Modern Xiaomi Redmi smartphones often come with pre-installed software that not everyone really needs. Over time, the operating system becomes overrun with unnecessary shortcuts, duplicates and services that not only take up precious memory space, but also consume battery power. Cleaning up the device from excess software is the first step to optimizing the gadget’s performance, which can significantly speed up its response.
The process of uninstalling MIUI or HyperOS software may vary depending on the Android version and the region for which the device is released. Some programs are removed in the standard way, others require a transition to advanced settings, and others that are system-based are hidden from the average user. In this article, we will discuss all available methods, from simple touch screen to the use of specialized utilities for deep cleaning.
Before we start taking drastic measures, it’s important to understand that removing critical system components can lead to unstable smartphone performance.A careful study of the purpose of each application will help avoid errors that will have to be corrected by resetting settings to factory.Let’s look at how to safely free up space and speed up your Redmi.
⚠️ Warning: Before removing unknown system processes, it is strongly recommended to create a complete backup of data in order to restore the device to work in the event of a failure.
Standard removal through the desktop and menu
The most obvious and quick way to get rid of an extra application is to use the desktop interface. On most Xiaomi models, just hold your finger on the icon of an unnecessary program for a few seconds. If the program is to be deleted, the basket icon or the Remove button will appear in the context menu that appears.
The alternative is available through the main menu of all installed programs. Find the right shortcut, click on it and hold your finger until the pop-up appears. Here, the system will offer two options: "Delete" or "About the application." The first option completely erases the program, the second allows you to manage its permissions and cache. This method is convenient when you need to clean several programs in a row.
- 🗑️ Click the icon on your desktop and drag it to the basket.
- ⚙️ Use a long tap on the All Apps menu to call the context menu.
- ❌ Click the cross in the icon corner in desktop editing mode (if enabled).
But not all programs can be easily removed, and if you press long enough, you only see the About button or the Information button, it's a system application that's protected from deletion by standard means. There are other methods for these cases that we'll discuss below. It's also worth noting that desktop deletion doesn't always clean all the remaining files, so periodic checks of the storage won't be superfluous.
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Standard removal is only available for custom applications downloaded from Google Play or installed manually, system software is not removed.
Removal through smartphone settings
If you can't remove the program from the desktop, you need to contact the Application Manager in the system settings, which gives you more detailed control over the installed software. Go to the Settings menu, find the Application section and select All Applications. Here's a complete list of all the software installed on your Redmi.
In the list that opens, find the app you want. You can use a name search or size sort to find the most "heavy" programs that take up a lot of space. When you click on the name, you will be taken to the application card. If the program is user-generated, the Delete button will be active. In the case of system software, this button is often inactive (dark), but sometimes the option is available to Disable.
Disabling an application is the equivalent of uninstalling for system components: the program stops running, disappears from the list of active processes and does not waste resources, but its files remain in memory. It is a safe way to combat unnecessary services of Google or Xiaomi that can not be deleted without root rights. Once disabled, the application can be reactivated at any time.
In some versions of MIUI firmware, the interface may be slightly different, for example, the delete button may be hidden in a three-dot menu in the upper right corner of the app information screen. Carefully inspect all available controls in this section, as the interface may vary depending on the regional version of the firmware (Global, China, EEA).
Mass removal and memory management
The MIUI shell provides a handy tool for mass cleaning of space, which allows you to remove several applications at once. To access this functionality, open the standard Security application (green icon with lightning), which is preinstalled on all Xiaomi smartphones. From the menu, select Clean up or go to Application Management.
In the control section, you'll see a list of all the programs sorted by size, and the system will suggest you remove the rarely used apps or the ones that take up a lot of space, and you can select a few boxes and click the delete button at the bottom of the screen, which greatly speeds up the process of cleaning up the smartphone, especially after you buy a new device, when you need to remove a dozen or two extra programs.
- 📱 Open the Security app on the home screen.
- 🧹 Select the Cleanup tool or Application Management tool».
- ✅ Check the boxes for unnecessary programs for group removal.
It is easy to delete an important navigator, messenger or banking app by mistake if you do not look at the names carefully. Double check the list before confirming the action will help avoid trouble, and it is worth considering that some system components may be related to each other, and removing one can affect the work of the other.
☑️ Checklist before mass cleaning
Removal of System Applications (Bloatware)
The most difficult category is embedded applications, which the manufacturer or carrier installs by default, and they often do not have an uninstall button in the standard interface, and there are two main ways to work with them: using the built-in “Unin” function or using special tools like ADB (Android Debug Bridge) for advanced users.
The method of disabling is safest and does not require a connection to the computer. In the settings of the application you want to remove, find the Disabling button. Once confirmed, the system will warn that the application will be removed from the list and will cease to update. In fact, it will remain in memory, but will be preserved. This is ideal for services Google Play Movies, YouTube (if you do not use them), or Xiaomi branded services.
Complete removal of system software requires connecting your smartphone to your PC and using the command line. This method requires enabling developer mode and debugging over USB. Be extremely careful: removing critical system components (e.g., Phone, Messages, System UI) can lead to endless restart (bootloop) and the need to flash the device.
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 name.packet.applicationsThis command, entered in a terminal on a computer, deletes the application for the current user without affecting the system partition, which allows you to free up space and remove the icon, while maintaining the ability to return everything back to the factory reset, but for the average user, this method can be risky if you do not know the exact names of the packets.
Which system applications can’t be removed?
What to do if the application is not removed
It is common to see the uninstall button inactive or the process blocked. This can be due to the administrator rights that the application has given to it, or because it is part of the system process. First, check if the application is an active device administrator. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Privacy → Special Access → Device Administrator Applications.
If you find a problem app on the list, uncheck it. Then go back to the app menu and try to delete it again. Often this is the way antiviruses, parental control programs or corporate clients behave, without deinstallation of administrator rights, uninstallation will not be possible.
| Type of lockdown | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Gray button "Delete" | System application | Use "Disable" or ADB |
| The error "failed to be deleted" | Launched process | Stop the process in the application settings |
| Requires administrator rights | Security policy | Revoke rights in the administrators menu |
| The app is built into the firmware | Regional version | Respond or re-examine on Global |
Another reason could be that the installation files are corrupted, so try to clear the data and the cache of the application first, then force it to stop, and then try to delete it. If that doesn't work, then maybe the file is corrupted at the file system level, and only resetting to the factory settings will help.
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If the app is constantly coming back after being deleted, check if it is installed as the default device to open certain files or links.
Cleaning of residual files after deletion
Even after successful removal of an application, the smartphone often has tails — cache folders, logs, stored images, and configuration files — that can take hundreds of megabytes to find, and the best way to find them is through the built-in Files Explorer or third-party analyzers like Clean Master or Files by Google.
Manually search for residual folders is in the /Android/data/ directory or at the root of internal memory.Look for folders with remote program names or developer names (e.g. com.facebook.katana), only delete them if you are sure that the corresponding application is no longer needed and will not be installed again, as settings may not be restored when you re-install.
- 📂 Use the Files app to find large forgotten folders.
- 🧹 Run the built-in cleaning in the Security app to find garbage.
- 🔍 Manually check the Download folder for installation APK-file.
Regular cleaning of residual debris helps keep the system in good shape. However, don't fanatically delete all unknown folders at the root of memory, some of them can be used by the Android operating system for temporary storage. A sensible cleaning approach will prolong the life of your storage.