What preinstalled apps can be removed from Xiaomi Mi 9T: a safe list + instructions

Xiaomi Mi 9T is one of the brand’s most popular smartphones, but even it suffers from an excess of pre-installed software. MIUI, Xiaomi’s proprietary shell, is known for its “rich” suite of system and third-party apps, many of which users never run.

In this article, we will understand what applications are on Mi. 9T (The code name davinci can be safely uninstalled and which ones you shouldn't touch, and you'll learn not only the list of "extra" programs, but also how to remove them, both through standard settings and using the help of the "extra" programs. ADB We'll focus on the nuances of Google services, system components. MIUI Chinese apps that often remain even in global firmware.

Before you start cleaning, remember that removing some applications can cause camera failures, push notifications, or even complete system instability.

Why are there so many pre-installed apps on Xiaomi Mi 9T?

MIUI was originally designed for the Chinese market, where it is customary to install the maximum number of services on smartphones out of the box, even in global versions of firmware (MIUI Global) traces of this approach remain:

• 📦 Duplicate apps – for example, two browsers (Mi Browser and Google Chrome), two app stores (GetApps and Play Market).
• 🇨🇳 Chinese services such as Mi Video, Mi Music, Mi Community, and others are rarely used outside of China.
• 🔄 System components MIUI — For example, Security or Themes that cannot be completely removed but can be disabled.
• 🤝 Partner Agreements – Pre-installed Games (PUBG Mobile, Free Fire or services (Facebook, Netflix).

Most of these apps take up space in memory, consume resources in the background and can send analytics data. For example, Mi Browser is known for collecting data about visited sites, and Mi Video can display ads even on a locked screen.

⚠️ Attention: On Mi 9T firmware MIUI China (Chinese version) removing system applications is fraught with complete inoperability of the device (MIUI Global/EEA) more loyal to cleaning.

And interestingly, some apps, like Mi Pay, don't work outside of China at all, but they're still hanging on the system, and you can delete them if you're not planning a trip to China.

What applications can be removed without risk to the system?

We have divided all the pre-installed apps on the Mi 9T into three categories:

1. Safe to remove – does not affect the operation of the system.
2. Conditionally safe - can be removed, but with reservations.
3. Critical ones, you can't touch.

Below is a complete list of secure applications that can be removed without consequences. For convenience, we have listed the names of packages (necessary to be removed via ADB):

These applications are not associated with critical system functions, so removing them will not cause any failures, but before cleaning, we recommend backing up your data via Settings → System → Backup.

Conditionally safe applications: what can be removed with caution?

This category includes applications that will not cause fatal crashes but may disrupt some features, such as deleting Mi Security will disable virus scanning and uninstalling Mi Cloud will make it impossible to synchronize data.

Here is a list of such applications with explanations:

• 🔒 Security — com.miui.securitycenter. Virus protection and optimization. You can turn it off, but not completely remove it, or you lose access to the application permission settings.
• ☁️ Mi Cloud — com.xiaomi.cloudservice. Syncs contacts, notes and photos. You can delete if you don't use the Xiaomi cloud, but then backup will disappear.
• 🎨 Themes — com.android.themes. It's responsible for changing wallpaper and themes. You can turn it off, but you can't change themes through the settings.
• 📡 Mi Remote — com.duokan.phone.remotecontroller. Remote control for technology. You can delete it if you don't use the function.
• 📊 Analytics — com.miui.analytics. Collects data about smartphone usage. Can and should be deleted for privacy.

Google Play Services (com.google.android.gms) can’t be removed completely, but you can turn off automatic updates through Settings → Apps → Google Play Services → Notifications → Auto Update. This will save space and reduce background activity.

⚠️ Note: Deleting Mi Account (com.xiaomi.account) will make it impossible to sign in to Xiaomi account, which means you will not be able to unlock the bootloader or use branded services.

Make a backup copy of the data

Check out the MIUI (Global/Chinese) version

Write down package name for recovery

Make sure that the battery charge is > 50%

Have a cable on hand USB for ADB (fault-proof)-->

How to remove pre-installed applications: 3 ways

There are three main ways to remove unnecessary apps on the Xiaomi Mi 9T:

1. Through settings, MIUI is the easiest, but it doesn’t work with all apps.
2. ADB requires a computer, but allows you to delete almost everything.
3. Through TWRP – for experienced users with an unlocked bootloader.

Let us examine each method in detail.

Method 1: Remove via settings (without root)

This method is suitable for applications that MIUI allows you to uninstall:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Choose the right app (such as Mi Music).
3. Click Remove (if the button is active).

If there is no Delete button but there is Disable, it means that the application is system-based and can only be frozen. The applications that are disabled will not consume resources, but will remain in memory.

Method 2: Remove via ADB (without root but with PC)

This method will require:

• A computer with ADB and Fastboot installed.
• USB-cable (preferably original).
• USB Debugging enabled (Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times) → Additional → For Developers → USB Debugging).

Instructions:

1. Connect the Mi 9T to your PC and confirm debugging permission.
2. Open the command line (cmd) in the adb folder.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices must appear serial number of the device.
4. Delete the application by command (example for Mi Browser): adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.browser

To restore the remote application, use the command:

adb shell cmd package install-existing com.android.browser

⚠️ Note: Some applications (e.g. Mi Security) after deleting via ADB This can cause errors in the work of Google Play Services, in which case only reset to factory settings will help.

Method 3: Remove via TWRP (requires an unlocked bootloader)

This method is suitable for experienced users, as it requires:

• Unlocked bootloader (bootloader).
• Installed custom TWRP recaveri.
• Backup (backup) of the current firmware.

Instructions:

1. Load to TWRP (Plug Power + Volume Up).
2. Go to Advanced → File Manager.
3. Find the /system/priv-app or /system/app folder.
4. Remove folders with unnecessary apps (such as MiBrowser).
5. Reboot.

This method allows you to remove any applications, including system ones, but can cause a "brief" (breakdown) device if you make an error. On Xiaomi Mi 9T with MIUI 12+ firmware, removing folders from /system can lead to a boot cycle if you do not comply with access rights (SELinux).

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Before removing system applications via TWRP, make sure to backup the /system partition in the recave itself, which will restore functionality if something goes wrong.

What happens if you remove critical system applications?

Some applications cannot be removed as they are responsible for the basic functionality of the Mi 9T. Uninstallation may result in:

• 🔄 Cyclical restart (bootloop) – the device will constantly restart.
• 📵 Losing the network – mobile communication and Wi-Fi will disappear.
• 🔋 Fast battery discharge due to power management failures.
• 🚫 Inability to update firmware — OTA-Updates will stop working.

Here is a list of prohibited applications:

If you accidentally delete one of these apps, the only way to get it back up is to flash the device over Fastboot or TWRP. On the Mi 9T, you’ll need to:

1. Download the official firmware from the Xiaomi website.
2. Unpack it in a folder from fastboot.
3. Run the command: fastboot flash all (without specifying a specific section).

How to Free Up Space on Xiaomi Mi 9T Without Deleting Applications?

If you don’t want to risk the stability of the system, but you need to free up your memory, use these methods:

• 🗑️ Cache Clearing - Go to Settings → Apps, select any app and click Clear Cache. Use Security for bulk cleaning → Cleaner.
• 📁 Delete unnecessary files in the Files → Categories → Garbage MIUI automatically finds temporary files, duplicates and large videos.
• ☁️ Moving files to the cloud – photos and videos can be uploaded to Google Photos or Mi Cloud, and then delete local copies.
• 🔄 Disable Automatic App Update – In Play Market, disable Auto Update or limit it to Wi-Fi only.
• 🎮 Removing the cache of games - games like PUBG Call of Duty Mobile can take up to 2-3 GB per cache.

Another effective way is to disable unnecessary system applications. For example, if you are not using Mi Video, go to Settings → Applications → Mi Video → Disable. The disabled application will not consume resources, but will remain in memory.

For advanced users, there is an option to transfer applications to SD-card (if it is installed as an internal memory). 9T This function is unstable and can cause slowdowns.

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Cleaning cache and removing debris through built-in MIUI (Security → Cleaner) tools is the safest way to free up 1-3 GB of memory without risk to the system.

Frequent errors when removing applications and how to avoid them

Many users experience problems after cleaning the Mi 9T from preinstalled software, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to prevent them:

• 🔧 Remove applications through the root file manager without backup. Result: cyclical download. Solution: always backup to TWRP before removal.
• 🔄 Removing Google Services on a Device with GMS. The result: Play Market, Gmail and other services stop working. Solution: Don't touch the com.google packages in the title.
• 📱 Using debloather scripts from the Internet, resulting in the removal of critical components, solution: only delete those packets that have been verified (for example, from our list).
• 🔋 Removing battery-related applications (e.g. com.miui.powerkeeper) Result: accelerated discharge. Solution: it's better to disable them than delete them.
• 🔒 Delete Mi Account without linking an alternate account, result: inability to unlock the bootloader. Solution: link your Google account before deleting it.

If the Mi 9T is unstable after uninstalling the apps, try:

1. Restore a remote application via ADB (if it was uninstalled with the --user 0 flag).
2. Reset the settings to factory (Settings → System → Resetting).
3. Flash the device through Fastboot (if the reset didn’t help).

Forums often advise you to use apps like Debloater or Universal Android Debloater, and we don't recommend them for the Mi 9T, as they can remove components critical to MIUI.

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing apps on Xiaomi Mi 9T