Picked up a new Xiaomi phone (or maybe you’ve had one for a while) and noticed a bunch of pre-installed apps you didn’t ask for? Stuff like extra browsers, music players, or various tools you’ll never use? That’s commonly called bloatware. It takes up storage space, can run in the background using resources, and sometimes even sends annoying notifications.
It’s a common frustration with many phone brands, and Xiaomi’s MIUI is known for having its share. I remember feeling annoyed by icons for apps I never opened cluttering my app drawer. While you can’t truly uninstall these system apps without rooting your phone (which can void your warranty and is more complex), there’s a very effective way to disable them without needing root access. This makes them disappear from your app drawer and stops them from running.
This guide will show you how to use a tool called ADB (Android Debug Bridge) on a computer to safely disable that unwanted bloatware on your Xiaomi phone.
Why Get Rid of Bloatware?
Even if you can’t completely remove system apps without root, disabling them offers several benefits:
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Shopping ad
- USA MARKET ONLY WORK ON TMOBILE BOOST MINT TELLO OR ANY UNDER TMOBILE NETWORK PHONE NEEDS A SIM CARD ALREADY ACTIVATED ,OUTSIDE USA WORKS ANY GSM CARRIER SIM GSM FCC ID: 2AFZZPC0AG
- Dual SIM (nano SIM + nano SIM or nano SIM + eSIM) (NO MICRO SD) 5G: 5G SA: n1/2/3/5/7/8/20/26/28/38/40/41/66*(70M)//77/78/485G NSA: n1/3/5/7/8/20/28/38/40/41/66*(70M)/77/784G LTE TDD: B38/40/41/42/484G LTE FDD: B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/18/19/20/26/28/66*(70M)/713G WCDMA: 1/2/4/5/6/8/192G GSM: 2/3/5/8Supports 4x4 MIMO*5G SA/NSA N66(70M) and 4G B66(70M): UL 1710MHz~1780MHz, DL 2110MHz~2180MHz*5G connectivity may vary based on region availability and local operator support.
- 6.83" 1.5K 120Hz ultra-bright AMOLED displayResolution: 2772 x 1280Contrast ratio: 8,000,000:1Refresh rate: Up to 120Hz*Refresh rate can be adjusted to up to 120Hz for supported apps.Peak brightness: 3500 nits covering 25% display areaHBM brightness: 2000 nitsTypical brightness: 800 n: 2560Hz*480Hz touch sampling rate is activated under Game Turbo Mode.*2560Hz instant touch sampling rate is activated under Game Turbo Mode.12-bit color depth, 68 billion colorsDCI-P3 wide display 2.0HDR10+TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light (Hardware Solution) CertifiedTÜV Rheinland Flicker Free CertifiedTÜV Rheinland Circadian Friendly CertifiedDolby VisionCorning Gorilla Glass 7i
- MediaTek Dimensity 9500s3nm manufacturing process1 x Cortex-X925, up to 3.73GHz3 x Cortex-X4, up to 3.3GHz4 x Cortex-A720, up to 2.4GHzImmortalis-G925 MC11NPU 890 - 8500mAh (typ)100W HyperChargeUSB Type-C charging portUp to 27W reverse chargingSupports PD3.0/PD2.0Smart charging
- Wi-Fi Protocol: Wi-Fi 7/ Wi-Fi 6/ Wi-Fi 5/ Wi-Fi 4 and 802.11a/b/g*Wi-Fi 7/Wi-Fi 6 capability may vary based on regional availability and local network support. Wi-Fi connectivity (including Wi-Fi frequency bands, Wi-Fi standards and other features as ratified in IEEE Standard 802.11 specifications) may vary based on regional availability and local network support. The function may be added via OTA when and where applicable.WLAN frequency: 2.4G Wi-Fi | 5G Wi-FiSupports Multi-Link Operation, 2x2 MIMO, 8x8 Sounding for MU-MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct, MiracastBluetooth 6.0, Dual-BluetoothSupports SBC / AAC / LDAC / LHDC 5.0 / LC3 / ASHA / AuracastNFC
- Frees Up App Drawer: Get rid of clutter and see only the apps you actually use.
- Reclaims Storage Space: While the app data isn’t fully deleted, disabling frees up some space and prevents updates to those apps.
- Improves Performance: Stops unwanted apps from running in the background, potentially making your phone snappier.
- Reduces Notifications: Fewer unnecessary apps means fewer unwanted notifications.
Understanding “Uninstall” Without Root (ADB Method)
When we talk about “uninstalling” bloatware using the ADB method without root, it’s important to know you’re not deleting the app file from the system partition. The ADB command pm uninstall –user 0 <package_name> actually disables the app specifically for the current user profile (user 0).
Why is this good?
- It achieves the main goal: the app is hidden and doesn’t run.
- It’s safer: you can’t accidentally delete a critical system file needed for the phone to boot.
- It’s reversible: you can easily re-enable the app later if you find you need it or if disabling it caused an unexpected issue.
Prerequisites: What You Need
To follow this guide, you will need:
- Your Xiaomi Phone running MIUI.
- A Computer (Windows, macOS, or Linux).
- A USB Data Cable to connect your phone to your computer (make sure it’s not just a charging cable).
- ADB Platform Tools: These are the necessary command-line tools from Google. You need to download these.
- (Optional but Recommended) An App to find package names on your phone.
Step 1: Enable Developer Options on Your Xiaomi Phone
Shopping ad
- USA MARKET ONLY WORK ON TMOBILE MINT TELLO OR ANY UNDER TMOBILE NETWORK PHONE NEEDS A SIM CARD ALREADY ACTIVATED ,OUTSIDE USA WORKS ANY GSM CARRIER SIM GSM FCC ID: 2AFZZRA29G
- Dual SIM (nano SIM + nano SIM or nano SIM + eSIM) NO MICRO SD SLOT. 5G: n1/2/3/5/7/8/12/20/26/28/38/40/41/48/66/77/78 - 4G: LTE FDD: 1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B12/B13/B17/B18/B19/B20/B26/B28/B32/B66 4G: LTE TDD: B38/B40/B41/B42/B48 - 3G: WCDMA: B1/B2/B4/B5/B6/B8/B19 - 2G: GSM: B2/B3/B5/B8
- 6.83" AMOLED displayResolution: 1.5K (2772 x 1280)Refresh rate: Up to 120HzTouch sampling rate: Up to 480HzInstantaneous touch sampling rate: 2560Hz*Activated in Game Turbo modeBrightness: 3200 nits peak brightnessBrightness: HBM 1800 nitsColor depth: 12bitContrast ratio: 8000000:1DCI- P3 wide color gamut447PPICorning Gorilla Glass Victus 2Sunlight displayHDR10+ | Dolby Vision16,000-step automatic brightness adjustment3840Hz PWM dimming|TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light (Hardware Solution) Certified | TÜV Rheinland Circadian Friendly Certified | TÜV Rheinland Flicker Free Certified
- MediaTek Dimensity 7400-Ultra4nm manufacturing process technologyCPU: Octa-core processor, up to 2.6GHzGPU: Mali-G615
- 200MP main cameraOptical Image Stabilization (OIS)0.56μm, 16in1, 2.24μmf/1.77P lens1/1.4" sensor size8MP ultra-wide cameraf/2.2Rear camera video recording4K at 30 fps1080p at 30/60 fps720p at 30 fps / Front Camera 20MP front camera1/4" sensor sizef/2.24P lensFront camera video recording1080p at 30/60 fps720p at 30 fps
Developer options unlock advanced settings, including the crucial USB Debugging.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
- Open your phone’s Settings app.
- Scroll down and tap on About phone.
- Find the MIUI version.
- Tap on “MIUI version” about 7-10 times rapidly. You’ll see a toast message saying “You are now a developer!”
Step 2: Enable USB Debugging
Now that Developer Options are unlocked, you can turn on USB Debugging.
- Go back to the main Settings menu.
- Scroll down and tap on Additional settings.
- Tap on Developer options. (If you don’t see it, it might be under System).
- Scroll down and find USB debugging. Tap the toggle switch to turn it On.
- You might see a warning message about USB debugging. Read it and tap OK.
- When you connect your phone to the computer later, your phone will likely ask you to “Allow USB debugging?” for that specific computer. Check the box for “Always allow from this computer” and tap Allow. This step is crucial for the computer to communicate with the phone.
Step 3: Download and Set Up ADB Platform Tools on Your Computer
Shopping ad
- International Model - No Warranty in US. USA ONLY COMPATIBLE WITH TMOBILE / MINT, TELLO GLOBAL VERSION . ****** Does NOT Work With Verizon Sprint Boost Metro Pcs At&t Cricket ***** . Unlocked Worldwide . - FCC ID: 2AFZZPNFAG
- Dual Nano sim 5G + eSIM (No micro SD support): 5G: Supports NSA + SA5G: 5G SA: 1/2/3/5/7/8/12/20/25/26/28/38/40/41/48/66/75/77/78 5G NSA: n1/3/5/7/8/20/28/38/40/41/66/75/77/78: 4G: LTE FDD: B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/25/26/28/32/66 4G: LTE TDD: B38/39/40/41/42/48: 3G: UMTS: B1/2/4/5/6/8/192G: GSM: B2/3/5/8 Supports 4x4 MIMO
- Leica Summilux optical lensVARIO-SUMMILUX 1:1.62-3.0/15-115 ASPH.Leica 23mm main camera50MPLight Fusion 900 image sensor2.4μm 4-in-1 Super Pixelf/1.62OIS23mm equivalent focal lengthLeica 115mm super telephoto camera50MPf/3.0OIS115mm equivalent focal lengthLeica 15mm ultra-wide camera12MPf/2.215mm equivalent focal lengthFOV 120° Rear camera video recording8K (7680x4320) video recording at 30fps4K (3840x2160) video recording at 30 fps, 60 fps, 120 fps1080p (1920x1080) HD video recording at 30 fps, 60 fps720p (1280x720) HD video recording at 30 fpsSlow motion video:720p 120fps, 240fps, 960fps1080p 120fps, 240fps, 960fps.
- 6.83" 144Hz eye-care displayFlat displayCorning Gorilla Glass 7iLIPO technology: Low-injection Pressure Over-moldingPeak brightness: 3200nits covering 25% display areaMaterial: AMOLEDResolution: 2772 x 1280, 447ppiRefresh rate: Up to 144Hz refresh rate*Touch sampling rate: 480Hz touch sampling rate, 2560Hz instantaneous touch sampling rate*Color gamut: DCI-P3Color depth: 68 billion colorsDC dimmingOriginal color PRO | Pro HDR | Wet touch technologyHDR10+ CertifiedTÜV The screen supports a maximum refresh rate of 144Hz. .*2560Hz instantaneous touch sampling rate needs to be activated in Game Turbo mode
- MediaTek Dimensity 9400+3nm manufacturing processCPU:1 x Cortex-X925, up to 3.73GHz3 x Cortex-X4, up to 3.3GHz4 x Cortex-A720, up to 2.4GHzGPU:Immortalis-G925 MC12 - AI:NPU 890
You need the ADB tools to send commands to your phone.
- Go to the official Android developer website
- Download the SDK Platform-Tools for your computer’s operating system (Windows, Mac, or Linux).
- The download will be a ZIP file. Extract the contents of this ZIP file to a folder that’s easy to access and remember. A common place is to create a folder named adb directly on the C: drive (C:\adb) on Windows, or just extract it to your Downloads folder and navigate there in the terminal on Mac/Linux. This extracted folder contains the adb executable file.
- Open a Command Prompt or Terminal Window:
- On Windows: Open the extracted platform-tools (or adb) folder. In the address bar at the top, type cmd and press Enter. A command prompt window will open already located in that folder.
- On macOS or Linux: Open the Terminal application. Use the cd command to navigate to the folder where you extracted the platform tools (e.g., cd Downloads/platform-tools/).
Step 4: Connect Phone to Computer and Verify ADB Connection
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteConnect your phone and make sure your computer can see it using ADB.
Shopping ad
- USA MARKET ONLY WORK ON TMOBILE MINT TELLO OR ANY UNDER TMOBILE NETWORK PHONE NEEDS A SIM CARD ALREADY ACTIVATED ,OUTSIDE USA WORKS ANY GSM CARRIER SIM GSM FCC ID: 2AFZZRN76L
- SIM1 + Hybrid* (SIM or MicroSD), supports dual 4G : 4G: 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/20/28/ 4G: LTE TDD: Band 38/40/41 3G: WCDMA: Band 2/4/5/8 2G: GSM: Quad Band.
- 6.67" AMOLED displayResolution: 2400 × 1080Refresh rate: Up to 120HzTouch sampling rate: 240HzBrightness: 1800nits peak brightnessBrightness: HBM 1200 nits (typ)Color depth: 8 bitContrast ratio: 5,000,000:1100% DCI- P3 wide color gamutPPI 394Corning Gorilla Glass 5Sunlight displayReading mode960Hz PWM dimming|TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light Certification (Hardware solution) | TÜV Rheinland Circadian Friendly Certification | TÜV Rheinland Flicker Free CertificationSGS Low Blue Light Certification
- Helio G99-Ultra6nm manufacturing process technologyCPU: Octa-core processor, up to 2.2GHzGPU: Mali-G57 MC2
- Proximity sensor | Ambient light sensor | Accelerometer | Electronic compass | IR blaster | Gyroscope / Bluetooth 5.3Wi-Fi Protocol: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac / Supports 2.4GHz Wi-Fi | 5GHz Wi-Fi Supports Wi-Fi Direct
- Connect your Xiaomi phone to your computer using the USB data cable.
- If prompted on your phone, tap to Allow USB debugging for this computer (and check the “Always allow” box).
- In the Command Prompt/Terminal window that you opened in the ADB folder, type the following command and press Enter: adb devices
- Check the Output: You should see a list of connected devices. Your phone should appear with a serial number followed by device.
- List of devices attached
- abcdef123456 device
- If you see unauthorized instead of device, look at your phone screen; it’s likely waiting for you to authorize the computer. Tap “Allow”.
- If you don’t see any devices listed, try a different USB port or cable. You might need to install specific Xiaomi or Android USB drivers on your computer (search online for “Xiaomi USB drivers” if needed).
Step 5: Find the Package Names of Bloatware Apps
You need the exact technical name (package name) for each app you want to disable. You can’t guess these.
- Install a Package Name Viewer App: The easiest way is to install a free app from the Google Play Store on your phone designed to show package names. Search for apps like “App Inspector,” “Package Name Viewer,” or similar.
- Use the App: Open the package name viewer app. It will list all apps installed on your phone, both user apps and system apps. Scroll through the list to find the bloatware app you want to remove (e.g., “Mi Video,” “Mi Music,” “Calculator”). Note down the corresponding package name (e.g., com.miui.videoplayer, com.miui.music, com.miui.calculator).
- 🔥 IMPORTANT WARNING 🔥: Be extremely cautious about which apps you disable. DO NOT disable system apps that are critical for the phone’s basic functions. This includes apps like:
- MIUI Launcher (unless you have another launcher installed and know how to recover)
- System UI
- MIUI Security
- Dialer, Contacts, Messaging (unless you have replacements)
- Any apps related to core system framework, updates, or basic functionality.
- If you are unsure about a package name, search online (e.g., “Is com.miui.yellowpage safe to uninstall?”). It is much safer to disable widely known bloatware (like extra browsers, photo editors, specific games, some Mi apps like Weather, Clock, Calendar if you use Google’s instead) that can often be re-installed from the Play Store anyway.
Step 6: Use ADB Commands to Disable Bloatware
Now you will use the commands to disable the apps using the package names you found.
- In your Command Prompt/Terminal window (that’s still in the ADB folder), type the following command and press Enter: adb shell (The prompt will change, indicating you are now sending commands to the phone’s shell).
- Now, use the pm uninstall command. Type the command below, replacing <package_name> with the actual package name you want to disable, and press Enter: pm uninstall –user 0 <package_name>
- Example: To disable the Mi Video app, the command would be: pm uninstall –user 0 com.miui.videoplayer
- Check the Output: If successful, you will see Success printed in the command window. If there was an error, you might see a message like Failure [not installed for user 0] (maybe you typed the package name wrong or it’s already disabled/uninstalled) or another error.
- Repeat: Repeat the pm uninstall –user 0 <package_name> command for each piece of bloatware you want to disable, using the correct package name each time.
- Once you are finished disabling apps, you can type exit and press Enter to leave the adb shell, and then close the command window.
Check your phone’s app drawer – the icons for the disabled apps should now be gone! You might also notice a bit more free space and potentially smoother performance.
Recommended Free Tools
How to Re-enable a Disabled App
Mistakenly disabled an app you needed? Or want an app back later?
- For Many Apps: Check the Google Play Store first. Many apps that come pre-installed (like Calculator, Calendar, Mi Music, Mi Video) can be found and re-installed directly from the Play Store. This is the easiest way.
- Using ADB Command: If the app isn’t on the Play Store or you prefer the command method, you can re-enable it using ADB.
- Follow Steps 1-4 again to enable USB debugging, connect your phone, and open a Command Prompt/Terminal in your ADB folder.
- Type adb shell and press Enter.
- Type the following command, replacing <package_name> with the name of the app you want to bring back, and press Enter: cmd package install-existing <package_name>
- Example: To re-enable the Mi Video app: cmd package install-existing com.miui.videoplayer
- You should see output indicating success. Type exit and Enter to leave the shell. The app icon should reappear in your app drawer.
Summary of Methods to Deal with Bloatware
- Standard Phone Settings (Limited): Go to Settings > Apps > Manage apps. Some third-party bloatware might have an “Uninstall” button here. Most system apps will only have “Disable” or neither option available. This is the simplest but least effective method for true bloatware.
- ADB Method (Recommended Non-Root): Use ADB commands from a computer to disable unwanted system apps for your user profile. This is the method detailed in this guide. It’s safe and reversible.
- Rooting (Advanced/Not Covered Here): Unlocking your phone’s bootloader and rooting allows full system access. This does let you completely uninstall system apps, but it’s more complex, carries higher risks (bricking your device), voids your warranty, and requires more technical knowledge. This guide focuses on the non-root ADB method specifically because it’s safer and sufficient for disabling bloatware for most users.
Using the ADB method to disable bloatware is a great way to clean up your Xiaomi phone, improve performance slightly, and take back control of your device without the risks associated with rooting. It might seem technical at first, but follow the steps carefully, especially when identifying safe apps to disable, and you’ll find it’s a straightforward process that makes a noticeable difference.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.



