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How to Uninstall and Remove Bloatware Apps on Xiaomi Devices Running MIUI Firmware

Xiaomi devices running MIUI firmware often come with many pre-installed apps that most users may consider bloatware. While some of these apps can be easily uninstalled, others can only be disabled or removed using more advanced methods. Removing this bloatware can free up storage space and improve your device’s performance.

What is Bloatware?

Bloatware refers to apps that come pre-installed on your Xiaomi device which you may not need or want. Some examples include:

  • Promotional apps like Facebook, Amazon Shopping, Booking.com etc.
  • Xiaomi’s own apps like Mi Video, Mi Music, App Vault etc.
  • Google apps like Chrome, Gmail, Maps etc. if you use alternatives
  • Various Xiaomi service apps running in the background

These apps take up storage space, use RAM, consume mobile data and battery life, and can overall slow down your device.

Why Remove Bloatware from Xiaomi Phones?

Here are some of the benefits of removing bloatware:

  • Frees up storage space: Less pre-installed apps means more available storage for your photos, videos, downloaded apps and files.
  • Faster performance: With fewer apps running in the background, your phone will run faster and smoother.
  • Better battery life: Unused apps can’t consume your battery life if they’re not even installed.
  • Enhanced privacy: Some Xiaomi apps may collect usage analytics data without your consent. Removing them enhances privacy.
  • No ads: Some pre-loaded apps are ad-supported, so getting rid of them removes ads.

How to Uninstall Bloatware from Xiaomi Devices

There are a few methods you can use to remove bloatware from MIUI. The difficulty level ranges from easy to moderately difficult.

Using MIUI’s App Info

MIUI has an easy way to uninstall apps directly if the app developer allows it.

  • Go to the app info page (long press icon > App Info)
  • Look for the “Uninstall” button and tap it
  • Confirm to uninstall

However, most system apps don’t have this button and need to be removed via ADB.

Using ADB Commands

ADB stands for Android Debug Bridge. It’s a command-line tool that lets advanced users communicate with Android devices. Using ADB commands is the most common method for uninstalling bloatware system apps.

Here are the steps:

  1. Enable USB debugging in Developer options on your Xiaomi device
  2. Install ADB and Fastboot on your Windows, Mac or Linux PC
  3. Connect your Xiaomi device to the PC via USB
  4. Open a command prompt/terminal and type adb devices to verify connection
  5. Type adb shell to access the Android shell
  6. Type pm list packages to view all apps installed on your device
  7. Choose the app package name of the bloatware app you want to remove
  8. Use the command pm uninstall --user 0 <package_name> to uninstall the app
  9. Repeat the last step for all bloatware apps you want removed

For example, to uninstall the pre-installed Facebook app, you would use:

pm uninstall --user 0 com.facebook.katana

Replacing “com.facebook.katana” with the package name of the app you want to remove.

The key things that make ADB powerful for debloating MIUI are:

  • It doesn’t require root access
  • You can uninstall system apps
  • It has the flexibility to reinstall apps later if needed

Using Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools

If you find working with ADB commands tedious, Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools by Szaki provide a nice graphical interface for uninstalling system apps the same way as ADB.

Here’s how to use it:

  1. Download and install the XiaomiADBFastbootTools from Szaki’s GitHub
  2. Install the required dependencies like ADB, Java, drivers on your Windows PC
  3. Turn on USB debugging and connect your Xiaomi device via USB
  4. Open XiaomiADBFastbootTools and click on the phone icon in the top left to connect your device
  5. Go to the System Apps tab and select the bloatware apps you want to remove
  6. Click uninstall and confirm to remove them from your device

The tool also allows reinstalling, disabling, and enabling system apps as needed. It essentially gives you a GUI wrapper around ADB commands.

Bloatware Apps to Remove from MIUI

Here are some common bloatware apps found on MIUI that are safe to uninstall for most users:

  • Browser: Mi Browser or Google Chrome
  • Gallery: MIUI Gallery
  • Email: Gmail
  • Xiaomi Apps: Mi Video, Mi Music, Mi Drop, App Vault, etc.
  • Google Apps: YouTube, Google Assistant, Gmail, etc. If you don’t use Google services
  • Promotional Apps: Facebook, Amazon Shopping, AliExpress, Booking.com etc.

I recommend uninstalling an app, using your phone for a few days, and reinstalling it if you find you need it. This lets you safely test what bloatware you really don’t need.

Conclusion

Removing bloatware results in a faster device, improved battery life, enhanced privacy and more available storage.

While MIUI doesn’t allow uninstalling every single system app, using methods like ADB commands and Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools lets you safely delete many unwanted pre-installed apps.

Always research an app before removing it to avoid uninstalling something important. And remember you can reinstall apps later on if you change your mind.

Taking an hour to manually debloat your MIUI device can save you frustration for months or years to come.

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