How to remove apps from Xiaomi smartphone

Xiaomi smartphones running on the shell of MIUI or the new HyperOS often come with a pre-installed set of programs that not all users find useful. Over time, the device becomes overgrown with digital garbage, which inevitably leads to a lack of free space and slowdown of the system. Proper cleaning is not just freeing up gigabytes, but also a way to extend the battery life of the gadget.

The uninstallation process may vary depending on the version of the Android operating system and the interface modification. Device owners should understand the difference between regular programs downloaded from the store and system components, the removal of which requires special care. Below we will discuss all available methods, from standard to advanced.

Before you start taking any radical steps, it's worth analyzing what exactly occupies space. Often users forget about old games or duplicate messengers. Auditing installed software is the first step to optimization. Let's look at the basic ways to clean your device.

Standard removal through the desktop and menu

The easiest and most obvious way to get rid of unnecessary software is to use a desktop interface, which is suitable for most custom applications you install yourself, it requires no special knowledge and is safe for system stability.

Find the app icon on your desktop. Click on it and hold your finger for one to two seconds. A pop-up menu with multiple options will appear. You need to select Remove or drag the icon to the basket that appears at the top or bottom of the screen.

• 📱 Press and hold the icon until the action menu appears.
• 🗑️ Select the “Delete” option or drag to the cart.
• ✅ Confirm the action in the pop-up window.

If an application was downloaded from Google Play or GetApps, the system will simply erase its files. However, for some built-in Xiaomi services, this method may not be available, and the delete button will be missing or replaced with the option “Delete Updates”, which means that the program is part of the system.

⚠️ Note: Do not remove applications that you are not sure about, especially if they are called “Services”, “System” or have an Android logo.

The alternative is to swipe up from the center of the screen to open the list of all installed programs, find the right shortcut, press it, and select Delete, which is convenient because it displays all programs, even those that don't have an icon on the desktop.

Managing applications through system settings

The deeper management of programs is done through the system menu, where you can not only remove the software, but also force processes to stop, clear the cache or revoke permissions. This is the central control hub for any Xiaomi user.

Go to the smartphone settings menu. Find the Apps section or All apps. You will see a complete list of installed software, sorted by frequency of use or alphabet. Choose the application you are interested in from the list.

In the app information menu that opens, you'll see the Delete button. If it's active (not grey), click on it. The system will warn you of loss of data associated with the program. Confirm action. If the button is inactive, it means that the application is system-based and protected from deletion by standard methods.

The same menu also includes Cleanup, which allows you to erase the settings and temporary files of the application without removing the program itself, which is useful if the application is not working properly or takes up too much space due to cache.

• 🔍 Open “Settings” and go to the “Applications” section».
• 📂 Find an unnecessary program in the list.
• ❌ Click the “Delete” button and confirm the action.

Sometimes it's good to use a Settings search, and there's a search bar at the top of the Settings screen, and you type in the name of the application, and the system will immediately suggest you go to manage it, which saves time if you have several hundred programs installed.

Cleaning through Google Play Market

The Google Play app store also provides a handy tool for managing installed software, which is especially useful if you want to uninstall multiple programs at once or find forgotten apps that haven’t been updated in a long time.

Open the Play Store app on your smartphone. Click on your profile avatar in the top right corner. In the menu that opens, select App and Device Management. Next, click on the Manage tab.

Here you'll see a list of all the installed applications, and you can sort them by size, date of last use, or name, and it's a great way to find the heavy software that's rarely used but takes up a lot of space.

To remove, click the tick next to the app name (you can choose several at once) and click on the basket icon in the upper right corner. The system will request confirmation. This method is convenient because it works the same on all devices with Google services.

⚠️ Note: Deleting the app via Google Play will not delete its account if it is linked to a subscription.

You can also quickly find and remove malicious software through the Play Store, and there is a recent filter in the Manage section, so if you notice suspicious activity, check what has been installed in recent days and remove unknown programs.

Removing Xiaomi System Applications

Xiaomi's built-in apps, such as Mi Video, Mi Music, GetApps or Themes, often cannot be removed in the standard way. They are part of the firmware. However, they can be disabled or removed using a computer and special tools.

A tool is used for advanced removal ADB (Android Debug Bridge. It's Google's official developer utility, which allows you to control your device from a PC. It's safe if you're careful.

First, activate Developer Mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and press 7 times on MIUI Version (or OS Version). Then, in advanced settings, enable USB Debugging.

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

This command removes the application for the current user without affecting the system partition, which means that after resetting the application will return, but in normal mode it will not work.

Using ADB requires care. An error in the name of a package can result in the removal of an important component. Always check the name of the package before entering a command.

Using third-party utilities for cleaning

There are a variety of cleaner apps that promise to speed up the phone and remove system debris. Popular options include Clean Master, SD Maid or Xiaomi's built-in Cleaner.

The built-in Security tool (the green lightning icon) already has a cleanup function, it finds residual files, cache and large files, but it is powerless without root rights to remove system applications.