Ownership of a Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone is often overshadowed by the sudden appearance of uninvited guests on the lock screen or on top of open apps. Users often wonder what kind of pop-up on Xiaomi is now and how to get rid of it? This can be both a system weather notification and aggressive advertising from malware.
Understanding the nature of these windows is critical, as ignoring the problem can lead to identity theft or a significant slowdown in the device. System advertising is built into the MIUI shell to monetize inexpensive devices, while advertising viruses are the result of installing dubious software.
In this article, we will take a look at all types of pop-ups, learn how to distinguish between system notifications and viruses, and provide step-by-step instructions for removing them completely, and learn what settings you need to change to clean the screen of garbage and return the phone to speed.
MIUI System Advertising: Differences from Viruses
Before you panic and search for antivirus, you need to understand what exactly you are facing. MIUI shell is known for its aggressive policy of monetization, embedding advertising modules in system applications. System advertising usually appears in the form of banners in folders, recommendations in the Security app or pop-ups after unlocking the screen.
The main difference between regular advertising and malware is predictability and source: Xiaomi windows most often offer to install apps from their GetApps store, buy goods or read the news. They do not block the phone completely and disappear after closing.
- 📱 The window only appears when you open standard applications (Music, Explorer, Cleanup).
- 🛡️ In the corner of the window there is often a small cross or countdown timer.
- ⚙️ Advertising does not require third-party installations APK-Files from unverified sources.
If a pop-up on Xiaomi appears on top of the desktop, blocks the ability to press any buttons or offers to “update Flash Player” and “antivirus”, then these are signs of malware.
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System advertising MIUI can be completely disable through the hidden menu MSA, without installing third-party programs.
How to disable advertising in system applications
For most users, it is enough to turn off embedded advertising services to remove 90% of the annoying windows, the first step is to turn off the MSA service (MIUI System Ads), which is the system process responsible for displaying advertising content in the shell.
To do this, go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Access to Personal Data. Search the msa list and turn off the slider. The system will try to dissuade you several times, saying that it “can’t turn off now,” but you need to (persistently) try to turn off again until the timer expires and the switch works.
Next, you should go through the main system applications and remove the personalization of advertising in each of them:
☑️ Disabling Advertising in Apps
It’s also important to disable ad personalization in global settings. Go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Privacy → Advertising Services and turn off Ad Personalization. This won’t take away ads completely, but will make them less intrusive and tied to your interests.
⚠️ Note: After updating the firmware, some settings may reset. Check the Personal Data Access section periodically to make sure that the msa service is not activated again.
Removing Virus Windows and Malware
If you have determined that the pop-up window on Xiaomi is not a system, you need to look for the culprit among the installed applications. Often viruses are disguised as harmless utilities: Flashlight, Memory Clearing, Calendar or wallpaper.
The first sign of an infected app is that there is no icon on the menu or an icon without a name. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps and look carefully at the list. Look for strange names or blank lines at the end of the list. If you find a suspicious app without an icon, delete it immediately.
If the normal deletion is blocked or the button is inactive, use Safe Mode. Press the power button, then press and hold the "Stop" button on the screen until the prompt to go to Safe Mode appears, in this mode only system applications are launched, which allows you to safely remove the virus.
What to do if the virus is not removed?
You can use a built-in scanner to automatically search for threats. Open the Security app (green zipper icon), go to the Antivirus section and run a check. Although the built-in engine does not always catch complex threats, it effectively copes with known advertising modules.
Blocking pop-up ads in Chrome browser
Often the browser is not the phone itself, pop-ups may be due to subscriptions to notifications from dubious sites or embedded script, and Google Chrome on Android can effectively combat this.
Open your browser, click on the three dots in the top right corner, and select Settings → Site Settings → Pop-ups and redirects. Make sure the switch is in the "Blocked" position. Also check the Ads section and enable blocking of intrusive ads.
Pay special attention to notifications. In the Site Settings menu → Notifications, you will see a list of sites that are allowed to send push notifications. Often they generate fake windows with the message "Your phone is infected!". Click on a suspicious site and choose Clear and reset permissions or simply Block.
| Type of window | Source | Elimination method | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertising in folders | MIUI (MSA) system | Disabling MSAs and Recommendations | Low. |
| Full screen window | Viral application | Delete the application / Safe mode | Medium |
| Notice in the curtain | Browser site | Blocking Notifications in Chrome | Low. |
| Update Flash window | Malware script | Clearing browser data | Low. |
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90% of pop-up ads in the browser are treated by clearing site data and banning push notifications in Chrome settings.
Use of DNS and Ad Blockers
For advanced users who want to remove advertising not only in the system, but also in applications and games, an effective method is to change the system. DNS-This allows you to filter advertising traffic at the connection level without installing heavy applications.
Android settings (starting with version 9 and above) have Private DNS. Go to Settings → Connection & Sharing → Private DNS. Select the DNS provider hostname option and enter the address: dns.adguard.com. Save settings.
This method blocks known ad domains, and if some websites or apps stop working after DNS is turned on, you can temporarily disable the feature or try alternative addresses, such as AdGuard Family, which also blocks adult content.
- 🚀 Does not require third-party installation and does not consume battery.
- 🛡️ Works in all applications, including games and browsers.
- ⚙️ Easily switched on and off in one click.
The alternative is to install specialized blockers, such as AdGuard (full version from the developer’s website) or Blokada. VPN-However, such solutions can consume more energy and sometimes conflict with battery optimization. MIUI.
Prevention: How to avoid advertising
The best protection is to use the device properly, so that a pop-up on Xiaomi is never a problem again, you should follow simple digital hygiene rules.
Don't download hacked versions of games, WhatsApp mods, or questionable antiviruses from aggregator sites. APK-files contain advertising modules that start generating windows immediately after installation.
⚠️ Warning: If after installing any app, the phone starts to behave strangely, immediately remove it and check the device through Settings. → Annexes → All applications for the presence of hidden processes.
Update your operating system regularly. With newer versions of MIUI and HyperOS, Xiaomi is gradually reducing ad aggression and improving security mechanisms. Also, don’t ignore the updates to the Security app and Google Play Protection.
Be careful when installing apps from the Play Store, read reviews, and pay attention to the permissions that the program requests. If a simple calculator asks for access to contacts and location, this is a sure sign of fraud.