How to Uninstall Bloatware from Xiaomi Without Root

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:

• 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?

1. It achieves the main goal: the app is hidden and doesn’t run.
2. It’s safer: you can’t accidentally delete a critical system file needed for the phone to boot.
3. 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:

1. Your Xiaomi Phone running MIUI.
2. A Computer (Windows, macOS, or Linux).
3. A USB Data Cable to connect your phone to your computer (make sure it’s not just a charging cable).
4. ADB Platform Tools: These are the necessary command-line tools from Google. You need to download these.
5. (Optional but Recommended) An App to find package names on your phone.

Step 1: Enable Developer Options on Your Xiaomi Phone

Developer options unlock advanced settings, including the crucial USB Debugging.

1. Open your phone’s Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap on About phone.
3. Find the MIUI version.
4. 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.

1. Go back to the main Settings menu.
2. Scroll down and tap on Additional settings.
3. Tap on Developer options. (If you don’t see it, it might be under System).
4. Scroll down and find USB debugging. Tap the toggle switch to turn it On.
5. You might see a warning message about USB debugging. Read it and tap OK.
6. 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

You need the ADB tools to send commands to your phone.

1. Go to the official Android developer website
2. Download the SDK Platform-Tools for your computer’s operating system (Windows, Mac, or Linux).
3. 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.
4. 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

Connect your phone and make sure your computer can see it using ADB.

1. Connect your Xiaomi phone to your computer using the USB data cable.
2. If prompted on your phone, tap to Allow USB debugging for this computer (and check the “Always allow” box).
3. In the Command Prompt/Terminal window that you opened in the ADB folder, type the following command and press Enter: adb devices
4. Check the Output: You should see a list of connected devices. Your phone should appear with a serial number followed by device.
5. List of devices attached
6. 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.

1. 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).
2. 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
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

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.
  1. Follow Steps 1-4 again to enable USB debugging, connect your phone, and open a Command Prompt/Terminal in your ADB folder.
  2. Type adb shell and press Enter.
  3. 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
  4. 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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.