How to permanently remove GetApps on Xiaomi: from shutdown to complete removal

GetApps (or theme store in some versions of MIUI) is a standard service on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones that offers themes, wallpapers and recommended apps. For many users, it becomes a source of irritation: it takes up space in memory, consumes traffic in the background and constantly appears in the list of recently opened applications. Worse, GetApps can not be removed with standard MIUI tools, since it is built into the system partition.

In this article, we will look at all the working methods, from simple shutdown to complete removal with ADB, changing launcher settings and even manual intervention in system files (for advanced users). Each method is tested on current versions of MIUI 14/15 and adapted to the models of 2022-2026.

Why can’t GetApps be removed through the App Menu?

Unlike the usual programs from Google Play, GetApps belongs to the category of system applications.

• 📱 It's installed in a protected section. /system/priv-app, Where the user does not have access without special rights.
• 🔒 MIUI Blocks the “Delete” button in the application settings, leaving only the “Disable” or “Stop” options».
• 🔄 After resetting settings or updating the firmware, the application will recover automatically.

The manufacturer argues that GetApps is integrated with other Xiaomi services such as theme store, cloud storage and push notification system, but in practice most users successfully do without it, and some even note an increase in battery life after removal.

Method 1: Disconnect via MIUI settings (without root)

The safest and most reversible method is to disable the app through the standard menu, which won't remove it completely, but will stop background activity and hide the icon from the launcher.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search bar, type GetApps (or “Theme Store”).
3. Slip on the app and select Disable.
4. Confirm the action by clicking Disable the application in the pop-up window.

⚠️ Note: After disconnecting some functions MIUI It may not work properly, such as previewing themes in the design settings, and the application may turn on itself after the system update.

Method 2: Remove via ADB (without root but with PC)

If you don't shut down enough, you can remove GetApps using Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a tool for debugging Android devices, which doesn't require root, but requires a computer and a developer mode enabled.

📌 Preparation:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and tap on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Download ADB Tools for Windows/macOS/Linux and unpack the archive.

🛠 Elimination:

1. Connect your phone to your PC via USB (select File Transfer Mode).
2. Open the command prompt (or Terminal) in the ADB folder and do:

adb devices

(Your device should show up. If not, check the drivers or allow debugging on your phone.)

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.xiaomi.mipicks

If the command fails, try an alternative package:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.miservice

⚠️ Attention: Removal through ADB It does not erase the application files from the device, but only deletes it for the current user. MIUI GetApps can come back. To return the app, use the command:

adb shell cmd package install-existing com.xiaomi.mipicks

Method 3: Hiding the icon through launcher settings

If you only have the GetApps icon in your app menu to stop you, you can hide it without removing the app itself, which works on all MIUI launchers, including POCO Launcher.

📌 Instructions:

1. Press the GetApps icon on the home screen or in the app menu.
2. In the context menu that appears, select Hide (or Remove from the screen, depending on the version of MIUI).
3. Confirm the action. The icon will disappear, but the app will remain in the system.

🔍 How to get the icon back:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find GetApps in the list and tap it.
3. Choose to Show (or Return to Screen)

✅ This method does not affect performance and does not require technical skills, but does not solve the problem of background activity of the application.

💡

If the hiding doesn’t work, try changing the launcher to a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher), which allows you to completely disable the display of system applications through the settings. → Hidden applications.

Method 4: Removal with root rights (for advanced)

If you have a bootloader unlocked and you have Magisk or another root manager installed, you can completely remove GetApps from the system partition. This will permanently solve the problem, but it takes care - wrong actions can lead to a system crash.

🛠 Step-by-step instruction:

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or Mixplorer).
2. Go to /system/priv-app/ (or /system/app/ in older versions of MIUI).
3. Find folders with names: MiPick MiService GetApps

.bak

MiPick.bak

Reset the device.

⚠️ Warning: Make sure to back up folders! some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro) before deleting+) They can hang on the logo after removing system applications, in which case only flashing through Fastboot will help.

💡

Root removal is the most radical method, but also the riskiest. If you're not sure what you're doing, use ADB shutdown or icon hiding.

Method 5: Firewall Blocking (for power users)

If deletion or disabling is not possible for some reason, you can block network activity of GetApps using a firewall, which will prevent traffic consumption and downloading unnecessary data.

🔥 Implementation options:

• 📱 Using the NetGuard app (no root required, but setup required) VPN-regime).
• 🖥 Through ADB Adb shell settings put global captive_portal_detection_enabled 0 (Disables Internet connection check for system applications).
• 🛡 With AFWall+ (root).

📊 How to check the results:

1. Open Settings → Battery → Use and find GetApps.
2. Check that in the column “Mobile data” and “Wi-Fi” is 0 KB.
3. Make sure that in Settings → Notifications there is no activity from the app.

⚠️ Note: Blocking network activity may cause sync errors with Xiaomi servers if you use cloud services (e.g. Mi Cloud or Xiaomi Account).

What if GetApps is back after the update?

One of the main problems when removing system applications on Xiaomi is their recovery after the MIUI update. This is because the firmware contains original application files that are overwritten when installing the update.

🔄 How to prevent GetApps from returning:

• 📵 Turn off automatic updates MIUI In Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → ⚙ → Auto-update.
• 🔧 Remove the app after each update (via the app) ADB root).
• 📦 Install custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience) where GetApps is not available by default.
• 🛡 Use the Magisk Universal module GMS Doze or App Systemizer to block recovery.

💡 Advice: If you update frequently MIUI, Create a batch file for ADB with the GetApps removal command and run it after each update:

@echo off


adb devices




adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.xiaomi.mipicks




pause

💡

Before updating MIUI, back up via Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset. This will allow you to quickly restore the settings if something goes wrong.

FAQ: Frequent questions about getting Apps removed