What Xiaomi Redmi Note system apps can be removed without harming your phone

Xiaomi Redmi Note smartphones (including Note 10/11/12 series models) come with MIUI software pre-installed, which takes up to 10-15 GB of memory even on a clean device. Some of these applications duplicate Google features, others run in the background and consume battery power, and others are never used by most users at all. But can they be removed? And which ones are critical for stable system operation?

In this article, we will discuss three categories of applications on Redmi Note: 1 Safe to remove (do not affect the operation of MIUI), 2 Conditionally safe (you can deactivate, but not delete), 3 Critical (removal will lead to failures).

You will also learn how to remove root-free APKs correctly, what tools to use to do so, and what to do if the phone starts to brake after cleaning. We will focus on models with MIUI 13/14, which have changed the logic of some services, and old instructions can hurt.

Why Xiaomi Redmi Note has so many unnecessary apps

Xiaomi integrates dozens of services into MIUI firmware for several reasons:

• 📱 Xiaomi ecosystem: apps like Mi Home, Mi Fit or Mi Browser are designed to connect the user with other devices of the brand (smart watches, lamps, robot vacuum cleaners).
• 💰 Partner Agreements: Pre-installed games (Game Center), social networks (Facebook App Installer) or services (Netflix, LinkedIn) bring the company income from installations.
• 🔧 Functionality MIUI: Some applications (for example, Security or Themes) are responsible for unique shell chips - without them, the themes or virus scanner will disappear.
• 🌍 Localization: Firmware for different regions can have unique services (for example, Mi Pay for India or Mi Credit for China).

According to an analysis of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ firmware (MIUI 14), up to 40% of preinstalled applications can be removed without consequences, another 30% can be disabled, and the remaining 30% is not recommended to be touched, the main problem is that MIUI does not allow you to remove system APKs with standard means – this requires workarounds.

⚠️ Note: Redmi Note models with MediaTek processors (e.g. Note) 10S note 11E) Deleting some services (e.g. com.mediatek) may result in loss of communication or camera issues. → The phone. → Full specification.

List of safe apps to remove on Redmi Note

These apps can be removed without risking MIUI stability. They either duplicate Google features, are marketing tools, or are not used by most users.The list is relevant for MIUI 12/13/14 on all Redmi Note models (including the Note 12 Pro 5G and Note 10 Lite).

A complete list of safe APKs for your model can be obtained through the ADB command:

adb shell pm list packages -f | grep -E 'miui|xiaomi'

If you are not sure about the purpose of the application, check it through the service APKMirror — there are descriptions of all system APKs from Xiaomi. For example, the package com.xiaomi.midrop is responsible for Mi Drop (file transfer over Wi-Fi), and it can be removed if you use Nearby Share from Google.

How to remove system applications without root rights

There are three safe ways to remove the system APK on the Redmi Note:

1. Through ADB (Android Debug Bridge) – the official method from Google, does not require root, but you need debugging over USB.
2. App Inspector allows you to disable (but not remove) unnecessary services.
3. TWRP (Castom Recovery) requires unlocking the bootloader, but gives full control of the system.

The most reliable and recommended method is ADB. Here is a step-by-step instruction:

Enable USB debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times)

Install Xiaomi drivers on PC (download from the official website)

Download Platform Tools from Google

Connect the phone to the PC and confirm debugging on the smartphone screen-->

After preparation, execute commands in the terminal (replace com.example.app with the package from the table above):

adb devices


adb shell




pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.example.app

The --user 0 key means that the application is only deleted for the current user (without affecting system files), which allows you to recover the APK in the future through the command:

cmd package install-existing com.example.app

⚠️ Attention: Redmi Note with MIUI 14 after deleting some applications (e.g. com.miui.analytics) the update may stop working (OTA). To avoid this, before cleaning, disable automatic updates to Settings. → The phone. → Updating the system.

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Before mass deletion, back up via Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset. In case of failure, you can restore the system without losing data.

Conditionally safe applications: what can be disabled, but not removed

These services can’t be deleted completely, but they can be disabled or frozen through settings, and they’re not critical to the system, but their absence can lead to minor bugs (e.g., a weather widget disappears or topics stop updating).

• 🌦️ com.miui.weather2 — Weather (unless you use a widget on the home screen).
• 🎨 com.android.themes - Topics MIUI (Disabling will remove the possibility of changing the design).
• 🔒 com.miui.guardprovider – Antivirus (can be disabled if you use a third-party scanner).
• 📊 com.miui.analytics – Statistics collection (disconnection does not affect work, but may block the work of the user) OTA-update).
• 📱 com.android.cts.ctsshim – Compatibility Service (necessary for some banking applications).

To disable these applications:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select "Show all apps."
3. Find the right application → "Turn off" (not "Delete"!).

On MIUI 14, some system APKs are hidden from the user.

adb shell settings put global hidden_api_policy 1

What applications can not be removed categorically

These system services are critical to MIUI, and their removal will result in:

• 🔄 Cyclical reboot (bootloop).
• 📵 Network loss (mobile internet and calls will not work).
• 🔋 Fast battery discharge (due to power management failures).
• 🚨 Persistent Errors ("System Interface Stopped").

If you accidentally delete a critical app, don't try to restore it manually, which can make the problem worse.

1. Make a reset through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Reset settings.
2. If the phone does not turn on, then run the official firmware through the Mi Flash Tool (instructions on the Xiaomi forum).

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Even if you delete the "safe" app, but the phone starts to slow down, return it via the command cmd package install-existing. Sometimes APKs are associated with background processes that are not obvious to the user.

How to Free Memory for Redmi Note Without Deleting Applications

If you don’t want to risk removing system APKs, here are 5 alternative ways to make room:

• 🧹 Cache Clearing: Go to Settings → Apps, select any application and click "Clear Cache." Use Settings for bulk cleaning. → Memory. → Clean up.
• 🗑️ Removing duplicates: Files by Google finds duplicate files (photos, videos) and suggests you delete them.
• ☁️ Move to the cloud: Upload photos and videos to Google Photos (up to 15GB free) and delete local copies.
• 🎮 Optimization of games: In Settings → Special facilities → Optimizing games can reduce graphics in games, saving up to 2-3 GB.
• 📥 Disable downloads: Many messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) automatically download media.

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and other models with MIUI 14 have a built-in Easy Mode feature (Settings → Display → Light Mode) that disables animations and background processes, saving up to 10-15% of memory without removing applications.

Another effective method is compressing data through Settings → Connections and Sharing → Data Use → Data Compression, which will reduce the cache size of the browser and some applications by 30-40%.

What to do if after removing applications, the phone began to slow down

Sometimes, after cleaning the APK system, Redmi Note starts:

• 🐢 Reduce when opening applications.
• 🔋 Discharge quickly (due to constant reboot of services).
• 📶 Losing communications or Wi-Fi.

Here is the algorithm for diagnosis and correction:

1. Check logs: Install Logcat Extreme from the Play Market and see what errors appear after removing the APK.
2. Restore Remote Applications: Use the CMD package install-existing command to return critical services.
3. Reset settings: If the brakes are strong, reset via Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset (the data will not be affected).
4. Reverse to the previous version of MIUI: If the problem has appeared after the update, run the old firmware through the Mi Flash Tool.

The Redmi Note 11 and later has a built-in performance monitor: Settings → About Phone → All specs → Performance Monitor.

It will show you what processes are loading the system, and if unknown services (e.g. com.xiaomi.xmsf.keeper) appear, you have removed the associated APK.

⚠️ Note: If your biometrics (fingerprint or facial recognition) stop working after you delete your applications, restore the com.android.biometric and com.xiaomi.biometric packages.

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing apps on Redmi Note