Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often encounter intrusive pre-installed software that takes up space and consumes resources. Standard system tools to remove most of these programs is impossible, as they are part of the firmware MIUI or HyperOS. Fortunately, modern methods allow you to get rid of "garbage" without obtaining Root rights, which preserves the guarantee and security of the device.
There are several proven ways to clean the system that do not require a deep knowledge of programming, the most effective and safe method involves the use of debugging over USB and the computer, which gives access to hidden parts of the system, allowing the user to decide for himself what components he needs and which can be painlessly removed.
It is important to understand that interfering with system files always carries certain risks, even if you do not get full administrator rights. Deleting critical system components, such as Google Play services or the system framework, can lead to the inability to boot the operating system.
Why you should remove pre-installed software
Chinese firmware is often oversaturated with backup services, such as two browsers, three app stores and several cloud storage, which not only takes up precious space in the internal drive, but also affects battery autonomy.
Many background processes continue to work even when you're not using them, they consume RAM and CPU time, which can lead to micro-latency in the interface, and by removing the extra, you actually optimize the Android experience on your device, making it more responsive.
And some pre-installed apps can collect usage statistics or display ads on system menus, and cleaning up the software increases your privacy and makes your smartphone more comfortable, and you get a device that works exactly the way you want it to work, not the way the manufacturer decides.
⚠️ Warning: Before deleting, make sure you know the function of the removable packet.Removing the system launcher or telephony service will make the smartphone unusable without flashing it.
Preparation of the device required
The first step is to activate the hidden developer menu, which means that without this step, the computer will not be able to access the phone's file system to manage the packages, and it's a simple process, but it requires careful execution of the sequence of actions.
Go to the Settings menu and select About Phone. Find the MIUI Version (or OS Version) bar and quickly click on it 7-10 times in a row until the notification that you have become a developer appears. Then a new Additional or Advanced Settings section will appear in the main settings menu, where you need to find For Developers.
Inside the developer menu, you need to find and activate the debugging switch over USB. When you connect the cable to the computer, a request for debugging permission will appear on the smartphone screen - be sure to tick "Always Allow" and click "OK".
It's also worth checking the battery power. Although the removal process is not energy intensive, suddenly turning off the device during modification of system partitions is highly undesirable. 50-60% beforehand.
To interact with the Android system, we will need Google’s Platform Tools package, known as ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which is the official tool that allows you to transfer commands from computer to phone, and you should download it only from the official Android developer website to avoid viruses.
Once you download the archive, unpack it into the root folder of the disk, such as C:\adb, so that the path to the files is short and does not contain Cyrillic. To start the command line in this folder, press the Shift key, right-click on the empty space and select "Open PowerShell window here" or "Open terminal".
Check the connection by entering the adb device command. If done correctly, you will see your device's serial number and device status. If it displays unauthorized, look at the phone screen and confirm access.
What to do if your computer can’t see your phone?
If the list of devices is empty, try replacing them. USB-It's a cable to the original or some other quality analogue, and it's often the lack of drivers. 10 and 11 Drivers are usually installed automatically, but older versions of the OS may require Universal installation. ADB Driver or drivers from Android Studio. Make sure the debugging menu includes the "Debugging by" option. USB (security settings, if available in your version MIUI. Sometimes it helps to switch the mode. USB-Connect in the notification curtain from "Charge Only" to "File Transfer". Automatic deletion via Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot For users who do not want to mess with manual commands, there is a great solution with a graphical interface – the Xiaomi program ADB/Fastboot Tools by Szaki author. This tool automatically determines the model of your smartphone and offers a list of safe applications to remove. Download the latest version of the program from GitHub (JRE). Once launched, the app will find the connected phone and download a list of all packages installed, you will only tick the ones you want to get rid of and click Uninstall. The advantage of this method is that it flags system applications with color and gives you hints about whether you can touch them, for example, it will warn you if you try to remove services that are necessary for the camera or Bluetooth to work. 📱 Utility: No command line or packet names. 🛡️ Security: Built-in database tags hazardous components for removal. 🔄 Recovery: It makes it easy to retrieve the remote back if something goes wrong, but it’s worth considering that the program’s database may not update as quickly as new phone models come out, so the latest Poco or Redmi devices may not have a complete list. If automatic tools don’t fit or you prefer full control, use the manual method.It requires knowing the exact package name, which usually looks like com.android.browser or com.miui.player. You can use the adb shell pm list packages to find packet names, but it's easier to install an analyzer app on your phone, like the App Inspector or the Package Name Viewer. When you find the right app, copy the name. The deletion command looks like this: adb shell pm uninstall. -k --user 0 packet. The --user 0 flag means that we delete the application only for the current user, without affecting the system partition. This makes the process reversible. adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.facebook.katana After entering the command and pressing Enter, you should see the Success message. If there is an error message, then the package is either not found or is critically important and is protected from removal even by this method. To return the remote application (if it has not been erased completely, but only for the user) use the command: adb shell install-exist version of the phone, this application name may not be slightly different from the baseline for the application, however, the list of the application is often deleted. Application Package Name (example) Description Mi Browser com.android.browser Standard browser Xiaomi Mi Video com.miui.videoplayer Video player advertising Mi Music com.miui.player Music player Facebook com.facebook.katana System Facebook (often undeletable in the usual way) Analytics com.miui.misys Use statistics collection Be careful with packages containing security, daemon or framework.Removal of such components may disrupt the work scanner, network or security system. ⚠️ Attention: Deleting the com.miui.securitycenter package may cause application permissions to reset and the memory cleaner to fail. Only remove if you understand the consequences. Possible problems and solutions may occur during the cleaning process. For example, a command may not be executed if the phone is locked. Always keep the screen unlocked while working with ADB. Also, the antivirus on the computer can block adb.exe, considering it a suspicious tool. If after removing any application the phone begins to behave strangely (sound disappears, Wi-Fi does not work), try to reset the settings to factory. Since we did not delete files physically from the system partition, but only disabled them for the user, resetting everything as it was. Sometimes it helps to reboot the device to safe mode to diagnose problems. Press the switch off button on the screen for a long time, then keep your finger on the button "Switch off to the factory" button until you need to switch to the service. For example, removing Google Play Framework services would break maps, the Play Market store, and many third-party programs. Can you uninstall apps without a computer? There are launcher apps or special utilities that require installation? APK Directly to the phone and give permissions through ADB (You still need a PC or wireless debugging once. Without a PC or a second Android device, you can't remove system packages completely, because standard Android user rights prohibit this. Will the warranty fly off after such manipulations? ADB Removing applications for the current user (--user 0) It does not require unlocking the bootloader and does not violate the integrity of the system partition. Formally, the warranty will remain, since the software device remains in a drain state. However, if you damage the system, the service center may refuse to repair free of charge, citing a software glitch. What if the phone stopped turning on? Since the data section has not been critically affected, it usually helps to enter Recovery mode. Press the power and volume button (the combination depends on the model), select Wipe Data (erase the data). This will return the phone to factory state with all the original applications.