Redmi 9T Cleanup: What Apps Can Be Removed Safely

When buying a budget smartphone like the Xiaomi Redmi 9T, users often encounter intrusive pre-installed software, noting that memory is not only occupied by personal files, but dozens of services they never use, which leads to lower MIUI 12 or MIUI 13 performance and reduced battery life.

System software, or bloatware, often runs in the background, consuming RAM and battery power. Proper cleaning allows not only to free up gigabytes of usable space, but also significantly improves the responsiveness of the interface. In this article, we will discuss which components can be deactivated without risking the stability of the operating system.

Before we start radical measures, it is important to understand the difference between conventional and system applications. Standard methods can only remove a small part of programs through the settings menu. Deep cleaning will require the use of specialized tools such as ADB (Android Debug Bridge). Removing critical system components can lead to a cyclic device restart (bootloop), so act strictly according to instructions.

Analysis of pre-installed software on Redmi 9T

Redmi smartphones come with a MIUI shell that contains many built-in services, some of which are essential for the basic functioning of the phone, while others are used to advertise or promote the manufacturer’s ecosystem, and understanding the purpose of each package is the first step to secure optimization.

Many users mistakenly delete applications that run the system framework or update service, which can cause the touch screen to function unstable, communication to go missing, or call inability to make calls, so it is recommended to create a full backup before starting the procedure.

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Before removing any system components, back up your contacts and important data to your Mi Cloud or Google Drive cloud service.

It's worth noting that some apps, like GetApps or Mi Video, are part of the company's marketing strategy: They don't affect hardware, but they can display advertising notifications, and removing them is safe and often a priority for power users.

Safe removal through smartphone settings

The easiest and safest way to free up space is to use the built-in functionality of the Android operating system, which does not require a computer connection or special knowledge, but the list of programs available for removal is limited only to user software.

To start, you need to go to the settings menu of your Redmi 9T. Find the section responsible for managing installed programs. Here you will see a complete list of everything that takes up space on the internal drive.

Follow the following steps to remove available applications:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Annexes → All applications.
• 🔍 Find unnecessary programs in the list, for example, WPS Office, Facebook or Netflix.
• 🗑️ Click on the app icon and select the Remove button at the bottom of the screen.

If the delete button is inactive (gray), it means that the application is system-based, and in this case, it will not be possible to remove it using standard methods, and trying to disable such programs through the menu can be a temporary solution, since after updating the system, they can be activated again.

Using ADB for deep cleaning of the system

Removing system components that are hidden from the average user requires a computer and an ADB utility. This tool allows you to send commands directly to the Android operating system, bypassing standard interface constraints.

Before you start work, you need to activate the USB debugging mode on your Redmi 9T. To do this, go to Settings → About your phone and quickly click on the MIUI build number seven times. After you notice that you have become a developer, in the menu Additional → For developers, turn on the Debugging by USB item.

Connect your smartphone to your computer via a high-quality cable. You'll see a request for debugging permission on your device screen -- make sure you tick "Always Allow" and confirm the action. Then, on your computer in the command line, while in the ADB folder, type in a command to check the connection:

adb devices

If the serial number of your device with device status is displayed on the list, then the connection is established. Now you can proceed to delete the packets.

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

It is important to know the exact package name, which is often different from the app name. For example, YouTube may be called com.google.android.youtube. Using the wrong name can lead to the removal of the wrong component.

List of applications that can be removed

There is a list of components that are largely removed without affecting the underlying functionality of Redmi 9T. These include competitors’ cloud storage services, promotional modules, and pre-installed games. Below is a table with the main packages to be cleaned.

The MSA (MIUI System Ads) package is responsible for displaying ads in system applications, removing or disabling it greatly improves the comfort of using a smartphone, but keep in mind that the system may try to restore it every time you connect to Wi-Fi.

It is also safe to remove various widgets such as Google News, Google One (if you are not a subscriber) and third-party antiviruses if they were preinstalled.This will free up RAM, as such programs often hang in the background.

⚠️ Note: Deleting packages associated with com.miui.securitycenter or com.android.providers.downloads may disrupt the task manager and download files from the Internet. Be extremely careful with components that have the name "Security" or "Download".

Critical components: what to remove is prohibited

Redmi 9T has a core of processes that you can't touch, not just Google Play services, but Xiaomi-specific services, and if you delete those components wrongly, you'll turn your smartphone into a brick or you'll make mistakes.

Avoid removing packages that contain the Framework, Settings or Provider name, which allow for interaction between hardware and the software shell, without which the phone will not be able to properly work with a SIM card, Wi-Fi module or Bluetooth.

List of processes that should be left alone:

• 🚫 com.android.phone – responsible for calls and mobile network.
• 🚫 com.miui.cloudservice – required for Mi Account and device search.
• 🚫 com.google.android.gms – basic services of Google, without them do not work maps and many games.
• 🚫 com.xiaomi.finddevice is a critical security feature for locking a stolen phone.

Even if you're sure you don't need an app, check the forums for a specific model before you uninstall.Sometimes a MIUI update changes the dependencies between packages, and what worked in the previous version can become critical in the new version.

Recovery of Remote Applications

The good news is that removing apps from ADB with the --user 0 flag doesn't physically erase files from the partition; it just hides them for the current user, which means you can always get it back if you notice a malfunction.

To restore the remote component, you use the cmd package install-existing command, you will need to connect Redmi 9T to your computer again and start the command line.

adb shell cmd package install-existing com.xiaomi.mipicks

Once the command is executed, the application will appear in the menu or in the list of installed programs, which makes the ADB method relatively safe compared to obtaining Root rights, where restoring the system may not be possible without flashing.

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Using ADB to remove is a reversible process, and you can restore a standard set of applications with the install-existing command at any time.

It is recommended to keep a text file with a list of deleted packets, write down the names there before deleting, which will save time in case you have to deal with the restoration of the smartphone.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)