How to Remove Apps on Xiaomi Phone: The Complete Guide

Modern smartphones, especially those running MIUI or HyperOS shells, often come with pre-installed software that the user doesn't always need. Over time, the device has become overrun with dozens of utilities that consume RAM and battery power in the background. Removing redundant software is not just a way to clean up the menu, but a necessary measure to optimize the gadget.

Xiaomi owners are faced with a unique file system structure where standard uninstallation methods are sometimes blocked by the system. To completely clear internal storage and get rid of intrusive advertising or useless software, it is important to understand the difference between conventional and system applications. In this article, we will take a detailed look at all available methods, from simple actions through menus to advanced techniques using a computer.

Basic ways to remove through the settings menu

The most obvious and secure method available to every smartphone owner is the standard operating system interface. For most user programs downloaded from Google Play or Mi GetApps, this is the only option you need. You just need to open Settings, find the App section, and select All Apps. In the list that opens, find the unnecessary program, click on it and select the Remove button.

However, the MIUI interface may hide some nuances. For example, if the delete button is inactive (grey), it means that you are trying to remove a system component critical to the firmware operation. Attempting to circumvent this limitation without proper preparation can lead to instability of the device. The standard removal path ensures that you do not damage the integrity of the system by removing only what is allowed by the developers.

The alternative fast way is available right from the desktop, just hold your finger on the app icon and wait for the context menu to appear. If the program is to be removed by the standard method, you will see the corresponding basket icon or the Remove button. Pull the icon into this zone, and the system will start the uninstallation process.

• 📱 Open your smartphone settings and go to the Manual Search Application Management section.
• 🗑️ Use a long-press on the icon on your desktop for quick uninstallation.
• ⚙️ Check the list of “All Apps” to find hidden or rarely used utilities.

Removal of pre-installed system software

This is complicated when it comes to built-in Xiaomi applications like Mi Browser, Mi Video, or various advertising services. The standard menu often doesn’t allow you to remove them, offering only the “Disable” function, which creates the illusion of deleting, but the files remain in the system partition.

One effective way is to use the developer mode and debugging over USB. Activate this mode in the About Phone section (you need to click on the MIUI version 7 times), you get extended control rights. However, even with debugging enabled, standard system tools can not remove system packages - you will need special tools, which will be discussed below.

⚠️ Warning: Removing critical system components such as Security, Downloads, or system frameworks can result in an infinite bootloop or complete interface failure.

Before you start removing system packets, it is strongly recommended to create a complete backup of data. Even experienced users can make the mistake of choosing the wrong pack to delete. Use the built-in MIUI backup function or third-party solutions to save important contacts and settings.

Using ADB for Advanced Cleaning

The most powerful and flexible tool for managing Android apps is Android Debug Bridge (ADB). This method allows you to delete almost any package visible to the system, including those hidden from the average user), USB-cable and installed drivers for your Xiaomi device.

The process starts with connecting your smartphone to your PC in USB debugging mode. Once you have a connection via the command line or terminal, you can send commands directly to the phone's operating system. The key command to delete looks like pm uninstall -k --user 0 packet name. Here, it's important to know exactly the name of the package, which is often different from the application name (for example, com.miui.videoplayer).

The advantage of ADB is that it doesn’t require superuser rights (Root) to be removed, you only remove apps for the current user (user 0), leaving system files in place, but making them invisible and inactive, and it allows you to restore a remote application at any time by simply resetting your settings or re-installing the package.

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.analytics

This particular command, for example, completely disables Xiaomi’s system analytics service, which is often blamed for data collection and traffic consumption. Using ADB, you become the full owner of your device, but responsibility for every action lies solely with you.

Application of specialized utilities-uninstallators

For those who do not want to mess with the command line, the developers have created graphic shells for the ADB. The most popular and time-tested tool is Xiaomi. ADB/Fastboot Tools or a universal program ADB AppControl. These utilities automatically detect the connected smartphone, read a list of all installed packages and mark their status (system, user, secure to remove).

The interface of these programs usually contains a knowledge base that tells you what a particular package is responsible for. For example, when you select com.android.chrome, the program will warn you that it is a browser, and the deletion will not affect the system if you use another browser, which significantly reduces the risk of error compared to manually entering commands.

It is important to download such utilities only from official developer sites or trusted repositories, such as GitHub. Using dubious software from unverified sources can lead to data leakage or installation of malware on your computer and phone.

Cleaning cache and residual files

Even after successful deletion of an application, the phone may still have tails in its memory — folders with settings, cache, or media files — that are not automatically deleted so that when you re-install the program, your settings are saved, but if you delete the app permanently, those files become precious megabytes of garbage.

To find these residues, you can use the built-in Cleanup tool in the Xiaomi Security app, which scans the file system for orphaned files, and effectively use file managers with access to hidden folders, such as MT Manager or Solid Explorer. Look for folders with remote program names in the root of internal memory or in the Android/data directory.

You don't want to fanatically delete all the unknown folders at the root of the system, some of them can be created by libraries that are used by other applications, for example, Tencent folder can refer not only to the messenger, but also to game engines used by other games.

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Use the “Storage Analysis” feature in your phone’s settings to visually assess which folders take up the most space after removing heavy apps.

Recovery of Remote System Components

What if, in a rush of optimization, you deleted something important and the phone started behaving incorrectly? Fortunately, the ADB deletion method (without Root rights) doesn't physically erase files, it just hides them for the current user, which means that it's pretty easy to get it back.

The most radical but effective way is to reset the device to the factory settings (Wipe Data), which will return the phone to the store-like state by restoring all system applications. The less painful option is to reconnect to the ADB and execute the installation command: cmd package install-existing the name of the packet, which forces the system to re-activate the previously deleted packet.

If you've removed applications through third-party GUI uninstallers, they usually have a Recovery or Backup tab, where you store a list of deleted packages, and just mark the ones you want and press the restore button, and the system will return them to their places.

⚠️ Note: If after removing the system component, the phone stopped booting (cyclic reboot), only entering Recovery mode and a full data reset (Wipe All Data) can help, which will destroy all personal information.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Proper removal of unused applications and services can extend the battery life of the Xiaomi smartphone to 20-30% and speed up its response.