How to completely remove YouTube from Xiaomi Redmi 9C: from shutdown to root rights

Xiaomi Redmi 9C is one of the most popular budget smartphones, but its owners often face a problem: preinstalled YouTube takes up space in memory, consumes traffic in the background and does not allow itself to be removed in standard ways. Unlike custom applications, Google system services (including YouTube) are protected from simple removal – they can only be disabled, hidden or deleted using special tools.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible ways to get rid of YouTube on Redmi 9C, including root-free and non-root-right methods, how to disable automatic app updates, uninstall it via ADB, hide the icon from the menu, and even completely uninstall the system package. Importantly, some methods require technical skills — if you’re a beginner, start with the simplest options.

Why can’t YouTube be removed in the standard way?

On Redmi 9C (as with most MIUI smartphones), YouTube is classified as a system app, which means that:

• 🔹 It is preinstalled in firmware and does not have a “Delete” button in the settings.
• 🔹 The application is protected by Android rights, so it can not be uninstalled without additional tools.
• 🔹 Even after resetting to factory settings, YouTube will remain in place.

Manufacturers (including Xiaomi) are integrating Google services at the firmware level to ensure compatibility with the Play Market and other features, but this poses a problem for users who do not use YouTube or prefer alternatives (such as NewPipe or Vanced).

There’s another caveat: even if you “delete” YouTube through your settings, the system can automatically restore it the next Google Play Services update, so more drastic measures are needed to remove it completely.

Method 1: Disable YouTube through Settings (without root rights)

The easiest and safest way to do this is to disable the app, and it won't delete it completely, but it will stop the background activity and hide the icon from the menu.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search bar, type “YouTube” and select the app from the list.
3. Click “Disable” (if the button is inactive, first click “Stop”).
4. Confirm the action in the window that appears.

After the shutdown:

• 📱 YouTube icon will disappear from the app menu.
• 🔄 The application will not be updated automatically.
• ⚠️ However, it will remain in the device’s memory and can be restored after the Google Play Services update.

💡

If the "Disable" button is inactive, try first clearing the cache and app data in the same menu. Sometimes this will unlock the option to disable.

⚠️ Note: Disabling YouTube does not affect other Google services, but it can lead to errors if you use features that depend on Google Play Services (for example, login through Google Account in games).

Method 2: Remove updates and reset to factory version

If YouTube was updated through the Play Market, you can roll it back to the factory version and then turn it off, which will reduce the space and stop the background activity.

How to do this:

1. Go to Settings → Apps → YouTube.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select “Delete Updates”.
3. Confirm the action.
4. Return to the app menu and click “Disable”.

After that:

• 📉 The size of the application will decrease with ~100MB to ~20MB.
• 🔒 Updates via Play Market will be blocked.
• 🔄 To return the application, it is enough to manually update it again.

⚠️ Note: If YouTube stopped working correctly after the updates were removed (e.g., videos don't open), it means that the factory version of the app is outdated. In this case, either update it manually or use alternative removal methods.

Method 3: Delete YouTube via ADB (no root rights)

For users willing to work with ADB (Android Debug Bridge), there is a way to delete YouTube without obtaining root rights.This method removes the app only for the current user, but does not affect system files.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with drivers installed ADB and Fastboot.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on the Redmi 9C (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times press to unlock the developer mode, then Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).
• 🔌 USB-cable.

Step-by-step:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.youtube

After the command is executed:

• 🗑️ YouTube will be removed for your user profile.
• 🔄 The application will not be updated automatically.
• ⚠️ When resetting to factory settings or creating a new user, YouTube will return.

If you want to return the application, use the command:

adb shell cmd package install-existing com.google.android.youtube

Method 4: Complete removal with root rights (for power users)

If you're ready to root on Redmi 9C, you can delete YouTube at the system file level, which is the most radical method, but it has risks:

• 🚨 Loss of warranty (if the device is under warranty).
• 🔧 Possible disruptions MIUI (Especially if you remove related Google services).
• 🔄 Difficulties with updating firmware.

Removal will require:

1. Unlock the bootloader through the official Xiaomi website.
2. Install Custom Recovery (TWRP)
3. Get root rights with Magisk.
4. Use a root-enabled file manager (such as Root Explorer) to remove com.google.android.youtube from /system/priv-app/ or /system/app/.

An alternative way is to use Titanium Backup or System App Remover (require root rights), which allows you to freeze or completely remove system packages.

⚠️ Attention: Deleting YouTube with root rights can result in a bootloop ( looped download) if you delete Google's associated libraries. /system through TWRP!

Method 5: Hiding the YouTube icon without deleting it

If you don’t need to completely remove the app, but just want to remove its icon from the menu, you can use built-in MIUI features or third-party launchers.

Options:

• 📱 V MIUI: Press the YouTube icon, drag it up to the inscription “Delete” (this will not remove the application, but only remove the shortcut).
• 🎨 Install an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher or Apex Launcher) and hide the icon in its settings.
• 🔒 Use the “Hidden Apps” function in Settings → Annexes → Hidden applications (not available on all versions) MIUI).

Advantages of this method:

• ✅ Does not require technical skills.
• ✅ Reversible (Icon can be returned at any time).
• ✅ Does not affect the operation of other Google services.

The disadvantage: the application will remain in memory and can consume resources in the background (albeit to a lesser extent than when used actively).

💡

Hiding an icon is the safest way to “remove” YouTube unless you need to remove it completely from the system.

What if YouTube is back after the update?

One of the most common problems is that even after you delete, YouTube reappears after you update Google Play Services or reset your settings.

1. Turn off automatic app updates in Play Market: Open Google Play → click on profile avatar → Settings → Network settings → App auto-update → select “Never”.
2. Freeze Google Play Services (only for power users!): ADB Execute the command: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.gms ⚠️ This will disable many of the features associated with Google (including Play Market), so use with caution.

Use alternative firmware

• Install custom firmware without GApps (like LineageOS), but it will require unlocking the bootloader and technical skills.

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing YouTube from Xiaomi Redmi 9C