Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face intrusive preinstalled software. The standard MIUI shell and the new HyperOS sin with excessive background processes that not only occupy RAM, but also consume battery power. Users are looking for ways to close system applications to speed up the device and free up resources.
Simply pressing the “Close All” button in Task Manager is not enough. System services automatically restart minutes or even seconds after being forced to stop. This is the standard behavior of the Android operating system, protecting critical components, but annoying advanced users. In this article, we will discuss effective methods of dealing with “garbage”.
There are several levels of intervention, from safe concealment of icons to complete removal through the computer. It is important to understand that uncontrolled disconnection of key services can lead to unstable operation of the gadget. We will examine each method in detail, assessing the risks and benefits, so that you can choose the best option for your model.
Why System Applications Cannot Be Closed
The Android operating system is designed to give the rights processes the highest priority. When you try to complete a process through a standard controller, the kernel marks it as important and immediately restores it, including Google Play Services, the system launcher, the Xiaomi Cloud Update and Sync service.
Attempting to aggressively shut down such applications through third-party “task killers” often backfires: the system spends more energy restarting the service than waiting for it in the background, and constant startup and stop cycles can cause the processor to heat up and micro-freeze the interface.
⚠️ Warning: Forcing the processes responsible for communication, sound or system notifications to end may cause the smartphone to be completely inoperable before restarting.
However, there are applications that are not critical to basic functionality but consume resources, such as analytics, advertising services (such as msa), unnecessary browsers, and app stores from the manufacturer, and these are the ones that should be targeted for optimization efforts.
Secure Hiding Applications Through Settings
The most gentle method available to anyone without root rights or PC connectivity is to hide icons. The MIUI and HyperOS shells have a built-in Hidden Apps feature that doesn't stop the process completely, but it removes the visual presence of the program and limits some background activity associated with user interaction.
To activate the function, go to Settings → Apps → Hidden Apps. In some versions of the firmware, the path may be different: go to the Security app, scroll down and find Hide apps, where you can select the programs you want to remove from the desktop.
This is ideal for system components that you're afraid to delete but don't want to see on the menu, like hiding a standard Mi Browser browser or Google TV services if you don't use them, and then hiding it, it stops coming up in menu searches and it doesn't horn your eyes.
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To open hidden apps, use the finger-sparing gesture in the Gallery app or enter a given password in the desktop search bar (depending on the MIUI version).
Forced shutdown and data cleanup
A more radical but still safe method is to manually stop through the application management menu, which allows you to “kill” the process right now, clear the cache and temporarily disable background activity, the effect persists until the first reboot or system trigger.
Follow the following steps:
- 📱 Go to Settings. → Annexes → All applications.
- 🔍 Find an unnecessary system service (e.g. Mail or Video) in the list).
- 🛑 Press the Stop button at the bottom of the screen.
- 🧹 To consolidate the result, select Clean → Clear the cache.
It's important to note that the Stop button may not be active for critical system components, and if it's gray and not pressed, it's protected by the system, and then only disabling through ADB will help.
| Type of application | Can we stop it? | Risk of failure | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| System launcher | No (gray button) | critical | Don't touch it. |
| Google Play Services | Yeah (but it'll start itself) | High-pitched | Clear only the cache |
| Mi Video / Mi Music | Yes. | Low. | We can turn it off. |
| Printing by Wi-Fi | Yes. | Low. | Boldly shut it down. |
| Topics (Mi Themes) | Yes. | Medium. | Turn it off if you don't have to. |
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Forced shutdown is a temporary measure. The permanent effect requires shutting down the component, not just shutting down the process.
Disconnect system components without Root
The “Disable” feature in Android settings allows you to turn a system application into a “sleeping” state, it stops updating, consuming traffic and running in the background. However, in the standard menu, this button is often not available for Xiaomi’s built-in programs.
To get around the restriction, you can use Safe Mode, which is a mode where you boot third-party and some system services don't activate. Press the off button on the lock screen until you get a suggestion to go to Safe Mode. Here you can try to turn off the extra through the settings.
Another method is to use special profiles. In the Settings menu → Special Features → Modes (or similar in your version of the OS), you can create a Job or Sleep profile, which will turn off notifications and background activity of selected applications. This will not shut down the application completely, but will limit its impact on the system.
⚠️ Warning: Do not disable applications that have the words "System", "Framework", "Phone" or "Settings" in their name).
Removing system applications via ADB (for advanced)
The most effective way to actually close and remove system applications is to use the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) debugging tool, which does not require root rights, but necessitates connecting to a computer.
To start, you need to activate the developer menu. Go to Settings. → On the phone and press quickly 7-10 once-point version MIUI (or OS). Then in the advanced settings, turn on the debugging by USB.
☑️ Preparation for removal through ADB
After connecting to your PC and running the command line in the ADB folder, type a command to view the packet list:
adb shell pm list packagesFind the name of the package of the unwanted application (for example, com.miui.videoplayer).
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 name packetThis method allows you to remove even those applications that do not have a “Disable” button in the interface. If something goes wrong, the application can be returned by the reinstall command, knowing the exact name of the package, which makes the method relatively safe with a competent approach.
List of safe to remove Xiaomi packages
Possible risks and system recovery
Any interference with system files carries risks. Incorrectly disabling SystemUI service will lead to the disappearance of the interface, and deleting Telephony will deprive you of communication. Always check the destination of the package on the Internet before removing it through ADB.
If the phone starts to work incorrectly after manipulation, the first thing you can do is try resetting the application settings. In extreme cases, a full reset to factory settings (Settings → About the phone → Resetting), the data will be deleted, so backup is mandatory.
When removed via ADB, the application physically stays in /system, just marked as remote for your user. When you reset or update the firmware, all the applications removed in this way will return to their places. This ensures that you do not “break” the recovery partition.