How to remove YouTube from Xiaomi devices: phones, tablets and TV

Xiaomi device owners often face the need to remove a pre-installed YouTube app — whether it’s because of battery consumption, intrusive advertising, or a desire to free up memory. However, standard deletion through the app menu is often not available: the system either blocks the action or magically returns after YouTube’s reboot. Why does this happen?

The fact is that MIUI (Xiaomi firmware) and Android TV (on the brand’s TVs) classify YouTube as system applications that are protected from accidental removal. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t get rid of it. In this article, we’ll look at all the current ways to remove YouTube from Xiaomi phones, tablets and TVs in 2026, from simple to advanced, including methods with and without root rights.

1. Why is YouTube not being removed in the standard way?

If you’ve tried to delete YouTube through Settings → Apps → YouTube → Delete, you’ve probably seen a gray menu or “Disable” button instead of “Delete.”

• 📱 On smartphones Xiaomi YouTube sewn into the firmware MIUI As a system application (even if you haven’t installed it).
• 📺 On Mi TVs. TV or Redmi Smart TV YouTube integrated into Android TV LA-level.
• 🔒 The manufacturer blocks the deletion to ensure compatibility with Google services (for example, for the operation of Google Play).
• 🔄 After disabling the application can automatically update through Google Play and reappear.

In addition, on some models (e.g. Xiaomi Mi 11 or POCO F3), YouTube can be part of the com.google.android.youtube package, which is linked to other Google services, and its removal without preparation can lead to malfunctions in the Google Play Store or Google Assistant.

2. Method 1: Disable YouTube without deletion (without root)

The safest method is not to physically delete the app, but to disable it and hide it from the menu, which will not free up memory, but will stop background activity and remove the icon from the screen.

Instructions for MIUI (smartphones/tablets):

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find YouTube in the list (use search if necessary).
3. Slip on it and select Disable (if the button is inactive, click Remove Updates first).
4. Confirm the action in the warning window.

For Android TV (Xiaomi TVs):

1. Open Settings → Applications → See all applications.
2. Select YouTube and click Disable (OK button on the remote).
3. If the option is not available, first remove the updates: Settings → Apps → YouTube → Remove updates.

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After disabling, clear the YouTube cache through Settings → Apps → YouTube → Memory → Clear the cache.This will delete temporary files (such as browsing history), but will not affect your Google account.

⚠️ Note: On some Xiaomi TVs (e.g., 2020-2022 models), disabling YouTube may cause widgets to crash on the home screen).

Method 2: Removal via ADB (no root, for advanced)

If you don't have enough shutdowns, you can delete YouTube using Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a tool for debugging Android, which doesn't require root rights, but requires a command line.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 📱 Cable USB (original for stable connection).
• 🔧 Included Debugging by USB on the device (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Tap 7 times, then go back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers).
• 📦 Installed drivers ADB (You can download from the official Android website).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the device to your PC and open the terminal (or cmd in Windows).
2. Check the connection command: Adb devices should appear serial number of your device.
3. Follow the command to delete YouTube: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.youtube Flag --user 0 means deletion only for the current user (does not affect system files).
4. Reset the device.

Install ADB drivers on PC

Enable debugging over USB on Xiaomi

Connect the device with the original cable

Check the connection of the adb device team

Download platform-tools from the Android site-->

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI 14+ YouTube may return after updating via Google Play, to avoid this, block the automatic update in the Google Play settings or delete your Google account (but this will affect other services).

Method 3: Complete removal with root rights

If your device has root access (for example, after unlocking the bootloader and installing Magisk), you can delete YouTube permanently, including all associated files.This method is suitable for experienced users, as improper actions can lead to a device "breakdown".

Instructions:

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Go to /system/priv-app/YouTube or /system/app/YouTube (the path may vary depending on the model).
3. Delete the YouTube folder and all files with the.apk and.odex extensions associated with YouTube.
4. Clear the cache in the folder /data/data/com.google.android.youtube.
5. Reset the device.

Alternative method - through Terminal Emulator (Android app):

su


mount -o rw,remount /system




rm -rf /system/priv-app/YouTube




rm -rf /system/app/YouTube




rm -rf /data/data/com.google.android.youtube




reboot

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi TVs, removing YouTube via root may result in loss of remote functionality (if the app is associated with voice assistant). TWRP Or OrangeFox Recovery.

5. Method 4: Remove on Xiaomi TVs (Android TV)

Xiaomi Android TVs (such as the Mi TV Q2 or Redmi Smart TV X) store YouTube in a protected area of the system.

Option 1: Reset to factory settings

This is a radical method, but it is guaranteed to remove all custom apps, including YouTube updates:

1. Open Settings → Device → Reset settings.
2. Select to erase all data (some models will need to enter) PIN-code).
3. After the reboot, do not connect your Google account – this will prevent you from automatically installing YouTube.

Option 2: Lock through the host file (root required)

If you have root on TV, you can block access to YouTube by editing /etc/hosts:

su


mount -o rw,remount /system




echo "127.0.0.1 www.youtube.com" >> /etc/hosts




echo "127.0.0.1 m.youtube.com" >> /etc/hosts




reboot

This will redirect all requests to YouTube to the local host, making it unavailable.

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On Xiaomi TVs, YouTube is often tied to the launcher, and removing it can cause the home screen to crash — in which case only flashing through USB will help.

6. Method 5: Use of alternative firmware

If you're willing to take drastic measures, you can install custom firmware without Google services (like LineageOS or HavocOS), which will completely remove YouTube and other pre-installed apps, but require:

• 🔓 Unlock the bootloader (fastboot oem unlock).
• 🛠️ Custom recovery installations (TWRP Or OrangeFox).
• 📥 Download firmware without GApps (or with a minimum package).

Advantages:

• ✅ Full control over system applications.
• ✅ Lack of intrusive Google services.
• ✅ Option to select alternative YouTube clients (e.g. NewPipe or SkyTube).

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Loss of warranty if the device is new).
• ❌ Risk of "brike" with incorrect firmware.
• ❌ No Automatic Security Updates.

🔹 Tip: Before installing custom firmware, check its compatibility with your model on the forum XDA Developers or 4PDA. For example, for Xiaomi Mi A3 This is the case with LineageOS 20. POCO F1 — Pixel Experience.

7. YouTube Alternatives: What to Use Instead?

If you have removed YouTube due to advertising, traffic expense, or privacy, consider alternative customers:

🔹 Important: Alternative clients (e.g. NewPipe) do not support:

• 🔔 Notifications of new videos from subscriptions.
• 💬 Commenting through a Google account.
• 🎮 Some Premium features (e.g. YouTube Music).

8. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When you delete YouTube, users often face problems, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

1. Error "Cannot delete the package" when using ADB: 🔹 Solution: Make sure that the debugging is USB Repeat the command with the flag. --user 0. If it doesn’t work, check if it’s blocked. ADB developer-setting.
2. YouTube is back after an update: 🔹 Solution: Turn off the automatic YouTube update on Google Play or delete your Google account (but it will affect other apps).
3. Google Play Failure After Deletion: 🔹 Solution: Restore the com.google.android.gms file from the backup or reflash the device.
4. TV is not turned on after YouTube is deleted: 🔹 Solution: Restore the firmware through USB Burning Tool (for the first time) TV on Amlogic) or contact the service center.

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Before any manipulation of system applications, back up via TWRP or Mi Cloud, which will save your data in the event of a crash.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions