How to remove bloatware from any Xiaomi or Redmi phone

Even though Xiaomi made quite a positive breakthrough with an amazing set of devices for the price, we all know that the major downsides of MIUI are ads and bloatware. That’s why we made sure to explain how to, thanks to recognized developer Saki EU, safely remove bloatware from Xiaomi or Redmi devices.

As we all know, great hardware still doesn’t cut it when the software is an underwhelming experience. MIUI 11 fixed those abominations that are ads in the system apps, but there are still some unnecessary apps coming with the ROM. If you want to learn how to remove them, check out the instructions we provided for you.

How can I remove bloatware from my Xiaomi/Redmi phone?

Now, even though Global and EU versions of the ROM are not as bloatware-ridden as the Chinese version, some Android purists don’t like most of them and want them gone. A clear example is users that use Google’s services and apps that all have their counterparts on MIUI.

That’s why we made sure to explain how to use a nifty tool made by a recognized XDA developer that will help you debloat your device in a matter of minutes. No unlocked bootloader or root is needed.

You have a lot of different advanced options, but we suggest not meddling with them unless you are certain about what are you doing. Stick to removing bloatware for now. Or reinstalling certain apps you mistakenly removed.

Follow these steps to use Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools by Saki EU:

1. Firstly, let’s enable Developer options.
2. Open Settings.
3. Choose My Device.
4. Tap on All specs.
5. Now, tap 7 times on the MIUI version to enable Developer Options.
6. Get back to Settings and open Additional Settings.
7. Open Developer options.
8. Once there, enable USB debugging, Install via USB, and USB debugging (security settings).
9. Download and extract the latest Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools by Saki EU on your PC. You can find it on GitHub.
10. Make sure to install the Java Runtime Environment. You can find and download the setup on the official website.
11. Connect your Xiaomi/Redmi phone to a PC and allow USB Debugging on your handset when prompted. Install drivers if necessary.
12. Under the App Manager, you’ll see all installed apps, including system apps. The list is curated so don’t worry, you can uninstall (we recommend disabling over uninstalling) all and every app on the list.

Have in mind that certain features won’t function if you delete associated apps so act with caution. Those options (e.g. Quick Ball) might not be of use to some, but they are quite useful for others.

Note: If the tool can’t find ADB/Fastboot even if you are sure everything is properly set, open the folder where the XiaomiADBFastbootTools is. While holding Shift, right-click on the empty area and open Command Prompt or PowerShell. Enter this command java -jar XiaomiADBFastbootTools.jar and press Enter. It should work after that.

With that said, we can conclude this article. In case you have any questions, suggestions, or thoughts on this tool and MIUI in general, feel free to tell us in the comments section that’s just below.

Editor’s note: This article was initially published in December 2019. We made sure to revamp it for freshness and accuracy.