How to Remove Ads in Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

The appearance of intrusive advertising in the interface of the smartphone is one of the most common complaints of users of the Xiaomi ecosystem. Device owners often encounter banner ads in system applications, folders and even on the lock screen, which significantly reduces the comfort of using the gadget. Many mistakenly believe that this is an ineligible defect or virus, but in fact it is a built-in mechanism for monetizing budget devices.

Fortunately, MIUI and the new HyperOS shell provide enough tools to take full control of content, you don't need to have programming skills or super-user rights to get rid of annoying banners, just change a few security settings and personal recommendations in a consistent manner.

In this article, we will discuss in detail why Xiaomi ads appear in the phone, which system processes are responsible for it and how to safely deactivate them. We will look at both standard methods of disabling through settings, and more advanced ways to block the use of the device. DNS-servers that guarantee a clean interface.

Reasons for Advertising in MIUI System

The main reason for the emergence of advertising content is the company's policy to keep the cost of hardware low. To compensate for the cost of production, the manufacturer introduces advertising modules into the software. The main "culprit" here is the MSA system service (MIUI System Ads), which is responsible for downloading and displaying targeted offers.

And it also has a Personal Recommends mechanism that analyzes your actions, search history, and installed apps to show relevant ads, and if you don't block data collection, algorithms will continue to pick up content using CPU resources and Internet traffic.

It is important to understand the difference between native system advertising and pop-ups from third-party applications. If banners appear chaotically even on the desktop after installing any free utility, then this is no longer Xiaomi’s fault, but the result of malware or aggressive software that requires separate removal.

⚠️ Note: Complete removal of system components through ADB or a Root right can cause a smartphone to work unstable. Use only the standard shutdown methods described below.

Disabling MSA Service and Personalization

The first and most important step is to deactivate the MSA service, which is the process that oversees the display of ads in embedded applications such as Explorer, Music and Themes, and without disabling this service, further actions may not bring the desired result.

To start, you need to find the MSA app in your settings. The path may vary depending on the firmware version, but most often it is in Settings → Passwords and Security → Access to Personal Data. Find the msa list and turn off the slider. The system will warn you that some features will stop working, and will suggest waiting 10 seconds before confirming.

Once the MSA is disabled, it is also recommended to disable advertising personalization, which will prevent collection of data about your preferences. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Privacy → Advertising Services and disable the Ad Personalization option.

It’s worth noting that newer versions of HyperOS may have slightly different menu names, but the logic remains the same. If you didn’t find the MSA item right away, search by settings by typing the acronym into the search bar.

Setup of Xiaomi system applications

Even after the main service is disabled, some embedded applications may continue to show recommendations unless they are restricted, and each application has its own "Receive recommendations" switch, which you need to find and deactivate.

Consider the main system snails, where advertising is most common:

• 📂 Explorer: Open the application, click on the menu (three bars), select Settings → About the application and disable "Receive recommendations".
• 🎵 Music: Go to profile or settings, find Settings → Advanced settings and remove the tick from "Show advertising".
• 🧹 Security: Run the scan, click on the settings gear and find the option to Receive recommendations, putting it in an inactive state.
• 📁 Downloads: The app settings menu may also have a point responsible for displaying recommended content.

Remember that when you update your firmware, your settings can reset to factory values, and checking these parameters periodically will help keep the system clean of unnecessary visual noise.

Blocking Advertising through DNS (Private DNS)

The most effective method, which works at the operating system level, is to use a private DNS, which allows you to block requests to known ad servers even before they upload content to your device.

To implement this method, you do not need to install third-party applications. Modern versions of Android and MIUI have a built-in feature. Go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS. Select the mode "Host Name of the DNS provider" (or "Manual") and enter the address of the trusted blocker.

dns.adguard.com

Once you enter the address, save the settings. From now on, all traffic going through known advertising domains will be cut off, not only will it remove banners in the interface, but it will also speed up the loading of pages in the browser, since the advertising scripts will not load.

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If some applications (such as carrier services) have stopped working on the Internet after the DNS change, try temporarily disabling Private DNS or using an alternative address called dns-family.adguard.com, which also filters adult content.

Removing advertising widgets from the desktop

Often users confuse system ads with widgets that land on the desktop when the phone is initially set up or after an update.These widgets can stream news, weather and advertisements, taking up useful screen space.

To remove them, you can press the widget long enough. In the menu that appears, select the option to Delete or drag the item to the top of the screen where the cart appears. If the widget is part of the system theme, it may not be available to delete, but you can replace the theme with a standard one.

Also worth checking is the Tools folder, which often hides shortcuts for app stores and services that aren't used, and removing shortcuts doesn't remove the apps themselves, but clears the desktop of visual debris.

Cleaning up viruses and advertising software

If the ads continue to appear as pop-ups on top of all apps or on a locked screen, it is likely that malware has penetrated the phone, often after installing apps from unknown sources or downloading hacked games.

For diagnostics, go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Carefully review the list for weird names or apps without an icon. Often viruses disguise themselves as system processes with names like “Update Service” or “Flash Player” but have simple or no icons at all.

Use the built-in scanner in the Security app. Run a full system check. If the built-in tool doesn't find threats, but there are ads, try loading the phone into Safe Mode. To do this, press the off button, and then hold your finger on the Turn off button on the screen for a long time until you get a suggestion to go to Safe Mode.

⚠️ Warning: If the ad is missing in Safe Mode, it's the third-party app's fault. Uninstall the newly installed programs one at a time until the problem disappears.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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A comprehensive approach, including disabling MSA, configuring DNS and cleaning apps, ensures complete rid of advertising in Xiaomi without the need to flash the device.