 5: Reset to factory settings (extreme case)

If none of the methods worked, and the problem is critical (e.g. Google Play Services crashes all the time), then there's a hard reset, which will bring all the applications back to factory status, but delete user data. How to minimize the loss:

• 📱 Create a backup through Settings → The phone. → Backup → Backup copy MIUI (keep in touch, SMS, wifi settings).
• ☁️ Upload photos and videos to Google Photos or Mi Cloud.
• 🔐 Save passwords from Mi Browser or Google Chrome to the password manager.
• 🎮 Export game saves via Google Play Games (if supported).

For discharge:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Choose to erase all data.
3. Confirm the action (it may be necessary to enter the Mi Account password).
4. After the reboot, set up your smartphone as new, but don’t restore data from the backup – check the problem app first.

Xiaomi with MIUI 13/14 may require re-associating the device to the Mi Account after reset (if Find Device was enabled).

💡

Factory reset is the only officially supported way Xiaomi can roll back system applications. All other methods can violate warranty policy.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When trying to remove updates, users often face typical problems, and consider the most common and ways to solve them:

Another common situation is that after the Google Play rollback, the Store stops updating other applications, which is due to the fact that the old version of com.android.vending may not be compatible with current Google Play Services.

1. Remove updates to Google Play Services (via ADB).
2. Clear the data and cache of the Google Play Store.
3. Restart your device and wait for the automatic update of Play Services.

POCO and Redmi with MIUI firmware for POCO sometimes have a bug when the Lawnchair Launcher stops working after a rollback, in which case installing.apk from the official site with the previous deletion of the current version via ADB will help:

adb uninstall com.lawnchair.lawnfeed

FAQ: Answers to popular questions