Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones are known for their abundance of pre-installed applications, from useful services to intrusive advertising and duplicating utilities. Many users of Redmi, POCO or Black Shark face memory shortages and want to clean up the system of unnecessary software. But how do you distinguish secure-to-remove programs from system components without which the phone will cease to work?
In this article, we will explore the unique features of MIUI 14/15 that affect the ability to uninstall embedded applications, which programs can be removed without root rights, and which will require ADB or special utilities, and analyze the consequences of removing popular services from Mi Video to GetApps, and give a checklist for safe cleaning of the system.
Why Xiaomi has so many pre-installed apps
Xiaomi integrates dozens of its own and third-party services into MIUI for several reasons:
- 📱 Ecosystem MIUI — sync between devices (e.g. Mi Cloud for backups or Mi Home for smart home).
- 💰 Affiliate Agreements – Pre-installed games (Gameloft, NetEase) and services (Facebook, LinkedIn) generate revenue from advertising or installations.
- 🔧 Duplicate functionality – own browser (Mi Browser), music player (Mi Music) and gallery (Mi Gallery) compete with Google services.
- 📊 Analytics and telemetry, programs like MSA (Miui System Ads collects device usage data.
According to research by XDA Developers, the Xiaomi 13 Pro with MIUI 14 has up to 47 pre-installed apps out of the box, of which only 12 are critical to the system’s operation. The rest can be removed or disabled — but here lies the main problem: not all programs are visible in the standard uninstalled menu.
Moreover, Xiaomi is actively using the split APK mechanism – when one application consists of several packages (for example, Mi Browser includes com.android.browser and com.miui.browser). Deleting only one component can lead to errors, so it is important to understand the dependency hierarchy before cleaning.
What applications can be removed without root rights
Starting with MIUI 12, Xiaomi allowed some embedded applications to be removed through standard settings. Here is the full list of safe-to-uninstall programs (relevant to Redmi, POCO, Xiaomi and Black Shark on MIUI 14/15):
- 🎵 Mi Music (com.miui.player) – Music player, duplicates Google Play Music or Spotify.
- 📺 Mi Video (com.miui.videoplayer) - video player with advertising, can be replaced by VLC.
- 📖 Mi Browser (com.android.browser) – browser with integrated advertising, better to use Chrome or Firefox.
- 🎮 Games (com.xiaomi.glgm) – the center of games with intrusive notifications.
- 📦 GetApps (com.xiaomi.mipicks) – a proprietary app store, often offering unnecessary software.
- 📡 Mi Community (com.miui.bbs) – Xiaomi user forum, rarely useful.
- 📱 Mi Remote (com.duokan.phone.remotecontroller) – remote control, if you do not use the IR port.
- 💼 LinkedIn (com.linkedin.android) – a social network for business, pre-installed under a partnership agreement.
- 📺 Mi TV (com.mitv.tvhome – Xiaomi management app TV, uselessly without a TV.
To remove these programs:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Select the desired application and click Delete (if the button is active).
- If there is no button, tap the three dots in the top corner and select Remove.
☑️ Preparation for removal of applications
Attention! On some models (e.g., the POCO F4 GT), the delete button can be hidden even for "safe" applications, in which case disabling through the same Application Management → Disable will help. This will stop background activity and free up some memory.
Hidden System Applications: What Can Be Uninstalled Through ADB
Most of the advertising modules and analytics services in MIUI are hidden from the user, and they cannot be removed by standard methods, but can be uninstalled via ADB (Android Debug Bridge) without obtaining root rights.
| Package name | Description | Can I remove it? | Effects of consequences |
|---|---|---|---|
| com.miui.analytics | Collection of usage statistics | ✅ Yes. | Xiaomi will stop sending data, no impact on work |
| com.xiaomi.midrop | File Manager for Data Transfer | ✅ Yes. | Mi Drop will not work, but you can use alternatives (Nearby Share) |
| com.miui.hybrid | Hybrid service for web applications | ⚠️ Partially. | Some web widgets on the home screen may stop working |
| com.miui.systemAdSolution | Advertising Module in MIUI (MSA) | ✅ Yes. | Advertising in system applications (for example, in Security) will disappear |
| com.android.themes | Themes of MIUI design | ❌ No. | Will cause failures in the launcher and settings |
For removal via ADB:
- Activate Developer Mode (7 times tap the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone).
- Enable USB debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
- Connect your phone to your PC, install ADB Tools, and execute the command: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.analytics (replace com.miui.analytics with the desired package).
How to restore a remote application?
Warning: Deleting com.miui.home or com.android.settings will cause your phone to fail. Also avoid touching the packages with Google in the title, which could disrupt Google Services.
Applications that cannot be removed (risks and consequences)
Some MIUI system components are critical to the stable operation of the device, and their removal can lead to:
- 🔄 Cyclical reboot (bootloop).
- 📵 Loss of mobile communication (if you delete com.android.phone).
- 🔋 Quick battery discharge due to power management failures.
- 🔒 Blocking your Mi Account (if you touch com.xiaomi.account).
Here is a list of the forbidden packets (even through ADB):
- 🚫 com.miui.home - launcher MIUI (Remove – the phone will not boot).
- 🚫 com.android.settings – System settings.
- 🚫 com.android.phone – phone calls and SMS.
- 🚫 com.xiaomi.account – Mi Account services (risk of blocking).
- 🚫 com.miui.securitycenter – Security Center (manages permissions).
- 🚫 com.miui.powerkeeper – battery optimization.
- 🚫 com.google.android.gms – Google Play Services (most apps fail).
💡
Before experimenting with system packages, create a full backup via Mi PC Suite or TWRP. This will help restore the phone if something goes wrong.
Especially careful is to treat packages with the names miui or xiaomi at the beginning - they are often responsible for integration with iron (for example, com.miui.ir manages the IR port, and com.miui.fm — FM-Deleting them will not cause critical failures, but it will deprive you of some functionality.
How to Disable Unnecessary Services Without Deleting
If you're not sure about the safety of the removal or you're afraid of losing functionality, you can turn off unnecessary applications, and this will stop their background activity and save battery life.
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Select the application you want (such as Mi Browser).
- Click Disable (if the button is inactive, click Stop first).
- Confirm the action in the dialog window.
Disabling has several advantages over deleting:
- ✅ No, he doesn't. ADB root.
- ✅ You can easily return the application to work.
- ✅ Does not violate the integrity of the system.
There are, however, downsides:
- ❌ The app will remain in memory (takes up) ~50-300 MB).
- ❌ Some services (e.g, MSA) It can be automatically activated after the update. MIUI.
💡
Disabling is suitable for programs you rarely use but want to save in case of need (such as Mi Remote or Scanner).
To massively disable unnecessary services, you can use the App Inspector utility (available on Google Play), which shows all installed packages and allows you to disable them in batches. But beware: disabling system components (for example, com.miui.daemon) can lead to unstable phone operation.
Removing Advertising and Analytics: Deep Cleaning of MIUI
One of the main problems with MIUI is integrated advertising in system applications (for example, in Security or Themes), and to get rid of it, you need to delete or disable the following packages:
- 📢 com.miui.systemAdSolution – the main module of advertising (MSA).
- 📊 com.miui.analytics – collection of statistics on the use of.
- 🔍 com.miui.msa.global – Global version MSA (firmware).
- 🛒 com.xiaomi.mipicks - GetApps store with obtrusive banners.
After removing these packets through ADB:
- Reboot the phone.
- Check the absence of advertising in: 🔒 Security (com.miui.securitycenter). 🎨 Topics (com.android.themes). 📱 Settings (com.android.settings).
If the ad remains, it may be downloaded through Google Mobile Services, in which case:
- Disable personalized advertising in Google Settings → Advertising.
- Using Blokada or AdGuard to block advertising domains.
💡
To completely remove ads on POCO or Redmi with global firmware (EEA), you may need to flash on Xiaomi.EU, a customized version of MIUI without ads.
Attention! On some models (e.g. Xiaomi 12T), deleting com.miui.systemAdSolution may cause Mi Account malfunctions, in which case it is recommended to only disable the package, rather than delete it completely.
What to do if the phone stops working after removal
If you have deleted your critical package and phone:
- 🔄 Reboots in a cycle (bootloop).
- 📵 Not included or hung on the logo MI.
- 🚨 Errors when running system applications.
Restore the working capacity in several ways:
- Package recovery via ADB (if the phone is turned on): adb shell cmd package install-existing com.miui.home (replace com.miui.home with a remote package).
- Reset to factory settings: Turn off your phone. Press Power button + Volume up to log into Recovery. Select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data.
⚠️ Attention, this will delete all the data on the phone, including photos and apps. SD-map SIM.
Fastboot flashing through Fastboot
- Download the official firmware for your model from the Xiaomi website.
- Use the Mi Flash Tool to install via Fastboot.
After that, the application will return to the factory version, which can be disabled.