How to permanently disable ads on Xiaomi: the full guide

Advertising in Xiaomi smartphones is one of the most annoying features of MIUI firmware. Banners in settings, pop-up notifications about “recommended applications”, advertising blocks in standard utilities (for example, in the Browser or Music) can spoil the impression even of the flagship models of Redmi, POCO or Black Shark. The good news is that most ad modules can be turned off without root rights – just know where to look for the right switches.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 proven ways to block ads, from standard MIUI settings to advanced methods using ADB and alternative DNS. All instructions are relevant for MIUI 12-14 firmware (including global and Chinese versions) and work on models from 2020-2026. If you’re tired of intrusive banners in Topics, Security or Mi Video, this guide will help clean the interface once and for all.

Why is Xiaomi showing ads and is it legal?

Xiaomi has openly stated that MIUI advertising is part of a business model to keep device prices low, and according to the company, up to 30 percent of revenue comes from targeted ads on branded services, which means that:

• 📱 Global firmware (EEA, Global has fewer ads than Chinese (China) ROM), But she still has it.
• 🔄 Advertising modules are updated through Xiaomi servers, so even after resetting the settings, banners can return.
• 📊 Some of the ads are personalized: the system analyzes your actions (for example, frequent use of the Camera can lead to banners with offers of photo applications).

From a legal point of view, Xiaomi does not violate the laws: when you first turn on your smartphone, the user agrees to the Privacy Policy, which mentions “personalized recommendations.” However, in the European Union (EEA), there are more stringent rules: here you can turn off advertising completely through the Settings menu → Password and Security → Authorization and Review → Personalized recommendations.

⚠️ Note: On Chinese firmware (China) ROM) Some of the ad modules are locked at the system level. ADB or file modifications may result in a Mi Account being blocked or a device being reset. DNS-filtration (section 4).

Method 1: Disabling Advertising in Standard MIUI Settings

The easiest method is to deactivate ad modules through the settings menu, which is suitable for 90% of users and does not require technical knowledge, and important, the paths to settings may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI and the firmware region.

Follow this algorithm:

1. Open Settings → About your phone and tap 7 times on the line version of MIUI to activate the Developer Mode.
2. Return to the main settings menu and go to Additional → Special Features → Advertising Services (on some models, the path: Settings → Password and Security → Authorization and Review → Personalized Recommendations).
3. Turn off all switches related to advertising: 🔘 Show recommendations 🔘 Personalized announcements 🔘 Advertising identification (if any)

Reset the device.

After this action, most of the banners in:

• 📁 File Manager (Installation "Recommended")
• 🎵 Music and Video
• ⚙️ Settings (section "Recommendations")

There are no banners in "Themes"|No notifications from "Mi Browser"|The "Security" recommendations have disappeared"|Disappeared advertising blocks in the "Calendar"-->

If the ads are left in separate apps (for example, Mi Browser or Mi Video), go to the next method.

Method 2: Manually disabling ads in each application

Some standard Xiaomi utilities (e.g. Browser, Music, Video) have their own advertising modules that do not turn off through general settings.

Here is a list of ads and how to remove them:

There are no ads for Notes and Calculator apps, but Mi Browser and Mi Video may still have banners from third-party services (e.g. Google AdSense) that require blocking. DNS-filters (method 4) or ADB (3-way).

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If there is still advertising in Mi Browser, try changing the default search engine to DuckDuckGo or Startpage – they don’t show targeted ads.

Method 3: Disabling Advertising through ADB (for Advanced Advertising)

If standard methods fail, you can block system-level ad packages using Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires connecting your smartphone to your PC and basic command line knowledge, but gives 100% results – ads disappear forever, even after updates.

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on PC (Windows/Linux/Mac).
2. On your smartphone, activate USB Debugging: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (tap 7 times). Go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers. Enable USB Debugging and confirm permission.

adb devices

(A device with a serial number must appear).

adb shell pm hide com.miui.systemAdSolution


adb shell pm hide com.xiaomi.midrop




adb shell pm hide com.android.browser




adb shell settings put global captive_portal_detection_enabled 0

Reset the device.

These teams:

• 🚫 Block the system module of advertising com.miui.systemAdSolution.
• 🚫 Disable ads in Mi Browser and Mi Drop.
• 🚫 Stop checking the “prisoner portal” (which sometimes shows ads when connecting to Wi-Fi).

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (MIUI 14 China) pm hide may not work. In this case, use the alternative: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 But remember: this will only remove the package for the current user, not completely from the device.

Method 4: Blocking Advertising via DNS (without root)

If you don't want to mess with ADB, Alternative method: redirecting advertising requests to “empty" DNS-It works at the network level and blocks banners in all applications, including Mi Browser, Facebook and even in games.

The most effective DNS for blocking ads:

How to set up:

1. Go to Settings → Wi-Fi (or Mobile Network → Access Point).
2. Tap on the current network → Change the network → Additional → IP settings.
3. Select Static and enter the selected DNS in the DNS 1 and DNS 2 fields.
4. Save and reconnect to the network.

To check the health, use the DNS Leak Test service. If the results show the DNS you selected, the setup was successful.

AdGuard DNS|NextDNS|Cloudflare|My version |Do not use-->

Method 5: Installation of alternative firmware (for experienced)

If none of these methods worked, the radical solution is to reflash the device on custom firmware without advertising.

• 📱 LineageOS – “clean” Android without unnecessary modules.
• 📱 Pixel Experience – firmware with Google Pixel interface.
• 📱 Xiaomi.eu – modified MIUI Advertising free (only for unlocked bootloader).

Warnings before firmware:

• ⚠️ The warranty on the device will be cancelled.
• ⚠️ Risk of “bricking” (turning into a “brick”) when making mistakes.
• ⚠️ Certain functions (e.g, NFC or IR-blaster) may not work properly.

If you decide to do this, follow the official instructions on the forums:

• XDA Developers (for LineageOS/Pixel Experience)
• Xiaomi.eu (for Xiaomi.eu firmware).

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Xiaomi.eu is the only way to completely remove ads on Chinese versions of smartphones (such as the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G China), where standard methods do not work.

What if the advertisements returned after the update?

After the MIUI update, some advertising modules may be activated again to avoid this:

1. Before updating, back up your settings through Settings → System → Backup.
2. After the update, re-execute steps from Method 1 and 2 (check the ad settings in each application).
3. If you use ADB, re-enter commands to block packets.
4. For DNS-Filtering set up static DNS on the router - this will eliminate the need to reconfigure each gadget.

The Chinese firmware (China ROM) may be notified of a “violation of MIUI policy” after the update.

• Ignore the notification – it will disappear in 1-2 days.
• Don’t click Fix or Restore, it will bring back the ad.

FAQ: Frequent questions about ad blocking on Xiaomi