Removing games on Xiaomi: from simple applications to system software

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face a situation where the internal memory of the device fills up too quickly. One of the main reasons for the lack of gigabytes is gaming applications that not only take up space when installed, but also overgrow gigabytes of cache during use.

The process of uninstallation on the shell of MIUI and the new HyperOS may vary depending on the type of application. If conventional programs are removed with a single click, then the situation is more complicated with preinstalled software or system components. In this article, we will discuss all possible methods, from standard to advanced, that will help you regain precious space.

It is worth noting that deleting a game is not always just dragging an icon to the cart. Some processes require care to not disrupt the operating system. We will look at safe cleaning methods that ensure that your Xiaomi or Redmi will continue to work steadily and unnecessary files disappear forever.

Standard removal through the desktop

The most obvious and quick way to get rid of an unwanted toy is to use the built-in desktop functionality, which is suitable for 90% of all user applications that have been downloaded from Google Play or Mi Store.

Click on the icon and hold your finger until the vibration and context menu appear. Depending on the version of the MIUI shell, you will either see a pop-up with the Remove button or the icon will turn into a trash can at the top or bottom of the screen. Drag the app icon into the basket to start the uninstallation process.

If you have a menu with multiple options on the screen, select Delete. The system will ask you to confirm the action, as all game data, including saves and settings, will be irretrievably lost. Once confirmed, the icon will disappear, and the space will immediately become available for use.

⚠️ Note: With standard desktop deletion, the app cache also erases.If you plan to reinstall the game later and save progress, make sure your data is synced with your Google Play Games or Xiaomi Account account.

Sometimes standard deletion may not work properly if the game-related processes are running in the background, in which case the system may give an error or simply not respond to the command, then move on to a deeper analysis through the device settings.

Removal through smartphone settings

The settings menu provides more detailed control over the installed software, where you can not only remove the application, but also pre-clean its data, which is useful if the game freezes or behaves incorrectly before removal. Go to Settings and find the item "Apps".

In the list that opens, select All Apps. You will see a complete list of installed software, sorted by alphabet or usage date. Find the game you want in the list. Note that system applications are often marked with a lock icon or have a grey removal icon, which means that they cannot be standardly uninstalled.

Clicking on the game name will take you to the control menu, which displays space, version and access rights. To remove, click the "Delete" button at the bottom of the screen. If the button is inactive, the application is a system component and the removal of the button requires the rights of a superuser or a user. ADB-team.

The Clean Data feature is also available inside the app management menu, which helps avoid errors associated with blocked files before deleting, especially for online games that can keep an active connection to the server even in the background.

Use of the Security App

Xiaomi smartphones have a powerful system application called Security, which combines antivirus, memory cleanup and application manager, which is often more effective than a standard dispatcher because it can find residual files.

Run the Security app and scroll down to the Management menu. Select Apps. Here's a list of all installed software, divided into categories. You can sort apps by size to find the heaviest games that take up the most space.

Select the game by ticking the box and click the Delete button in the bottom corner, which is unique in that Security can suggest that game-related files that normally remain in memory even after the application itself is uninstalled.

• 📱 Open the Security app on the home screen.
• 🗑️ Go to the "Management" section» → «Annexes».
• ✅ Select the game from the list and confirm the removal.

Regular use of built-in cleaning tools helps keep the system on track, but it’s worth remembering that aggressive cache cleaning can cause games to load a little longer the next time they run, as they will have to recreate temporary files.

Removal of system and pre-installed games

The most challenging category is pre-installed games that come bundled with firmware, often advertising projects or affiliate apps that can't be removed in the usual way, and the uninstall button in the settings is inactive (gray).

To work with these applications, there is a method called "Switch Off," which does not remove files physically from the disk, but completely hides the application from the interface, prohibits it from starting and stopping all related processes, and in fact, the game ceases to occupy RAM and interfere with the user, although the storage space remains occupied.

To disable the app, go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find an unnecessary game, click on it and select the “Disable” option. The system will warn that the app will be removed from the list and will stop updating.

More complex manipulations are required to completely physically remove system games, one option being computer and USB debugging (ADB), a method that requires caution, as removing critical system components can cause the smartphone to malfunction.

Using ADB for Advanced Users

If standard methods don’t work, Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is a developer tool that allows you to control your smartphone from a computer, and you need to turn on the developer mode in your phone settings (clicking 7 times on the build number in the About Phone section) and activate Debugging by USB.

Once you connect your smartphone to your PC and install the drivers, you can send commands through the command line to delete packets. The command looks something like this: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 packet name. The package name is usually com.example.game, you can recognize it in the list of installed applications.

This method allows you to remove even those applications that are marked as system, but are not critical to running the OS. However, there is a rule here: if you are not sure what the package is responsible for, you should not touch it. Deleting the system launcher or Google services can lead to the "bricking" of the device.

There are also graphical shells for ADB, such as Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools, which simplify the process.They automatically define your Xiaomi or Poco model and offer a list of safe to remove apps with clear names, not just technical package names.

Cleaning of residual files after deletion

Even after successful deletion, the smartphone often has tails in its memory, which can be error logs, stored pictures, music, or configuration files, which can take anywhere from a few megabytes to several gigabytes for heavy gaming.

You can use the built-in Explorer to find these files. Go to the root of internal memory and look for folders with names of remote games or developers (such as Android/obb or Android/data). Obb often contains heavy cache files that are not deleted automatically.

Be careful when manually cleaning your Android folder, only remove subfolders that match the names of games already deleted, and accidentally deleting files from other apps can cause them to malfunction.

• 📂 Open the "Conductor" application».
• 🔍 Go to the folder. Android/obb.
• 🗑️ Find folders with names of remote games and delete them.

An alternative to manual cleaning is the use of specialized utilities such as Files by Google or CCleaner, which automatically scan memory for orphaned files and offer them to be safely deleted, freeing up space without risking damage to the system.

Frequent questions and problem-solving

The process of removing games on Xiaomi can be a question, especially when the system resists user actions or errors occur. Below we have collected answers to the most popular questions that will help you understand the nuances of the MIUI and HyperOS shell.

Often users ask why the game is being deleted, but the space is not vacated, because most of the data may be in cache or cloud storage, which is synchronized in the background, and it is worth checking the basket in the Gallery or File Manager if screenshots from the game have been included.

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If the game doesn’t delete and writes “Error”, try to put the smartphone in aerial mode, which will break the connection with the game’s servers, which can block the uninstallation process.

Another common problem is that you can’t remove a child’s app or parental control app, so you need to go to the security or parental control settings and remove the restrictions, and then you can uninstall it.

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Completely removing games on Xiaomi requires a comprehensive approach: from standard uninstallation to manually clearing the cache in obb folders for maximum memory freedom.