Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face intrusiveness of Google’s pre-installed software, and YouTube Music can annoy users who prefer other audio services or do not stream at all, a problem compounded by the fact that standard system tools cannot remove this component because it has system application rights.
However, there are proven ways to get rid of excess debris in the MIUI or HyperOS operating system. We will look at methods from hiding an icon to completely removing it through a computer using a debugging bridge.
Before we start taking drastic measures, it’s worth understanding why this app is here at all. Google integrates its services deep into the Android core, and YouTube Music is no exception. On Xiaomi devices, it often acts as the default player for some system actions, making it a technically challenging but solvable task to remove.
Why You Can't Just Remove YouTube Music With Standard Means
The standard application management interface in MIUI blocks the uninstall button for system components. If you try to click and hold the YouTube Music icon, the menu will only offer information about the app or its movement, which is done by developers to ensure the stability of the Google Play Services ecosystem.
The application has high privileges, which allows it to run in the background, consume battery resources and take up space in memory. Normal deletion through settings is impossible, because the system considers this component critical. APK-Manual file without root rights will only lead to installation errors.
⚠️ Note: Attempts to obtain root rights solely for the sake of removing one application can cancel the warranty on the device and disrupt the operation of banking services.
There is a misconception that you can simply turn off an app in settings. In the case of YouTube Music on global firmware, the “Disable” button is often inactive (grey), which confirms that more in-depth tools such as ADB (Android Debug Bridge) will be needed to intervene.
Preparing Xiaomi smartphone to remove system applications
Before you start any manipulation of system files, you need to prepare the device. The first step is to activate the developer mode. To do this, go to Settings → About phone and quickly press 7 times on the MIUI version or OS version.
Once you activate the hidden menu, go back to the main settings menu and find the section Additional → For developers. You need to turn on the USB debugging switch, without this option, the computer will not be able to send commands to the phone.
- 📱 Make sure that the latest firmware version is installed on the smartphone.
- 💻 Install the drivers. ADB on your personal computer or laptop.
- 🔌 Use quality original USB-linkage.
- 🔋 Charge the device to at least 50% to avoid shutting down during the process.
It is also recommended to back up important data.Although deleting one application rarely results in file loss, it is never superfluous to be safe.Google and Xiaomi are not responsible for user actions in debugging mode.
☑️ Pre-deletion check
Removal of the Android Debug Bridge (ADB)
The most effective and secure way to get rid of YouTube Music is to use the command line through ADB. This method does not require root rights and allows you to remove applications for the current user without affecting the system partition permanently.
Connect your smartphone to your computer with a cable. You'll see a request for debugging permission on your phone screen -- be sure to click Allow. Open the command line or terminal on your PC in the ADB tool folder.
adb devicesThis command will confirm the connection. If a device with device status appears on the list, you can proceed to deletion. Type the following command to uninstall the package:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.apps.youtube.musicOnce the command is executed, the app icon will disappear from the desktop and menu. Importantly, the app is not physically removed from the system partition, but stops working for your user profile. This frees up RAM and prohibits background activity.
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If you accidentally delete the extra, you can restore the application by command: adb shell cmd package install-existing com.google.android.apps.youtube.music
Alternative ways to hide and disable
If you don't mess with your computer and you don't want to, you can use less radical methods, which don't remove the application completely, but make it invisible, and this is true for users who are afraid of disrupting the integrity of the system.
The first option is to use the built-in app hide feature in the MIUI launcher. Go to Settings → Apps → Hidden apps. Add YouTube Music to the hidden list. Now it can only be found through a special gesture or search.
The second option is to install a third-party launcher, such as Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher, which allows you to completely ignore the system icons and not display them in the menu, but the application's background processes can still work.
| Method | Difficulty | Efficiency | Risks. |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADB (Command Line) | Medium | Tall. | Minimum |
| Hiding at MIUI | Low. | Medium | Absent. |
| Third-party launcher | Low. | Low. | Battery consumption |
The choice of method depends on your technical skills. For most users, the method of hiding through the launcher settings will be the safest compromise between the purity of the interface and the stability of the system.
Possible problems and solutions
Errors may occur during the deletion process. Most often, users encounter a Failure message. [not installed for 0] Failure [DELETE_FAILED_INTERNAL_ERROR]. This may mean that the batch name is incorrect or that the application has already been removed.
Sometimes, after updating the firmware HyperOS or MIUI, the remote application returns, which is normal behavior when you update the system partition, in which case the procedure will have to be repeated through ADB.
What to do if your phone stops seeing your computer?
⚠️ Note: Do not remove Google Play Services or Google Play Store components, this will cause most applications in the system to fail.
If YouTube Music is removed, you don't have to open links to music from the main YouTube app, that's expected. The system will search for the default player, and if it's not there, you'll have to install any other music player and assign it to the default player.
The impact of removal on other Google services
Many fear that removing one app will disrupt the entire ecosystem. In the case of YouTube Music, the risks are minimal. The core YouTube app will continue to work correctly, and video content will play without problems.
However, if you use Google Assistant with voice commands for music, the track playback feature may stop responding.The assistant will try to run the remote app and get an error.
Playlist syncs and listening history are stored on Google servers. If you decide to return the app or install it on another device, all your data will be in place. Deletion only applies to the local client on the Xiaomi smartphone.
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Removing YouTube Music via ADB is safe for basic Android features, but can disrupt the voice assistant when requesting music.