What apps can be removed from Xiaomi

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face crowded internal memory and intrusive advertising immediately after buying a device. The standard shell of MIUI or HyperOS contains many pre-installed programs that the average user does not always need. Many of them consume battery power in the background and take up precious space, slowing down the system. Which is why the question of which applications can be removed in Xiaomi without risking the stability of the system remains one of the most pressing.

There is a misconception that any extra application is bad for performance and should be erased immediately. In fact, there are critical services in the Android operating system that will make the phone a brick or lose some functionality, such as the ability to call or connect to Wi-Fi. In this article, we will discuss a detailed list of safe programs to remove, consider methods for uninstallation and point out those components that are absolutely not worth touching.

Features of the MIUI shell and built-in software

Xiaomi is known for installing a large number of its own software into its devices, both global versions and Chinese builds. MIUI and the new HyperOS are based on Android, but have profound code changes that allow manufacturers to implement their services at the system level, some of which are simply shortcuts for quick access to Google or Mi Account services, and others are full-fledged system processes.

When analyzing the installed list, users often see names in Chinese or English, making it difficult to decide whether to delete. System applications often don't have a "Delete" button in the standard settings menu, offering only the "Disable" option. This is a security mechanism to prevent critical components from being accidentally deleted. However, there are ways to get around these restrictions if you know exactly what a particular package does.

It is important to understand the difference between user applications and system components: the first are browsers, stores, games and utilities that can be safely demolished; the second are drivers, update services and frameworks; the removal of some system packages can lead to an endless reboot of the device, known as bootloop, or loss of communication.

Safe to remove Xiaomi apps

Let's start with a list of programs that are mostly painless to the operating system, and these applications are often called "bloatware," which is bloated software that doesn't carry a critical functional load for the basic operation of a smartphone, and you can safely get rid of them if you don't actively use the brand ecosystem.

• 📺 Mi Video and Mi Music: standard players that are easily replaced by third-party counterparts like VLC You can take down YouTube Music, and you can take down the space and remove the extra notifications.
• 🧹 Cleaner: A built-in memory cleaning utility that many experts consider redundant because Android can manage memory itself and third-party cleaners often work more efficiently.
• 🛡️ Security: A comprehensive application that combines antivirus, accelerator and permission settings, and can be removed if you are confident in what you are doing, but it’s best to simply turn off the ads inside it.
• 🌐 Mi Browser: a standard browser that often contains many ad integrations, and Chrome or Firefox is a popular privacy solution.

Also safe to remove components include various analytics and advertising services, such as MSA (MIUI System Ads), which significantly reduces the number of pop-ups in the system. However, be careful with the Mi Cloud package if you use contact and photo synchronization, removing this component will break communication with the cloud, but will not break the phone.

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Before removing system applications through ADB, it is strongly recommended to make a full backup of important data to an external medium or to the Google cloud.

Another group of programs that are often removed are duplicates of Google services, where in some regions Xiaomi preinstalles its own maps, mailboxes or app stores alongside Google products, and if you're used to the Google ecosystem, their Chinese or local counterparts can be ruthlessly erased.

System components: what can not be removed

There is a list of applications that will cause the device to run in an unstable way or lose functionality completely. A critical component is the System Framework, which is responsible for the interaction of all parts of the operating system, and its removal or modification is guaranteed to make it impossible to boot the smartphone.

First of all, never touch any components that are connected to telephony or communication. SIM-Maps, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and mobile data. Even if you don't think you're using Bluetooth, removing the associated system packet could disrupt other communication modules tied to shared libraries.

⚠️ Note: Do not remove apps called Google Play Services, Google Services Framework, or Device Health Services without them, push notifications, geolocation in other apps, and account sync will stop working.

Also, avoid removing the components that make the screen and touchscreen work, even if they seem unnecessary in the process list. Often, obscure names like Touch Assistant or Gesture Control hide basic interface management functions. If you remove them, the touch screen may stop responding to touch, and you can only get it back through flashing.

Instructions for Computer Removal (ADB)

The most effective and safe way to remove system applications that are not removed in the standard way is to use USB debugging and the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) utility. This method does not require root rights, which saves the warranty on the device and makes it easy to return all changes back in case of an error.

To start, you need to activate the developer mode. Go to Settings. → About the phone and quickly press 7 times on the item "Version" MIUI» or "Version" OS». After that, the menu will appear in the section "Advanced settings" or "Additional", where you need to find "For developers" and include the item "Debugging by USB».

Once you connect your smartphone to your computer and confirm the encryption keys on your phone screen, you can start deleting them. You'll need a list of application batch names. The removal command is as follows:

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

For example, to remove Mi Video, the command will look like an adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.videoplayer. The --user 0 flag means that the application is only removed for the current user, not completely from the system. This allows you to restore the application at any time by simply resetting the settings to the factory, since the installation file remains in the system partition.

Handbook of packet names for deletion

For ease of use with ADB, we have prepared a table with the most common Xiaomi packages that can be safely removed. Package names may vary slightly depending on the firmware version and region, so always check the exact name before typing in the command.

Using this table allows you to quickly find the desired component. However, remember that in different versions of shells (Global, China, EEA) prefixes can change. Always use the command adb shell pm list packages to find the exact name if in doubt.

Recovery of Remote System Applications

Since the method is ADB flag-headed --user 0 non-wash APK-The file is completely from the system partition, the recovery of the remote application is very fast. You don't have to search for the installation file or reflash the phone.

To return the remote component, use the following instructions:

adb shell cmd package install-existing name packet

This command will return the application to the installed list for the current user. If you removed a critical component and the phone stopped loading (got into the bootloop), you will need to enter Recovery mode. Modern versions of MIUI often have the option of Connect with MIAssistant or the ability to connect to a PC to reset settings, which will also restore the standard set of applications.

⚠️ Warning: If the phone doesn't work properly after you delete an app, don't panic. 99% of the time, a simple factory reset via the Recovery menu helps. + volume up when the phone is turned off).

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Using ADB with a user 0 flag allows you to remove applications reversibly, without the need to flash the device in case of errors.

Alternative Optimization Methods Without Removal

If you don't want to risk system stability using the command line, there are softer methods to deal with excess software. The standard "Disable" function in application settings (Settings → Applications → All Applications) allows you to freeze the program. It will disappear from the installed list, stop updating and consume resources, but will remain on the disk.

You can also limit the background activity of heavy applications, and in the Battery and Performance menu, you can prevent specific programs from running in the background or auto-starting, which is often more effective than completely uninstalling, since some system services will still try to start their dependencies.

For advanced users, there are management apps like Universal Android Debloater that provide a GUI to work with ADB. They automatically mark safe to remove packets in green and dangerous ones in red, minimizing the risk of error for the inexperienced user.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)