Xiaomi Security Check: How to Turn Off Scanning and Advertising

Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often face intrusive notifications about the need to scan the device. the built-in security utility is really useful for basic protection, but its aggressive behavior sometimes interferes with the comfortable use of the gadget.

It's not so much the fact that the security is being protected that it's being inflexibly configured that users are often frustrated. APK-Files are malicious, requiring an Internet connection to be checked through cloud databases. In this article, we will discuss how to correctly deactivate the various levels of verification without leaving the device completely defenseless against real threats.

It's important to understand that turning off all security mechanisms is a risk, but if you know what you're doing and you only install software from trusted sources, constant alerts become unnecessary noise, we'll look at the settings of standard MIUI antivirus, Google Play Protect services, and also touch on the removal of system advertising, which is often masqueraded as security warnings.

Settings of the built-in antivirus MIUI

The central security element in the MIUI and HyperOS shell is the Security app, which scans applications when installing them, periodically checks the system in the background, and to change the behavior of this component, you need to go into its deep settings, which are hidden from the surface.

Open the Security app on your desktop or in the Tools folder. In the upper right corner, click on the gear icon to get into the settings menu. Here you are interested in the Antivirus section. This is where the main switches for frequency and method of checking files are concentrated.

• 🛡️ Cloud Verification: The default option is to send file hashes to Tencent or Avast servers to check against the virus database.
• 📲 Installation Check: A feature that triggers scanning of each APK-file immediately after downloading, but before installation.
• 🔄 Auto-update databases: allows antivirus to download new threat signatures on its own, which can waste traffic.

To disable intrusive verification, you can simply put the Cloud Verification slider in an inactive position, then rely on the local base only, which will speed up the analysis process, but may reduce the effectiveness of detecting new threats, and you can also turn off the “Check on Installation” option if you frequently install modified applications.

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Before disabling cloud check, make sure you have a reliable alternative antivirus installed or you are absolutely sure of the source of the files you download.

Google Play Protect is now offline

In addition to Xiaomi’s own solutions, each certified device has Google’s Play Protect, which is integrated into the Google Play store and scans apps both when downloaded and when they are up and running, sometimes blocking the installation of software that simply doesn’t have a Google digital signature, even if the file is secure.

To access the settings of this service, open the Play Store app. Click on your profile icon in the top right corner of the screen. In the drop-down menu, select Protect Play Protection. Here you will see the current scan status and the ability to manage functions.

In the window that opens, click on the gear icon, and you'll be given two options: turn off app scanning or deactivate the protection completely. If you choose the first option, you'll let the system alert you to threats, but you won't block the installation. Completely shutting down removes all restrictions, but makes the smartphone vulnerable when you visit questionable sites.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling Google Play Protect completely may result in the inability to work some banking applications and services that require device certification (Google SafetyNet).

Managing Permits for APK Installation

Modern versions of Android and MIUI shells strictly control the installation of applications from third-party sources. Even if you disable the antivirus, the system can request confirmation to install an unknown application every time.

When you try to open APK-If you send a file through a file manager or a browser, the system will give you a warning, and instead of confirming the action every time, you can give a permanent source (for example, a file manager or a Telegram) special permission. → Annexes → All applications.

Find the application you most often use to install programs (like Explorer or Chrome) and go to its settings and find Install Unknown Apps. Activate this switch, and the system will trust that source and will not interrupt the process every time you install additional checks.

• 📂 File Manager: The main source of installation APK, downloaded.
• 💬 Messengers: Telegram and WhatsApp are often used to transfer installation files.
• 🌐 Browsers: direct download and launch of the installer from Chrome or Yandex.Browser.

It is worth noting that newer versions of MIUI may display a countdown timer (usually 10 seconds) when installed, so that the user does not accidentally click "Install" in the heat of the moment. You cannot bypass the timer by standard means, this is a security requirement of Google.

Blocking Advertising in Security System

Often users confuse security checks with advertising notifications generated by the MIUI system itself. Pop-ups recommending “clean up memory” or “speed up phone” may look like virus alerts, but are actually a marketing tool of the company.

To get rid of this, you need to turn off the recommendation service. Go to the Security settings (through the gear) find Receive recommendations and turn it off. This will remove banner ads from the scanner interface.

Also check the system settings as a whole. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Access to personal data. Here you can restrict access to advertising identifiers. Also, in the Settings → About Phone section, quickly click 10 times on the MIUI logo to see hidden information, but to turn off advertising, the Advertising Services item in the Privacy menu is more important.

Turning off MSA (MIUI System Ads) is another effective step: Find msa in the application list, turn off the Receive References switch and wait 10 seconds, then press "Revoke." If you fail the first time, try repeating the procedure several times, as the system may resist.

Comparison of safety verification methods

Different levels of protection on Xiaomi have their own characteristics and affect performance in different ways. Understanding the difference between local scanning, cloud verification and Google protection will help you choose the optimal balance between security and device speed.

As you can see from the table, the most resource-intensive is Google Play Protect. If your smartphone has a less recent model of the processor, this service can cause noticeable slowdowns when installing games. Local verification MIUI works quickly, but its databases are updated less often.

Using third-party antivirus software (such as Kaspersky or Dr.Web) only makes sense in a corporate environment or when dealing with highly suspicious files, and in household use, they create a conflict with system protection, which leads to double battery consumption and lower overall performance.

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The optimal strategy is to leave Google Play Protect on for the app store, but disable cloud verification in the built-in MIUI scanner to speed up the installation of third-party software.

Frequent problems after disabling protection

Once you have disabled security checks, there may be situations that require attention, primarily notifications from the system itself, which may be “scolded” for the lack of updates or risks, even if you have not checked.

Sometimes the Security app keeps hanging in memory and consuming resources even if all functions are turned off, and then cleaning the application’s data helps. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Security, select Clear and Clear All. This will reset the scanner settings to factory settings, and you will have to turn off unnecessary functions again, but the glitches often disappear.

⚠️ Note: Do not remove the Security app by force ADB, This can lead to a cyclic bootloop, because many system processes are not in the system. MIUI tied to this component.

Another problem is blocking the installation of older versions of applications, so if you try to roll back a version of a program, the system will say that this action is not safe, and only disabling signature verification completely helps. ADB-team, but it requires a computer and debugging skills.

adb shell pm install --bypass-low-target-sdk-block package_name.apk

Use this command only if you understand why you need a particular older version of the application, and in most cases it is easier to find a more recent but compatible version of the program.

Questions and Answers (FAQ)