Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones, which are powered by MIUI or the new HyperOS, have a layered security system that collects and analyzes user information by default. Many device owners face intrusive privacy notices, personalized advertising, and app restrictions due to aggressive privacy settings, disabling these features to regain full control of the gadget and speed up its operation.
The process of deactivating security systems is not a one-time action, but a set of measures that affect different sections of the settings menu. It is important to understand that completely disabling all security mechanisms can make the device more vulnerable to external threats, so the approach should be balanced. In this article, we will discuss each step necessary to minimize data collection and disable advertising identifiers.
Before you make changes to system settings, you should be aware of the difference between protecting user’s personal data and system restrictions implemented by the manufacturer. Android provides basic tools, but Xiaomi often duplicates them with its services, creating complex permission chains. Competent setting will allow you to get rid of unnecessary “digital noise” without losing the functionality of the smartphone.
Management of MSA Advertising Identifiers and Services
The first and most important step in the fight for privacy is to disable the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which is responsible for displaying ads in system applications, which requires consistent execution of actions, since the system can resist shutdown, suggesting that you wait or cancel the action. You need to find the passwords and security section in the settings, then go to Access to Data.
In the app list that opens, you need to find msa and switch the slider to an inactive state. The system will issue a warning that some features may stop working correctly, and will offer to wait 10 seconds before confirmation. This delay mechanism is specifically designed to ensure that the user does not accidentally abandon advertising services, so be patient and wait for the timer to end.
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If the “Disable” button is inactive after waiting, try turning off the internet on your smartphone, perform the action, and then turn the network back on.
In addition to the main service, it is worth restricting access to data for other system components such as GetApps, Mi Video and MIUI Daemon.Disable data transfers for these applications prevents the sending of usage statistics to the company's servers, this is especially true for users who do not use the built-in app stores or video player from the manufacturer.
☑️ Disconnection of advertising services
Configure privacy settings in MIUI and HyperOS
In modern versions of Xiaomi firmware, a separate privacy section has been added, which collects the main switches responsible for collecting telemetry. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Privacy. Here you will find a list of options that are activated by default to “improve the user experience”.
First of all, you need to disable the option “Join the user experience improvement program.” This feature sends anonymized, but still data about the use of the interface and failures to the developers’ servers. It is also recommended to deaktivirovat’ Automatic Send Diagnostic Data so that the smartphone does not transmit information about its work in the background without your knowledge.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling diagnostic data may make it difficult to support the technical support in case of warranty, as engineers will not be able to remotely analyze error logs.
And then you look at the Advertising Services section, and this is the Personalized Advertising switch, and turning it off won't take away the ads completely, but it will make it less intrusive and irrelevant, because the system will stop analyzing your interests based on your search history and geolocation, which is an important step for those who value their digital hygiene.
Disabling the protection of personal data in special access
One of the most aggressive security features that often interfere with the normal operation of instant messengers and banking applications is Privacy Protection, which is located in the Privacy Protection menu → Special Features (or Additional Permits), which replaces real data from requesting applications with random values.
When this option is active for a particular application, instead of your actual contact list or exact location, it gets an empty list or city center coordinates. This is useful for questionable applications, but critically interferes with the work of navigators, taxis and social networks. To turn off, you need to log into the settings of the feature, select the application and switch the mode from Always Ask or On to Off.
It's worth noting that in the new versions of HyperOS, this functionality has been renamed and integrated into Permission Manager. If you can't find the right switch, search by settings, typing in "protection" or "access," and the system will prompt you to go to the desired permission management menu.
Why does the app say “No contact access”?
Managing permissions for applications and microphone
Controlling which apps have access to microphone, camera and geolocation is a basic level of security. Xiaomi has a convenient Permissions Manager menu where you can see summary information on all rights requested, and it is recommended to check this list regularly, especially after installing new programs.
Particular attention should be paid to the Background Start and Display Over Other Windows permissions, which not only leak data but also lead to a quick battery drain, and the table below shows examples of safe and risky settings for various types of applications.
| Type of application | Microphone | Geolocation | Contacts | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navigator. | No. | Always. | No. | Leave it as it is. |
| Lantern | No. | No. | No. | Ban everything |
| Social media. | In the case of | In the case of | Yes. | Limit the background |
| Games | No. | No. | No. | Ban everything |
| Banks. | No. | No. | No. | Minimum rights |
To change access rights, go to Settings → Apps → Permissions. Select a category like Camera and see the list of apps that have access to it. If you see a solitaire game or calculator there, immediately strip them of that right. Healthy skepticism about rights is the best protection against espionage.
Hiding the content of notifications on a locked screen
Privacy is not just about the transmission of information to the Internet, it's about the physical security of your smartphone. If your device falls into the wrong hands or is on the table with a screen up, outsiders can read the contents of your messages, bank confirmation codes or personal correspondence.
To hide the text of messages, go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification Format. Here you can select the option “Hide content”, in which case the locked screen will display only the name of the application (for example, “Telegram: 1 new message”), but not the text of the message itself.
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Hiding the content of notifications is a mandatory measure to protect against visual data theft (shoulder surfing) in public places.
In addition, it is recommended to configure the “Advanced settings” of notifications for critical applications. MIUI You can prioritize or completely disable locking for certain programs, which creates an extra layer of privacy, allowing you to see important calls, but hiding the details of the correspondence.
Using the “Second Space” mode to isolate data
For radical separation of personal and work data, or for transferring the phone to children, Xiaomi has a “Second Space” feature, which is essentially creating a second user profile inside a single smartphone, with its own apps, photos and privacy settings.
You can activate the function via Settings → Second Space. Once created, you will have a separate desktop that you can access either through a dedicated icon or (more conveniently) through a fingerprint assigned to the second space, which is the perfect way to isolate data-requiring applications from your basic personal information.
⚠️ Note: When you delete the Second Space, all the data inside it will be permanently lost.
Using a second space allows you not to turn off data protection globally, but simply isolate suspicious applications into a sandbox, where you can install games or programs with dubious reputations, knowing that they will not access your main contacts and gallery, a more flexible approach than completely disabling security systems.