How to remove the app from Android completely: Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus

Xiaomi’s Android operating system on smartphones is known for its MIUI shell, which offers a host of features but also contains a significant amount of preinstalled software. Owners of the popular Redmi 5 Plus model often face the need to free up internal memory or simply remove unnecessary icons from the desktop. The standard removal procedure may not work for system components that are embedded by the manufacturer deep in the firmware.

Cleaning a device of unnecessary software requires understanding the file system structure and access rights. Regularly removing a shortcut does not always guarantee the disappearance of all the associated files that occupy precious space. In this article, we will discuss in detail the methods that allow you to get rid of programs of different levels of integration into the system.

Standard procedure for removing user applications

For most programs that you have installed from Google Play or downloaded from your browser, you just need to use a standard interface, the process is simple and does not require special knowledge or connection to a computer, but even here there are nuances associated with the features of the MIUI shell.

Click on the app icon and hold your finger until the context menu appears. Depending on the firmware version, you will need to select Delete or drag the icon to the basket that appears at the top or bottom of the screen. If the delete button is missing, this means that the program has system status.

An alternative way is to use the settings menu, where the list of installed software is presented in more detail. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications. Find the desired program in the list and click on it. The "Delete" button will be available on the application information page that opens. This method also allows you to pre-clear the cache and data, which is useful for solving freeze problems.

It’s important to understand the difference between deleting and disabling. Some Xiaomi apps can’t be removed in the usual way, but they can be disabled, which will hide them from the menu and stop background processes. It’s a safe way to combat junk software that doesn’t require superuser rights.

Removing system applications through MIUI settings

The MIUI shell allows you to remove some system components that are formally part of the operating system but are not critical to its operation, including standard browsers, email clients, calculators and themes. For the Redmi 5 Plus, this method is the most secure.

Go to the Settings menu and find the Apps, and in the list, find the system application you want to remove, if the Remove button is active, the system lets you get rid of it without any complications, and if the button is gray or missing, then the component is protected from removal by standard methods.

⚠️ Warning: Removing critical system components such as Security, Conductor, or Settings may cause a smartphone to function unstable or the system to be incapacitated.

There is also a hidden debugging menu that allows you to manage permissions and access to applications, but not remove them. To access the advanced developer settings, you need to click on the version number in the About Phone section several times. However, to directly delete files, this menu is not used, it serves for other debugging purposes.

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Before removing system components, create a full data backup via the Mi Cloud or computer to be able to roll back changes in the event of a crash.

Using ADB for deep cleaning of the system

The most effective method to remove almost any application from Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus, including hidden system services, is to use the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) debugging tool, which does not require superuser rights (Root), but requires a connection to a computer and execution of commands.

First, you need to activate USB debugging mode on your smartphone. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on MIUI Version seven times. After that, the Developer Menu (appears in Additional or Advanced Settings) will have the USB Debugging switch active.

Connect your smartphone to your computer through USB-The computer must have drivers for Xiaomi and the utility itself. ADB. Open the command line or terminal in the folder with ADB and enter a command to check the connection:

adb devices

You'll see a request on your smartphone for debugging permission from that computer, check the "Always Allow" box and click "OK." If the terminal displays the serial number of the device, the connection is successful, and you can now proceed to delete.

The command to remove the application is as follows:

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

Instead of the packet name, you need to substitute the full application name (for example, com.android.chrome). -k saves data and cache in case you want to restore the application, and --user 0 This does not physically erase the file from the system partition, but makes it inaccessible to the system, which is equivalent to deleting it.

Table of popular system applications Xiaomi

When working with ADB, it is important to know the exact names of packages. Below is a table with the names of frequently removed applications on Xiaomi and Redmi devices.

Using this table will help you safely clean Redmi 5 Plus of excess software. Remember that removing Google services or telephony components may cause your device to fail.

Cleaning of residual files and cache

When you delete an application, you often have tails on your device — folders with configuration files, logs and cache. On Redmi 5 Plus, with its storage capacity, this can be significant. It's convenient to use a built-in Explorer to find such files.

Open the Explorer app and go to the Internal Storage root folder, look for folders with remote program names or developer names. Often, the garbage stays in the Android/data or Android/obb folders, but you should go there with caution, removing only what you are sure of.

It's also useful to use Xiaomi's standard Security app. Run it, select Clean up and wait for the analysis to be completed. The system will prompt you to delete the cache and unnecessary files. It's a safe way to free up space without risking damage to the system.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete files with the extension.apk,.obb or system folders with names like android, miui, xiaomi, unless you know exactly what they are intended.

For deeper cleaning, third-party utilities like SD Maid or Files by Google can find orphaned files that are left behind after uninstalling programs, but the built-in MIUI is usually enough for regular maintenance.

Recovery of Remote System Components

If you delete the extra file during the optimization process or the system starts to work incorrectly, the application that is deleted through ADB can be restored. Since the file is physically left in the system partition, it can be reactivated by the installation command for the current user.

Connect your smartphone to your computer, open the command line with ADB and type:

adb shell cmd package install-existing name packet

This command will return the application to the installed list and make it available for use. This is a big advantage of the ADB method before completely removing it with root rights, where restoration can require reflashing or complex manipulation.

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The ADB method allows you to delete system applications without loss of warranty and the risk of “bricking”, since files are not physically erased, but only hidden from the system.

In case of serious errors, when the phone stops loading (bootloop), you may need to reset to factory settings via Recovery mode. To log in, turn off the phone and press the power and volume buttons at the same time. Select Wipe Data, but remember that this will delete all your personal data.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)