Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often encounter intrusive pre-installed software that takes up precious space and consumes CPU resources. Standard customization methods can not get rid of such components, since they are deeply integrated into the shell of MIUI or HyperOS. The only safe and effective way to free up space is using the Android Debug Bridge debugging bridge.
The ADB removal technique does not require superuser rights (root), which allows you to maintain the warranty on the device and avoid the risks associated with modifying the system partition. However, the process requires care, since removing critical components can lead to unstable operation of the operating system.
Before you start cleaning, you need to prepare the workspace and software. You need a computer running Windows, macOS or Linux, which is working. USB-Unlike the simple cleaners in Play Market, this method gives you complete control over the file system, allowing you to remove even those applications that do not have the "Delete" button in the settings.
Preparing a smartphone and computer for work
The first step is to activate the hidden developer menu on your device. → About the phone and find the line "Version" MIUI" or "OS version." You need to click on this item quickly. 7-10 once in a row, until a pop-up notice appears that you have become a developer.
Then you should turn on the USB debugging directly. Go to Settings → Additional settings → For developers. In the list that opens, find the USB debugging switch and activate it. The system will give a warning about the risks to be accepted. It is also recommended to enable the option “Debug over USB (security settings)” if it is available in your firmware version.
The easiest way to install the ADB drivers and tools on your computer is to download the ready-made Platform Tools archive from the official Google website or use specialized builds for Windows. After unpacking the archive, it is better to place the folder at the root of the disk, for example, along the C:\adb path, to avoid problems with long paths when entering commands.
Connect your smartphone to your computer with a cable. You'll see a request on your device screen for debugging permission from that computer. You'll be sure to check "Always Allow from this computer" and click "OK." Without that confirmation, your computer won't be able to send commands to the device.
Working with the command line can seem difficult for beginners, but the basic operations come down to a few simple commands: Open the terminal or command line in the folder with the ADB installed. To check the connection, type in the adb device command. If done correctly, you will see your device's serial number and device status.
If the device number is displayed unauthorized, check the smartphone screen. Maybe the request for debugging permission was missed or the window is blocked. Reconnecting the cable often helps solve the problem. Make sure you use the original cable or quality analog that supports data transfer, not just charging.
For ease of use, you can use graphical shells such as Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools or Universal Android Debloater. These programs automatically identify connected devices and offer lists of safe packet removals. However, the manual method through the console gives you more control and understanding of what exactly happens to the system.
What to do if your computer can’t see your phone?
If Windows Device Manager displays an unknown device with a yellow exclamation mark, you must manually update the driver" → "Perform a search on this computer" → "Select from the list of available drivers "MTP USB Device or Android ADB Interface, and install it. This solves the compatibility problem. Search for system package IDs. Every application on Android has a unique identifier called a package name. To remove a particular application, you need to know its exact name. To get a complete list of installed packages, you can command adb shell pm list packages. The output will be very long, so it is better to filter it. To find a specific application, use a keyword. For example, to find packages associated with the GetApps store, type: adb shell pm list packages | grep miui. In Windows, the grep command may not work in the standard command line, so you can use adb shell pm list packages and copy the output to the text editor for search. Below is a table with the most common Xiaomi system apps that users often delete and their security status. Application name Package Name Security Deletion Function GetApps (App Store) com.xiaomi.mipicks Safe Application Store Xiaomi Mi Browser com.android.browser Safe Standard browser Mi Video com.miui.videoplayer Security Video Player Security Center com.miui.securitycenter Critical Antimonitor and memory management MIUI Daemon com.miui.daemon Dangerous Statistics and Telemetry Collection It is important to understand the difference between system processes and custom software. Removing com.miui.daemon can stop telemetry collection, but in some firmware versions it causes increased battery consumption.Always check the forums for your particular model before removing little-known packets. The process of removing and hiding applications There are two main methods of influencing applications through the use of ADB: Uninstall and Hide for the current user.The deletion command is as follows: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 name, packet, flag -k store data and cache in case of reinstal, and --user 0 indicates deletion for the main user. --user 0 The name.packet is more gentle. The application stops running, disappears from the menu and does not consume resources, but physically remains in the system partition. This is ideal for testing: if something goes wrong, the application is easily returned by the pm enable command name.packet. adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.xiaomi.mipicks When you execute a deletion command, the system can give you a Success message, which means that the packet is removed from the user's space. However, if you plan to reset the device to factory settings, the applications removed in this way will return, since physically they remain in the factory image of the firmware. 💡Before mass deletion, make a text list of the packets you plan to eliminate, save it in the cloud or send it to your messenger, which will allow you to quickly restore the system in case of an error, simply copying the installation commands back. Recovery of Remote Components Errors Happen Even in Advanced Users. If after removing the system application, the phone began to behave incorrectly, cyclic reboots appeared or sound disappeared, you need to return the deleted components. since the standard interface of settings no longer sees them, you will have to use ADB again. To restore the deleted package for the current user, the cmd package install-existing command is used name.packet. This instruction is available on Android 10 and above. It will forcibly reinstal the application from the system reserve. adb cmd package install-existing com.miui.security.In older versions of Android, or if the previous method does not work, it may be necessary to completely reset the shell without manually removing the necessary to create a copy of the critical systems before the backup. ⚠️ Warning: Do not delete com.android.providers.downloads. This is a system download manager. Deleting it will make it impossible to download files from the browser and update applications through any store. Typical errors and how to solve them One of the frequent problems is the Failure error. [INSTALL_FAILED_UPDATE_INCOMPATIBLE] When you try to recover, it means that the signature versions are not the same, so only a full reset (Wipe Data) through the Recovery menu will help, and to log in, turn off your phone and press the power and volume button. Users are also often faced with the fact that after removing the “heavy” applications interface MIUI It starts to run faster, but notifications stop coming, and it's because of aggressive battery optimization, which depends on system services. In this case, it is recommended not to delete the services completely, but to limit their background activity through battery settings. OTA-Updates (by air) all remote via ADB applications can come back if the system partition is updated, but user settings and data are usually saved, so the cleaning procedure will most likely have to be repeated after each major update. ⚠️ Attention: Deleting the com.miui.cloudservice (Mi Cloud) app may cause your contacts and photos to lose sync if you don't use Google's alternative services.Be careful with Xiaomi's cloud services. 💡Using the disable-user command instead of uninstall allows you to safely test the removal of applications. If there are no problems during the week of use, you can proceed to complete removal. FAQ: Frequently asked questions Do you need root rights to remove system applications through ADB? No, root rights are not required. ADB works at the user rights level (user 0), allowing you to remove or hide applications without modifying the system partition. This makes the method safe to guarantee. Will remote applications reset after updating the firmware? Yes, if you update the system through the restore menu (Recovery) or completely reset all remote system applications will return, since they are part of the factory image. After updating, the procedure will have to be repeated. Can you delete Google services through ADB on the global version of the service, this will probably be turned into a synchronization of Google Player service, but it will not be technically recommended for the Push functionality of the application. What to do if the phone stopped turning on after deleting? You need to boot into Recovery mode (clamping Power). + Vol Up, and do "Wipe Data" -- that puts the phone back to factory status with all the original applications -- personal data is lost. Does this method work on the HyperOS shell? Yes, the way it works? ADB It is the same for all versions of Android and shells based on it, including MIUI The package structure may vary slightly, but the commands remain the same. ⚠️ Warning: Before performing any operations with system files, make sure that the battery level is at least 50. 💡The main goal of removing bloatware is not just to free up space, but to increase the autonomy and responsiveness of the interface%.