How to uninstall applications on Xiaomi Redmi 5: from standard to system

The Xiaomi Redmi 5, despite its age, remains a popular device, but over time it inevitably becomes a gargantuan digital junk. A lot of pre-installed programs, games and services you’ve never used take up precious memory space, slowing down the MIUI interface, creating friezes and not having enough space to install the right software. Cleaning up the device is the first step to extending its life cycle.

The process of uninstallation may seem simple, but there are nuances in the MIUI shell that not everyone knows about. Some icons simply hide from the desktop while staying in the system, while others require special rights or use a computer to completely remove. In this article, we will discuss all the available methods, from standard settings to advanced tools for experienced owners.

You will learn how to safely get rid of bloatware (advertising and system debris) without disrupting the stability of the Android operating system. We will look at the regular tools, the capabilities of the developer menu and third-party utilities that will help return your gadget to its previous speed.

Standard removal of user applications

The easiest and safest way to free up space is to remove programs that you downloaded yourself from the Google Play store or installed through the Google Play Store. APK-Xiaomi Redmi 5 owners can do this right from the desktop without going into the complicated settings menus, just find an unnecessary icon and pinch it with your finger for a few seconds.

After a long press, a pop-up menu will appear, where you select the option to remove or drag the shortcut to the basket, which is usually displayed at the top of the screen.The system immediately requests confirmation of action to prevent accidental data loss. This method is suitable for 90% of all installed games, social networks and utilities.

However, if you can't find the icon on your desktop, it may be in the folder or it may be hidden, so you should go to the menu of all apps (swipe up the screen) and repeat the procedure, and if the delete button is gray or missing, it means that it is a system component, and standard methods will not remove it.

• 📱 Press the app icon on the home screen before the vibration appears.
• 🗑️ Drag the shortcut to the cart that appears or click the "Delete" button".
• ✅ Confirm the action in the system pop-up window.
• 🔄 Repeat the procedure for all unnecessary user programs.

It's important to understand the difference between deleting and disabling. Standard deleting completely erases program files and cache from the device's internal memory. This frees up space and removes processes from RAM. By contrast, disabling just hides the application and stops it from working, but the files remain on the disk.

Remove through MIUI system settings

If you can't find all the programs you've installed on your desktop, you can use the settings menu to help you find them, and you can see the full list of all the software you've installed, including the hidden system processes, and you can open Settings to access it, and scroll down to the App.

In the menu that opens, select the All Apps tab, and here you will see the full list of programs, sorted by alphabet or usage date. Clicking on any application, you will be taken to the control menu where the Remove button will be available. If the application is system-based and not deletionable, this button will be inactive or replaced with Disable.

⚠️ Be very careful when removing applications with names that contain the words "System", "Framework", "Services" or "Google". Removing critical components can lead to a cyclic reboot or loss of communication.

In the same menu, you can clear the cache and application data before you delete it. This is useful if the program takes up a lot of space because of the accumulated temporary files. Press Memory, then Clear. After that, the weight of the application will decrease, and the deletion will go faster.

The MIUI shell also has a built-in tool to manage permissions and autoruns. Even if you don't uninstall the application, it's recommended to go to the Autorun menu and prevent unnecessary programs from running.This will significantly reduce the load on the processor and battery of your Redmi 5.

Working with pre-installed software and advertising

Xiaomi smartphones often come pre-installed with apps from third-party developers, such as games, booking services or news aggregators. Often referred to as "bloatware." Redmi 5 users can uninstall most of them in the standard way, but some may resist.

To remove such programs, you sometimes need to first disable them, and then, after rebooting, try to delete again. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications, find an unnecessary service, click Disable and confirm the action.

Another way to combat intrusive software is to disable app recommendations in folders. MIUI likes to suggest installing games when you open the app folder. To remove this feature, go to Settings inside the folder and turn off Recommended.

• 🚫 Turn off automatic recommendation settings in folder settings.
• 📂 Review the Tools and Google folders for garbage.
• 🛡️ Use the built-in antivirus to look for potentially malware.
• ⚙️ In the "Security" menu, turn off receiving advertising recommendations (MSA).

The process deserves special attention. MSA (MIUI System Ads. It's a system service that's responsible for displaying ads in the interface. It can't be removed without root permissions, but you can turn it off. Search for "Get recommendations" settings and turn off this switch. It will remove ads in standard applications.

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Before you delete an unknown application, search for its name in a search engine, often with an innocuous name that hides an important driver or service utility that will disrupt your phone.

Using ADB for Advanced Removal

If standard methods do not help get rid of system debris, a tool comes to the rescue. ADB (Android Debug Bridge is a powerful tool from Google that allows you to control your smartphone from a computer. To work with Xiaomi Redmi 5, you will need a PC, USB-cable and installed drivers.

The first step is to activate USB debugging mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly press 7 times on MIUI Version. You will be a developer. Then go to Advanced Settings → Developer and turn on the USB Debugging Toggle.

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.bloatware_name

Once you connect your phone to your computer and authorize debugging, you can enter commands to delete packets. The command above removes the application for the current user without affecting the system partition, which is safe to guarantee. However, knowing the exact package name is imperative.

Using ADB requires care. Miswriting a command or deleting the wrong package can lead to unstable work.Always check the name of the package before typing a command.There are ready-made lists of safe packets to remove for each Xiaomi model.

Resetting to factory settings as a radical method

When the accumulated garbage and errors in the application registry make the Xiaomi Redmi 5 work unbearable, the last argument remains: a complete reset, which will return the device to the “out of the box” state by removing absolutely all user data and applications.

Before starting the procedure, be sure to back up your contacts, photos and important documents. Reset will destroy all information without the possibility of recovery through the cart. Go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Recovery and Reset.

Select Reset and confirm the action. The phone will reboot and start the cleaning process, which can take 5 to 15 minutes. Once turned on, you will get a clean system where there will only be standard Xiaomi and Google apps.

⚠️ Warning: Make sure the battery is at least 50-60% Interrupting the process due to battery discharge can cause software damage and the need to flash through the computer.

This method is most effective for combating virus software that masquerades as system processes and is not deleted by the usual methods. After a reset, it is recommended not to restore all applications immediately from a Google backup, but to install them again to avoid returning old problems.

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A complete reset is not a panacea, but a last resort, and is only effective when combined with changing smartphone usage habits and avoiding installing questionable software.

Optimization and prevention after cleaning

Once you have removed the extra apps, it is important to keep the system clean. Regular prevention will help Redmi 5 run fast for a long time, do not install applications from unknown sources and avoid "accelerators" and "cleaners", which are themselves a source of advertising.

Use the built-in Security app to periodically clean the cache. It is also recommended to check the autorun list once a month and turn off the extra one. Keep an eye out for system updates, as newer versions of MIUI often fix security holes and optimize memory consumption.

Remember, the space on the internal drive directly affects the speed of work. Try to keep at least 15-20% of the total memory free. If there is not enough internal storage, transfer photos and videos to a memory card or to the cloud storage.

• 🧹 Once a week, clear the cache of messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp), they take up the most space.
• 📉 Turn off animations in the Developer Menu for visual acceleration.
• 🔒 Do not give applications unnecessary permissions (access to contacts, microphone).
• 📲 Remove apps that haven’t been used for more than a month.

Compliance with these simple rules will allow you to forget about lags and memory shortages. Your Xiaomi will be happy with stable operation, and the battery will last longer due to the lack of background processes of advertising modules.