How to permanently remove YouTube from Xiaomi Mi Box: system and hidden methods

Owners of Xiaomi Mi Box (including Mi Box S, Mi Box 4K and Mi Box Pro) often face a problem: preinstalled YouTube takes up memory, slows down the system or simply does not need it. It is impossible to remove it by standard methods - the application is protected as a system. But there are workarounds: from disabling updates to completely removing it through ADB or resetting firmware.

In this article, we've got 5 proven ways to get rid of YouTube on the Mi Box, including methods for users without root rights. We'll also look at why the app returns after updates and how to prevent it. Importantly, some methods require a PC connection and can void warranty.

Why YouTube can’t be removed by standard methods

The YouTube app on Xiaomi Mi Box is a category of system services that the manufacturer blocks from being deleted.

• 🔄 Compatibility with Google Mobile Services (GMS) — Without YouTube, your device may lose its certification.
• 📦 Space savings: The manufacturer assumes that the user will not need to remove the basic applications.
• 🔒 Protection against accidental actions: system files can damage the OS if deleted incorrectly.

Even if you find the "Delete" button in the app menu, it will be inactive or replaced with "Disable" (the latter option only hides the icon, but the process continues to work in the background, consuming up to 150-200 MB of memory).

Another problem is automatic updates, and even if you go back to the factory version of YouTube, Google Play will update the app to the latest version, and to avoid that, you'll have to block system-level updates.

⚠️ Warning: Removing system applications can lead to unstable Mi Box performance, especially if you use Google Assistant or Chromecast features.

Method 1: Turn off YouTube without deleting (the safest)

If you just need to hide the app and stop it, use the built-in Android TV settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications.
2. Select YouTube from the list.
3. Click Disable (if the button is inactive, skip this method).
4. Confirm the action by pressing OK.

This way:

• ✅ Hiding the icon from the menu.
• ✅ Stops background processes.
• ❌ Doesn't free up memory.
• ❌ Does not block automatic updates.

To block the updates:

1. Open Google Play on the Mi Box.
2. Find YouTube in the list of apps.
3. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Remove from the Update queue.

💡

If the "Disable" button is inactive, try clearing the cache and YouTube data in the app's settings first. Sometimes this will unlock the option.

Method 2: Removal via ADB (without root rights)

For advanced users, the best option is to uninstall via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that doesn’t require superuser rights, but requires connecting the Mi Box to a PC.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows, macOS or Linux.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original from Xiaomi).
• 📥 Utility. ADB Tools by Google.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on USB debugging on Mi Box: Go to Settings → About → Build Number. Click on Build Number 7 times until the notification "You've become a developer" appears. Go back to Settings → For developers and enable USB debugging.
2. Connect the Mi Box to your PC and open the Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (macOS/Linux).

Once the command is executed, the application will disappear from the system, but its data will remain.

adb shell pm clear com.google.android.youtube.tv

⚠️ Note: If YouTube reappears after the Mi Box reboot, the app is protected by the policy OEM. In this case, only unlocking the bootloader or resetting the firmware will help.

Method 3: Unlock the bootloader and completely remove

If ADB-The method didn't work, you'll have to unlock the bootloader Mi Box, which will give you full control of the system, but it will void the warranty and can lead to a knock (inoperability) of the device.

Advantages of the method:

• 🧹 Complete removal of system applications.
• 🔧 Possibility of installing custom firmware (for example, LineageOS).
• ⚡ Accelerating the system by cleaning up unnecessary services.

Step-by-step:

1. Unlock the bootloader via Mi Unlock Tool (the official utility from Xiaomi): Download Mi Unlock Tool. Register a Xiaomi account and link the Mi Box to it. Connect the console to your PC in Fastboot mode (press Reset when you connect the cable). Follow the instructions of the program to unlock.
2. Install custom recovery (such as TWRP).
3. Connect to the Mi Box via ADB Sideload and do:

Once rebooted, YouTube will be removed at the system level, but this method requires technical skills, and errors in the unlock phase can lead to data loss or the inability to turn on the console.

Method 4: Reset to factory settings (radical method)

If other methods didn’t work or you want to return the Mi Box to its original state, do a full reset, which will delete all user data, but return YouTube to the original version (which can be disabled or deleted via ADB).

How to reset:

1. Go to Settings → Device → Reset settings.
2. Select Delete all data.
3. Confirm the action (it may be necessary to enter) PIN-code).
4. Wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).

After discharge:

• 🔄 YouTube will return to the factory version (usually older than the current version).
• 🚫 Auto Update Will Be Disabled Before Google Play First Launch.
• ⚠️ All installed applications and settings will be removed.

⚠️ Note: Some Mi Box models (e.g. Mi Box S) 2nd Gen) the reset does not remove YouTube updates. In this case, combine the method with blocking updates via ADB: adb shell dumpsys package com.google.android.youtube.tv | grep versionName Method 5: Blocking YouTube through a host file (for experienced) If you can't delete the application, you can block its access to the Internet. This will stop background processes and updates. The method works by editing the hosts file in the system. Instructions: Connect to Mi Box via ADB (see method 2). Download the hosts file on PC: adb pull /system/etc/hosts Open the file in any text editor and add lines: 127.0.0.1 youtube.com 127.0.0.1 www.youtube.com 127.0.0.1 m.youtube.com 127.0.0.1 googleapis.com Save the file and download back: adb push hosts /system/etc/ adb shell chmod 644 /system/etc/hosts Reboot the Mi Box. This method: ✅ Blocking YouTube access to the network. ✅ Prevents automatic updates. ❌ Does not delete the application itself (remains in memory). ❌ It may disrupt other Google services. 💡Hosts file editing is a reversible process. To get it back, you just need to delete the added strings and reboot the device. Comparison of methods: which method to choose depends on your skills and goals. In the table below, compare all methods by key parameters: Method Complexity Required PC Removes full system risk Blocks Updates ⭐ ❌ No. ❌ No. ❌ No. ❌ No. ADB (rootless) ⭐⭐ ✅ Yes. ✅ Yes. ⭐ Low. ❌ No Unlocking the bootloader ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ✅ Yes. ✅ Yes. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ High-pitched ✅ Yes, Resetting. ⭐ ❌ No. ❌ No (rollback version) ⭐ Low. ✅ Yes (temporarily) Editing hosts ⭐⭐⭐ ✅ Yes. ❌ No. ⭐⭐ Medium. ✅ For most users, the best option is — ADB-method (Method 2). It doesn't require root rights, but it removes the app completely. If you're not ready to connect the Mi Box to your PC, use the shutdown. + Blocking Updates (Method 1). FAQ: Frequent questions: Can you delete YouTube without a computer? No, you need a PC to completely delete it? ADB. Without it, you can only turn off the application in the settings or reset the Mi Box to factory settings (but YouTube will return in the old version). ADB Is YouTube coming back? Is it because of politics? OEM — The manufacturer protects the system applications. To delete permanently, you need to unlock the bootloader (Method 3) or edit the firmware. Can you return YouTube after you delete it? Yes. If you delete the application through the app. ADB, You can restore it by command: adb shell cmd package install-existing com.google.android.youtube.tv Or reinstall from Google Play. Will Google Play work after YouTube is removed? Yes, Google Play is independent of YouTube. However, some features (such as Google Cast) may not work as smoothly if linked services are removed. How to check if YouTube is completely deleted? Follow the command: adb shell pm list packages | grep youtube If the answer is empty, the application is removed. Also check the /system/priv-app/ folder for YouTube files.