Removing Xiaomi’s built-in apps without Root: Expert Guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often encounter intrusive MIUI software that cannot be removed by standard system tools. This annoying phenomenon known as bloatware not only takes up precious space in internal memory, but also consumes RAM, reducing the overall performance of the device. Even after initial setup, many users find duplicate services and advertising modules that are deeply integrated into the shell.

Fortunately, you don't have to get a Root license to free a device from digital debris, which often leads to a loss of warranty and malfunction of banking applications. There is a proven method of using the ADB debugging bridge (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to safely deactivate or remove system components. Unlike root rights, the ADB method does not violate the integrity of the system partition, allowing you to return all changes at any time.

In this guide, we will take a closer look at how you prepare your computer and smartphone, install the tools you need, and execute the instructions to clean your system. You will learn to distinguish between mission-critical system processes and secure applications to remove. The right approach will allow you to turn an overloaded gadget into a fast and clean tool for work and entertainment.

Preparing a smartphone and computer for work

Before you start any manipulation of system files, you need to configure the smartphone correctly. Without activating the hidden developer menu, the computer simply will not see the device in debugging mode. The activation process is the same for all current versions of MIUI and HyperOS.

You need to open the Settings menu and go to About Phone. Find the MIUI Version (or OS version) bar and quickly click on it 7-10 times in a row until a pop-up notice shows that you have become a developer. Then a new option will appear in the main settings menu, Additional or Advanced Settings, where you need to select For Developers.

⚠️ Warning: Turn on the debugging switch USB. When connecting the cable to the computer on the smartphone screen, a request for debugging permission will appear - be sure to click "Allow", otherwise the commands will not be executed.

Now, get the workstation ready. You'll need a computer running Windows, macOS or Linux and it's working. USB-We're going to use Google's platform tools to do this. Download the current archive. SDK Platform-Tools from the official Android developer website. Unpack the archive in the root of the disk, for example, in a folder. C:\platform-tools, The path to the files is short and does not contain Cyrillic characters.

Installation of drivers and connection of the device

The most difficult step for beginners is to ensure the correct communication between the PC and the smartphone. Windows often cannot automatically find the right driver for Xiaomi in debugging mode. If an unknown device or device with an exclamation mark is displayed in the Device Manager when connecting, the drivers must be installed manually.

It is recommended to use universal Google USB Driver or Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools. After installing the drivers, open the command prompt (CMD) or PowerShell in the tool folder. Enter the adb device command. If done correctly, the list will display the serial number of your device with device status.

• 🔌 Use the original cable or quality analogue with data support, not just charging.
• 🖥️ On macOS and Linux, no additional drivers are usually required, and the system recognizes the device automatically.
• 🔒 Unlock the smartphone screen immediately after connecting the cable, otherwise the connection may not be established.

If the adb device command returns an empty list or unauthorized status, check the cable and screen of the smartphone. Often the problem is that the user forgot to confirm. RSA-Reconnecting and confirming a request usually solves the problem.

Using graphical shells for removal

Working with the command line can seem difficult for an untrained user, so there are graphical utilities that automate the process. ADB/Fastboot Tools by developer Szaki. This application has a simple interface and contains databases of packages for various models.

After you start the program and connect your smartphone, click the Debloat button. The utility will scan the device itself and offer a list of applications that can be removed. The program interface is divided into categories, which allows you to quickly find advertising services or unnecessary games. You just tick the extra box and click the delete button.

Another powerful utility is Universal Android Debloater, which supports more than just Xiaomi.

⚠️ Note: Do not delete packages with Security, Framework or SystemUI in their name unless you are 100% sure of their purpose).

Manual removal via ADB command line

For those who prefer full control or do not want to use third-party software, there is a method of manual command entry, which requires knowing the exact package name. To find out a list of all installed applications, type in the terminal command adb shell pm list packages. To find a specific application, you can use a filter, for example: adb shell pm lists | grep miui.

The process of removing a particular packet is as follows: first, you need to get the shell user rights, then execute the deletion command. The command syntax is standard for all Android devices.

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 name packet

For example, to remove a standard Mi browser, the command would look like this: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.browser. The --user 0 flag means that the application is only removed for the current user, but physically remains in the system partition. This makes the process reversible.

If you delete something that is superfluous and the system is unstable, you can always restore the remote application. This is done using the adb shell cmd package install-existing name packet command, which returns the component to the pre-delete state without the need to flash the phone.

What applications can be removed and which can not be removed

The main rule of “do no harm” is more relevant than ever. There are applications in the MIUI shell that seem like garbage but are necessary for basic functions to work. For example, removing Security can lead to a camera failure or the inability to issue permissions to new applications.

It's safe to remove advertising services like com.miui.msa and com.miui.daemon (statistics collection), and you can also get rid of Google backups like Mi Browser, Mi Video, Mi Music if you don't use them. Often pre-installed games and apps like Booking or AliExpress are also subject to removal.

• 🚫 You can not delete: com.miui.securitycenter (security center), com.android.settings (settings), com.miui.home (launcher, unless another one is installed).
• ⚠️ Remove with caution: com.miui.weather2 (Can break widgets), com.xiaomi.scanner (scanner) QR-cell-code).
• ✅ You can delete: Everything that contains feedback, analytics, ad, daemon, as well as third-party social networks.

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Before mass removal of applications, make a full backup of the data or at least take a picture of the list of installed packages.

Return of Remote Applications and System Recovery

As mentioned earlier, ADB does not physically delete files from the /system partition, but only disables them for the current user, which means that the factory reset will return all remote applications to their places. If you want to restore a particular application without completely resetting, use the installation command described above.

In some cases, especially after failing to experiment with system packages, the phone may go into a cyclical reboot. If the device boots to the Recovery menu, try resetting the settings. If the phone doesn't boot at all, you'll need to flash through the Mi Flash Tool program in Fastboot mode.

To restore the standard state of the system without flashing, you can use the recovery command for all standard packages, but it does not work on all versions of Android. APK-file ADB, if they were accidentally removed.

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Reversible and safe to remove via ADB, as long as you do not touch critical system components, always check the purpose of the package before removing it.