How to completely disable the “Pulse from Mail.ru” on the Xiaomi phone: 5 working ways

Mail.ru’s Pulse is one of the most intrusive system apps that is pre-installed on many Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones. Even if you don’t use Mail.ru, the service continues to send notifications about news, weather and “recommended content,” consuming battery power and Internet traffic. Worse, the app often automatically turns on after MIUI updates, and standard deletion via menus doesn’t always work.

In this article, you will find 5 proven ways to turn off Pulse forever, from simple settings to radical methods using ADB. We tested the instructions on MIUI 14 (Android 13/14) and outdated versions up to MIUI 12. If you are tired of spam, read on.

Why is the “Pulse from Mail.ru” appearing on Xiaomi?

The Pulse app (com.mail.ru.pulse) is installed on Xiaomi smartphones under an agreement with Mail.ru Group - this is part of a partnership program that brings additional income to the manufacturer. The service is integrated into MIUI firmware at the level of system applications, so it can not be removed.

The main reasons why users want to get rid of the “Pulse”:

• 📱 Intrusive notifications – even after unsubscribing, they come back after a reboot or update.
• 🔋 Battery consumption – the service works in the background, checking the news and weather.
• 🌐 Data traffic – Pulse uploads content without your consent (up to 50MB per month).
• 🛡️ Data collection – the application has access to geolocation, browser history and other personal data.

It is important to understand that Pulse is not a virus, but its behavior is similar to adware. Unlike viruses, it does not harm the system, but aggressively promotes Mail.ru content.

Method 1: Disabling notifications in application settings

The easiest method is to block Pulse notifications through the Android menu, which won’t delete the app, but at least stop spamming.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search bar, enter Pulse (or com.mail.ru.pulse).
3. Slip on the app, then select Notifications.
4. Turn off the Allow Notifications switch.
5. For reliability, also turn off Sound and Vibration.

⚠️ Attention: After update MIUI You can reset your settings. Check them every 1-2 months.

If the “Pulse” continues to appear in the curtain, try the following method.

Method 2: Limitation of background activity and rights

Even with notifications disabled, Pulse can work in the background, using resources, and to avoid this, you need to manually restrict its rights.

Follow the steps:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Pulse.
2. Choose the Battery. → Limit background activity.
3. In the Permissions section, turn off: 📍 Geolocation 📱 Overlaying on top of other applications 📂 Access to files and media

Mobile data

Background traffic

⚠️ Attention: If after these manipulations, Pulse stopped updating the weather or news, that's OK.

💡

To check if Pulse is turned off, open Settings → Battery → Battery Use and find the app on the list. If it consumes 0%, then background activity is blocked.

Method 3: Removal via ADB (without root)

If previous methods didn’t work, you can remove Pulse completely using Android Debug Bridge (ADB).This doesn’t require super-user rights (root), but you will need a computer.

Step-by-step:

1. Download ADB Tools for Windows/macOS/Linux.
2. Turn on the developer mode: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. Tap the version number 7 times until the notification “You became a developer” appears.

Settings → Additional → For Developers

USB debugging

Connect your phone to your PC and confirm your trust in your computer.

ADB

adb devices

(Your device should be displayed. If not, check the drivers.)

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.mail.ru.pulse

If the command is executed without errors, the Pulse is removed for your user. The application will disappear from the menu, but will remain in the system partition (does not take up space).

Method 4: Using Freeze Applications (without root)

If the ADB didn't work or you don't want to connect your phone to your PC, you can freeze the Pulse with third-party utilities.

• ❄️ App Quarantine (from Google Play) – blocks the launch of applications without removing.
• 🛡️ Package Disabler – Disables system services (requires) ADB to unlock the full functionality).
• 🔧 Debloater Tool (for PC) – removes unnecessary applications in batch.

Example from the App Quarantine:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Provide access to Special Features (in Android settings).
3. Find the “Pulse” in the list and tap the “Frozen”.

⚠️ Note: Some "debloaters" may remove critical system components. Before using, back up through Settings → System system → Backup.

Method 5: Complete removal with root rights

If you have root access (for example, through Magisk), you can delete Pulse permanently, including its updates.

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or FX File Explorer).
2. Go to /system/priv-app/ or /system/app/.
3. Find folders with names: Pulse MailRuPulse com.mail.ru.pulse

.bak

Reboot the phone.

After deleting, Pulse will not return even after resetting or updating MIUI (if you do not reflash the phone completely).

💡

Root removal is the most radical method, and only use it if other methods have not worked, as the wrong actions can lead to unstable system operation.

What if the Pulse is back after the update?

The manufacturer can restore pre-installed applications after MIUI updates.

• 🔄 Turn off automatic updates MIUI In Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → ⚙️ → Auto-update.
• 📥 Install the firmware manually through MIUI bootloader or Xiaomi Community, choosing versions without bloat (EU ROM).
• 🛡️ Use Magisk with Universal Debloater – it blocks the recovery of unwanted applications.

If the Pulse is back, repeat the steps from Method 3 (ADB) or Method 5 (root).

FAQ: Frequent questions about the “Pulse from Mail.ru”