Buying a new smartphone from Xiaomi or Redmi is always an exciting process, but once the device is turned on, many users will be disappointed. Instead of a clean and fast interface, the owner faces intrusive advertising, strange notifications and aggressive energy savings that kills background processes. To make the gadget work as intended by engineers, you need to make a series of profound changes in the configuration of the system.
Many owners are unaware that the standard settings of MIUI or the new HyperOS are focused on the Chinese market or specific use cases that are not relevant for the European user. Ignoring primary optimization can lead to rapid battery discharge and lag in the operation of applications. In this article, we will discuss in detail which switches should be activated and which functions should be ruthlessly turned off.
The process of preparing the smartphone for comfortable operation takes only 15-20 minutes, but the result is worth it. You get a device that does not annoy with unnecessary pop-ups, correctly allocates the CPU resources and ensures maximum battery life. It is critical to adjust the advertising ID and background activity restrictions in the first 10 minutes of use.
Disabling Advertising and System Recommendations
The most painful topic for Xiaomi smartphone users is the built-in advertising that appears in system applications. Fortunately, the company provides tools to disable it, even though they are scattered across different menus. The first thing you need is deaktivirovat's MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which is responsible for displaying advertising content.
To do this, go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Access to personal data. In the list that opens, find msa and turn off the slider. The system will ask for confirmation several times and count down time, trying to keep you from doing this — be persistent. Once you turn off ads in standard applications like Explorer or Music, it will become significantly cleaner.
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After the MSA service is disabled, restart your phone so that the changes take effect in all system processes.
Next, remove personalized recommendations that are often mistaken for spam. These notifications may suggest installing games or reading news that is not relevant to you. To clear the notifications, go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Access to personal data and find the Wallpaper Carousel, Security and Downloads apps, disabling them from Internet access or personalization.
- 🚫 Turn off “Receive recommendations” in the Security app through its settings (cog icon).
- 🚫 In "Conductor" click on the menu (three strips) → Settings → About the annex → Remove the box "Receive recommendations».
- 🚫 In the “Subjects” app, go to Profile → Settings and disable “Show Ads” and “Personal Recommendations».
- 🚫 In "Downloads" click on three dots → Settings → Remove the box "Receive recommendations».
⚠️ Attention: After the service is disconnected MSA Advertising may not disappear instantly, but within 24 hours, until the servers update the status of your device.
Optimizing battery life and energy saving
Xiaomi’s aggressive shell energy saving system often works against the user by forcibly shutting down apps you use daily, causing notifications from instant messengers to arrive with a delay, and the navigator resets the route when the screen is off. To fix this, you need to manually set priorities for important programs.
Go to Settings → Applications → All apps. Select a critical application (e.g. Telegram, WhatsApp or Yandex.Navigator). Find AutoStart and turn it on. Then go to Saving battery power inside the app menu and select No Limits option. This will allow the program to run in the background without being forced to terminate by MIUI Optimization.
You should also look at the general energy consumption statistics, in Settings → Battery → Top Right Cogs → Battery statistics, you can see which applications consume the most resources. If you see a program there that you rarely use, you should check its settings or delete it.
To extend the life of the battery in the long run, it is recommended to activate the optimized overnight charging function, which learns your habits and suspends charging at 80%, completing the process only before you wake up, which reduces the degradation of the battery's chemical composition.
- 🔋 Enable “Optimized Night Charging” in the battery settings to save life.
- 🔋 Turn off Extended Memory (if available) if you have enough RAM, as virtual memory wears the drive out faster.
- 🔋 Use the original charger or certified analogues with Quick Charge or Power Delivery support.
Screen and interface setting
The screen is the main window for interacting with the smartphone, and its proper settings for comfort of use and eye health. Xiaomi's phones often have the default "Ultimate Shayser" or "Text Contrast" feature enabled, which makes fonts bolder but can disrupt color reproduction in some apps. It is recommended to check the color profile settings in the Settings section. → Screen. → Color scheme.
The screen refresh rate deserves special attention. If you have a model that supports 90 Hz, 120 Hz or even 144 Hz, make sure that the Settings menu → Screen → Update rate is selected for “Default” or “Maximum.” Working in 60 Hz mode on a powerful display is a waste of the device’s potential, making animations less smooth.
Should we include a dark topic?
For users who spend a lot of time reading from their phone, Read Mode is useful. Unlike a simple blue filter, this mode repaints the interface into shades of black and white newspaper, which significantly reduces fatigue, and you can activate it through the notification curtain or set up automatic turn on on on schedule.
Don't forget to adjust brightness and autobrightness. Xiaomi's algorithms sometimes understate indoor brightness. Go to Settings → Screen → Brightness Level and click "Tune" to manually set sliders for different lighting conditions, making the system remember your preferences.
Management of notifications and debris notifications
The notification system in MIUI/HyperOS is powerful but requires manual adjustment. Often users are faced with junk fluffs from embedded apps that offer to clean up memory or speed up the phone, not only annoying, but also wasting battery power.
To get rid of them, open the Security app, click on the settings gear, and find the Notifications section, where you can turn off all kinds of advertising and recommendation alerts: Ads, Homepage, Memory Cleanup, and others. Leave only critical warnings, such as viruses or database updates.
| Type of notification | Where to turn off | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising in Security | Security → Settings → Notifications | Turn it off. |
| Recommendations in the Conductor | The guide → Settings → Information | Turn it off. |
| News in Browser | Browser → Settings → Notifications | Turn it off. |
| GetApps Updates | GetApps → Profile → Settings → Notifications | Turn it off. |
You should also set up Smart Notifications on the lock screen. If you don't need to see text messages while the phone is up, turn off this feature in Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification format. This will increase the privacy of your data in public places.
⚠️ Warning: Do not turn off system notifications for low battery power or critical system errors, otherwise you may miss an important malfunction signal.
Data privacy and security
Privacy issues are becoming more and more pressing. Xiaomi smartphones collect telemetry to improve services, but the user has the right to limit this fee. Start with the advertising ID. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Privacy → Advertising Services and click “Reset Advertising ID.” You can also turn off advertising personalization in the same menu.
An important step is to check permissions for applications. Many programs request access to a microphone, geolocation or contacts without real need. Go through the list in Settings → Privacy Protection → Permit Management. Pay special attention to location access: for most applications, only when used, not always, is enough access.
☑️ Security check
For additional protection of personal data, use the “Second Space” or “Hidden Album” feature, which allows you to isolate certain files and applications with a password or fingerprint, accessing them through a special code or biometrics, which reliably hides content from prying eyes.
Keep your security updates up to date. Security → Viruses can be updated from the security menu. While the built-in security guard doesn't replace a full-fledged PC antivirus, it effectively blocks known threats and phishing sites.
Special features and hidden functions
At the core of Xiaomi's settings are features that can dramatically change the experience, and one of the most useful is One-Hand Mode, which, if you have a big smartphone, activating this mode (usually swipe down the bottom navigation bar) allows you to slide the interface down for easy thumb control.
Another underrated feature is Quick Notes, which by setting up a notebook call to double tap or draw a letter on a screen that is off, you can instantly record ideas. You can find this setting in Settings → Additional Features → Quick Notes.
Gamers must be configured to set up Game Turbo, which not only blocks notifications during the game, but also allows you to redistribute CPU resources in favor of the game, as well as take screenshots and screen recordings without delay. You can add the game to the list through the Security app → Game Turbo.
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Game Turbo’s robust setup can increase FPS in heavy gaming by 10-15% by prioritizing processes.
Also worth mentioning is the "Apps Accelerated Start Up" feature, which preloads frequently used programs into RAM. If you have a model with a small amount of RAM (4-6 GB), this feature is better enabled. If the memory is 8 GB or more, you can turn off to save charge.