Removing system applications on Xiaomi: Methods from the 4pda forum

Xiaomi smartphone owners often encounter intrusive advertising content and pre-installed software that cannot be removed by standard means. 4pda forum users have long developed effective algorithms to combat this phenomenon, allowing you to turn Chinese or global firmware into a clean system. The main difficulty is that the standard interface MIUI or HyperOS hides the administrator rights from the average user.

To perform deep cleaning, you don’t need to get a Root right, which often leads to the loss of warranty or banking applications. Current methods are based on debugging over USB and using the Android Debug Bridge protocol, which allows you to safely remove components of the system that are usually hidden from the owner’s eyes, freeing up gigabytes of memory and speeding up the device.

In this guide, we will discuss the time-tested ways that are actively discussed in Xiaomi branches on 4pda. You will learn how to prepare the device, which packages can be removed without the risk of bricking, and how to avoid typical beginner mistakes.

Preparation of the smartphone and computer for the procedure

Before you start any manipulation of system files, you need to configure the environment correctly, without activating the developer mode and enabling debugging. USB None of the methods that I've described below will work. You'll need your smartphone, your computer running Windows, Linux or macOS, and you'll need a good one. USB-cable capable of transmitting data, not just charging the device.

First, activate the hidden menu. To do this, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click 7-10 times on the MIUI Version or OS Version. After the message "You became a developer" appears, go back to the main settings menu, select Additional or Advanced Settings, then For Developers. Here you need to find and activate the USB Debugging slider.

⚠️ Warning: When you connect your smartphone to a computer with debugging enabled, you will see a request for debugging permission on the screen. Be sure to tick "Always Allow from this computer" and click "OK" or the debugging program won't see the device.

The next step is to install drivers. In most cases, Windows 10 and 11 automatically install the required ADB Interface components. If an unknown device is displayed in the Device Manager, you will need to download Google USB Driver or Xiaomi universal drivers from the official website or verified sources to 4pda. Make sure that your phone appears in the Device Manager under Portable Devices or Android Device without exclamation points.

Installation and configuration of ADB tools

The main tool for removing system debris is the Platform Tools package from Google, which contains the adb and fastboot utilities necessary to interact with the operating system at a low level, download the archive exclusively from the official Android Developers website to prevent malicious code from getting to your PC.

Once you download the archive, unpack it to the root of the disk, such as the C:\adb folder. This will make it easier to work with the command line. Open the folder, press the Shift key and right-click on the empty space, selecting "Open PowerShell window here" or "Open terminal." Enter the command adb devices. If you see the serial number of your device and status, then the connection is established correctly.

☑️ Checking readiness for removal

USB debugging enabledADB drivers installedThe phone is visible in the command lineBackup of important data is made

Done: 0 / 4

For those who are afraid to work with a black screen command line, there is a graphical shell Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools. This is a program developed by enthusiasts with 4pda, It automates the process. It finds the batch names of the applications itself and allows you to delete them in one click. GUI-Interface understanding of basic principles of operation ADB Critical to Data Security.

System Package Analysis: What Can Be Deleted

The most important step is to identify the components being removed. System applications in Android have packet names that often don't match their displayed names. For example, "Music" may be called com.miui.player, and "Conductor" may be called com.miui.fileexplorer. A mistake in selecting a package can lead to unstable system operation or cyclical reboot.

Below is a table with the most frequently removed Xiaomi apps that are not critical to running the system:

Title of the annex	Package Name (Package Name)	Security of removal	Impact on the system
Mi Browser (Browser)	com.android.browser	Safe.	Nothing if you have Chrome.
Mi Video (Video)	com.miui.videoplayer	Safe.	Turns off the built-in player.
Mi Music (Music)	com.miui.player	Safe.	Turns off the built-in player.
MSA (Advertising Service)	com.miui.msa.global	Recommended	Removes ads in the system
Mi Cloud	com.micloud	Careful.	Turns off sync.

The removal of msa, daemon and analytics significantly reduces the load on the processor and battery, but removing components related to telephony (com.android.phone), system interface (com.android.systemui), or Google Play frameworks is strictly prohibited without a thorough knowledge of the Android architecture.

List of dangerous bags for removal

Do not delete packages containing the name 'framework', 'provider', 'google.services', 'sec'. Deleting 'com.xiaomi.finddevice' will deprive you of the ability to find the phone when you steal, and removing 'com.miui.securitycenter' will disrupt the antivirus and memory cleaner.> Step-by-step, let's take a look at the classic console-based method of removing it, which gives you complete control of the process. MIUI. After connecting the phone and checking the communication through adb devices, you can start typing commands. The syntax of the command to remove the application for the current user is as follows: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 name.package. Here's the flag. -k means storing cache and data (in case you want to return the application), and --user 0 indicates deletion for the main user. For example, to remove the system browser, type adb shell pm uninstall. -k --user 0 com.android.browser. Once you've completed it, you'll receive a Success message. If you need to restore a remote application, use the command: This method is convenient because the application is not physically removed from the system partition, but only "hidden" for your user profile. This makes the procedure reversible and secure. Even if you remove something superfluous, the factory reset will bring all system components back to their places. ADB Tools: For users who prefer a visual interface, the Xiaomi utility will be the ideal solution ADB/Fastboot Tools from developer Szaki. This is software that is popular with 4pda, It automatically determines your smartphone model and offers a list of recommended apps to remove. The program knows which packages are safe for a particular model, whether it is a Redmi Note or a flagship Mi. The Debloat section shows you a list of installed system applications with checkmarks. You can select several positions at once, for example, all Mi Store apps, themes and advertising modules, and click Uninstall. Also, the program allows you to disable advertising in system applications with one button. 📊 How to remove the system software?Command line (ADB)Graphic utility (Xiaomi Tools) Through Root-right Nothing, use as is An important advantage of graphical webs is the presence of a knowledge base. getting stuck over an application name often prompts its function, which reduces the risk of accidentally removing a critical component, and often has a built-in function to create a backup of an application list before cleaning. Possible problems and solutions You may encounter errors during the cleaning process. Failure is the most common. [DELETE_FAILED_INTERNAL_ERROR]. This means that the application is critical to the system or protected from removal at the manufacturer's policy level. In this case, do not try to force the process, leave this package alone. Sometimes, after removing system components, there may be errors in the interface, such as the notification curtain or the power menu, which will help the recovery team, as mentioned above. If the phone went into a cyclic reboot (bootloop), you will need to log in to Recovery mode and perform a data reset (Wipe Data), which will return factory settings. ⚠️ Note: Removing system security updates or Google Play Services components may cause Google banking applications and services to fail, and be extremely careful with packages containing the words 'security', 'google', 'play'. It is also worth remembering that after the global firmware update (OTA) All remote applications can come back. This is normal system behavior. You'll have to repeat the cleaning procedure or use special automation scripts that you can find in the profile topics on the site. 4pda. 💡Removing System Applications Through ADB does not give a Root-right, but effectively cleanses the system of garbage and advertising, making the use of the smartphone more comfortable. Frequently asked questions (FAQ) Do I need to unlock the bootloader to remove system applications? No, you don't need to unlock the bootloader. ADB and debugging USB They work on devices with a locked bootloader, and that makes it safe from a guarantee point of view, because you don't make changes to the system partition directly, you just change the user's settings. MIUI Completely and install pure Android? the methods described in the article allow you to only remove specific application components MIUI. To completely replace the shell MIUI on pure Android (Custom) ROM), Remove the bootloader and flash the device, which is a more complex and risky procedure? Yes, when you update your firmware through OTA (over the air), the system partition is overwritten and all standard applications come back. You will need to delete again. Some users turn off automatic updates to avoid this. Is it safe to remove the Security app? Deleting the com.miui.securitycenter application can lead to unstable system operation, since many MIUI functions (memory cleanup, permission management, antivirus) are tied to this component. It is recommended not to delete it, but simply to disable notifications or restrict background activity.