Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often face a situation where the internal memory of the device is full of preinstalled software that cannot be removed by standard methods. System applications such as Google Play, MIUI Browser or various marketing services take up precious space and sometimes consume CPU resources in the background. The standard interface of the MIUI shell or HyperOS does not allow you to completely uninstall these components, offering only to disable them, which does not always solve the problem.
To make space free, you need to use more advanced tools to interfere with Android Debug Bridge (ADB) – a method that is the gold standard for enthusiasts, as it allows you to remove even those packets that are hidden from the eyes of the average user. It is important to understand that interfering with the system partition requires care, since removing critical components can lead to unstable device operation or cyclical reboot.
In this guide, we will discuss how to clean your gadget from unnecessary software. We will look at the preparation of the environment, working with the command line and the use of specialized utilities that greatly simplify the process. Xiaomi provides a fairly flexible system of settings, but for deep cleaning you will need to go beyond the standard menu.
Risk assessment and device preparation
Before you start deleting, you need to be clear about which components you can touch and which are better not to touch. The system framework and basic Android services are responsible for the phone, calls, SMS and Internet access. Their removal will lead to the failure of the device. It is recommended to act on the principle of “better less, but better”, removing only clearly advertising or duplicate applications.
The first step is to activate the hidden developer menu. Without this step, any attempts to connect to the debugging interface will be blocked by the MIUI security system. You need to click on the build number several times in the About Phone section until the appropriate notification appears, and then the Developer option will appear in the advanced settings.
⚠️ Warning: Before any manipulations, be sure to create a complete backup of data. Deletion of system packages is irreversible without reinstalling the firmware, and returning the remote component in a simple way may not work.
Then you need to enable direct debugging via USB. In the developer menu, find the "Debug by USB" item and activate it. Also, you should include the "Install via USB" and "Debug (USB only)" option, if they are available in your version of the shell, which will allow the computer to gain the necessary permissions to access the file system of the smartphone.
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Use the original cable to connect to your PC – cheap cables can only charge the device without transferring data, which will cause errors when connecting ADB.
Make sure your computer has drivers installed for Xiaomi. In most cases, Windows 10/11 will automatically pick up the drivers you want, but older models or specific versions of Android may require a manual installation of ADB Drivers. Check if the phone in Device Manager is defined as "Android Composite ADB Interface."
Necessary tools and software
You'll need a suite of specialized software to do this, and the main tool is Google's platform toolkit, known as the SDK Platform-Tools, which is the official toolkit that contains adb and fastboot, and you can download it from the Android developer site by selecting the version for your operating system.
The alternative to manual command line is graphical shells that automate the process. One of the most popular and secure programs is Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools. This software is created by enthusiasts specifically for Xiaomi devices and has built-in lists of safe packet removal.
There is also Universal Android Debloater, which works with all Android devices and has a user-friendly package search interface, highlights system applications with color, warning of the potential danger of removing a particular component, and is a great choice for those who are afraid of getting confused in the names of system processes.
Keep in mind that these programs require a stable connection to work, and interrupting communication during packet deletion can lead to an error in the application registry, although modern versions of Android are quite resistant to such failures. Close all unnecessary programs on the PC, so as not to create a load on the computer. USB-port.
Deletion method through ADB command line
This is the most flexible and professional way to do this, and it requires manual commands, which gives you complete control of the process. After unpacking the SDK Platform-Tools, open the tool folder, press the Shift key, and right-click on the empty space, selecting "Open PowerShell window here" or "Open terminal."
Enter the connection verification command:
adb devicesYou'll see a request for debugging permission on your smartphone screen, check "Always allow from this computer" and click "OK." The command line should show the serial number of the device, and if it says unauthorized instead of unauthorized, reconnect the cable and repeat the confirmation.
To remove a particular application, the pm uninstall command with the --user 0 flag is used. This flag means that the application is only deleted for the current user (owner), but remains in the system. This is safe, because when you reset or flash the application will return.
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 name.packetThe main difficulty is finding the correct package name. The names in the app store and in the system can differ. For example, YouTube can be called com.google.android.youtube, and Xiaomi's system browser is com.android.browser.
adb shell pm list packages | grep "name"☑️ Checklist before removal
If you delete the extra, you can return the application with the command adb shell cmd package install-existing name.packet. This only works if the package was not physically erased, but only removed for the user. --user 0 It is critically important for safety.
Use of specialized Xiaomi ADB Tools
For those who don’t want to mess with codes, Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools (Szaki developer) will be a real salvation. Once the device is launched and connected, the program will automatically analyze the installed packages. The interface is divided into tabs, where the applications are collected by categories: Uninstall apps, Debloat, Clearer.
The Debloat tab presents a list of the well-known advertising and junk MIUI applications. You can simply tick MIUI Daemon, MSA (system advertising service), Analytics and click the delete button. The program itself will execute the necessary commands in the background, which greatly speeds up the process and minimizes the risk of error due to a typo in the name.
One of the unique features of the program is the ability to disable ads in system applications. The special button "Remove ads" automatically changes the settings in the registry, disabling ad personalization and Mi Ad Service, a comprehensive solution that works faster than manually disabling each setting in the phone menu.
⚠️ Note: Do not remove applications marked red or with Critical status. UI And Google Play, which is going to disrupt the interface and the app stores.
It also has a "Cleaner" feature that deletes temporary files and cache left over from system updates, which is safe and helps free up several gigabytes of space, and once all operations are complete, it is recommended to restart the device to apply the changes.
What if the program doesn’t see the phone?
Package analysis: what can be removed and what can not be removed
Xiaomi's Android system has hundreds of packages. To keep the device safe, we'll put together a safety table that lists common components and the risk of removing them. Remember, the names may vary slightly between versions of HyperOS and MIUI.
| Package name | Description | Risk of removal | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| com.miui.misys | MIUI System Service | High-pitched | Don't remove |
| com.msd.mmi | MSA's advertising service | Low. | Delete |
| com.android.browser | Standard browser | Low. | Delete (if there is Chrome) |
| com.google.android.apps.maps | Google Maps | Medium. | As you wish. |
| com.miui.weather2 | Weather appendix | Low. | Delete (if not necessary) |
Special attention should be paid to analytics packages. com.miui.analytics and com.miui.daemon collect data about device usage. Deleting them does not affect functionality, but increases privacy. However, if you are actively using the Xiaomi ecosystem (watches, headphones, light bulbs), some services are better left for the correct operation of the bundle.
Don’t touch packages called com.android.providers (except those that are clearly remote applications) and com.android.inputmethods. The former are responsible for storing contacts, calendar and settings, the latter for the keyboard. Deleting the input provider will result in you being unable to type text even to fix the error.
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The golden rule is, if you don't know what a particular package with a name like "framework" or "service" is responsible for, you better leave it alone. A 10MB savings isn't worth a broken phone.
Possible problems and ways to solve them
You may encounter errors in the cleaning process. A frequent problem is the Failure message [DELETE_FAILED_INTERNAL_ERROR]. This means that the app is actively being used by the system right now. Try forcefully stopping the process in the application settings or restarting the phone and immediately running the deletion command.
Sometimes, after removing system components, the phone can go into an endless bootloop. If that happens, don't panic. Try booting up in Recovery mode. If the Recovery menu opens, try resetting to factory settings (Wipe Data), which will bring remote system applications back to their places.
In more complicated cases, when the phone doesn't respond to buttons, Fastboot mode will help. Connect the phone turned off to the PC by holding the volume button. If the computer sees the device in Fastboot mode, you can try to reflash it through the Mi Flash Tool utility, which is why we made a backup.
⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to remove applications while the battery is below 40%.Sudden power outage while recording changes to the system partition may damage the partition table.
If you have lost audio, camera or Internet, you probably have touched the dependent package, in which case only a complete reset or flashing will help. Recover one particular file through ADB, if it was deleted without the user 0 flag, you can not without the original APK and knowledge of its signature.
Final recommendations for optimization
Once the system is cleaned, it will become more responsive, but to keep the effect lasting, you don't need to install dozens of new apps right away, give the system time to index the files, and it's also helpful to disable automatic updates of unnecessary pre-installed apps on Google Play so they don't take up space again.
Regularly check the permission list of the remaining applications. Often, even after removing debris, some programs continue to request access to the microphone or geolocation unnecessarily. Controlling permissions is the second step to a clean and fast system after removing the bundle.
Use this knowledge wisely. Being able to manage a system at the ADB level gives you tremendous power over a Xiaomi device, turning it from just a phone into a personalized tool. But remember, freedom of action always requires accountability for the outcome.