How to disable wiretapping on Xiaomi: privacy protection

Many Xiaomi smartphone owners face intrusive advertising in system applications and suspicious location data collection, raising questions about how to disable wiretapping and restore privacy to the device. MIUI does contain many built-in services that are active by default and transmit information to the company's servers.

Fortunately, most tracking and ad modules can be manually deactivated through settings. You don't have to be a programmer or get root rights for basic protection. In this article, we'll break down a step-by-step algorithm that will make your phone safer and cleaner.

You know, you can't completely shut down your smartphone's Internet connection if you want to use it, but you can minimize the amount of telemetry you transmit, and disabling the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service is the most important step to stop advertising on the system.

Threat analysis: what exactly does the smartphone collect?

Before we get to the settings, we need to figure out which components are responsible for collecting information. MIUI is a complex shell that is closely integrated with Google services and Xiaomi's own servers. Most of the data is lost through system analytics processes.

Advertising ID allows advertisers to build a profile of your interests, and it is used to target ads not only in the browser, but also within system applications like Explorer or Music, and disabling this option does not block the ads completely, but resets the accumulated profile.

⚠️ Warning: Complete shutdown of all system services may disrupt widgets, voice assistant Mi AI And automatic updates. Act selectively.

And also, app permissions, which are often the first step in protecting your privacy, are the first step in getting users to install software that asks for access to your microphone and geolocation without real need.

Disabling the MSA Advertising Service

The MSA (MIUI System Ads) service is the main process for displaying banner ads in standard applications, and disabling it is a priority for anyone who wants to clean the interface. The deactivation process can require several attempts, since the system often simulates an error.

To start, go to the settings menu and find “Password and security.” Then select “Access to personal data.” In the list, find msa and turn off the switch, the system will warn you of the consequences and start a countdown timer for 10 seconds.

When the timer expires, press the Stop button, if the system sends out an error message or the button does not activate, repeat the procedure. Usually, on the second or third attempt, the service successfully shuts down. This action does not delete the service, but prevents it from starting.

It is important to note that after this procedure, the ads must disappear from Explorer, Downloads and other system utilities, but in some cases, it may be necessary to restart the device to take effect.

Configuring privacy in the system

Deep privacy settings limit telemetry collection, and in the Settings menu -> Password and Security -> Privacy, you can find the access control center, and you can see which apps and when they accessed the data.

Pay special attention to the section “Special permissions” which hides features such as “Output on top of other applications” and “Access to use”, disable these rights for suspicious or unnecessary programs, this will prevent hidden start of processes in the background.

It is also recommended to disable ad personalization. To do this, go to Google settings (via the Google app or in the system settings) and look for the Ads section. Activate the option to Request Deletion of Ad ID or Opt out of Personalized Ads.

⚠️ Warning: Resetting your advertising ID doesn’t make you completely invisible, but it breaks the link between your current activity and past data collected by Google.

Remember to check the camera and microphone access log regularly. In modern versions of MIUI, a green indicator appears in the status bar when using these modules. If the indicator is on at the wrong time, check the active applications.

Managing application permissions

Permission control is the foundation of security. Every application you install requests access to the phone's functions. Your job is to give you only the necessary rights, for example, a flashlight doesn't need access to contacts, and a calculator doesn't need access to geolocation.

Go to Settings -> Apps -> All Apps. Select a specific application and click Permissions. Go through the list and set a ban for all questionable items. Use the "Request Every Time" option for critical data.

Of particular concern are AutoRun and Background permissions, which will also have a positive impact on autonomy if you turn them off for all applications that don't have to work all the time (e.g., you can keep messengers and you can't play games).

MIUI has a Privacy Protection feature that creates a virtual ID for applications that require device identification, and enable this option for maximum anonymity when installing new programs.

Disabling user experience and analytics

Xiaomi, like many other manufacturers, collects device usage data to “improve user experience,” which is sent to servers for crash analysis and statistics, which is not useful for the average user, only traffic consumption.

To disable analytics, go to Settings -> About. Click on the MIUI version several times to activate advanced settings (if hidden), or look for Advanced Settings immediately. Then select Usage Statistics or Join Improvement Program.

Check all check boxes related to sending usage and diagnostic data, and check the settings in the Safety app (green lightning icon), which may also have data collection items that need to be deactivated.

Disabling these services does not affect the stability of the system; on the contrary, it can slightly reduce the load on the processor and save battery power, as background data transfer processes will be stopped.

Network Security and DNS

Even if you disable system advertising, you can encounter it in your browser and apps. An additional layer of protection is the use of secure DNS. This allows you to block ad servers at the network connection level.

In the connection settings (Settings -> Wi-Fi and Internet -> Private DNS), you can prescribe the server address. A popular option is dns.adguard.com. This is free and does not require third-party apps to be installed.

Use of private DNS code yours DNS-requests, which prevents the provider from seeing which sites you visit, is an important step to protect against interception of public Wi-Fi traffic.

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Use Do Not Disturb or Sleep Mode at night to limit the apps’ background network activity while you sleep.

Additional protection measures and FAQ

After you've done all the settings, it's recommended that you restart the device, check the basic functions: calls, internet, notifications, if something is not working properly, you may have disabled an important system component and you'll have to return it.

Update your security system regularly, and there's a scan feature in the Security menu, although it doesn't always find sophisticated threats, basic virus and malware checks. APK-Files are very good at doing well.

⚠️ Warning: Do not install applications from unknown sources ("Third Party Sources"). This is the most frequent route of penetration of real spyware, unlike system telemetry.

Remember that absolute anonymity in a modern smartphone is difficult to achieve, but the steps described above remove 90% of intrusive data collection and advertising noise, making using Xiaomi comfortable and safe.

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A comprehensive approach (disabling MSA + Google + Private DNS settings) gives the maximum protection effect, using only one method is not enough.