Share Me on Xiaomi: Why do you need this app and can you get rid of it?

If you own a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphone, you’ve probably noticed a mysterious Share Me app on your installed list. It comes out of the box on most of the brand’s devices, but not everyone understands its purpose. Some consider it a useful tool for sharing files, others consider it an unnecessary block that occupies space in memory. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what Share Me is, how it works, whether it’s safe for data and whether it should be deleted.

Share Me is Xiaomi’s proprietary wireless file transfer solution, similar to Apple’s AirDrop or Google’s Nearby Share. But it has its own features that set it apart from its competitors. In an era where instant messengers and cloud storage have become the way to share data, local solutions like Share Me often remain in the shadows. But are they as useless as they seem?

What is Share Me and how does it work?

Share Me (formerly known as Mi Drop) is a standard application from Xiaomi, designed to transfer files between devices via Wi-Fi Direct or through a hotspot. The main advantage of the program is that there is no need for an Internet connection: files are transferred directly between gadgets, which speeds up the process and saves traffic.

The application supports transfer of almost any type of files:

• 📷 Photos and videos (including formats.HEIC,.RAW)
• 🎵 Music and audio files (.MP3,.FLAC,.WAV)
• 📄 Documents (.PDF,.DOCX,.XLSX)
• 📦 Archives (.ZIP,.RAR) and APK-file
• 📱 Calendar Contacts and Data (in format.VCF)

To transfer files, both devices must have the Share Me app installed (or its counterpart on other platforms). The transfer speed depends on the supported Wi-Fi standards: on modern Xiaomi smartphones with Wi-Fi 6, it can reach up to 50 MB / s, which is comparable to USB 2.0. However, in practice, the speed is often limited to 10-20 MB / s due to interference and protocol features.

Share Me is different from Mi Drop and other analogues

Many users confuse Share Me with its predecessor, Mi Drop. In fact, it is the same application, just renamed in 2020 as part of the rebranding of Xiaomi services. Functionally, the changes were minimal: improved interface, added support for new file formats, but the principle of operation remained the same.

Compare Share Me with popular analogues:

An important nuance: Share Me by default hides file transfers from Android system logs, which can make it harder to track data exchange history. Unlike Nearby Share, where all transactions are logged, you will have to rely on memory or third-party file managers.

Share Me Security: Can I Trust the App?

One of the big questions users are concerned about is how secure is it to transfer files over Share Me? Unlike cloud services, where data flows through a company's servers, it's directly between devices.

• ✅ Pros: No risk of data leakage to third-party servers (unlike WeTransfer or Mail.ru Cloud).
• ✅ Files are not saved in the application cache after transfer.
• ⚠️ Cons: When connecting through a hotspot, it is theoretically possible to intercept traffic (although in practice this is unlikely without specialized equipment).
• ⚠️ There is no end-to-end encryption (unlike Signal or Telegram).

From a privacy perspective, Share Me does not collect metadata about the files being transferred (such as their contents or names), but captures device IMEIs and session timestamps, which are used to improve the service, but not shared with third parties, Xiaomi itself states in its privacy policy.

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Before transferring sensitive files (such as document scans) through Share Me, turn off the “Visibility for All” feature in the app settings. Use Contacts Only mode to minimize risks.

⚠️ In 2022, security researchers discovered a vulnerability in the Share Me protocol that allows you to swap files when transferring over open Wi-Fi networks. MIUI 13 and newer: If your smartphone is running an older firmware version, it is recommended to update it before using the app.

How to use Share Me: step-by-step instructions

Share Me is easier than it sounds, and here is a universal guide for all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones:

1. Activate the app: Open Settings → Connections and Sharing → Share Me. Turn the switch on to “On.” Select visibility mode: “Contacts Only” or “All” (the second option is less secure).
2. Select files to transfer: Open the Gallery, Files or other application with the desired content. Select files and click Share → Select Share Me.
3. Connect the second device: On the second smartphone, also open Share Me and wait for the first device to appear on the list. Confirm the connection on both devices.

Start transmission:

• Click "Send" on the first device and "Accept" on the second.
• Wait until the process is complete (don’t leave the application!).

Turn off the power saving mode on both devices |

Make sure there is enough free space on the receiving device.|

Activate Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (even if you use a hotspot)|

Close background applications that consume Internet traffic-->

If the transmission is suspended or interrupted, try:

• 🔄 Reset Share Me on both devices.
• 📶 Switch from Wi-Fi Direct to the hotspot (or vice versa) in the application settings.
• 🛠️ Clear the application cache in Settings → Annexes → Share Me → Warehouse.

Can I remove Share Me and how to do it?

Share Me is a system application of MIUI, so you can't just uninstall it, but there are a few ways to get rid of it or at least disable it:

1. Disable (no root rights): Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Share Me. Click Disable (the app will disappear from the menu, but will remain in the system).

Removal via ADB (for advanced users):

Hiding the icon:

• Use launchers like Nova Launcher or POCO Launcher, where you can hide your system applications.