MiDrive on Xiaomi: purpose, features and instructions for removal

If you own a Xiaomi smartphone, you may have noticed a mysterious service called MiDrive on the app list. Many users wonder what kind of program it is, why it takes up space in the device's memory and can it be painlessly removed? In this article, we will discuss in detail the purpose of MiDrive, its connection to the Mi Cloud cloud storage, and assess the risks and consequences of deletion.

It's important to understand that Xiaomi is actively integrating its services into MIUI firmware, and some of them are running in the background, consuming resources. MiDrive is no exception. However, unlike system components like com.android.phone, its role is not always obvious. Next, we will analyze what the application solves, how it interacts with other Xiaomi services, and what happens if it is deactivated or removed.

What is MiDrive and what is it for?

MiDrive is a built-in file synchronization service developed by Xiaomi to integrate with the Mi Cloud cloud storage, and its main task is to automatically back up user data (photos, videos, documents) and provide access to it from different devices, essentially analogous to Google Drive or iCloud, but from the Xiaomi ecosystem.

The service is paired with com.miui.cloudservice and com.xiaomi.cloud, the system components responsible for cloud synchronization. Without MiDrive, some Mi Cloud features may not work properly, such as:

• 📁 Automatic upload of photos/video to the cloud when connected to Wi-Fi.
• 🔄 Synchronize notes, contacts, and calendars between Xiaomi devices.
• 📱 Backup SMS, call history and system settings.
• 🔗 File sharing via Mi Share (if cloud buffer is used).

But not all users are actively using Mi Cloud, and MiDrive itself can use traffic and battery power in the background, which is what makes you want to get rid of it, but before you make a decision, it is worth assessing how the application affects the smartphone.

How does MiDrive connect to Mi Cloud and other Xiaomi services?

MiDrive is just part of the Mi Cloud ecosystem, which includes several interconnected components, and to see if it can be removed, you need to understand the architecture of Xiaomi synchronization services:

If you delete the MiDrive, then:

• ✅ Photos/video will no longer automatically upload to the Mi Cloud.
• ✅ The ability to view cloud files through Files → Mi Cloud will disappear.
• ⚠️ Some Mi Share features may be slower (if you use a cloud buffer).
• ❌ Will not affect the synchronization of contacts, SMS or notes, but other components are responsible for them.

Critical feature: on some models (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi Note 12), MiDrive is integrated into the system partition and does not have a separate APK. In this case, it can only be disabled, but not removed completely.

Does MiDrive consume smartphone resources?

One of the main arguments for removing the MiDrive is its impact on performance, and let's see how much resources it actually consumes.

According to tests on devices with MIUI 14 and HyperOS, the application consumes:

• 📶 Traffic: up to 50–100 MB per month (if autouploading is enabled).
• 🔋 Battery: 0.5–1.5% charge per day (active synchronization).
• 💾 Memory: ~30–50MB (the app itself) + cache up to 200MB.
• 🖥️ CPU: Short-term spikes of up to 5–10% when downloading files.

By comparison, Google Photos consumes 2-3 times more traffic in a similar mode, so MiDrive is not a voracious service, but if you don’t use Mi Cloud, it’s really redundant.

⚠️ Warning: On some firmware (e.g., MIUI Global), MiDrive can start even after a forced stop through Settings → Applications.This is due to triggers from com.miui.cloudservice that restart the service when connected to Wi-Fi.

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To check your actual MiDrive consumption, go to Settings → Battery → Battery Use and sort the consumption list for the past week. If the app takes less than 1%, removing it will not give you a noticeable boost in autonomy.

Can I remove MiDrive without consequences?

Technically, MiDrive can be removed, but there are nuances depending on the model of the smartphone and the firmware version.

1. Disconnection (no root rights)

The safest way is to deactivate the application through settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find MiDrive (or com.miui.midrive).
3. Click Disable (if the button is active).
4. Confirm the action and restart the device.

This method does not delete the application files, but stops it from working. Minus: after the update MIUI, the service can be activated again.

2. Removal via ADB (no root rights)

If you cannot disable MiDrive, you can remove it via ADB:

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.midrive

This command removes the application only for the current user, without affecting system files, and is suitable for most devices on MIUI 12-14 and HyperOS.

⚠️ Warning: On some models (e.g., POCO F5 or Redmi K60), MiDrive may be part of the com.miui.cloudservice package. In this case, deleting it will cause synchronization errors of contacts and notes. Before executing the command, check the dependency using adb shell dumpsys package com.miui.midrive.

3. Complete removal (requires root rights)

If you have root, you can delete MiDrive along with its data:

su


mount -o rw,remount /system




rm -rf /system/priv-app/MiDrive




rm -rf /data/data/com.miui.midrive




mount -o ro,remount /system

This method is guaranteed to remove the service, but requires caution: an error in commands can lead to bootloop (a looped boot).

Check the version of MIUI in Settings → About the phone

Create a backup of data through Settings → Additional → Backup

Make sure you have your sync disabled in Mi Cloud

Connect the device to the PC and activate Debugging over USB

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What happens if you remove MiDrive: possible problems

While MiDrive is not a critical component, removing it may have the following consequences:

The most common problem after deletion is the inability to use the Quick File Transfer function to Mi Share if it uses a cloud buffer. Some users also note that after deleting MiDrive, automatic backup stops working before updating the firmware (com.miui.backup is responsible for this, but the services are related).

Critical: On HyperOS devices (such as Xiaomi 14 or Redmi K70), MiDrive may be part of the new com.xiaomi.hyperos.cloud module, which will render all cloud functions, including password and browser data synchronization, inoperable.

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If you don’t use Mi Cloud, removing MiDrive won’t harm your system, but it will make it impossible for you to automatically sync files. Alternatives (Google Drive, Mega) are often more functional.

MiDrive Alternatives: How to Replace the Built-in Service?

If you’ve decided to get rid of MiDrive but want to keep the backup option, consider the following alternatives:

• 📁 Google Photos: Automatic photo/video download, Google Drive integration, free up to 15 GB.
• ☁️ Dropbox: Reliable cloud storage with autoload function (2GB free).
• 🔗 Syncthing: Decentralized synchronization between cloud-free devices (requires customization).
• 💾 Local Backup: Use FolderSync or Resilio Sync to copy files to a PC or NAS.

For users who want to stay in the Xiaomi ecosystem but don’t trust Mi Cloud, Xiaomi Cloud Pro (payable version with extended storage) or Mi Home Cloud (for backing up smart home settings) are suitable, but these services also depend on com.miui.cloudservice, so you won’t get rid of system components completely.

If you're interested in privacy, look at Proton Drive or Nextcloud, which are client-side encryption services that are not integrated into MIUI, but offer a higher level of protection.

Instructions for safe removal of MiDrive

If you're determined to remove MiDrive, follow this step-by-step guide, and we'll look at two methods: through ADB (no root licenses) and using root.

Method 1: Delete via ADB (for most users)

This method is suitable for devices without root rights and does not require unlocking the bootloader.

1. Download and install Platform Tools (includes adb).
2. Enable USB Debugging on your smartphone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times to activate Developer Mode), then Settings → Additional → Developers → Debugging over USB.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute on the command line: Adb devices Make sure the device is defined.
4. Enter the command to delete: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.midrive
5. Reboot your smartphone.

Method 2: Complete removal with root rights

This method is suitable for experienced users with an unlocked bootloader and installed Magisk.

1. Install Root Explorer or Mixplorer with root rights support.
2. Go to /system/priv-app/ and find the MiDrive (or MiCloudDrive) folder.
3. Delete the folder or rename it (e.g., MiDrive_bak).
4. Clear the application data through Settings → Applications → MiDrive → Storage → Clear the data.
5. Reset the device.

⚠️ Warning: On some firmware (e.g., MIUI China), MiDrive may be protected from removal via SELinux, which requires deactivating the protection by the adb shell setenforce 0 command, but this is a temporary solution - after the reboot, the protection will be restored.

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Before deleting, check if MiDrive is used to sync data in other applications. For example, Mi Browser can save bookmarks in Mi Cloud, Mi Notes can save notes. Open each application and check your sync settings.

FAQ: Frequent questions about MiDrive