Users of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often face intrusive pre-installed apps. Google YouTube takes up space in memory and consumes battery life even in the background. Many device owners wonder whether it is possible to completely get rid of this video service without losing the warranty and stability of the system. The answer lies in understanding the structure of the MIUI shell and Android access rights.
Standard interfaces can't remove a system application. However, there are proven methods to freeze or uninstall a package using debugging tools or specialized software. It's important to understand the difference between routine removal and forced uninstallation of system components. In this article, we'll look at safe ways to clean a smartphone of excess software.
Why you can’t just remove the app in the standard way
The Android operating system on which MIUI is based has a strict hierarchy of access rights, and the applications that are part of the system image (GMS - Google Mobile Services) are marked as secure, this is done to ensure the basic functionality of the device and comply with license agreements with Google.
Attempts to circumvent these restrictions by installing third-party launchers or file managers without root rights will not work. The system blocks any actions aimed at modifying the /system partition. Administrative rights of the user are limited to the /data partition, where only user data and manual programs are stored, which is why deeper methods of interaction with the OS are required.
⚠️ Warning: Forced removal of critical system components may result in unstable interfaces or cyclic device restarts (bootloop.
Also, even if you manage to remove the shortcut or visible part of the application, background services often remain active, meaning that actual memory release will not occur and energy consumption will continue.
Preparing Xiaomi smartphone for profound changes
Before you start manipulating system packages, you have to do a series of preparatory steps to keep your data safe and to roll back changes if necessary. The first step should always be to create a full backup. There's a built-in tool in the MIUI shell to do that.
You have to go to the settings menu and find the feature extension section, and you activate the mode that allows the computer to interact with the phone at the debugging level, and without that step, any commands from the PC will be ignored by the device, and you also have to make sure that the battery is at least 50 percent.
☑️ Checklist before removing system applications
To activate hidden functions go to Settings → About the phone. Find the line "Version." MIUI» And press it fast. 7-10 Once you've become a developer, go back to the main settings menu, and a new option will appear, "Additional" or "Extended Settings," where you'll find "Developers».
Inside this menu, find the USB Debug switch and activate it. The system will alert you to the risks, confirm the action. When you connect your phone to your computer for the first time, you'll see a request for debugging permission on your smartphone screen. Be sure to tick "Always Allow" and click "OK." This will create a secure tunnel for commands to be transmitted.
Why do you need ADB drivers?
Disconnection method through settings (Safe option)
The easiest and safest way to get rid of an annoying application is to shut it down completely, which doesn't physically delete files, but makes the application invisible to the system and the user, it stops running, updating and consuming resources, and for many users, this option is quite enough.
To use this method, open Settings → Apps → All apps. Search YouTube. If the Remove button is inactive (gray), see if there is a Disable or Stop button. In some versions of the MIUI for global regions, Google allows you to turn off your services directly.
After pressing the shutdown button, the system will warn you that the app will stop working and other programs may not be behaving properly. Ignore the warning if you are sure that YouTube is not being used by other services (such as widgets or a smart TV).
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If the "Disable" button is also not available, then the manufacturer of the device or the carrier has blocked this function at the firmware level. ADB-team.
The advantage of this method is that it can be reversible, and you can turn the app back on at any time just by finding it in the disabled list (usually hidden at the end of the list or in the three-dot menu), which is ideal for those who are afraid of harming the system but want to clear the desktop and menu.
Delete YouTube via ADB-Teams (Advanced Level)
If a standard shutdown is not possible, Android Debug Bridge comes to the rescue. SDK Google's Platform Tools, which allows you to send direct PackageManager to Android systems. You'll need a computer (Windows, macOS or Linux) to work with. USB-cable.
First, download and unpack the archive from Platform Tools to your computer. Open the command line (Terminal on Mac/Linux or PowerShell/CMD on Windows) in the tool folder. Connect your smartphone with a cable. Enter the command adb devices. On the phone screen, a request will appear — allow connection. The console should show the serial number of the device with the status of the device.
Now you need to know the exact name of the app package. For YouTube, it's usually com.google.android.youtube. To uninstall the app for the current user, type the following command:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.youtubeLet's take a closer look at the command: pm is a packet manager, uninstall is a deletion command, the -k flag saves cache and data (in case of a return), --user 0 indicates that deletion is for the main user. Once you successfully execute, you will receive a Success message. The application will disappear from the menu and the installed list.
| Team component | Function | Importance |
|---|---|---|
| pm uninstall | Starts the process of uninstallation | Critically. |
| -k | Stores application data | Recommended |
| --user 0 | Target user (owner) | I'll be sure. |
| com.google... | Application package name | I'll be sure. |
⚠️ Note: Do not delete packages that you are not 100% sure of, such as Google Play Services or MIUI The system can "brick" the phone.
Return of the Remote Application and System Recovery
One of the great benefits of ADB is that it's easy to get things back to the way they were, because we didn't erase the physical APK file from the system partition, we just removed it for the user, and it takes seconds to recover, which makes it much safer than flashing it.
To return the remote application, reconnect the smartphone to your computer and open the command line. Use the install-existing command instead of uninstall.
adb shell cmd package install-existing com.google.android.youtubeOnce the command is completed, the app will reappear on the menu and start working normally. If for some reason the standard recovery command did not work, you can try resetting the package manager itself. To do this, search the Settings menu (the gear icon), go to All Apps, find Settings (system) and clear their data.
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ADB-The physical file of the application remains in the system, so you can always restore functionality without flashing it.
In case the phone went into a cyclical reboot after removing the critical component, logging into Recovery mode will help. On Xiaomi devices, this is done by pressing the volume button "Up" and the power button. In the recovery menu, select "Wipe Data" (this will delete all data but save the system) or try "Connect with MIAssistant" to connect to your PC and reset.
Alternatives to the standard YouTube app
After removing a standard client, many users realize that they need to watch videos. Fortunately, the Android ecosystem offers many alternatives that often outperform the original in functionality, are devoid of advertising, support background playback and do not require Google Play services.
One of the most popular solutions is open source clients like NewPipe or LibreTube, which do not use the official Google APIs, but parse the web version of the site, which allows you to bypass blockings and restrictions, and installing such applications requires permission to install from unknown sources.
- 🚀 NewPipe is a lightweight, ad-free client that supports video and audio downloads, background playback and Picture-in-Picture.
- 🎨 LibreTube is a modern interface that uses the Piped library, which provides high speed and privacy protection.
- 📺 SmartTube is the perfect solution for Android TV Xiaomi TVs, but works on tablets, completely removing advertising.
You can also use browser versions. Modern browsers like Brave or Firefox with uBlock Origin installed allow you to watch high-quality videos without intrusive advertising, which is the easiest way to do it without installing additional software.