Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face intrusive notifications that appear at the most inopportune time, which is not just an annoyance, but also a potential threat to the security of personal data, since such messages often contain phishing links or advertising fraudulent services. You can remove pop-up texts on Xiaomi yourself if you understand the nature of their appearance and properly configure built-in security tools.
The main cause of the problem is often not the carriers themselves, but malicious applications or incorrectly configured permissions for system services. MIUI has powerful built-in functionality to combat unwanted content, but by default some filters can be turned off or work incorrectly. In this article, we will discuss all methods of eliminating spam, from simple settings to deep cleaning the system.
Ignoring the problem can lead to accidental subscriptions to paid services or theft of sensitive information. So it's important not just to close windows with ads, but to find them and neutralize them. We will look at both the standard HyperOS and MIUI shell tools and third-party solutions to maximize the protection of your device.
Analysis of sources of advertising spam on Android
Before taking drastic action, the source of the problem must be identified: pop-ups can be generated by both the standard Messages app and third-party programs that have received the appropriate permissions, and users often install “harmless” utilities themselves, which in the background begin to broadcast ads.
Special attention should be paid to applications with wide access to the system, such as flashlights, memory cleaners or accelerators, which are the most common cause of advertising banners on top of other windows, and can also be the source of malicious scripts that got into the phone when downloading files from unverified sources.
⚠️ Warning: If a pop-up appears even on the desktop or in the settings menu, it’s a sure sign that the malware is working, not a system error. SMS-service.
To diagnose the source of the notification, you can use the function of viewing running applications. Immediately after the advertisement appears, click the menu button of recent applications and see which program is currently active. Often the name of the program-culprit is hidden or disguised as a system process, so be careful.
Setup of built-in spam filter in the Messages app
The Xiaomi shell messaging app has a fairly efficient locking algorithm, so you have to go to the app settings to activate it. Open Messages, click three dots in the top right corner, and select Antispam.
In the menu that opens, you should activate the Spam Filter switch. The system will prompt you to enable the update of the spam database over the Internet - agree, as this will allow you to block new fraud numbers automatically. You can also add specific numbers to the blacklist manually.
☑️ Setting up anti-spam
You should also check the notification settings for suspicious contacts, and if you receive a text message from unknown senders with advertising content, open the dialogue, click on the sender's name and select "Block" to prevent further messages from this number.
It is important to update your antivirus and spam filter databases regularly. From the Security menu -> Antivirus, click on the settings gear and select Update, which will keep your Redmi or Poco device's security mechanisms up to date.
Identify and remove malicious applications
If messaging filtering doesn't work, it's more of a problem in the apps that are installed, and malware often doesn't have an icon on the desktop or masquerades as system components like Android System, Update Service, or Flash Player, which can be removed through the application management menu.
Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Study the list carefully. Look for programs without an icon (empty white field) or with suspicious names. If you find an app that was installed around the same time that the spam problems started, it should be removed immediately.
| Sign of the annex | Action. | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| There's no icon. | Immediate removal | High (virus) |
| Request for Administrator Rights | Withdrawal of rights and deletion | critical |
| Unknown developer | Checking in the Play Market | Medium. |
| Traffic consumption in the background | Limitation of background activity | Medium. |
Delete some viruses may require disabling device administrator permissions. Go to Settings → Password & Security → Privacy → Special Access Rights → Administrator Apps. If there are suspicious programs, uncheck them and then they can be deleted in the usual way.
What to do if the application is not removed?
Blocking pop-up ads in the browser
Often the source of annoying windows is not SMS, but push notifications from sites visited in the browser. Sites request permission to display notifications, and the user agrees without reading, as a result, advertising blocks begin to appear in the notification curtain or on top of the screen.
To remove this from Xiaomi, you need to clear your browser permissions. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find your browser (Chrome, Mi Browser, Yandex) and select Other Permissions. Find Pop-ups or Notifications and disable them.
It is also recommended to clear the cache and browser data.This will not delete your bookmarks (if sync is enabled), but will reset all temporary files and site settings, including permissions to display ads. From the browser app menu, select Storage and click Clear.
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Use Incognito mode when visiting suspicious sites – in this mode, the browser does not save permissions for notifications and cookies after closing the tab.
An alternative solution is to install specialized ad blockers such as AdGuard or use of ad-blockers. DNS-This will allow you to block advertising requests at the system level, not just in one browser.
Using antivirus scanners and cleaning the system
If manual methods have failed, you need to connect heavy artillery - specialized software. Built-in antivirus from Avast or AVL in MIUI copes well with basic threats, but for deep verification it is better to use third-party solutions such as Malwarebytes or Dr.Web Light.
Run a full system scan. Antivirus programs can find hidden miners and Trojans that mask their processes. Once threats are detected, follow the application's instructions to neutralize them. Don't ignore the recommendation to restart the device after treatment.
⚠️ Warning: Do not install multiple active antiviruses at the same time, this will lead to conflict of services, reduced smartphone performance and possible system failures.
After cleaning, be sure to check the autoboot list. In Settings → Apps → Autorun, leave only the necessary messengers and system services. Disabling unnecessary programs from autorun will prevent them from activating immediately after turning on the phone.
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A comprehensive third-party antivirus check combined with autoboot cleanup eliminates 95% of Android ad spam cases.
Radical measures: resetting settings and prevention
In the most difficult cases, when the virus is deeply embedded and not removed by standard methods, a complete factory reset helps, which completely removes all data, applications and settings, returning the phone to the “out of the box” state.
To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data. The device will restart and begin the cleaning process. Once complete, you will have to reconfigure the phone, but you will be guaranteed to be free of viruses.
To prevent the appearance of pop-up SMS on Xiaomi in the future, observe digital hygiene: do not follow suspicious links to SMS from unknown numbers, do not install applications from third-party sources (APK-Files and update the operating system regularly.