From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Chris Green wrote:

I do have adb set up and working with this new phone but I'm a bit
wary of using it to remove and install apps. I'm very familiar with
doing technical stuff in Linux but not with Android.

Most people on this newsgroup use Muntashirakon App Manager (AFAIK) which
has debloating tools, but it's manual, whereas adb can be scripted.

I debloat every phone I get my hands on, via a variety of methods, all of
which are safe if you first back up the packages using adb from your PC.
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 <package>
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 <package>

My procedure (vastly simplified for this article) is, essentially:
i. Back up all APKs (trivial to do on Android 'cuz they're always there)
ii. Blow away packages with abandon
iii. Test for a while
vi. Bring back what breaks stuff

For example, these should be safe to remove
Mi Browser
Mi Video
Mi Music
Mi Remote
Mi Pay
GetApps (Xiaomi's app store)
Facebook services
Netflix stub
Analytics (msa, ad services)
Games, themes, wallpaper services

Depending on what you use
Mi Cloud
Mi Account
Mi Share
MiuiDaemon

As for Xiomi-specific debloating articles, that's why I prefer
Google/Samsung phones since there's always a lot of help out there.

To wit, I ran a search for a Xaiomi Redmi A5 debloaters and didn't find any (although it was only a quick search) but since Xiaomi reuses the same MIUI base across devices, most articles that are close should work for the OP.
--
I strive to make every post on Usenet add value that wasn't there before.
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From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:

Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:

Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:

Xaiomi Redmi A5
Android 15

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA06DIEwYow

That video is for Xiaomi's MIUI 12.5.4. You have Android 15, but which
MIUI screen manager do you have? I think the latest is MIUI 14, but
that depends on phone model and region, and after which Xiaomi changed
to HyperOS. Xiaomi also varied the feature sets on its phone based of
region for distribution; see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIUI#Comparison_of_all_MIUI_variants

Even HyperOS has variations based of region of distribution.

According to https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_redmi_a5_4g-13737.php, the
Redmi A5 was released March 21, 2025. Not sure which screen manager you >>> now have on that phone. HyperOS 2 came out Oct 2024, so your Redmi A5
might have MIUI 14 or HyperOS 2. HyperOS3 came out Aug 2025, so too
late for when the Redmi A5 was released.

You said you were looking for a Contacts widget. From the Youtube
video, looks like the widgets are not sorted by name, so you may have to >>> scroll around a lot to find it.

Is the Contacts app the one bundled by Xiaomi, or someone else's?

version 1.0.3.2
com.android.contacts

I see that the 'real' Google Contacts app is at version 4.72.x.x,
that's what I have on my tablet and my old Android 11 phone. If I
install Google Contacts (which will be version 4.72.x.x) from Play
Store is it, firstly, likely to work and, secondly, likely to fix my
problem?

I do have adb set up and working with this new phone but I'm a bit
wary of using it to remove and install apps. I'm very familiar with
doing technical stuff in Linux but not with Android.

You can install the Google Contacts app while keeping the bundled
Contacts app. Go into Android settings for default apps to pick the
Google app, or the Google Contacts app may have a setting to make it the default contacts app. If you don't like the Google Contacts apps, you
can uninstall it. However, you probably cannot uninstall the bundled
Contacts app unless you jump through hoops (aka ADB). Sorry, I don't
know if Google Contacts app will share the contacts from the bundled
Contacts app.
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:

Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:

Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:

Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:

Xaiomi Redmi A5
Android 15

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA06DIEwYow

That video is for Xiaomi's MIUI 12.5.4. You have Android 15, but which >>> MIUI screen manager do you have? I think the latest is MIUI 14, but
that depends on phone model and region, and after which Xiaomi changed >>> to HyperOS. Xiaomi also varied the feature sets on its phone based of >>> region for distribution; see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIUI#Comparison_of_all_MIUI_variants

Even HyperOS has variations based of region of distribution.

According to https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_redmi_a5_4g-13737.php, the >>> Redmi A5 was released March 21, 2025. Not sure which screen manager you >>> now have on that phone. HyperOS 2 came out Oct 2024, so your Redmi A5 >>> might have MIUI 14 or HyperOS 2. HyperOS3 came out Aug 2025, so too
late for when the Redmi A5 was released.

You said you were looking for a Contacts widget. From the Youtube
video, looks like the widgets are not sorted by name, so you may have to >>> scroll around a lot to find it.

Is the Contacts app the one bundled by Xiaomi, or someone else's?

version 1.0.3.2
com.android.contacts

I see that the 'real' Google Contacts app is at version 4.72.x.x,
that's what I have on my tablet and my old Android 11 phone. If I
install Google Contacts (which will be version 4.72.x.x) from Play
Store is it, firstly, likely to work and, secondly, likely to fix my problem?

I do have adb set up and working with this new phone but I'm a bit
wary of using it to remove and install apps. I'm very familiar with
doing technical stuff in Linux but not with Android.

You can install the Google Contacts app while keeping the bundled
Contacts app. Go into Android settings for default apps to pick the
Google app, or the Google Contacts app may have a setting to make it the default contacts app. If you don't like the Google Contacts apps, you
can uninstall it. However, you probably cannot uninstall the bundled Contacts app unless you jump through hoops (aka ADB). Sorry, I don't
know if Google Contacts app will share the contacts from the bundled
Contacts app.

Installing the Google Contacts app did all that I needed, I didn't
have to make it the preferred Contacts app it did that by itself when
installed and it found my existing contacts. It also did the
important thing I wanted which was to provide the direct-dial widget.

It's really not worth uninstalling the bundled Cotact app, it's only
1.7Mb.

Thanks.
--
Chris Green
·
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:

Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:

Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:

Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:

Xaiomi Redmi A5
Android 15

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA06DIEwYow

That video is for Xiaomi's MIUI 12.5.4. You have Android 15, but which >>>>> MIUI screen manager do you have? I think the latest is MIUI 14, but >>>>> that depends on phone model and region, and after which Xiaomi changed >>>>> to HyperOS. Xiaomi also varied the feature sets on its phone based of >>>>> region for distribution; see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIUI#Comparison_of_all_MIUI_variants

Even HyperOS has variations based of region of distribution.

According to https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_redmi_a5_4g-13737.php, the >>>>> Redmi A5 was released March 21, 2025. Not sure which screen manager you >>>>> now have on that phone. HyperOS 2 came out Oct 2024, so your Redmi A5 >>>>> might have MIUI 14 or HyperOS 2. HyperOS3 came out Aug 2025, so too >>>>> late for when the Redmi A5 was released.

You said you were looking for a Contacts widget. From the Youtube
video, looks like the widgets are not sorted by name, so you may have to >>>>> scroll around a lot to find it.

Is the Contacts app the one bundled by Xiaomi, or someone else's?

version 1.0.3.2
com.android.contacts

I see that the 'real' Google Contacts app is at version 4.72.x.x,
that's what I have on my tablet and my old Android 11 phone. If I
install Google Contacts (which will be version 4.72.x.x) from Play
Store is it, firstly, likely to work and, secondly, likely to fix my
problem?

I do have adb set up and working with this new phone but I'm a bit
wary of using it to remove and install apps. I'm very familiar with
doing technical stuff in Linux but not with Android.

You can install the Google Contacts app while keeping the bundled
Contacts app. Go into Android settings for default apps to pick the
Google app, or the Google Contacts app may have a setting to make it the
default contacts app. If you don't like the Google Contacts apps, you
can uninstall it. However, you probably cannot uninstall the bundled
Contacts app unless you jump through hoops (aka ADB). Sorry, I don't
know if Google Contacts app will share the contacts from the bundled
Contacts app.

Installing the Google Contacts app did all that I needed, I didn't
have to make it the preferred Contacts app it did that by itself when installed and it found my existing contacts. It also did the
important thing I wanted which was to provide the direct-dial widget.

It's really not worth uninstalling the bundled Cotact app, it's only
1.7Mb.

Thanks.

Often you can disable some bundled apps. I stop it, clear its cache,
clear its data, and then uninstall (but do not revert to the
install-time version, but leave at whatever it was latest updated). If uninstall is not available, I disable it. Then I go into the apps list
to hide it. Doesn't run, out of sight.
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On 2026-02-16 09:49, Chris Green wrote:

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:

Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:

Installing the Google Contacts app did all that I needed, I didn't
have to make it the preferred Contacts app it did that by itself when installed and it found my existing contacts. It also did the
important thing I wanted which was to provide the direct-dial widget.

It's really not worth uninstalling the bundled Cotact app, it's only
1.7Mb.

It is not about the size of the app file, but the resources it uses when running.
--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.
ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Carlos E. R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

On 2026-02-16 09:49, Chris Green wrote:

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:

Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:

Installing the Google Contacts app did all that I needed, I didn't
have to make it the preferred Contacts app it did that by itself when installed and it found my existing contacts. It also did the
important thing I wanted which was to provide the direct-dial widget.

It's really not worth uninstalling the bundled Cotact app, it's only
1.7Mb.

It is not about the size of the app file, but the resources it uses when running.

So why might it be running?
--
Chris Green
·
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On 2026-02-16 13:01, Chris Green wrote:

Carlos E. R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

On 2026-02-16 09:49, Chris Green wrote:

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:

Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:

Installing the Google Contacts app did all that I needed, I didn't
have to make it the preferred Contacts app it did that by itself when
installed and it found my existing contacts. It also did the
important thing I wanted which was to provide the direct-dial widget.

It's really not worth uninstalling the bundled Cotact app, it's only
1.7Mb.

It is not about the size of the app file, but the resources it uses when
running.

So why might it be running?

Because it does. It is a core tool of that phone and its system.
--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.
ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

Carlos E. R. wrote:

It's really not worth uninstalling the bundled Cotact app, it's only
1.7Mb.

It is not about the size of the app file, but the resources it uses when >>> running.

So why might it be running?

Because it does. It is a core tool of that phone and its system.

<nods head in agreement>

Carlos E. R. wrote:

It's really not worth uninstalling the bundled Cotact app, it's only
1.7Mb.

It is not about the size of the app file, but the resources it uses when running.

<nods head in agreement>

And, since contacts are said to be one of the most dangerous permissions,
the permissions (since apps can do things in the background on their own).

However.... I am not saying this app does that.

I'm just agreeing with you that the size is the least of the reasons to use
adb to delete it (at least for those who don't have an empty sqlite db).
--- Synchronet 3.21b-Linux NewsLink 1.2