Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often notice a component called the Mi Store in the installed list. This system element raises many questions, since its icon can suddenly appear on the desktop, and in the background it consumes Internet traffic. Users are rightly concerned: is it malware or a hidden miner stealing the resources of the device?
In fact, the Mi Store is a legitimate app developed by Xiaomi itself to promote its products and services, and it is responsible for displaying promotional offers, promotions in the company's official store and recommendations for buying accessories, and understanding its purpose will help you decide whether to keep it active or turn it off to improve the performance of the gadget.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the technical aspects of the service, explain why it can be aggressive, and provide step-by-step instructions for managing its access, and learn how to safely limit its impact on the system without risking disrupting the basic functions of the smartphone.
The main purpose of the system component of the Mi Store
The Mi Store goes beyond just notifying you about discounts, a full-fledged marketing tool integrated into the MIUI (or HyperOS) shell, and its main goal is to create an ecosystem where you get offers to buy a case, a security glass or a new gadget directly from the interface, often linked to Mi Pay and other loyalty services.
Developers are embedding these modules to monetize budget devices. Because Xiaomi smartphones are often sold at a minimal margin, the company compensates for advertising and promotion through software channels. Mi Store analyzes your actions to offer relevant products, which on the one hand is convenient, and on the other — invades privacy.
⚠️ Note: If an application requires extended contact or geolocation permissions without an explicit need, this could be a sign of malfunction or forgery.The original system Mi Store typically only requests access to the network and device status.
It is worth noting that in different regions of the firmware (Global, Chinese, Indonesian) the behavior of this component may differ, and in Chinese versions of ROM it is often more intrusive, as it is focused on the domestic market with its specific services.
Why does the app appear on the screen and consume battery
Many users are faced with a situation where the store icon appears “out of nowhere”, this is due to updates to the system components of the MSA (MIUI System Ads) or the Mi Store itself. After the update, the system can automatically add a shortcut to the desktop, believing that the user will be comfortable with quick access to shares.
In terms of battery consumption, it's twofold: the process itself doesn't have to be very stressful, but if it's always hanging in memory waiting for a network request to load new ads, it leads to a phantom discharge, especially on older smartphone models where resources are limited.
- 📉 Constant background search for product catalog updates.
- 📡 Active use of mobile Internet to download media content.
- 🔔 Push notifications that wake up the screen and processor.
If you notice that the Mi Store is using more than 5-7% of its charge per day, it's a signal of a failure, it may be in a cycle of errors or conflict with another system process, in which case the standard behavior is to force the stop and clear the cache.
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For a quick check of battery consumption, go to Settings → Battery → Consumption and sort the list by descending. This will show the real energy eaters.
The difference between the Mi Store from GetApps and Google Play
Xiaomi smartphone owners often confuse three different app stores. It is important to understand the difference so as not to remove excess or, conversely, not to leave malicious software. GetApps (formerly Mi Apps) is the official Xiaomi app store, analogous to Google Play, but with content from Xiaomi. It is necessary for updating system applications.
The Mi Store is a hardware store, not software, not a game or utility, but a physical device or service, and the confusion is caused by the similarity of names and logos, but functionally they are different modules.
| Characteristics | Mi Store | GetApps | Google Play |
|---|---|---|---|
| Substantive function | Sale of gadgets and accessories | Xiaomi App Store | The main Android app store |
| Necessity | Not necessarily (advertising) | Preferably (updates) | Critically important |
| Impact on the system | Promotional notices | Background update | Security and updates |
Removing GetApps can lead to errors when updating standard applications (cameras, galleries), while disabling the Mi Store passes for the system without a trace, only removing the advertising channel.
Instructions for disabling advertising and notifications
If you don't want to completely remove system components, you can just disable them, and the safest way to do that is to disable notifications, and it won't disrupt the system, but it will remove annoying pop-ups.
To perform the settings, go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification Management. Go to the Mi Store and MSA list. Inside the menu, turn off the Allow Notifications slider. It is also recommended to go to the advanced settings and uncheck the Marketing Notifications categories.
☑️ Checklist for disabling ads
Additionally, you should limit background activity. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications, find the service you want and select Saving Charge → No restrictions (off) or Limit background activity. This will prevent the process from constantly starting in the background.
⚠️ Note: Do not attempt to remove system applications through third-party file managers without root rights.This can lead to a cyclic bootloop and loss of warranty.
Methods for Safely Removing System Applications
For those who want to get rid of the Mi Store, there are more radical methods. The standard "Delete" button for system applications is often not available, and this uses the "Disable" method, which hides the application and stops it from working, while leaving files in the system in case of a reset.
A more advanced way is to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting a smartphone to a computer, which allows you to delete or hide packets for the current user without breaking the system. The command goes something like this: pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.xiaomi.mipicks (the name of the package may vary depending on the firmware version).
- 🔌 Put the debugging on. USB menu "For developers».
- 💻 Install. ADB-Drivers and Utilities on PC.
- 📱 Connect your phone and enter a command to hide the packet.
How to return a remote application via ADB?
Remember that completely removing (wipe) system components can disrupt other services that depend on them, for example, desktop widgets or smart home features may stop correctly displaying data about discounts or new devices.
Possible risks and problems after manipulation
Interfering with Xiaomi’s system processes always carries certain risks. Once you turn off the Mi Store, you may find that some widgets will stop updating or display an error.
In rare cases, especially on older versions of MIUI, aggressive removal of system packages led to persistent errors, "Process com.android.systemui has stopped." If you notice unstable interface performance after cleaning, it is better to reset to factory settings.
Also, consider that after a reset or major firmware update (for example, switching from MIUI 13 to 14), all your ad-disabled settings may go off, the system will restore the standard settings, and the Mi Store will start to be active again.
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The safest way is not to remove the application completely, but to use the “Disable” function in the application settings or limit its background activity.