How to remove ads on Xiaomi Redmi Note 4: the complete guide

Owners of the popular Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 smartphone often face intrusive behavior when banner ads suddenly appear on the screen, even when you are on your desktop. This annoying phenomenon, known as adware, can significantly slow down a device and lead to a leak of personal data. MIUI, a third-party applications that the user has previously installed.

Don't panic if your Redmi Note 4 starts to behave suspiciously, and in most cases, the problem is solved without going to the service center and without complex firmware manipulation, and viral advertising is usually disguised as harmless utilities such as flashlights, memory cleaners or simple games.

In this article, we will take a closer look at hidden threat detection algorithms and how to eliminate them, learn how to distinguish system notifications from malicious ones, and what security tools you should use to protect your gadget in the future.

Diagnostics of the source of pop-up windows

The first step in combating intrusive banners is to pinpoint the culprit. There are several ways to identify the app that generates ads on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, and users often don’t even realize that the “signal enhancement program” installed a week ago is the source of the problem.

The easiest way to do this is to pay attention to when the ad appears, and if the banner pops up right after you unlock the screen or when you start a particular game, it's a direct pointer. It's also worth checking the running process section. Press the menu button (square or three bars) to open the list of active apps, and look for processes with or without the odd names.

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If the ad appears at random points in time, try to remember which app you installed just before the problem started.

For deeper analysis, you can use built-in system tools or third-party utilities. It is important to act quickly, since some types of advertising software can download additional modules without the user's knowledge.

• 🔍 Pay attention to the name of the process in the task manager at the time the window appears.
• 📉 Check battery consumption statistics: a malicious app often consumes a lot of power in the background.
• 📂 Look for apps without icons in the general list of installed programs.
• 📅 Think about what programs have been installed in the past. 3-5 days.

Search and Remove Malware Applications

Once you suspect a particular app, it must be removed immediately. On the MIUI shell that is installed on the Redmi Note 4, the removal process is standard, but sometimes malware tries to hide. Go to the Settings menu and select the App item, then go to the All Apps section.

Look for programs with names like Flash Player, Clearer, Battery Saver, or just a random character set. If you see an app with no name or a transparent icon, it's almost certainly a virus. Click on it and select Delete.

In some cases, the delete button may be inactive or absent, which means that the malicious code has received device administrator rights. To fix this, go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Privacy → Device administrators. Uncheck the suspicious application, after which it can be removed in the standard way.

⚠️ Warning: If the application is not deleted and is constantly returning, it may have been embedded in the system partition, in which case a more radical method of cleaning through safe mode or a complete reset will be required.

Cleaning up browser data and resetting settings

Often the source of advertising is not individual applications, but accumulated data in the browser. Spam sites can leave scripts that continue to generate pop-ups. To clean up the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, you need to go to the settings of the browser you use (Chrome, Mi Browser or another).

Search the Settings → Privacy section in the browser menu. You need to select the Clear History option here. Make sure that (checks) are opposite the cookies, cached images and Site Data points. This action will log you out on the sites, but delete malicious scripts.

If the problem is not solved, you can try resetting the browser itself to factory settings. From the app menu (three dots in the corner), select Settings → Privacy and security → Reset settings. This will return the browser to its original state by removing all extensions and temporary files.

Remember that some sites may request permission to send notifications. Check the list of permitted sites in the browser notification settings and block any suspicious addresses.

Blocking Advertising through DNS and Hosts

For Redmi Note 4 owners who want to prevent network-level advertising, using a private DNS is a great solution.This method does not require the installation of additional applications and works systematically, blocking requests to known ad servers.

On modern versions of MIUI (Android 9 and above), DNS settings are available in the standard menu. Go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS. Select the option “Host Name of the DNS provider” and enter the address of a reliable server, for example, dns.adguard.com.

Once you save your DNS settings, all your device traffic will pass through a filter that sifts out ad domains, not only removing pop-ups, but also speeding up the loading of pages on the Internet.

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Use of the DNS-filtering (e.g. AdGuard) DNS) — This is the most effective way to block ads throughout the system, not just in the browser.

Use of built-in antivirus and scanners

The MIUI shell already has a powerful security tool developed by AVL that can detect most known threats, launch the Security app from your desktop and click Scan.

The system will check all the apps and files installed for malicious code, and if found, the system will suggest removing it or quarantining it, but the built-in scanner may miss new, as-yet-unknown viruses.

For more thorough testing, it is recommended to use specialized scanners that do not require constant background work. Utilities like Malwarebytes or Dr.Web Light have proven themselves well, download one from Google Play, update the databases and start a full scan.

• 🛡️ Run the built-in Security app for initial analysis.
• 📥 Install Dr.Web Light or Malwarebytes for deep validation.
• 🔄 Regularly update antivirus databases before scanning.
• 🚫 Do not install two active antiviruses at the same time, it will cause conflict.

Once the threat check is complete and removed, be sure to restart the device so that the changes take effect and free up RAM.

Radical measures: reset to factory settings

If none of the above methods helped to remove ads on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, the last, but most reliable way is a full reset.This procedure will return the phone to the “out of the box” state, removing all user data and applications along with viruses.

Before starting the procedure, it is critical to save all important contacts, photos and documents. Reset will destroy all information in the internal memory. Go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Recovery and Reset → Reset.

Press the button to erase all data. The phone will reboot and start the cleanup process, which can take 10-15 minutes. Once turned on, you will have to reconfigure the device. Be careful when restoring applications from Google backup - do not restore everything immediately so as not to return the virus back.

⚠️ Warning: Make sure the battery is at least 50% battery power before starting a reset. interruption due to discharge can cause system files to be damaged and download impossible.

Preventing Advertising in the Future

To keep your Redmi Note 4 clean, you need to maintain digital hygiene, the main cause of infection is installing apps from unverified sources, and try to download programs only from the official Google Play store.

Read reviews carefully and check the permissions the app requests when installing. If a simple flashlight requires access to your contacts and geolocation, it's a wake-up call, and it's also helpful to periodically check the list of installed programs and remove unused ones.

Update your operating system and applications regularly. MIUI updates often contain security patches that close vulnerabilities that virus writers exploit. By following these simple rules, you can enjoy a fast and clean interface on your smartphone.