How to Uninstall the App on Xiaomi Phone: The Complete Guide

Xiaomi’s current smartphones have a powerful MIUI shell or the new HyperOS that offers users many pre-installed services by default. However, over time, internal memory is filled not only with system files, but also with heavy games, social networks and utilities that you have stopped using, which leads to a slowdown and a lack of free space for photos.

The process of uninstalling programs in the Xiaomi ecosystem may differ from standard Android, especially when it comes to system components or Chinese versions of firmware. Owners often face a situation where the delete button is inactive or hidden in deep menus. In this article, we will discuss all available methods of freeing up memory.

We will look at both simple desktop methods and advanced techniques for power users, including working with the desktop. ADB-You will learn to distinguish between user software and critical system processes, the removal of which can lead to unstable work of the gadget.

Standard removal through the desktop and menu

The most obvious and quick way to get rid of unnecessary software is to use the desktop interface. In the shells of MIUI and HyperOS, this process is as simple as possible for comfortable interaction with one finger.

Click on the icon and hold your finger for 1-2 seconds. A context menu with multiple options will appear on the screen. If the program is custom, you will immediately see the basket icon or the Delete button. In some versions of the firmware, you will need to drag the icon to the top of the screen, where the delete zone will also appear.

If the application is system-critical or critical to the interface, the delete button will be missing or gray, in which case the system will only suggest removing the shortcut from the desktop or going to the application information, which is protection against accidental damage to the operating system.

• 📱 Press and hold the icon on your desktop until the menu appears.
• 🗑️ Select “Delete” or drag the icon to the cart.
• ⚙️ For system applications, only shortcut removal is available.
• ✅ Confirm the action in the pop-up window.

It is worth noting that removing the shortcut does not free up the phone's memory, but only hides access to the program. To completely clean up, you need to use the settings menu or special tools, which will be discussed later.

Complete uninstallation through smartphone settings

Deeper control of the installed software provides a settings menu, and you can see a complete list of all the installed components, including those that do not have a visual interface. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications.

In the list that opens, find the program you want, sort it by size or installation date, which is convenient for finding heavy files, click on the name of the application to open the control page, and that's where the main controls are.

On the app information page, you'll see the "Delete" button. If it's active, click it and confirm the action. If the button is missing or inactive, it means that the app is a system component of Android or Xiaomi shell, and you can't remove it using conventional methods.

The same menu also has a "Clear Memory" feature that allows you to delete cache and user data without deleting the program itself, which is a great way to free up space if you want to save an application, but it takes up too much space.

Removal of system applications and Chinese software

Owners of smartphones bought in China or unlocked global versions often face an abundance of pre-installed Chinese software, which can be useless to users from other regions and even consume traffic in the background.

Standard methods are not enough to remove these programs, the system blocks them from being deleted by labeling them as important components, but there are ways to get around these restrictions, one of which is to use the superuser rights (Root), but this is unwarranted and can be dangerous.

A safer method – using debugging USB You'll need to turn on the developer mode. → About the phone and quickly press 7 times on the item "Version" MIUI" or "Version". OS".

⚠️ Be very careful when removing system components with names like "Security", "Framework" or "SystemUI" that can cause a bootloop to reboot your phone).

Once the developer mode is activated, a new section will appear on the menu called "Developers" and find "Debugging by Debugging" there. USB" You can also activate the "Installation through" option. USB" and "USB-Debugging (safety only)" if available.

There is also a backup and subsequent reset method whereby some system applications can be “freezed” through special slits without being completely deleted, which is often a smarter solution for system stability.

Using ADB for Advanced Cleaning

The most powerful tool for managing Android applications is Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which allows you to send commands directly to the operating system from a computer, which does not require root rights, but requires a PC and cable.

To get started, download the platform-tools from Google's official website and install the drivers for your smartphone. Connect your phone to your computer in debugging mode. Open the command line on your PC in the ADB folder and enter the connection check command:

adb devices

If a device with the status of "device" appears on the list, the connection is established. Then you can proceed to remove. The command to uninstall the application for the current user is as follows:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 name.packet.applications

What's the package name? You can use analyzer applications or the adb shell pm list packages command. For example, a browser package can be called com.android.browser. Be careful when you type in the packet name.

• 💻 Connect your phone to your PC and enable debugging. USB.
• 📦 Install. ADB drivers and platform on the computer.
• 🔍 Find out the exact name of the package of the removed application.
• ⌨️ Enter the uninstall command in the command line.

It is important to understand that the uninstall team -k --user 0 It doesn't remove the application physically from the system partition, it hides it for the main user. It's safe and allows you to get it back by simply resetting your phone to the factory.

Comparison of Memory Cleaning Methods

The choice of removal method depends on your goals and level of training. For the average user, standard interface tools are enough. For enthusiasts who want to get the most out of the device, ADB tools are suitable.

The table below compares the main ways to uninstall programs on Xiaomi smartphones, which will help you choose the best option for your situation.

Using root rights gives full access to the file system, but modern Xiaomi smartphones are difficult to root, and this action blocks the work of banking applications and services Google Pay (Wallet).

Cleaning cache and residual files

Even after the app is removed, the phone may still have tails — residual files, logs and cache — that take up space but don't carry a payload, and MIUI has a built-in Security app to deal with them.

Launch the Security app and select Clean up. The system will analyze the memory and suggest that you delete temporary files, and it is also recommended to go to the Deep Cleanup section, where you can find large files left by remote programs.

Remember to regularly clean the cache of messengers such as Telegram or Viber. These applications tend to accumulate gigabytes of media files, better done through the settings of the messenger itself in the section "Data and memory".

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Use the Auto Clean feature in the Safety app, setting it to start every 3 days, which will help keep your phone in good shape without you.

Regular file system maintenance extends the life of the drive and keeps the interface running fast. Don't ignore memory fill notifications.

Solving problems with undeleteable applications

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the application does not delete, freezes or gives an error. Often this is due to the fact that the program has device administrator rights. Check the list in the Settings menu → Passwords and Security → Privacy → Special Access → Device administrator applications.

If the problem program is there, disable its administrator rights, then try to delete it in the standard way, and it can also be caused by an active process in the background.

Try to put your phone in safe mode. To do this, press the power button, and then keep your finger on the "Switch off" button on the screen for a long time. In safe mode, third-party applications do not start, which allows you to remove the "culprit" of the problems.

⚠️ Note: If the app keeps coming back after being deleted, it may be that your phone is infected with an ad virus or miner. Check the list of installed programs for unknown utilities without an icon or name.

In extreme cases, a complete reset to factory settings will help. Before that, be sure to back up important data in the Mi Cloud cloud or on your computer, as all files will be destroyed.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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The safest way to remove system “junk” on Xiaomi is to use ADB commands from your computer, as this allows you to return changes with a simple reset.