Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often encounter intrusive banner ads that appear in system applications.This is a feature of the MIUI branded shell, designed to compensate for the low cost of devices, but for many users it becomes an annoying factor. Fortunately, most ad integrations can be disabled manually without obtaining superuser rights or flashing the device.
The process of clearing the system of marketing content requires several actions in different settings sections. Advertising modules are scattered throughout the system and are responsible for displaying banners in Explorer, Music, Browser and even in the lock menu. Ignoring some steps can lead to the fact that advertising will continue to bother the owner in individual applications.
In this guide, we will take a detailed look at each step of disabling intrusive content, learn how to deactivate the main MSA service responsible for system advertising, and how to configure each standard application separately. Follow the instructions carefully to make smartphone use comfortable and clean.
Disabling the MSA system advertising service
The central element that broadcasts ads on Xiaomi devices is the system application msa (MIUI System Ads).It is this process that collects data about user preferences and shows targeted banners in the interface. The first and most important step is to send this service on vacation through authorization settings.
To start, you need to go to the phone's settings menu and find the account section, and there's a switch that formally allows or forbids the system from showing ads, and note that the off button may be inactive right away, and the countdown timer will require waiting.
Follow the following steps for initial blocking:
- 📱 Open Settings and go to Passwords and Security.
- 🔍 Select the section Access to Personal Data (or "Authorization and Security»).
- 📉 Find the msa service in the list and transfer the switch to the position "Switched off».
- ⏳ Wait until the countdown is completed (usually 10 seconds) and confirm the action with the Stop button.
⚠️ If you failed to disable msa from the first time and the system gave an error, repeat the procedure 3-5 The service often resists shutdown, but with the persistence of the user gives up.
After successfully disabling msa, the amount of ads in the interface will be significantly reduced, however, this step does not remove ad modules from specific applications such as a browser or music player, so you need to continue setting up.
☑️ Checking the shutdown MSA
Setting up the "Security" and "Conductor" application
Xiaomi’s standard utilities often contain built-in recommendations and news feeds, which are essentially ad units.The Security app, which many use to clean up memory and check for viruses, also has its own privacy settings that require attention.
To clear up the noise from Security, launch the app and click on the gear icon in the top right corner, and find Receive recommendations and deactivate it, which will remove banners that suggest installing additional games or boosters.
The same thing happens with Explorer, which can show popular files or partner ads by default.
- 📂 Open the Explorer app on the main screen.
- ⚙️ Click on the menu (three bars) and select Settings.
- 🚫 Find the option to get recommendations and turn it off.
These simple steps will make working with files and system cleaning faster and more enjoyable, and the interface will be minimalistic, without distractions and heavy graphic elements of advertising.
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After disabling the recommendations in the “Conductor”, the application can work a little faster, since it will stop downloading advertising content in the background.
Elimination of Advertising in Mi Browser and System Widgets
The built-in Mi Browser browser is known for its aggressive advertising policy. Even with third-party solutions, the system browser can pop up with news. To neutralize it, you need to dig deep into the settings of the application itself, not just the system.
Go to your browser, click on your user profile or the three dots in the bottom menu, then go to Settings. In the Privacy and Security section, disable all items related to personalization and recommendations. It is also useful to activate the built-in ad blocker if it is available in your version.
Desktop widgets are worth special attention. Glance or Mi Video tapes on the lock screen and desktop often broadcast video ads. Remove these widgets from the desktop or turn them off in the lock screen settings through the wallpaper carousel.
Comparison of cleaning methods in different applications is presented in the table below:
| Annex | The path to adjustment | What to turn off | The effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security | Settings (cogs) | Receive recommendations | No banners when scanning |
| Conductor | Menu → Settings | Receive recommendations | Clean file interface |
| Music. | Menu → Settings | Showing ads | Absence of banners in the player |
| Topics | Profile → Settings | Receive recommendations | No advertising in the catalog |
Cleaning the “Themes” and “Download” app
Themes store is another source of visual noise, and when you open an app, you often see banners with promotions or new paid themes, and while the store is useful for customization, it can be made less intrusive.
To disable the ads in this section, open the Topic app, go to the profile (human icon) and click on the settings icon. Here you need to find and turn off the Receive recommendations option. This action will hide the promo blocks on the store's home page.
It is also worth checking the Download app if you use it to download files from the Internet, and its settings may also include a recommendation display, which should be deactivated for complete system cleanliness.
⚠️ Attention: After the shell update MIUI or HyperOS, your ad settings may reset. Periodically check the "Get recommendations" items in key apps.
Disabling personalization and advertising ID
To make your ads less accurate and intrusive, you can reset your device’s advertising ID. This won’t remove banners completely, but it will reset the profile that the system has built based on your actions, making the ads less relevant.
Go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Privacy. Scroll down to Advertising Services. Here you will see the option to reset your advertising ID. By clicking on it, you will create a new blank profile for advertisers.
Additionally, you can also turn off ad personalization in the same menu, which will prevent apps from using your data to match content, and while this won’t stop the full flow of ads, the quality (or lack thereof) of ad integrations will change.
Why does the advertisement come back after the reset?
Using DNS to block advertising at the network level
The most radical and effective method, which works not only in the system, but also in some third-party applications and games, is to configure a private DNS.
To implement this method, go to Settings → Connection & Sharing → Private DNS (the path may vary depending on the Android version). Select the DNS Provider Host Name mode and enter the trusted blocker address, such as dns.adguard.com.
The advantage of this method is that it doesn't require any additional software and it works globally, but if the server address is not available, the Internet on the phone may stop working, so it's important to use verified addresses.
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Set up a private DNS (dns.adguard.com) is the most effective way to remove ads in apps where there are no internal settings to disable banners.