What apps can be removed on Xiaomi 9T: Safe System Cleanup

Owners of the Xiaomi Mi 9T smartphone often face the problem of crowded internal memory and intrusive advertising, the source of which is pre-installed programs. This device, which is a global version of the Redmi K20, originally had excellent optimization, but over time and updates to the MIUI shell, the amount of unnecessary software has grown. Proper removal of excess software allows not only to free up gigabytes of space, but also to significantly extend the battery life of the device.

However, the cleaning process requires caution, as removing system components can lead to unstable operating system. In this article, we will discuss in detail which packages are safe for uninstallation and which are strictly forbidden to touch. You will get a step-by-step algorithm that will help turn your smartphone into a fast and clean tool without unnecessary time.

It is worth noting that standard MIUI shell tools can not remove everything unnecessary. Deep cleaning will require the use of special tools, which will be discussed below. The main rule is to act consistently and back up important data before making major changes to the Android system partition.

Analysis of pre-installed software on Xiaomi Mi 9T

After you buy and first set up the Xiaomi Mi 9T, you find a lot of icons on the screen that you didn't install, which is what's called bloatware, which is software that's been imposed by the manufacturer or partners of the company, and some of these programs are really useful, but most of them only consume CPU and RAM resources in the background.

All applications on the device can be divided into three categories: user, system and mission critical. The first are browsers, games and services that can be removed by drag and drop to the cart. The second layer is Google services and Xiaomi services, which require a more subtle approach to remove. The third layer can not be touched in any case, because this is the core of the system.

Particular attention should be paid to regional applications, which are often pre-installed depending on the country of purchase, for example, in the European version there may be unnecessary services for online shopping, and in Asian – specific social networks. On the Xiaomi Mi 9T global version, duplicate applications, such as two browsers or two antiviruses, are often found.

• 📱 Google apps (GMS): Maps, YouTube, email that can be turned off but not always safely deleted.
• 🛍️ Service applications: Mi Store, Mi Credit, Mi Pay (if not used in your region).
• 🎮 Entertainment content: pre-installed games, video services like Netflix or Amazon Prime.

Preparing a smartphone to remove system applications

Before you start taking drastic actions to clean the system, you need to properly prepare the device. Standard security settings Android does not allow you to remove system packages without special permissions. To perform the procedure, you do not need to obtain root rights, which retains the warranty on the device, but activation of the developer mode is mandatory.

The first step is to enable USB debugging, which is a mode that allows the computer to send commands to the smartphone. Without this step, no system software removal tool can access the list of installed packages. It takes only a couple of minutes and requires no special knowledge.

To activate the desired functions, go to the Settings → About Phone menu and quickly click on the MIUI version seven times. After the message “You became a developer” appears, return to the main settings menu, select Additional → For developers and activate the Debugging switch over USB.

It is also important to check for system updates. Sometimes newer versions of firmware change the name of the system packages or their dependencies. Make sure your Xiaomi Mi 9T runs on the current version of the software so that the removal instructions are correct.

Secure list of applications for removal

There is a list of applications that are removed in most cases without affecting the stability of the Xiaomi Mi 9T. These include primarily services that are not used in your region or are not needed by you personally.

For example, removing the standard Music app won't affect the system if you use a third-party player, but removing Task Manager can lead to memory cleanup problems, so information about its purpose on the Internet is recommended before deleting each packet.

• 🗑️ Mi Browser: a standard browser that can be replaced with Chrome or Firefox.
• 📺 Mi Video and Mi Music: built-in players, often duplicating the functionality of Google Play Movies or third-party applications.
• 📈 Mi Credit and Mi Pay: Financial services that only work in a limited number of countries.
• 📦 Mi Store: App Store that you don’t need if you use Google Play.

You can also safely remove analytics and advertising services if they are not built deep into the update system. Often there are packages with names containing the words analytics, ads or daemon (with caution), removing these components has a positive effect on data privacy.

Using ADB AppControl for deep cleaning

For effective management of system applications on Xiaomi Mi 9T, it is best to use specialized software for PC, for example, ADB AppControl. This program automatically determines the model of the device, lists all installed packages and marks safe to remove in green and dangerous ones in red.

The utility is simple: once you connect your smartphone to USB and enable debugging, the program will display a full list of applications. You can sort them by name, size or status. The interface is made in Russian, which greatly simplifies navigation for inexperienced users.

It allows you not only to delete applications, but also to freeze them. Freezing is a safe way to delete them. It stops working, disappears from the menu and doesn't consume the battery, but it can be defrost at any time if you find problems.

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Use Freeze instead of Remove for applications you're not sure about, which will allow you to get everything back without reinstalling the firmware if the system starts to malfunction.

Cleaning up Google Services and MIUI System Components

Google Services (GMS) is the backbone of most Android applications. Deleting Google Play Services or Google Services Framework completely will make the Play Market store, navigation, and many games inoperable. However, on Xiaomi Mi 9T, it is safe to disable some of the Google ecosystem’s auxiliary components.

Safe to remove include Google Play Movies, Google Play Music (if not in use), Google News and some augmented reality services. Also worth paying attention to MIUI system components like Mi Cloud if you don't use Xiaomi cloud storage.

⚠️ Attention: Deleting the com.google.android.gms (Google Play Services) component will cause most applications, including banking and social networks, to crash!

If you actively use alternative services, such as Yandex.Navigator instead of Google Maps, then maps can be removed, but remember that many third-party applications use map libraries to display geolocation, so their work may be disrupted.

To remove system components through ADB, you can use manual commands if you do not want to install third-party software.

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 name packet

Where the packet name is the exact name of the application, which can be found through the command adb shell pm list packages. Be extremely careful when entering commands, as an error can lead to the disappearance of important functions.

Recovery of Remote Applications and Problem Solving

Even with caution, sometimes you have situations where, after you delete an application, the system starts to behave strangely, like errors, reboots, or certain functions stop working. In such cases, you need to know how to get it back. If you used the freezing method, just defrost the package.

If the application has been removed completely, it can be reinstall-it (reinstalled) through ADB. This will require an original APK-A system application file corresponding to your firmware version, which can be found on specialized forums or in firmware archives.

⚠️ Warning: Trying to install a system application of a newer firmware version on an older version of Android can cause a cyclic bootloop.

In a pinch, if the phone stops turning on or goes into a permanent reboot, a factory reset will help, which will return the Xiaomi Mi 9T to its original state with all the apps preinstalled, so having a fresh backup of personal data is critical.

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The most reliable way to recover is to completely reset your data, and before any manipulation of system files, be sure to save important photos and contacts to the cloud or PC.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)