Owners of budget smartphones like the Xiaomi Redmi 5A often face a lack of space and slowdowns in the interface, not only because of limited internal storage of 16 or 32 GB, but also because of the huge amount of software preinstalled. The MIUI system, installed out of the box, contains dozens of services that you may never use, but which continue to consume CPU and RAM resources.
Cleaning the system of digital debris allows you to significantly extend the life of the device. However, the removal process requires caution: some components are critical to the stable operation of the Android operating system. If you remove the wrong package, the phone can go into an endless reboot or stop catching the network. In this article, we will discuss which packages are safe for uninstallation and how to do it correctly.
System garbage analysis on Redmi 5A
The standard MIUI firmware for Redmi 5A is full of applications often called “bloatware,” which are programs imposed by the manufacturer or partners that hang in the background and slow down the device, including duplicate services, unnecessary games and heavy shells for standard functions.
The first step should always be to analyze the space you occupy, go into the settings and see what exactly eats up precious gigabytes, and it often turns out that the standard browser, app store, and analytics services take up more space than all your personal photos.
For in-depth analysis, you should use specialized utilities, but even standard tools can see the basic "heavyweights." Pay special attention to applications that can not be removed in the usual way through the application management menu - they are hidden deeper in the system.
- 📱 Mi Browser is a heavy browser with built-in news feed that often duplicates Chrome.
- 🎮 Games and Mi Video – pre-installed multimedia hubs that consume resources in the background.
- 📊 MSA (MIUI System Ads – system service responsible for displaying advertising in the interface.
- 📈 Analytics – Services for collecting usage statistics that continuously transmit data.
Safe removal through smartphone settings
The simplest and safest method of cleaning is to use a regular application management menu, which does not require a connection to a computer and eliminates the risk of accidental deletion of critical system files, and is suitable for users who just want to remove unnecessary icons from the desktop and free up some space.
To start, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. Here you will see the full list of installed software. If the application can be removed in the standard way, the Remove button will be active. If the button is gray or missing, then the application is system-based and requires deeper intervention.
First, remove all third-party apps you don't use: social media, games, store customers. Then you can go to Xiaomi's system components. Beware: some system applications may be hidden by default.
⚠️ Note: Before removing any system application, make sure you understand its function.Removing a standard launcher or task manager can cause the interface to function in an unstable manner.
If you delete the app incorrectly, you can always restore it, which requires you to download the installation file (.apk) of the desired version and install it again, or reset the settings to factory settings, which will delete all your personal data.
Using ADB to Remove Hidden System Applications
To remove applications that are not removed through settings, you need a more powerful tool, Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a console utility that allows you to control your smartphone from a computer, a method that is safe if you follow the instructions, and does not require obtaining superuser rights (Root).
First, you need to activate the developer mode on your Redmi 5A. To do this, quickly click on the build number in the About Phone section seven times. Then, in the Developer menu that appears, turn on USB debugging. Without this step, the computer will not be able to send a command to delete.
Connect your smartphone to your computer through USB-You'll see a request for debugging permission on your phone screen -- click "Allow." Now you can send commands from your PC to your device by managing system packages.
☑️ Preparation for work with ADB
The removal command is as follows:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 name packetHere, the name packet is the technical name of the application (e.g. com.miui.videoplayer). It is important not to confuse the names, since recovering an application removed through ADB is more difficult than a regular one.
List of applications for removal: Package table
Below is a table with the most common Xiaomi system apps that can be safely removed on the Redmi 5A. These components are often not used in everyday life, but take up space and resources.
| Title of the annex | Package Name (Package Name) | Function | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Video | com.miui.videoplayer | Standard video player | Remove (if there is an alternative) |
| Mi Music | com.miui.player | Standard music player | Remove (if there is an alternative) |
| Mi Browser | com.android.browser | System browser | Remove (if Chrome is used) |
| MSA (Advertising) | com.miui.msa.global | Systemic advertising | Must be removed |
| Yellow pages | com.miui.yellowpage | Number-defining | Delete (relevant to China) |
Using this table will allow you to dispose of the software, and remember that the package names may vary slightly from one version of MIUI firmware to another.
What if the sound or network is lost after the removal?
Critical Components: What to Remove Is NOT Removed
There are a number of apps and services that will cause your smartphone to fail, like the skeleton of Android and MIUI, that even if you don't think you're using them, they provide basic functionality.
First of all, never touch packages associated with Google Play Services (com.google.android.gms). Without them, maps, contact sync, push notifications and most third-party applications will stop working.
- 🚫 Package Installer is responsible for installing any application, without it you can't put anything on your phone.
- 🚫 System UI — system interface. Deleting will lead to a black screen.
- 🚫 Telephony, the communications module, will lose the ability to call and send SMS.
- 🚫 Settings - the settings of the smartphone.
⚠️ Note: Removing system components from Google Play Services or Framework can result in a cyclic bootloop that can only be exited by flashing the device.
If you are not sure about the purpose of the package, it is better to search the name of the package online before removing it. The error can cost you time to restore the functionality of the gadget.
Optimization and acceleration after cleaning
Once you have removed the extra applications, it is recommended to do several steps to consolidate the result, the system will become more responsive and the battery will be spent more economically, but just delete files is not enough – you need to configure the remaining services.
Go to the battery settings and check which apps have permission to work in the background. Turn off auto-run for heavy programs that you rarely use. This will prevent them from running hidden when the phone is turned on.
💡
After removing system applications through ADB, it is recommended to restart the device and clear the Dalvik/ART partition cache through Recovery mode for maximum performance.
You also need to turn off animations in the developer menu, and set the scale of the window animation, the scale of the animation transition, and the scale of the animator duration to 0.5x or Off, which will visually speed up the Redmi 5A interface.
💡
Removing advertising services (MSA) and analytics not only frees up memory, but also significantly reduces the load on the processor, prolonging battery life.