Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a situation where the device’s memory is full and the speed of the MIUI or HyperOS interface is markedly reduced. The main reason for this behavior is the excessive number of installed applications, many of which are pre-installed software or forgotten games. Cleaning the system of excess software is the first step to optimize the gadget, which allows you to free valuable gigabytes of internal memory.
The uninstallation process can vary depending on whether the application is user-generated or system-based. If regular programs are removed in a couple of clicks, embedded services often require deeper intervention. In this article, we will examine all available methods, from standard Android operating system tools to the use of specialized tools for advanced users.
It is worth noting that the rash removal of critical components can lead to unstable operation of the device. Therefore, before starting any manipulation, it is necessary to clearly understand what a particular package is responsible for. Removing system components such as Security or Explorer can make the phone unusable without flashing.
Standard removal through the desktop and menu
The easiest and safest way to get rid of unnecessary software is to use a built-in shell interface. MIUI. This method is suitable for all custom applications downloaded from the Google Play store or installed through the Google Play Store. APK-First, unlock your smartphone screen and find the program icon you plan to remove.
Click on the icon and hold your finger for 1-2 seconds until the context menu appears. Depending on the firmware version, you will be offered several options: select Delete or drag the icon to the basket, which is usually located at the top or bottom of the screen.
- 📱 Click on the app icon and hold until the menu appears.
- 🗑️ Select the “Delete” option or drag to the basket.
- ✅ Confirm the action in the pop-up window.
If the app was downloaded from an official store, the system will also prompt the developer to leave a review after deleting, which is optional, but it helps the community to assess the quality of the software, and once the operation is confirmed, the icon will disappear from the desktop, and the data will be erased from the device's memory.
⚠️ Note: If a long-click on the menu icon does not appear or there is no delete button, then this is a system application protected from standard uninstallation.
The alternative is through the menu of all apps. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open a list of all installed programs. Find the desired application, press the icon again and select the appropriate item. This method is especially convenient when the icon is removed from the desktop, but the program itself continues to occupy space.
Managing applications through system settings
You can control the installed software in more detail through the system settings menu, and here you can not only uninstall the program, but also analyze how much space it takes up and clear its cache. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications.
In the list that opens, find the name you want, and click on it will open a page with details of version, memory usage, resolution, and battery consumption. If the program is custom, the Delete button will be active and colored blue or red.
☑️ Pre-deletion check
For some system utilities, the delete button may be inactive (grey), but the option “Disable” is available. Using this feature hides the application from the interface and stops all associated processes, which is virtually equivalent to deleting for the average user.
In the same menu, it is useful to check the Memory Use section. Often it turns out that messengers or social networks take up several gigabytes due to the accumulated cache of media files. Before deleting such a program, it makes sense to click the Clear button to make room if you plan to reinstall the application later.
| Type of application | Available action | Risks. |
|---|---|---|
| Customized | Delete, Clear data, Limit | Minimum |
| Systemic (important) | Stop, clear the cache | High (system failure) |
| Systemic (additional) | Disable, clear the data | Medium (loss of functionality) |
| Google services | Disable updates, Clean up | Medium (mistakes in work) |
Mass removal and cleaning of storage
When you need to remove multiple programs, you can use the built-in Cleanup tool or third-party managers. Xiaomi smartphones have a pre-installed Security app that has a memory management module. Run it and select the Cleanup section.
The system will analyze the device and suggest removing junk files, and show you a list of rarely used apps, which is a great way to quickly get rid of forgotten games or utilities that you haven't used in months, and the algorithm will suggest candidates for deletion based on launch statistics.
You can also use the app menu sorting function, and in the app list settings, select "By size" or "By installation date" to visually measure which programs take up the most space, and it often turns out that one forgotten navigator or video editor eats up more resources than a dozen small utilities.
For advanced users, there is the option of packet removal via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which will be discussed below, but even in the standard menu you can quickly go through the list and delete unnecessary ones.
⚠️ Warning: When cleaning through third-party accelerators, be careful: some may aggressively complete the processes needed to run the system, leading to increased battery consumption in the future.
Removal of system applications and bloatware
Xiaomi smartphones, like many other Android devices, often come with software preinstalled that cannot be removed by standard methods: bloatware: services from Google, Mi, as well as advertising apps and games from partners, and they require root rights or computer use to be removed.
The safest method without root rights is using Xiaomi utility ADB/Fastboot Tools or command line ADB. This method allows you to delete packets for the current user without affecting the system partition recovery. First you need to activate the developer mode: go to Settings → On the phone and press quickly 7 once by “Version” MIUI».
Then on the menu "Additional» → «For developers, include “Debugging by USB». Connect your phone to your computer with a cable and run the command line on your PC. Enter a command to check the connection:
adb devicesYou'll see a debugging permission request on your phone screen, confirm it. You can now proceed to delete it. You can find the list of packages online at "list of packages Xiaomi." The deletion command is as follows:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 name packetList of safe packet removal
This is reversible: if you delete something that is superfluous, resetting your phone to factory settings will put all system applications back in place. However, be extremely careful with packages containing the words security, framework or systemui, which can lead to a “boot loop”.
⚠️ Note: Removal of system components through ADB It doesn't physically erase them from the recovery partition, but it makes them inaccessible to the user.
What to do if the application is not removed
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the application is frozen, does not respond, or the system writes an error when trying to delete, often because the program process is active in the background or it has device administrator rights. First of all, try to force the process to stop.
Go to Settings → Applications, select the problem item and click Stop. After that, the delete button should become active. If that doesn’t work, check the list of device administrators in the Passwords and Security section → Device Administrators.
If the application is a virus or a miner, it can block its settings, in which case it is recommended to boot into Safe Mode. To do this, press the off button, and when the menu appears, (hold) the "off" option on the screen until the prompt to go to Safe Mode appears.
- 🔄 Restart the device in safe mode.
- 🛑 Find the malicious app in the menu.
- 🗑️ Follow the standard removal procedure.
In Safe Mode, only system components are triggered, so a third-party virus will not be able to activate its protection. Once cleaned, simply restart the phone in the usual way to exit this mode. If the problem is not solved, a complete data reset may be required.
Cleaning of residual files after deletion
Even after successful uninstallation, the disk often has tails — folders with cache, logs and temporary files — that can take hundreds of megabytes to find, and the best way to find them is by using a file manager, such as the built-in Explorer or Google Files.
Go to the Android root folder, and you'll find the data and obb directories. Look for folders with names of remote applications (usually the developer's domain name, like com.example.game). If you're sure the program is deleted, those folders can be safely deleted.
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Use the Files by Google app to automatically search and delete residual files (Junk files) – this securely and effectively frees up space.
It's also worth checking the Download folder and the root of the internal memory. APK-Files, instant messenger pictures and documents are left dead weight, and regular revision of these directories helps maintain order.
Remember that some apps store data in the cloud. Deleting a program from your phone doesn't always mean cleaning up the cloud storage associated with your account. Check your sync settings if you want to get rid of the data completely.
⚠️ Note: When manually cleaning folders in Android/data Do not delete files that you do not know the purpose of, which may result in loss of progress in games or settings in other working applications.