Why MIUI 11 is clogging memory with unnecessary apps and how to fix it
Xiaomi’s MIUI 11 shell is known for its abundance of pre-installed apps, many of which users never run. Even on new devices — from the budget Redmi 8A to the flagship Mi 9 Pro — up to 20-30% of internal memory is occupied by services that duplicate the features of Google Play Services or have no practical use at all. For example, Mi Video and Mi Music often idle when users prefer YouTube and Spotify.
The problem is compounded by the fact that MIUI aggressively caches data even for unused applications, which leads to the fact that after a few months of operation, the smartphone begins to “brake”, and in the Settings section, the device is used for the first time. → You see tens of megabytes (and sometimes gigabytes) of garbage in your memory, but not all applications can be removed by standard means — some are protected by the system and require superuser rights or ADB-team.
In this article, we will understand:
- 🔍 What Xiaomi apps can be removed without root rights (through settings)
- 🛠️ How to safely uninstall system services with the help of ADB
- ⚠️ What programs cannot be removed (risk of disrupting work) MIUI)
- 📊 Table by category: “Safe”, “Caution”, “Dangerous"
Before you start cleaning, back up your data through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset. This will help restore the system if something goes wrong.
List of Xiaomi apps that can be removed without root rights
These programs can be uninstalled directly from the Settings menu → Applications → Application Management. They are not critical to the system and usually duplicate the functions of third-party services:
- 🎵 Mi Music (com.miui.player) is a music player that is replaced by Spotify or Spotify. VK Music.
- 🎬 Mi Video (com.miui.videoplayer) is a video player with limited codecs. VLC or MX Player.
- 📖 Mi Browser (com.android.browser) – a browser with ads. Replace it with Chrome or Firefox.
- 📱 Mi Drop (com.xiaomi.midrop) is a Wi-Fi file transfer service, with alternatives: ShareIt or Nearby Share.
- 💬 Mi Community (com.xiaomi.xmsf) is a fan forum for the brand, useful only to enthusiasts.
- 🛒 GetApps (com.xiaomi.mipicks) is a proprietary app store with a limited range of products.
- 📡 Mi Remote (com.duokan.phone.remotecontroller) – remote control. You only need if you control equipment through an infrared port.
- 🎮 Game Center (com.xiaomi.gamecenter.sdk.service) is a service for gamers. It's useless if you don't play mobile games.
For removal:
- Open the Settings → Applications.
- Put it on the right app.
- Press "Delete" (if the button is active).
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If the Remove button is inactive, try first disabling the app and then uninstall the updates via Settings. → Annexes → ☰ → Show system-based.
How to Uninstall Xiaomi System Applications via ADB (No Root Rights)
Some programs can’t be removed through the menu, but you can uninstall them using Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which doesn’t require root rights, but requires connecting your smartphone to your PC.
- 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB-driver.
- 📱 Smartphone with enabled debugging USB (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI → 7 times to tap → Return to the Extra → For developers).
- 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
Step-by-step:
- Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm the debugging permission.
- Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with the platform-tools.
- Enter the command: Adb devices Make sure the device is identified.
- To remove the application, use: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 title.package For example, for Mi Browser: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.browser
List of safe packets to remove via ADB:
| Annex | Packet name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mi Calendar | com.android.calendar | Xiaomi Calendar. You can replace it with Google Calendar. |
| Mi Mail | com.android.email | Email client. Useless when using Gmail or Outlook. |
| Mi Notes | com.miui.notes | Notes. Alternatives: Google Keep, Evernote. |
| Mi Scanner | com.xiaomi.scanner | Scanner. QR-It duplicates the functions of the camera. |
| Security (Security) | com.miui.guardprovider | Antivirus and optimizer. You can turn it off if you use third-party solutions. |
Debugging is on. USB|Installed ADB-PC drivers|Smartphone connected in file transfer mode|Backup of important data is made|The device model has been tested (not all commands work on all versions). MIUI)
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What if the ADB can’t see the device?
What Xiaomi apps should not be removed (risk of “bricking”)
Some system services are critical to MIUI 11, and their removal may result in:
- 🔄 Cyclical reboot (bootloop).
- 📵 Network loss (mobile internet and calls will not work).
- 🔧 Interface malfunction (icons, settings disappear).
List of dangerous packages (don't touch them!):
- ⚠️ com.android.phone – Telephone services (calls, SMS).
- ⚠️ com.android.settings - System settings.
- ⚠️ com.miui.home – Launcher (desktop).
- ⚠️ com.miui.system - Core MIUI.
- ⚠️ com.qualcomm.qti.telephonyservice - Communication module (on Snapdragon).
- ⚠️ com.miui.weather2 — Weather widget (remove - the weather will disappear on the main screen).
⚠️ Warning: If after removing the application, the smartphone stopped booting, try resetting through Restore Mode (Power) + In extreme cases, you will need to flash through the Mi Flash Tool.
Also avoid removal:
- 🔋 Google Play Services (com.google.android.gms) – Many apps won’t work without them.
- 🔒 Mi Account (com.xiaomi.account) – responsible for authorization in Xiaomi services.
- 📶 Communication modules (packages with telephony or ril in the title).
How to Disable Unnecessary System Applications Without Deleting
If you're not sure about the security of the deletion, you can disable the programs that you don't need, and that will stop them and free up RAM, but the files will stay on the device.
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Select an app (such as Mi Browser).
- Press "Disable" (if the button is active).
- Confirm the action.
Disconnection is safe for the following services:
- 📺 Mi TV (com.mitv.tvhome – if you don’t use the Mi Box.
- 🎵 Mi Radio (com.miui.fm) — FM-radio (rarely used).
- 📦 Mi Pay (com.mipay.wallet) – payment service (only in China/India).
- 📊 Analytics (com.miui.analytics) – statistics collection (can be turned off without consequences).
After disabling the application will disappear from the menu, but will remain in the list Settings → Annexes → They're offline, they can be returned anytime.
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Disabling is a safer way than uninstalling. If your smartphone starts to glittle after it's turned off, just turn the app back on.
What to do if MIUI 11 becomes unstable after deleting applications
If you have removed a critical package and faced problems, there are several ways to get it back up:
- Recovery via ADB: Connect your smartphone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell cmd package install-existing title.package For example, to return Mi Browser: adb shell cmd package install-existing com.android.browser
- Reset to factory settings: Go to Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset → Reset. Attention: This will delete all data from the device!
- Flashing through Mi Flash Tool: Download the official firmware for your model from the Xiaomi website and flash your smartphone in Fastboot mode.
If the smartphone does not turn on:
- Press Power + Vol Up to enter Recovery Mode.
- Select Wipe Data (reset) or connect to a PC for firmware.
⚠️ Note: Some models (for example, Redmi Note 8 Pro with Mediatek processor) require authorization of the Mi Account for firmware. If you forget the password, use the recovery service.
Alternative ways to free up memory on Xiaomi with MIUI 11
If removing apps hasn’t solved the memory problem, try these methods:
- 🧹 Cache Clearing: Go to Settings → Memory. → Clear the cache, it'll free up until 1-3 GB space.
- 🗑️ Remove duplicate files: Use applications like Files by Google or CCleaner to find repetitive photos and videos.
- ☁️ Transfer files to the cloud: Upload photos and documents to Google Drive or Mi Cloud, then delete local copies.
- 🔄 Disable Auto-Update Apps: Go to Settings on Google Play → Auto-update of applications → Never.
- 📁 Memory card usage: If your smartphone supports microSD, transfer media to it via Settings → Memory. → By default, write down SD-map.
Important: On some models (for example, Redmi Note 7) MIUI 11 does not allow transfer of applications to SD-In this case, only cleaning the internal memory or replacing the card with a more capacious one will help.