What apps can be removed on Xiaomi MIUI 12: a guide

Owners of Xiaomi’s MIUI 12-shell smartphones often face the problem of overcrowded internal storage and excessive pre-installed software. After buying a new device, a user discovers dozens of programs that they have never used and do not intend to use in the future. These hidden processes not only take up precious gigabytes of memory, but also consume RAM and battery power in the background.

In this article, we will discuss in detail which system components are safe to disable or remove to free up the resources of the device. It is important to understand that the rash removal of critical services can lead to unstable operation of the operaonic system or even to a “brick” of the gadget. We have prepared a structured list that will help you safely optimize Redmi or POCO.

Analysis of standard Xiaomi applications

The MIUI 12 shell comes with a huge amount of pre-installed software that developers consider essential for basic functionality. However, for the power user, most of these tools are ballast.

Many users are wondering if Google Play or Google system services can be removed, which is not worth doing, as it will disrupt the work of most third-party applications, banking customers and gaming services.

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Before any manipulation of system files is initiated, it is recommended to create a complete backup of important data to eliminate the risk of its loss in case of accidental errors.

It’s worth noting that some apps, such as Mi Video or Mi Music, can be turned off in settings if you prefer to use alternatives like VLC or Spotify, which will keep the system intact but stop the background activity of unnecessary processes.

Safe List to Delete through Settings

The easiest and safest way to get rid of the excess software is to use the operating system’s regular functionality, so you don’t need root rights or a computer connection to remove most of the user’s applications, just go to the appropriate settings menu.

Go to Settings → Applications → All apps. Here you will see the full list of installed software. Find the unnecessary programs in the list, click on them and select the Remove button. If the button is inactive, then the application is system and requires deeper intervention.

Here is a list of programs that can be removed without fear:

• 📱 Mi Pay – if you do not use this payment service, you can safely delete it, as it does not affect the work NFC elsewhere.
• 🎵 Mi Music and Mi Video are standard players that often duplicate the functionality of more advanced analogues from Google Play.
• 🛍️ Mi Store – an app store, relevant mainly for the Chinese market, in global versions it is almost useless.
• 🌤️ Mi Weather – If you don’t need Xiaomi’s weather widgets, you can replace the app with any other app.

Once you remove these components, you'll notice that the interface is cleaner and there are fewer background tasks in the process list, but that's just the tip of the iceberg, because the garbage is often hidden deeper.

Removing Hidden System Applications Through ADB

Removing really excess system debris that is not available through the standard menu will require the use of USB debugging and the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) toolkit, which is safe if you follow the instructions, as it does not require the acquisition of superuser rights (Root).

First, you need to activate the developer mode. To do this, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click 7 times on the MIUI Version. After that, a new section will appear in the menu where you need to turn on “Debugging over USB”. It is also important to enable the option “Debug over USB (Security settings)” and allow installation via USB.

Once you connect your smartphone to your computer and install ADB, you can use commands to delete packets, such as a command to delete a specific packet looks like this:

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

Using this method, you can remove even components that are labeled as critical, but in fact are only advertising or telemetry services, the main thing is to know the exact name of the package, which often differs from the name of the application.

Table of disposal packets and description

So you don't have to guess which package fits the app, we've prepared a table with the main candidates for removal. Check the names carefully before you enter commands, as a single letter error can lead to the wrong component being removed.

Note that deleting the com.xiaomi.joyose package is especially important for users who do not play heavy games, as this process often loads the processor in the background.

Disabling Advertising and System Notifications

One of the main reasons users want to clean MIUI 12 is intrusive advertising, which can appear in standard applications like Explorer, Music, or even in the lock menu.

In addition to deleting the packages discussed above, you need to turn off personalized ads in your settings. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Access to Personal Data (or “Special Features” in some versions) and find the MSA (MIUI System Ads) option. Turn off the switch and wait 10 seconds, then confirm the disconnect.

⚠️ Note: If you have not lost your system apps after you turn off msa, try clearing the Security and Explorer cache. Sometimes you need to restart your device to take effect.

It's also worth checking the settings of the apps themselves. Music, Video, and Topics have separate "Get Recommendations" switches that often broadcast banner ads, and turning off those options makes the interface cleaner and removes unnecessary traffic.

Optimizing the work of Google services

While you can't delete Google services, you can optimize them. MIUI 12 often has a high battery consumption with Google Play Services, which is due to constant synchronization and geolocation, and you can limit the background activity of these services without disrupting their operation.

Go to the app settings, search for Google Play Services, and go to Battery. Select No Limits mode only if you need instant sync, or Battery Savings if you want to extend your smartphone life. For most users, optimized mode is the middle ground.

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Limiting background activity of Google services can increase the smartphone’s life from one charge to one charge 10-15%, Especially in the older Redmi models.

Also, don't forget to turn off syncing of data you don't need. If you don't use Google Drive or Google Photos to back up, turn off syncing in your account, which will reduce network activity and processor load.

Possible risks and system recovery

Despite the safety of ADB, there is always a human factor: if you remove a critical system component, you may experience a cyclic bootloop or the disappearance of important features such as the ability to make calls or connect to Wi-Fi.

If you've been manipulating your phone, try re-booting, turn off your phone and press the Up + Power button combination, and select Wipe Data from the recovery menu, which will bring the phone back to factory status by deleting all your data but restoring system files.

⚠️ Note: Before removing any packages that have the words system, framework, settings or provider in their name, think three times and check their destination online. Deleting com.android.providers.downloads may, for example, disrupt the download of files from the browser.

Be careful when removing components associated with the lock screen and system interface (com.miui.home, com.miui.personalassistant).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)