How to uninstall an app on Xiaomi if it is not removed: system, built-in and protected programs

Are you trying to make room on Xiaomi’s smartphone, but some apps stubbornly do not want to be removed? System utilities like Mi Video, Mi Music or GetApps do not have a “Delete” button, and when you try to uninstall, they give an error “Delete is forbidden by the administrator of the device”? This problem is familiar to many owners of devices on MIUI – Xiaomi’s proprietary shell blocks the removal of preinstalled programs, even if you do not need them.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working ways to uninstall an application on Xiaomi that is not removed by standard methods – from simple disconnection to complete removal through ADB and hidden MIUI settings. You will also learn which applications can be safely removed and which should not be touched so as not to disrupt the system. Instructions are suitable for all modern models: Redmi Note 12/13, POCO X5/F5, Xiaomi 13/14 and others based on MIUI 14/15.

Why are some apps on Xiaomi not being removed?

Before we get to the deletion methods, it is important to understand why MIUI blocks the uninstallation of certain programs.

• 🔹 System applications - part of firmware MIUI, These are the basic functions (e.g. com.android.phone for calls) that can be disrupted by deleting them.
• 🔹 Xiaomi's pre-installed services are Mi Account, Security, Theme Manager. They're integrated into the shell, but some can be disabled.
• 🔹 Applications with administrator rights, such as Google Play Services or Knock (to unlock the screen), require removal of the rights beforehand.

In addition, some models (especially for the Chinese market) have regional restrictions, for example, in firmware for Redmi and POCO for China, you can not remove the Mi App Store or Mi Pay without root rights, and Google’s policy may also block some system APKs (for example, com.google.android.gsf) are protected from removal at the Android level.

⚠️ Note: Deleting system applications without understanding their purpose may result in loss of functionality (e.g., stop calling, mobile internet or push notifications). Always check the name of the package (com.xiaomi...) before deleting.

Method 1: Disabling the application through MIUI settings

If you can't delete an application, you can turn it off, and that will free up some of the memory and stop the background activity, and it's safe and doesn't require any additional tools.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the app you want (such as Mi Video).
3. Click Disable (if the button is inactive, tap the three dots in the top corner and select Disable).
4. Confirm the action in the dialog window.

Once disabled, the app will disappear from the menu, but will remain in the system, its data will be stored, and if necessary, you can turn it back on in the settings, which is suitable for most preinstalled Xiaomi utilities, except for critical ones (for example, Settings or Phone).

Check if it is system-based (the name of the package starts with com.android or com.xiaomi.core)

Make sure it is not used by other services (e.g. Mi Account for sync)

Save important data from the app (if any)

Reboot your phone after shutdown so the changes take effect-->

Method 2: Removal via MIUI Hidden Settings (no root rights)

MIUI hides some settings from the user, but you can unlock them with the code for the engineering menu, which allows you to remove some pre-installed applications without ADB or root rights.

Steps:

1. Open the phone app and enter the code: ##4636##
2. In the menu that appears, select Phone Information (or Usage Statistics).
3. Tap the MIUI version 5-7 times until the notification “You are a developer!” appears.
4. Go back to the basic settings and open Additional → For developers → MIUI Hidden Settings.
5. Find the App Manager section and select the removal app.

Not all apps will be available for removal through this menu — usually only those that can be safely uninstalled are displayed here. If the desired app is not on the list, try the next method.

##2664##

This code opens the sensor testing menu, but sometimes unlocks hidden settings.-->

Method 3: Removal via ADB (no root rights)

ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is a debugging tool that allows you to manage system files without root rights.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on USB debugging: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap the MIUI 7 times to activate Developer Mode. Go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers. Activate USB debugging and confirm permission.
2. Install ADB on your computer: Download Google's Platform Tools. Unpack the archive into any folder (e.g., C:\adb). Connect your phone to your PC via USB (select File Transfer Mode).

Check the connection:

adb devices

The name of your device should appear.

Delete the annex:

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

Replace com.xiaomi.namespace with the package of the desired application (see table below).

Example of commands for popular applications:

⚠️ Note: Pm uninstall command with flag --user 0 It deletes the application only for the current user. APK It stays in the system, but the space is vacated.

Mi Video|Mi Music|GetApps (Mi App Store)|Mi Browser|Other-->

Method 4: Using Universal Android Debloater (GUI for ADB)

If working with the command line seems difficult, you can use Universal Android Debloater utility, a graphics shell for ADB, which makes it easier to remove unnecessary applications.

Instructions:

1. Download Universal Android Debloater from GitHub.
2. Unpack the archive and run the UniversalAndroidDebloater.exe file.
3. Connect your phone to a PC with USB debugging enabled (as in Method 3).
4. In the utility, click Refresh – a list of all installed applications will appear.
5. Check the boxes for unnecessary programs (for example, Facebook, LinkedIn, Mi Pay).
6. Click Uninstall selected packages and confirm the action.

Advantages of this method:

• 🔹 Visual interface – no need to remember commands.
• 🔹 Ability to save a list of remote applications for reuse.
• 🔹 Recovery of accidentally deleted programs.

The downside: the utility does not show which applications are critical to the system, so check their names online before removing them.

Method 5: Complete removal with root rights (for power users)

If you're willing to take the risk of getting root rights, you can uninstall any application, including the system one.

• 🔹 Unlocked bootloader (bootloader).
• 🔹 Established custom restoration (TWRP).
• 🔹 Root Explorer or Titanium Backup.

Step-by-step process:

1. Unlock the bootloader through the official Xiaomi tool (requires a Mi Account and wait 7-15 days).
2. Install TWRP for your model (see instructions on XDA Developers).
3. Squeeze Magisk to obtain root rights.
4. Install Root Explorer and go to /system/app or /system/priv-app.
5. Find the folder with the name of the application being removed (such as MiBrowser) and delete it.
6. Reboot the phone.

Warnings:

• 🔹 The guarantee will burn after unlocking the loader.
• 🔹 Risk of “bricking” the device in case of error.
• 🔹 Some banking applications (Sberbank, Tinkoff) will stop working due to root rights.

⚠️ Note: On new Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro)+ or Xiaomi 14) unlocking the bootloader can lead to blocking encryption, which means that after the restart, the phone will require a password to even access files on the internal drive.

💡

root rights give you complete control over the system, but they are not warranty and can disrupt some functions (for example, Google Pay or banking applications).

Which apps can be removed on Xiaomi and which ones can’t?

Not all pre-installed apps are safe to remove. Below is a table divided into categories:

Before you delete, check the app on APKMirror or Google Play – if it’s available for download, it can be safely removed and restored if necessary.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When trying to remove an app on Xiaomi, users often encounter errors.

• 🔹 «Deletion is prohibited by the device administrator – means that the application is protected by the policy MIUI. Solution: Use ADB or Hidden Settings.
• 🔹 «Failed to be deleted: error -24» — This occurs when you try to remove a system application without root rights. Solution: use the command adb shell pm uninstall. -k --user 0.
• 🔹 «The app is gone, but the place is not free, so you only disabled it, but did not delete it. APK. Solution: Use ADB or root rights for complete removal.
• 🔹 «Phone stopped turning on after deletion" - critical app removed.Solution: Fastboot or Recovery phone run.

To avoid problems:

• 🔹 Always back up before deleting (via Settings) → System system → Backup).
• 🔹 Check other users’ reviews on forums (for example, 4PDA or XDA).
• 🔹 Start by disabling the app, rather than immediately removing it.

1. Turn off the phone.

2.Plug Volume Up + Power to enter Recovery.

3. Select the Wipe cache partition.

4.Reset the device.-->

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions