“Yellow pages” in smartphones Xiaomi: hidden opportunities and alternatives

If you own a Xiaomi smartphone based on MIUI and notice the strange name "Yellow Pages" (or Yellow Pages in the English version), do not rush to remove it. It is not a virus or advertising software - but an embedded service from the company itself, which many users mistaken for junk software. In fact, it has a very specific purpose, although not always obvious.

In this article, we’ll go into detail about what the Yellow Pages app on Xiaomi is, how it relates to the Mi ecosystem, why it can’t be removed in standard ways, and what similar services can be used instead, and how to turn off its notifications if they interfere, and whether it’s worth using in 2026.

What are the Yellow Pages on Xiaomi and why do you need them?

The Mi Yellow Pages app is a MIUI-built directory of organizations and services designed by Xiaomi specifically for the Chinese and some Asian markets, essentially analogous to classic phone directories (hence the name), but adapted for mobile devices.

• 🔍 Search for nearest shops, restaurants, hospitals and other establishments by category.
• 📞 Call directly from the app or save contacts to the phone book.
• 📍 View the location of organizations on the map (integration with Baidu Maps or Google Maps, depending on the region).
• ⭐ Read reviews and ratings (in some versions).

It’s important to understand that the service was originally designed for Chinese audiences, and in Russia, Europe and elsewhere, its functionality is often limited or useless due to the lack of a current database, yet Xiaomi doesn’t remove it from even global firmware, which raises questions among users.

Why does the app stay on? First, it's part of the Mi ecosystem, which includes a lot of pre-installed services (e.g. Mi Browser, Mi Video), and second, in some Asian countries, Yellow Pages are really in demand, like India or Indonesia, where not everyone has access to Google Maps or 2GIS.

How the application works: interface and basic functions

The interface of the Yellow Pages is minimalist and resembles other Xiaomi services.

• 🏠 Main screen with search bar and categories (food, shopping, services, etc.).
• 📍 Map with the nearest establishments (if geolocation is included).
• 🔖 Favourite – Frequently used contacts can be saved here.
• 👤 Profile (in Chinese version) with search history and settings.

To find an organization, you just search for its name or category, for example, if you want a restaurant nearby, the app will show you a list of establishments with addresses, phones and sometimes reviews, but in Russian firmware, the database is often empty or contains outdated information, since Xiaomi does not update it for our region.

Another feature is integration with other Mi services. For example, if you find a store in the Yellow Pages, you can immediately open it in Mi Maps (if installed), or save the contact in Mi Contacts. In theory, this is convenient, but in practice it does not always work correctly.

Can You Remove Yellow Pages from Xiaomi and How to Do It?

You can't remove the app with standard tools, because it's system-based and uninstallable, but there are a few ways to get rid of it:

1. Disable: Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management, find Yellow Pages, click Disable. This will hide the icon and stop the background processes.
2. Removal through ADB (for advanced users: Connect your phone to your PC, enable debugging USB and execute the command: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.yellowpage ⚠️ Note: This may disrupt other system services if they are dependent on the Yellow Pages».
3. Using patches for MIUI: With tools like Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools or Magisk modules, you can uninstall the application without root rights.

If you are not sure about your skills, it is better to limit yourself to shutting down. Complete removal can cause MIUI to malfunction, especially if the service is integrated with other components of the system (for example, Mi Account or Mi Cloud).

Make a backup copy of the data|Enable debugging on USB developer-setting|Install drivers ADB PC-only|Download the Android platform SDK Tools|Check the application code (com.miui.yellowpage)-->

Alternatives to the Yellow Pages on Xiaomi: What to use instead

If the built-in directory doesn’t suit you, there are plenty of more convenient and relevant alternatives:

For most Xiaomi users in Russia, 2GIS or Yandex.Maps are the best choice, and not only do they show up-to-date data, they also offer additional features like routing, viewing restaurant menus, or seeing doctors.

If you want maximum privacy, look for OsmAnd, an offline map based on OpenStreetMap without collecting personal data, but the database of organizations there is less detailed.

💡

To keep Yellow Pages in the system, you just need to disable notifications from the application. Go to Settings → Notifications → Yellow Pages and deactivate all switches.

Why Yellow Pages are consuming battery and traffic: How to fix it

Many users complain that the app works in the background, even if it is not used, because the service:

• 📡 Updates the database periodically (if you have an internet connection).
• 📍 Tracks geolocation to show nearby organizations.
• 🔔 Sends notifications about “useful” establishments nearby (often spam).

To reduce the consumption of resources:

1. Turn off background activity: In the application settings (Settings → Apps → Yellow Pages → Battery), select Limit background activity.
2. Disable geolocation access: Go to Settings → Privacy → Permissions → Yellow Pages and turn off Location.
3. Turn off auto-update: In the application settings, find the Data Update and deactivate it.

Even if the app continues to “eat” the battery, you can only turn it off or delete it (see the previous section), and you can use tools like Greenify to freeze unnecessary system services.

💡

Turning off geolocation and background activity for Yellow Pages will not only save battery power, but also reduce unnecessary notifications.

Security and privacy: What the app knows about you

Like any geolocation and search service, Yellow Pages collects some user data, and according to Xiaomi’s privacy policy, the app can:

• 📍 Track location (if permitted) to show nearby organizations.
• 🔍 Keep your search history (in some versions).
• 📱 Collect information about the device (model, version) MIUI, language).

⚠️ Note: In the Chinese version MIUI Data may be transferred to Xiaomi servers in China, raising compliance questions GDPR In global firmware, the collection of information is usually limited, but it cannot be completely eliminated.

To minimize the risks:

1. Stop using the app if you don’t need it.
2. Turn off all permissions (geolocation, access to contacts, etc.).
3. Use alternative services with a more transparent privacy policy (e.g. DuckDuckGo Maps).

If you are very concerned about security, consider switching to custom firmware (like LineageOS) that doesn’t have Xiaomi services pre-installed, however, this requires unlocking the bootloader and may take you out of warranty.

The future of the Yellow Pages: Should we wait for updates?

Xiaomi has not announced any significant updates to the Yellow Pages outside of China, and in recent versions of MIUI (such as MIUI 14 and HyperOS), the app is often hidden from the user or absent from global builds, which could mean that the company is gradually abandoning the service in favor of more versatile solutions.

Instead of developing its own directory, Xiaomi will integrate third-party services into MIUI, such as some regions already have built-in support for Google Maps or local mapping services, and it is possible that the functionality of the Yellow Pages will eventually move to Mi Browser or Mi Search.

If you still want to follow the news about the service, pay attention to the official announcements of Xiaomi or the updates to MIUI. However, you should not expect revolutionary changes – the company’s priority remains other areas (for example, the development of HyperOS or the IoT ecosystem).

FAQ: Frequent questions about the Yellow Pages on Xiaomi