Modern smartphones from Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO offer great value for money, but users often face intrusive ads in system applications, which are a fee for the affordable cost of the device, but the situation changes dramatically if you know where the switches are.
The process of cleaning the interface from marketing noise does not require superuser rights or complex software. It is enough to consistently go through the settings of the MIUI operating system or the new HyperOS to return the device to a clean look. We will look at all the methods available, from standard features to advanced DNS settings, which will help you forget about pop-ups.
It’s important to understand that removing ads completely not only improves user experience, but also speeds up the smartphone a bit, as the system doesn’t need to download ad units. Below is a detailed guide covering all aspects of privacy and personalization settings.
Disabling system advertising through MSA settings
The key component for displaying advertising content in the MIUI shell is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) system application, which collects data about your preferences and displays targeted ads in various sections of the interface, the first and most important step will be to deactivate it.
You first need to go to the settings menu and find the password and security section, and there's a mechanism for managing advertising recommendations, and you can notice that the system may ask you a few times about your decision, trying to convince you to keep the function on.
Find Access to Data or Permissions in the Settings search if you can't find it manually. Search the app list for msa and turn off the network access switch, and after you turn off, you'll see a 10 second countdown timer, after which you'll need to confirm the action with the "Disable" button.
☑️ Checking the shutdown MSA
If you fail to disable the service from the first time and there is an error, just repeat the procedure 2-3 times. Xiaomi system sometimes artificially creates delays or errors when you first try to refuse advertising services.
Customization of personalization and recommendations
In addition to the main advertising module, the system has a separate service responsible for “personalized recommendations”, which analyzes your actions and offers content that is often disguised advertising, and disabling this feature is critical to the complete cleanup of the system.
Go to settings, select Passwords and Security, then Access to Data, and find the Personalized Recommendations app and deny it access to the Internet, just like you did with MSA, which will stop collecting usage statistics to generate promotional offers.
⚠️ Note: After updating the operating system, your data access settings may reset. Periodically check the permission list to make sure that tetap advertising modules are blocked.
You should also look at the settings of the Mi Account itself. In the About Phone section, click on the MIUI logo several times to open the extended menu, or look for the Mi Account option in the settings, which may include a recommendation option, which should also be deactivated.
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Use a Settings Search (the top line in the Settings menu) by entering the words “advertising”, “recommendations” or “msa” to find hidden switches more quickly.
Cleaning system applications from banners
Even after global services are disabled, individual system utilities can continue to display ads in their interfaces, each with its own settings that need to be manually disabled, such as Security, Explorer, Downloads and Music.
In the Security app, click on the gear in the top right corner, find the "Get recommendations" item and turn it off, and check the "Clean up" and "Antivirus" sections inside the app, which may have separate switches with a similar name.
The File Manager app is similar: Open the menu (three bars), select Settings → About (or just Settings in new versions), and find the Guidelines section. Turn off all options related to receiving news and advertising.
- 📁 Downloads: Open the app, click on three dots, select Settings and remove the tick from Show Recommended Content».
- 🎵 Music: In the Music app, go to the settings, find the Advanced Settings section and turn off Get Recommendations».
- 🧹 Cleaning: In the Cleanup app settings, there may also be a separate recommendation switch that costs deactivate.
Don't forget to check the Themes app. Go to the user profile (human icon), then to the settings and turn off "Receive recommendations" and "Show ads." This will remove banners from the theme store's home screen.
Blocking Advertising in the Browser and through DNS
Internet advertising is a separate category of problems that are solved not by system settings, but by the configuration of the browser or network connection. The most effective method that does not require the installation of additional applications is the use of a private DNS.
This method blocks requests to known ad servers at the network level. To set up, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing (or “Additional Features”) → Private DNS. Select “DNS Provider Host Name” and enter the address:
dns.adguard.comOnce you save your settings, all device traffic will be filtered through AdGuard servers, which will automatically trim most banner ads in Chrome, MI Browser and other apps. If sites stop opening, just return the setting to Auto.
Alternatives DNS-address
The second option is to use built-in browser features. In Chrome, go to settings → Privacy & Security → Secure DNS and select an ad-blocking provider. In MI Browser, you open the menu, select Settings → Privacy & Security, and enable Ad Blocker.
Comparison of blocking methods
There are many ways to limit ad traffic, but they vary in efficiency and complexity, some methods require minimal effort, others give a deeper result, but may require the installation of third-party software.
The table below compares the basic approaches to locking so you can choose the best one for your situation, and it is important to keep in mind that the combination of methods gives the best result.
| Method | Efficiency | Difficulty | Impact on the battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSA shutdown | High (systemic advertising) | Low. | Positive. |
| DNS filtration | High (browser and applications) | Low. | Neutral. |
| Setup of each application | Medium (removes residues) | High (long) | Neutral. |
| Third-party blockers | Maximum | Medium | Negative (expenditure) |
Use of specialized blocking applications such as Blokada or AdGuard (installed through APK, Because they're not in the Play Market because of Google's policies, they allow you to filter traffic in even more detail. VPN-Connections that may conflict with other applications that use VPN.
Frequent questions and troubleshooting
Users often encounter nuances during the setup process that are not described in the standard instructions, and here are the answers to the most popular questions that arise when trying to block ads on Xiaomi devices.
Many worry that shutting down system services will disrupt the phone, but it’s not: MSA and personalization are solely responsible for marketing content, and disabling them doesn’t affect calls, messages, or cameras.
⚠️ Note: If after setting up DNS if you have stopped working the Internet in some applications (for example, banking), temporarily turn off private DNS. Some banks can block the connection through non-standard DNS-server.
It’s also worth mentioning that in newer versions of HyperOS, some menu items can be renamed or moved, and the logic remains the same: look for the words “recommendations,” “personalization,” or “advertisements” in the settings of each suspicious app.
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Regular system updates may return some ad settings to their original position, so after a major software update, it is recommended to recheck the status of the MSA service.