How to restore remote programs on your Xiaomi phone: all the ways from simple to complex

Remove an important app on Xiaomi and don't know how to get it back? A situation familiar to many: accidentally clicking, clearing the cache with deleting data, or even resetting your settings can deprive you of the right programs. Fortunately, MIUI and Android have several ways to restore remote applications, from elementary (via Google Play) to advanced (using ADB).

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven methods that work on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models – from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra. You will learn how to return both standard programs (Gallery, Camera, Browser) and third-party applications, as well as what to do if the application disappeared after a system update. Important: some methods require pre-configuration (for example, backup), so read carefully!

Recovery through MIUI Lab (for system applications)

If you have removed a standard Xiaomi app (such as Themes, Security, or Calendar), it can be returned via the hidden MIUI Lab menu.This method only works for embedded programs and is not suitable for third-party apps from Google Play.

Instructions:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → The phone.
• 🔍 Press 5-7 times in a row on the item Version MIUI, Notice: “You have become a developer!".
• 🔧 Return to the main Settings menu and select Additional → Special facilities → MIUI Lab (on some firmware, the path may be different: Settings) → Developer → MIUI Lab).
• 🔄 Find the Recovery section of applications and select the desired from the list of remote.
• ✅ Click Restore and Reboot the Phone.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ It does not work for applications removed through ADB or after complete discharge.
• ❌ Not all Xiaomi models support all of them. MIUI Lab (for example, on some firmware for the global market this section is hidden).
• ❌ Restored applications can be reset to factory settings (account data, cache, etc. are lost.).

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If the section MIUI Lab is missing, try updating the firmware to the latest version or installing it. EU-Firmware (unofficial version) MIUI European region).

2.Re-install from Google Play or Mi App Store

The easiest way to return a remote app is to reinstall it from the official store, which works for all third-party programs (such as WhatsApp, Instagram, VK) and some system programs (if available on Google Play or Mi App Store).

How to do this:

1. 🛒 Open the Google Play Store or Mi App Store (GetApps icon).
2. 🔍 Enter the name of the application in the search bar.
3. 📥 Click Install (if the app was purchased, click Buy and confirm that you have already purchased it before).
4. ⚙️ After installation, check the settings of the application – some data (for example, the history of chats in messengers) may not recover without a backup copy.

What to do if the app is not in the store?

• 🌐 Check regional restrictions: some apps (like Google Pay) may not be available in your country. VPN Change the region in your Google account.
• 📌 Make sure you’re looking for the exact name: for example, Xiaomi Community may be hiding under the name Mi Community.
• 🔄 If the app has been removed from the store (such as older versions of Mi Fit), try to find it on third-party resources like APKMirror (but be careful with security!).

3. Restore from MIUI or Google backup

If you backed up your phone in advance through MIUI or Google Drive, it’s easiest to return the remote apps along with their data, a method that is suitable for fully restoring the phone’s state at the time the backup is created, including settings, messages, and installed programs.

Method 1: Through MIUI Backup

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Backup and reset → Local backups.
• 🗃️ Select the right backup (note the date of creation!).
• 🔄 Click Restore and Confirm Action.
• ⚠️ After recovery, the phone will restart and all data from the moment the backup is created will be lost.

Method 2: Google Drive

• 📱 When you first turn on your phone after reset, select Restore Data from a backup.
• ☁️ Log in to the Google account with which the copy was created.
• 📅 Select the desired backup date and wait for the process to be completed.

Important nuances:

• ⚠️ Backup copies MIUI Google is not compatible – if you did backup through Google Drive, restore it through Google Drive MIUI Backup will not work.
• ⚠️ When you restore from Google Drive, some apps (such as Xiaomi-specific) may not install automatically.

4.Use ADB to restore system applications

If standard methods don’t work, try returning a remote system application via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which is suitable for power users and requires an unlocked bootloader (on some Xiaomi models, this can lead to a loss of warranty!).

Step-by-step:

1. 🖥️ Install. ADB Fastboot Tools on the computer.
2. 📱 Turn on Debugging. USB on the phone: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 times) → Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB.
3. 🔌 Connect your phone to your PC through USB-Cable and Confirm Your Trust in Your Computer.
4. 🐍 Open the command prompt (cmd on Windows or Terminal on the macOS/Linux) enter:

adb shell


pm list packages -d

This command will display a list of deleted packages, and find the name of the application you want (e.g. com.miui.gallery for Gallery) and then type in:

cmd package install-existing com.name.packet

After you execute the command, restart the phone. The app should appear on the menu.

Install Xiaomi drivers for your model

Download and unpack Platform Tools (ADB)

Enable debugging over USB on your phone

Connect your phone to your PC with the original cable

Check the connection with the adb device command

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⚠️ Attention: Misuse of the right ADB Do not delete or restore packets that you do not know the purpose of, for example, deleting com.android.phone will prevent you from calling!

5. Manual recovery via TWRP (for advanced users)

If you have removed the system application along with its data (for example, through Titanium Backup or Root Explorer), and none of the above methods worked, the last option is to restore through the custom TWRP recap.

• 🔓 Unlocked bootloader (bootloader).
• 📦 Established TWRP Recovery.
• 💾 Backup of the section /system (pre-deletion).

How to restore:

1. 📱 Put the phone on mode. TWRP (usually clamp down on power + Volume up when switched on).
2. 🗃️ Select Restore and specify the path to a backup partition /system.
3. 🔄 Confirm the recovery and wait for the process to be completed.
4. 🔄 Reboot the phone.

What to do if there is no backup copy?

• 📥 Download stock firmware for your Xiaomi model from the official website (miui.com).
• 🔍 Remove the file from the archive system.img mount it through DiskInternals Linux Reader or similar program.
• 📂 Find the folder of the remote application (for example, /system/priv-app/Gallery) And copy it to your phone through ADB or a root explorer.

⚠️ Attention: Recovery through TWRP It can lead to data loss or soft-brick (the phone does not turn on, but reacts to the connection to the PC).If you are not sure about your actions, it is better to contact the service center.

6 What to do if the application disappears after the MIUI update

Sometimes, after a firmware update, some apps disappear from the menu, although they were not removed by the user.

• 🔄 Changes in structure MIUI (The browser can now be called Mi Browser).
• 📦 Transfer applications to Hidden or System folders.
• 🔧 Conflicts with new firmware (e.g. older versions of Mi Fit are not compatible with the new firmware version) MIUI 14).

How to return the application:

1. 🔍 Check the folder All apps in the menu – maybe the icon is just hidden.
2. 🛠️ Go to Settings. → Annexes → Manage applications and find what you want in the list. If it's disabled, click Enable.
3. 🔄 If the application is incompatible with the new version MIUI, set it up APK manually (for example, downloading from APKMirror).
4. 📥 In extreme cases, roll back the firmware to the previous version (but this is risky and can lead to data loss!).

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If an application disappears after a MIUI update, first check it for all apps (Settings → Apps).

FAQ: Frequent questions about restoring apps on Xiaomi