How to completely turn off YouTube on Xiaomi devices: phones, tablets and TV

YouTube on Xiaomi devices often runs in the background, consuming traffic, battery power and distracting with notifications. Many users want to disable, remove or at least limit it — especially on children's gadgets or work phones. But standard removal through the app menu does not always work: on some models, YouTube MIUI is system software, and on Xiaomi TV is an embedded service.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can deactivate YouTube on Xiaomi smartphones, tablets and TVs, including hidden MIUI settings, ADB commands, parental controls, and even hardware techniques. You’ll learn how to completely uninstall an app without root rights, block it for individual users, or simply disable autoruns. Instructions are relevant for MIUI 12–14, Android 10–14, and Xiaomi TV based on Google TV/Android TV.

1. Standard YouTube removal on Xiaomi smartphones

If YouTube is installed as a regular app (not a system app), it can be removed in a standard way.This works for most Redmi, POCO and Xiaomi models on pure Android or MIUI Global.

Check the type of installation:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Annexes → Application management.
• 🔍 Find YouTube in the list.
• 📌 If there is a badge next to the name 🔄 (Update) or Remove button – application is not system.

For removal:

1. Click on YouTube in the list of apps.
2. Choose to Delete (or Uninstall).
3. Confirm the action. If the button is inactive, move on to the next method.

⚠️ Note: On some firmware (for example, MIUI China) even non-system applications can be protected from removal. ADB or disable via Google account settings.

2. disable YouTube through Google account settings

If the app is system-based, it can’t be removed, but it can be deactivated through a Google account, which works on all Xiaomi devices with Google Play services.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Google → Manage your Google account.
2. Go to the Data and Personalization tab.
3. Scroll to the Application Settings section and select Application Management.
4. Find YouTube in the list and click on it.
5. Choose to Disable (or Remove Rights).

After that:

• 🚫 The app will stop updating through the Play Market.
• 🔔 Notifications from YouTube will be blocked.
• 📵 Background activity will stop (but the icon will remain on the menu).

💡

If YouTube continues to work after disabling, clear the cache and application data in the Settings settings → Apps → YouTube → Storage.

3. YouTube Deletion via ADB (no root rights)

To completely remove the YouTube system, you’ll need a computer and an ADB (Android Debug Bridge) tool, which works on all Xiaomi devices, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and Xiaomi 13, but requires USB debugging.

Steps:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times on MIUI Version. Go back to Settings → Additional → Developer. Enable USB Debugging.

ADB Tools

cmd

adb

adb devices

(Your device should appear. If not, confirm the connection on your phone.)

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

Once the command is executed, YouTube will disappear from the menu, but its data will remain in the system (root is needed to completely delete it).

4. YouTube Block on Xiaomi TV (all models)

On Xiaomi TVs (Mi TV A2, Xiaomi TV Q2, Redmi Smart TV), YouTube is built into firmware and is not removed by standard means.

• 🔒 Hide from the main menu.
• 👶 Blocking through parental control.
• 🛠️ Disable updates.

Method 1: Hiding the application

1. On the remote, press Settings (⚙).
2. Select the Applications → Application management.
3. Find YouTube and click Hide.

Method 2: Parental control

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Security → Parental Controls.
2. Create. PIN-code.
3. Select App Limitations and add YouTube to the blacklist.

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi TV Google TV (2022-2026 model, attempt to remove YouTube ADB This may cause resets or errors in Google Play Services.We recommend using only official blocking methods.

5. Limiting YouTube background activity

If you don’t need to completely delete YouTube, but want to save battery and traffic, turn off its background work:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → YouTube.
2. Choose the Battery. → Background restriction.
3. Set it Limited.
4. Go back and select Mobile Data → Background Traffic → Disable.

In addition:

• 📵 Turn off notifications: Settings → Notifications → YouTube → Turn it off.
• 🔄 Disallow Auto Start: Settings → Annexes → Auto-start → YouTube → Shut down.
• 🗑️ Clear the cache: Settings → Annexes → YouTube → Warehouse → Clear the cache.

These actions will not remove the app, but will significantly reduce its impact on the performance of the device. For example, on the POCO F5 with MIUI 14, after such settings, the battery consumption from YouTube decreases from 5-7% to 0.1-0.3% per day.

6. Alternative methods: from root rights to hardware solutions

If none of these methods worked, consider radical options:

1. Getting root rights and deleting system files

You can delete YouTube at the firmware level with Magisk or TWRP.

• 🔓 Cancels the guarantee.
• 🛡️ Risks security (vulnerabilities in customized firmware).
• 🔄 Can lead to a device blink in case of error.

2. Use of alternative firmware

Firmware like LineageOS or Pixel Experience lets you remove any system applications, including YouTube.

• 📱 Not all Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi) 10C There may not be a stable assembly).
• 🔧 Requires to unlock the bootloader (fastboot oem unlock).
• 📡 They may be defunctional. MIUI (For example, the Game Turbo or Second Space).

3. Hardware solution: buying a device without Google services

Some Xiaomi models for the Chinese market (e.g. Xiaomi 13 China) come without Google Play or YouTube, and can be purchased on AliExpress or in specialty stores, but note:

• 🌍 No official support for Google Services (you will need to install manually).
• 📦 Firmware in Chinese (needs manual translation into Russian).
• 🔄 Updates come with a delay or require manual installation.

💡

Getting root rights is a last resort: 90% of Xiaomi devices can disable YouTube without risk to the system using ADB or Google account settings.

FAQ: Frequent questions about disabling YouTube on Xiaomi