How to remove spam from your Xiaomi phone: 7 working ways

Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi and POCO lines) are famous for their value for money ratio, but many users are faced with one unpleasant feature – intrusive spam. This is not only about in-app advertising, but also about system notifications from MIUI, push messages from preinstalled services and even hidden advertising modules that consume traffic and battery power. In this article, we will discuss how to completely clean the Xiaomi phone from spam, including little-known settings and radical methods for experienced users.

It is important to understand that spam on Xiaomi is of three types: 1) System – notifications from MIUI, Mi Account, GetApps and other embedded services. 2) Applications – advertising in games, social networks and utilities (including hidden SDKs, such as AppLovin or Unity Ads). 3 Malicious – viruses, Trojans or fake applications that show ads on top of other windows.

Each type requires a different approach, from simply disabling notifications to deep cleaning.

If you've tried to manually disable notifications, but spam still appears, don't rush to factory-set your phone. 90 percent of the time, the problem is solved without losing data. Let's start with the safest methods and move on to advanced ones.

1. disable MIUI system notifications

By default, MIUI sends out notifications for new features, Mi Store promotions, firmware updates, and even “helpful tips” some of which can be disabled through standard settings, but some items are hidden deep in the menu.

To stop spam from the system itself: Step 1. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notifications from apps. Step 2. In the list, find and disable notifications for:

• 📱 MIUI System (system alerts)
• 🛒 GetApps (Xiaomi app store)
• 🔄 Mi Account (Xiaomi account)
• 📊 Security (Security Center if it sends unnecessary alerts)
• 🎁 Mi Video, Mi Music, Mi Browser (unless you use it)

Step 3.

Notifications and status bar

Permits for floating windows

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If there is no MIUI System in the list of applications, try searching for it in the settings (the magnifier icon at the top of the screen).

In the firmware MIUI 14 and later, some of the system notifications are managed through the Mi Push Framework service. ADB-Team (we will talk about this in the section on advanced methods).

2. Removal of pre-installed applications (bloatware)

Many of Xiaomi’s built-in apps not only take up space, but also show ads or collect data, and luckily, most of them can be removed without root permissions — either through standard settings or with ADB.

List of the most spammy apps that can be safely removed:

• 🗑️ Mi Browser (browser with advertising in bookmarks)
• 🎬 Mi Video (video player with banners)
• 🎵 Mi Music (music player with promo)
• 🛍️ GetApps (app store with push notifications)
• 📱 Mi Pay (unless you use contactless payments)
• 📊 Analytics (statistics collection service)

How to delete:

1. For most applications, it is enough to pinch the icon on the home screen and choose to Delete or Disable.
2. If there is no delete button, go to Settings → Applications → Application Management, find the right one and click Disable.

⚠️ Note: Do not remove applications called com.android. or com.qualcomm. – these are critical system components. UI, Otherwise, the phone may stop loading.

3. Blocking Advertising in Apps

Even after removing system spam, ads can appear in games, social networks, or utilities, most often embedded in an SDK (e.g. AdMob, Facebook Audience Network, or AppLovin), and can be completely removed in two ways:

Method 1. Blocking through DNS

1. Go to Settings → Connections and Sharing → Private DNS.
2. Select the host name of a private DNS and enter one of the addresses: 🔒 dns.adguard.com (AdGuard DNS) 🛡️ 1dot1dot1dot1.cloudflare-dns.com (Cloudflare Family) 🚫 family-filter-dns.cleanbrowsing.org (CleanBrowsing)

Save the settings and restart the phone.

This method blocks ad domains at the network level, but can break some applications (such as banking).

Method 2. Blocking applications

For more flexible settings, use:

• 🛡️ Blokada (no root, no ads, no trackers)
• 🔍 AdGuard (there is a version for Android without root)
• 🚫 NetGuard (blocks Internet access for individual applications)

⚠️ Note: Some blockers (e.g. AdAway) require root rights. Installing such applications on an unprepared phone can cause crashes.

4. Cleaning the cache and application data

Accumulated cache and temporary files may contain advertising modules or tracking scripts. Regular cleaning helps not only free up space, but also reduce the amount of spam.

How to clean the cache:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app that shows ads (like Facebook, Instagram, or Mi Browser).
3. Click Clear Cache and Clear Data (Warning: This Will Reset the App Settings!).

For automatic cleaning, use the built-in Security utility:

1. Open the Security app (shield icon).
2. Select Cleanup. → Deep cleaning.
3. Check the unnecessary files and click Clear.

Clear the cache of all applications |Delete the data of unnecessary applications |Check the Download folder for suspicious files |Run scan for viruses in Security |Reboot the phone

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5. Virus and malware check

If spam appears as pop-ups on top of other apps or redirects you to suspicious sites, there is likely a virus on the phone. Malware is often disguised as legitimate apps (e.g., Battery Optimizer or Quick Charge).

How to check your phone:

1. Install an antivirus with a good reputation: 🛡️ Malwarebytes (specializes in Adver and Trojans) 🔍 Bitdefender (detects hidden threats) 🚨 Kaspersky Mobile (well-placed advertising modules)

Start a full scan (not fast!).

Remove all threats and reboot your phone.

If the antivirus does not find anything, but the spam remains:

• Check the list of installed apps for suspicious ones (such as those with names like Fast Cleaner, Super Battery, or Lucky Patcher).
• Open Settings → Special features → Special features Services and disable rights for unknown services.

⚠️ Warning: Some viruses block antivirus installation or updates.If you can't download Malwarebytes from the Play Market, try downloading it. APK from the official website via computer and manually install.

6. Advanced methods: ADB and custom firmware

If standard methods have failed and spam is still ruining your life, it’s time to move on to radical measures that require technical skills and can lead to a loss of warranty or unstable phone operation.

Method 1: Disabling MIUI Ads via ADB ADB (Android Debug Bridge) allows you to disable system components that cannot be manually removed.

1. Install ADB Tools on your computer.
2. Turn on the phone Developer Mode (7 times click on the MIUI version in the settings) and activate Debugging over USB.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the commands: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.systemAdSolution adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.xiaomi.mipicks adb shell settings put global hidden_api_policy 1

These teams will remove modules responsible for displaying ads in MIUI.

Method 2: Installation of custom firmware

If you are willing to sacrifice MIUI features for pure Android:

• 📱 Select firmware: LineageOS (maximum clean Android), Pixel Experience (interface like Google Pixel) Havoc-OS (lots of customization settings)
• Unlock the bootloader via Mi Unlock Tool (requires a Xiaomi account and wait 7-30 days).
• Install the firmware through TWRP Recovery.

MediaTek

Redmi Note 11

POCO M4 Pro

XDA Developers

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Use ADB and custom firmware only if you are confident in your actions. A command error or incompatible firmware can turn your phone into a brick.

7. Set up rights and permissions for applications

Many apps show spam because they have too many permissions, such as accessing notifications allows them to intercept and replace push messages, and auto-run permissions to display ads immediately after unlocking the screen.

What permissions should be disabled:

1. Show over other windows — allows apps to draw ads on top of the interface. Disables in Settings → Special features → Show over other applications.
2. Autorun – Allows applications to start when you turn on your phone. Disables in Settings → Applications → Application Management → Autorun.
3. Notifications – Even legitimate apps (like AliExpress or Wildberries) can abuse push notifications. Turn them off in Settings → Notifications → Notifications from apps.
4. Access to SMS/Contacts – Some apps collect data for targeted advertising. Check Settings → Privacy → App Permissions.

Example: How to limit Facebook:

After these actions, Facebook will not be able to show pop-up ads and will consume less battery.

What should I do if I have spam left?

If you've tried all the methods, but the ads or notifications keep coming, maybe the problem is deeper than it seems.

1. Reset to factory settings

This is a radical method that will remove all data from the phone, but return it to a “clean” state.

1. Make a backup of important files (photos, contacts, messages).
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Choose to erase all data and confirm the action.

⚠️ Note: After reset, do not restore data from a backup made MIUI Backup - it can contain spammy settings. Better move files manually.

2. Appeal in support of Xiaomi

If spam appears due to a firmware failure (for example, after an update), you can report the problem officially:

• 📧 Write in support of Xiaomi with a description of the problem (attach screenshots).
• 💬 Contact the official Telegram chat (there are Russian-language moderators).
• 📝 Create a theme on the Mi Community forum (a section for your phone model).

3.Verification SIM-card-and-operator

Sometimes spam doesn’t come from a phone, but from a mobile phone operator (SMS-- mailings, WAP-push, to disable:

• 📵 Dial *111# (for Beeline, MTS, MegaFon) and follow the unsubscribe instructions.
• 📧 Check the settings. SIM-Menu (usually under "My Services").
• 🛡️ Install the application to block SMS (for example, SMS Blocker).

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If spam only appears when connecting to Wi-Fi, check the router for malicious DNS-Reset your settings or change your password.

FAQ: Frequent questions about spam on Xiaomi