Modern smartphones, including the popular Xiaomi Redmi Note 9, often come with pre-installed software that takes up space and consumes resources. Users wanting to optimize their device often wonder how to get rid of unnecessary components of the MIUI shell.
Unlike the usual uninstallation of games downloaded from the Play Market, working with system partitions requires the use of special tools and access rights. MIUI It is impossible to remove Google's built-in services or Chinese apps because they are protected from removal. USB And the computer can control these processes.
Before you start active actions, you need to clearly understand the difference between “delete” and “disable.” Complete erasure of an apk file from the system partition /system is an irreversible operation that requires flashing for recovery. Freezing or disabling through the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) only hides the application and stops its processes, leaving the possibility of a quick return to factory state.
Preparation of the device and the workplace
The first step to optimizing the Redmi Note 9 is to properly prepare the environment, USB-cable (preferably original or high-quality analogue) and a computer running Windows, macOS or Linux. Without a connection to a PC, you will not be able to perform deep cleaning, since mobile tools are limited by access rights.
On your smartphone, you need to activate the hidden developer menu. To do this, go to Settings → About your phone and quickly click 7-10 times on the MIUI version field. After the message “You became a developer”, go back to the main settings menu and find “Additional” or “Extended settings”.
The developer menu requires two critical settings: Find the USB Debugging Switch and activate it. Also make sure that the USB Debugging Settings option is enabled, which allows the computer to manage the installation and removal of applications. Without this, the computer will not have full rights to manage the software.
☑️ Checking readiness for removal
⚠️ Attention: When you first connect to your computer, you will see a request for debugging permission on your smartphone screen. Be sure to click "Allow" and tick "Always Allow from this computer" or the connection will not be established.
Next, install the Platform Tools toolkit on your computer. This is the official package from Google, containing executables adb and fastboot. Download the archive from the official Android developer site, unpack it to the root of the disk (for example, in the folder C:\adb) for ease of work with the command line.
Installation of drivers and setting up ADB
Communication between your computer and Xiaomi is impossible without properly installed drivers. In Windows 10 and 11, drivers are often installed automatically when you connect your device to debugging mode. However, if you see an unknown device or exclamation point in the Device Manager, you will need to manually install Google USB Driver or Xiaomi USB Driver drivers.
Once the drivers are installed, open the command prompt or PowerShell in the ADB tool folder. Enter the adb device command and press Enter. If everything is set up correctly, you will see a list of connected devices with a unique serial number and device status. Unauthorized status means you need to confirm access on the phone screen.
System applications require superuser rights or ADB commands that emulate actions on behalf of the shell process. The standard Platform Tools package allows you to remove applications for the current user (user 0), which effectively hides them and stops them without requiring root rights.
What to do if your computer can’t see your phone?
Removal process through the command line
The main method of removing or disabling system components is based on the command pm uninstall. In order not to delete the application permanently for all users (which can be dangerous), we use the flag. --user 0. This command removes the application only for the main user, leaving the apk file itself in the system in case of resetting settings.
The syntax of the command is as follows: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 packet name. Here the packet name is the unique identifier of the application (for example, com.facebook.katana for Facebook), you can find the exact name of the package through special analyzer applications or on the directory sites of Android packages.
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.xiaomi.mipicksExecuting this command will instantly disappear the application "Mi Picks" (GetApps) from the desktop and from the list of installed programs. If you decide to return everything as it was, just execute the command adb shell cmd package install-existing name packet, which will restore the application from the system storage.
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Use ADB graphical shells like Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools or Universal Android Debloater. They automatically identify system applications, show their description and let you remove them with a mouse click, which reduces the risk of error in spelling the package name.
It is important to understand that removing system components through ADB does not require unlocking the bootloader, which means that the Redmi Note 9 device warranty is formally maintained, since you do not make changes to the system partition, but only change the user configuration.
Use of specialized utilities
Manually entering commands can seem difficult for beginners, so developers have created user-friendly graphical interfaces. One of the most popular utilities is Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools. This program automatically identifies the connected smartphone, shows a list of all installed packages and marks system applications with a special icon.
Another powerful tool is Universal Android Debloater. This cross-platform project (powered by Windows, Linux, macOS) contains a database of secure applications for removing hundreds of phone models, including the Redmi Note 9.
When using these tools, always pay attention to color labeling. Usually, green packages are safe to remove, yellow packages require caution (can break the functionality of the camera or calls), and red packages are critical to booting Android. Don’t touch the red zone unless you know exactly what the specific process is responsible for.
| Name of utility | Platform | I need a Root. | Security |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools | Windows, macOS, Linux | No. | High (automatic backup) |
| Universal Android Debloater | Windows, macOS, Linux | No. | Medium (you need to know the packages) |
| System App Remover | Android (requires Root) | Yes. | Low (risk of error is high) |
What applications can be removed safely
Owners of Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 most often want to get rid of advertising and Chinese software that is not used in global versions. Safe to remove include app stores (Mi Store, GetApps), Mi Browser browser, analytics services MSA (Mi System Ads) and various demo versions.
Also often removed are duplicates of Google services if they are in conjunction with Chinese counterparts, and apps to sync with an ecosystem you do not use (for example, Mi Drop, if you do not transfer files to other Xiaomi devices), removing these components frees up RAM and reduces the load on the processor.
- 📦 com.xiaomi.mipicks — App Store GetApps (similar to Play Store from Xiaomi).
- 🌐 com.android.browser – the standard browser MIUI, often overloaded with news feed.
- 📈 com.miui.misys is an analytics service that collects usage data (often deleted for privacy reasons).
- 📺 com.miui.videoplayer - video player with built-in advertising.
- 🎵 com.miui.player – Xiaomi Music Player.
⚠️ Note: Do not delete packages that contain the words “framework”, “provider”, “service” (unless you are sure of their purpose) or “telephony”. Deleting system libraries can lead to endless restarts (bootloop).
If you're not sure what the specific package is, use the package name search engine before you delete it. The Android community is large, and you can find a description of any process in a few minutes. It's better to leave an extra app than get a broken phone.
Recovery of the system after errors
If you deleted something extra during the Redmi Note 9 optimization process and the phone started behaving incorrectly (sound is gone, network is not working, interfaces are crashing), don't panic. Since we used the deletion method for user 0, all files are physically left on the system and can be returned.
The easiest way to recover is to reset to factory settings via the recovery menu. When reset, the system ignores user configurations and restores all system applications to their original state. Go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data.
An alternative, softer method is to reconnect to the ADB and install the remote package with the cmd package install-existing command, which will allow you to return a particular application without losing personal data, photos and contacts. However, if the phone does not load to the desktop, only a full reset or flashing through the Mi Flash Tool will help.
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Method of removal through ADB flag-headed --user 0 Any system application can be restored either by resetting or by re-installing an existing package, making it safer than a complete flashing.