Owners of Xiaomi Mi TVs and Mi Box consoles often face a situation where the standard YouTube application starts to work incorrectly or simply takes up extra space in the system. The Android TV operating system on which these devices operate has its own features of managing embedded software, which makes the removal process not obvious to the average user. Unlike smartphones, you can not just click the “Delete” button in the application menu, since many system programs are protected from accidental removal.
There are several proven ways to solve this problem, from simply hiding the icon to completely debugging via USB. The choice of the specific method depends on your ultimate goal - whether you want to simply make room, eliminate playback errors or protect the device from accidental activation by children. Below we will discuss in detail all available options, their pros and risks.
Why it is impossible to simply remove the application in the standard way
The main reason you don't find the delete button in the settings menu is because of the Android TV architecture. System applications like YouTube, Netflix, or the built-in browser are labeled as secure operating system components, and this is done by manufacturers to ensure that the interface works smoothly and that service developers license agreements are enforced.
Trying to bypass this protection with standard Xiaomi PatchWall or pure Android TV interface means is doomed to failure.The system blocks access to uninstallation functions for packages with system or privileged status. That is why the application management menu often contains only the options “Stop” or “Disable”, but not “Delete”.
Also, even if you manage to temporarily hide an app, automatic system updates can bring it back to its place.Google Play Services constantly monitors the availability of key services and can silently restore deleted components if they are critical to the Smart TV.
⚠️ Warning: Complete removal of system components may result in unstable interface performance or errors in other applications using Google’s shared libraries.
💡
With standard Android TV tools, you can only disable or hide the application, but not delete its files completely.
Method of disabling and cleaning data through settings
The safest and most affordable method that most users can use is to force the cache to stop and clear, which does not remove the application files from internal memory permanently, but completely stops it from working and frees up the memory occupied by temporary files.
To do this, you need to go to the settings menu of your Xiaomi TV. Find the section responsible for managing installed programs. The path may vary slightly depending on the version of the PatchWall shell or Android TV OS.
Perform the following actions consistently:
- 📺 Go to Settings (cog in the corner of the screen) and select the App item.
- 📂 In the list of all programs, find YouTube and click on it to enter the control menu.
- 🗑️ Click the Stop button and then select Clear Cache and Clear Data.
- 🚫 If the Disable button is active, press it – this will hide the application from the menu and prevent it from running.
Once you do this, the app icon will disappear from the launcher and the background processes will no longer consume the CPU, but remember that when you reset the TV to factory settings, the app will return to its original state.
☑️ Pre-switch check
Complete removal via ADB (for advanced users)
If you need to physically delete your application files from internal memory, you will need to use the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) tool, which allows you to obtain superuser rights and even delete system packets. To implement this method, you will need a computer (Windows, macOS or Linux) and connect your Xiaomi TV to the same local network.
The first step is to activate the developer mode on the TV. Go to Settings. → About the device (or About TV). Find the Build number and click on it 7 times in a row until you notice that you have become a developer. Then, on the Developer menu that appears, turn on debugging. USB (USB Debugging).
adb connect 192.168.1.XX:5555
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.youtubeIn the above code, replace 192.168.1.XX on IP-The pm uninstall command will delete the packet for the current user (user 0), which effectively removes the application from the system without risking damage to the system partition recovery.
It is important to understand that using ADB requires caution: Incorrect removal of system libraries can lead to a device "brickling" or cyclic reboot. Always check the name of the package before deleting.
⚠️ Note: Removing system packages through ADB Can cancel the warranty on the device in case of software failures.
List of commands for returning a remote application
Hiding the application from the main menu
For those who don’t want to risk system stability but want to remove an annoying icon from the home screen, there’s a method of hiding. PatchWall’s interface and standard Android TV launcher allow for flexibly customizing shortcut visibility. This doesn’t remove the app, but makes it invisible for everyday use.
Often users want to hide YouTube so that kids can’t run it accidentally or to clear up visual noise on their desktop. Depending on the firmware version, you can (hold the OK button) on the app icon to invoke the context menu.
The options available may include:
- 🙈 Select Hide or Remove from favorites in the context menu.
- 📺 Moving the icon to the Other folder or to the end of the application list.
- ⚙️ Use of third-party launchers such as FLauncher or ATV Launcher that allows you to completely ignore system applications.
Using a third-party launcher is a great compromise: you get a clean interface without ads and unnecessary icons, while the YouTube system files remain in place and do not affect the TV until you launch the launcher yourself.
💡
Install a lightweight third-party launcher like Sideload Launcher to completely ignore pre-installed Xiaomi icons.
Alternative clients and router blocking
If the standard app is slow or shows ads that cannot be blocked by conventional methods, it makes sense to consider alternatives.There are modified versions of YouTube customers, such as SmartTubeNext (formerly SmartTubeBeta), which are built specifically for Android TV.
These customers are devoid of advertising, skip sponsored inserts (SponsorBlock) and support high-resolution playback. 4K/8K. The installation is done via the.apk file, which is downloaded to the TV via the USB-drive or application Send Files to TV.
Another radical method is to block access to YouTube servers at the home router level, if your goal is to completely ban access to the service for all devices on the network:
- 🌐 Go to your router's settings (usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1).
- 🚫 Find Parental Control or Filtration URL.
- 📝 Add the domains youtube.com, googlevideo.com and ytimg.com to the blacklist.
This approach ensures that the YouTube app on the TV simply can't download content even when it's running, an effective way to digitally detox for the whole family.
Comparison of methods and possible problems
The choice of method depends on your technical skills and the desired result. Below is a table comparing the main ways to remove or disable YouTube on Xiaomi TVs.
| Method | Difficulty | Efficiency | Risks. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disconnection in settings | Low. | Medium (remains in memory) | Minimum |
| Hiding the icon | Low. | Visually | Absent. |
| Removal via ADB | Tall. | Complete. | Possible system failure |
| Blocking by router | Medium | Blocking traffic | Locking all devices |
Using the method of c ADB Users often encounter a "Device not found" error, so make sure that the firewall on your computer doesn't block the connection, and that the TV and PC are on the same subnet. ADB-compounds as suspicious.
If the TV starts to behave strangely after deleting the app (sound disappears, other Google services don’t work), the only solution is to reset to factory settings (Factory Reset), and all data will be deleted, and YouTube will return as it originally was.
⚠️ Warning: Before any manipulation of system files, be sure to back up important Wi-Fi settings and passwords.