How to remove the lens app in Xiaomi Redmi 9

Owners of Xiaomi Redmi 9 smartphones often encounter intrusive functionality that is pre-installed in the default system. One of these components is the application “lens”, which is a tool for visual search from Google. Despite the potential usefulness for some users, many perceive it as an extra element consuming RAM resources and background time of the processor.

Removing this system component requires understanding the MIUI shell architecture and access rights. Standard methods of uninstallation through the settings menu are often impossible, since the application is system-based, but there are several proven ways to circumvent this limitation and free up storage space.

In this article, we will discuss in detail the safe algorithms of actions that will allow you to get rid of intrusive service without the risk of damaging the operating system. You will learn about the methods of disabling through settings, using special software for managing packages and hidden functions available to advanced users.

Features of the application Lens on MIUI

The Lens app (or Google Lens) is deeply integrated into the Android ecosystem and MIUI 12 shell, which is installed on Redmi 9 out of the box. It is responsible for text recognition, real-time image translation and search for products from photos. System integration means that the process is often linked to other Google Play Services services.

The main problem is that the standard “Delete” button in the app menu is usually inactive or non-existent, which is done by developers to ensure the stability of the camera and voice assistant functions, so that the user can watch the application automatically update or reappear after resetting the settings.

⚠️ Warning: Complete removal of system components can lead to unstable camera or smart assistant functions.We recommend first try simply disabling the application.

Understanding the risks is essential before any manipulations begin, and if you don’t use visual search features, the safest way to do this is to perform a shutdown procedure that hides the application and stops its processes without deleting files completely.

Preparing the smartphone for modification

Before you start removing or disabling system packages, you need to properly prepare the device, which minimizes the risk of data loss and ensures the smoothness of the process. On Xiaomi Redmi 9, it is important to make sure that you have enough battery power.

• 🔋 Charge your smartphone battery to at least 60% to avoid suddenly shutting down while working with system files.
• 💾 Backup important data (contacts, photos, documents) to a cloud server or computer.
• 🔒 Turn off the lock screen or make sure you remember the password from your Google account and Mi Account.
• 📶 Provide a stable Wi-Fi connection to download the necessary utilities.

It is also recommended to activate the developer mode. To do this, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on the MIUI version seven times. Once the message “You became a developer” appears, you will open access to the advanced settings.

In the Developer menu, find the USB debugging option and activate it, which is critical if you plan to use computer-based deletion methods. Without this step, your computer will not be able to interact with your phone's file system.

Disconnection method through system settings

The safest and easiest way to get rid of the Lens app on Redmi 9 is to use the built-in shell tools, which do not require a connection to a PC or violate the device warranty, and although the files will remain in memory, the application will stop running and consuming resources.

To start, open the menu of all apps and look for the "lens" or "Google" icon. Press it and hold your finger until the context menu appears. Select "About the app" or "Info about the app." In the window that opens, you'll see the control buttons.

If the Remove button is inactive, click Disable. The system will warn you of possible consequences, such as changing the behavior of other applications. Confirm the action. After that, the icon will disappear from the desktop and the background processes will stop.

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If the Disable button is also inactive, try first to go to the Memory section inside the app menu and click on Clear and Reset, then try again to disable.

In some versions of MIUI, the lens app can be hidden inside the camera settings. Check the Camera → Settings → Google Lens and switch the slider to the off position. This will prevent it from running when the camera hovers over text or objects.

Removal through ADB-computer-team

Users who want to remove the package completely will need to use the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) toolkit, which allows system packets to be managed via the computer’s command line, and is effective but requires careful input.

First, you need to download and install the Xiaomi drivers and Platform-Tools platform on your computer. Connect your smartphone with a cable to your PC in file transfer mode. You'll see a request for debugging permission on your phone screen, confirm it.

Open the command line in the ADB folder and enter the command to check the connection:

adb devices

If the device is identified, you can go to search for the name of the package. Type the command adb shell pm list packages | grep lens to search for the lens. Usually the package is called com.google.android.apps.lens or has a similar name.

For direct removal, enter the command:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.apps.lens

Once the command is successfully executed, the application will disappear from the system. If you need to return it in the future, use the installation command of the existing package specified in the table above.

Use of specialized utilities

There are management applications that make it easier to work with system packages without having to type complex commands. One of the most popular tools is System App Remover or NoBloat. However, they often require SuperUser (Root) rights to run on Redmi 9.

If your smartphone is not rooted, you can use the Shizuku app in conjunction with the App Manager. Shizuku allows ordinary applications to receive increased privileges through ADB, which makes the process safer and more convenient. Once you set up the bundle, you can remove the "lens" directly from the smartphone screen.

• 📲 Install Shizuku and App Manager from Google Play Store.
• ⚙️ Launch Shizuku and follow the instructions for launching via wireless debugging.
• 🗑️ Open the App Manager, find the “lens” and select the “Uninstall” option».

This method is preferred for those who are afraid of failing at the command line.The program interface visualizes the dependencies of the packets, warning if deleting the Lens will affect the work of Google Assistant or other critical services.

Possible problems and solutions

During the uninstallation process, users of Xiaomi Redmi 9 can encounter various errors. Often the system blocks the deletion, citing that the application is part of the system partition. In such cases, only the ADB method helps, since it works at the user level, not the system partition.

Another common problem is the automatic recovery of the app after a reboot or update to Google Play Services. To prevent this, you need to prevent the auto-update of a particular app from the Google Play store. Find Google in the store, click three dots in the corner, and uncheck Auto Update.

⚠️ Note: If the Image Search function in Google Photos stops working after removing the Lens, this is the expected behavior. You will have to use the browser version or install an alternative application.

Sometimes deleting can lead to errors in the system logs that are invisible to the user, but can affect autonomy. If you notice that Redmi 9 began to discharge faster, it is recommended to reset settings or restore the deleted package.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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The most reliable way to completely remove the application is to use ADB-commands, but for most users it is enough to simply disable the settings.