How to deal with advertising on Android Xiaomi: expert guide

Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often encounter intrusive banners that appear in system applications, when unlocking the screen or while using standard utilities. This feature of the MIUI shell (and the new HyperOS) is part of the company’s business model to sell devices at an affordable price. However, for many users, permanent pop-ups become a serious distraction, consuming traffic.

Fortunately, modern firmware versions provide enough tools to minimize or completely eliminate advertising content without obtaining root rights. The process of disabling does not require complex code manipulation, but involves careful passage through several settings menus. It is important to understand that a completely sterile system is difficult to make, since some elements can return after updates, but a comprehensive approach solves 99% of the problems.

In this guide, we will look at all the known ways to combat intrusive marketing, from standard switches in the About menu to more advanced methods through DNS and ADB. You will learn how to block ads in a standard browser, cleaner, music player and even in folders on your desktop. Follow the instructions consistently to ensure maximum comfort of using your device.

Disabling System Advertising through MSA

The centerpiece of Xiaomi’s advertising ecosystem is the service. MSA (MIUI System Ads. This is the process that collects user habits and displays targeted banners in the interface. The first and most important step is to disable authorization of this service. Without this action, all other settings may not be effective.

To start, go to the smartphone settings menu. Find the Passwords and Security or Advanced Settings section (depending on the MIUI version). Next, select Access to Personal Data. In the list that opens, find the msa line and turn the switch to the "Switch off" position. The system will warn you that some functions may stop working correctly, and start a countdown of 10 seconds.

When the time is up, press the Revoke button. Often the first time you fail to turn off the service, you get an error message or the timer is reset. This is the normal behavior of the accidental shutdown protection system, not an error. Just try to revoke the rights 3-5 times in a row until you confirm that you have successfully disabled. After that, the phone can "think" a little bit, processing the changes.

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If the "Revoke" button is inactive or constantly gives an error, try to turn off the Internet (Wi-Fi and mobile network) before performing the action. This will prevent the request from being sent to the authorization server and will allow you to disable the MSA locally.

After a successful revocation, it is also recommended to limit the background activity of this process. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find in the msa list, click on it and select AutoRun by turning off this option. This will prevent the service from trying to start again when you turn on the phone.

Configuring individual system applications

Even after disabling the main ad module, individual system applications can continue to show recommendations and promotional materials.In the Xiaomi ecosystem, each application has its own ad switch, which must be deactivated separately.

Start with the Security app. Open it, click on the settings gear in the top right corner. You need to find and turn off the Receive recommendations option. You should also check the Memory Cleanup section inside the app settings, which often hides the Recommendation clause, which adds news feed and ads when clearing the cache.

Next, go to the standard File Manager Explorer. Click on the menu (three bars) and select Settings → About. In the About section (or immediately in the settings, depending on the version), find the Recommendations toggler and disable it. This will remove the banners with games and news that appear on the Explorer's launch page.

Don't forget the Download app. Open it, click three dots in the corner, select Settings → Show recommended content and turn off this feature. Similar actions should be done in the Music, Video and Themes apps. Each of them has a setting (often hidden in the About or More menu) that includes Show ads or Recommendations.

⚠️ Attention: In the Topics app, after disabling advertising in the settings, you also need to go to the Profile section (the person at the bottom right), click on the gear and turn off the "Show Ads" option.

Blocking Advertising in Mi Browser

Xiaomi’s standard browser is known for its aggressive policies on user data and ad integrations. If you use this browser, you need to make a deep setup of it (privacy), otherwise the news feed and pop-ups will haunt you all the time.

Open your browser and click on the profile icon or three menu bars. Go to Settings. Find the Privacy and Security section. You need to activate the Ad Block switch. This is the basic filter that hides known banner ads on sites. It is also recommended to turn on Tracking Protection so that sites do not collect data about your movements.

Then, go down the settings menu below to Notice or News Feed. Depending on the Mi Browser version, this section may be called the Home Page. You need to turn off all the switches associated with Push Notifications, Recommended News and Video. Often the browser tries to mimic the news aggregator by filling the start page with junk content.

If you don't use a standard browser, the best solution is to completely remove or disable it. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find Mi Browser and click Delete or Disable. This will free up space and guarantee that the source of the ads will be removed. Alternatively, install Chrome, Firefox or Brave.

Removing Advertising from Folders and Desktop

One of the most annoying things about MIUI is that you have recommended apps in folders on your desktop, and when you create a folder and you put some icons in there, the system automatically adds a Recommended box, which is not a virus, but a regular launcher feature, which you can and should turn off.

To remove ads from folders, open any folder on your desktop. Click on the folder name (to enter title editing mode) or just open it. In the upper right corner or at the bottom of the screen (depending on the launcher version), a gear icon or folder Settings button should appear. Click on it and find the Recommended Apps or Application Promotion switch. Turn it to Off.

And you can also see ads on the lock screen, called the Wallpaper Carus, which changes the wallpaper every time you turn on the screen and shows the news feed. To turn it off, go to Settings → Lock screen (or Wallpaper). Find the Wallpaper Carus and turn it off. Choose a static image or a regular gallery as the lock wallpaper.

Also worth checking the settings of the desktop itself. Press your finger on the free screen space to call the edit menu, and click Settings. Check the sections associated with the Widget Tape (usually to the left of the first screen) - there are often news and promotional articles broadcast. Disable this widget if you don't need one.

Using Private DNS to block the world

If manually disabling all switches seems to you insufficient or you want to block ads inside third-party apps and games, the (most effective) method is to configure a private DNS. This method does not require the installation of additional applications and works at the network connection level.

The idea is that your phone will send requests to a server that automatically filters your ad domains, which is ideal for AdGuard DNS. It's free, doesn't require registration, and doesn't log your activity.

To set up, go to Settings → Connection and sharing (or just Wi-Fi and Internet). DNS (Private DNS). The default is "Auto" or "Disabled." Select the hostname of the provider. DNS (Or "Manually"). In the field that appears, type the following address:

dns.adguard.com

Save the settings. Now all traffic that goes through Wi-Fi and the mobile network will be filtered, and you'll notice that many apps and sites have lost banners, and in some cases, page loading can be accelerated, and this method also blocks trackers, increasing the overall digital hygiene of the device.

⚠️ Attention: Use of third-party DNS It can cause some applications that are linked to specific network paths (e.g., corporate networks or specific game servers) to malfunction.If you notice problems, just turn off this setting.

Advanced Methods: ADB and System Cleaning

For users who want to get the most out of the box and aren’t afraid to go a little deeper into the technical settings, there is a method to remove system components via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to physically remove advertising packages for the current user without violating the integrity of the system (without root).

First, you need to activate Developer Mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly press 7 times on MIUI Version (or OS Version). Then the Developer Menu will appear in Advanced Settings. Inside, turn on USB Debugging.

Connect your phone to your computer, download ADB Platform Tools, and execute a command to delete packets. Below is a list of commands to remove major ad components. Be careful: only delete what you are sure of.

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.msa.global


adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.daemon




adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.browser




adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.video




adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.player

The first team removes the main advertising service. The second one turns off the stats collection demon. The third one deletes the browser (if you didn't do it earlier); the fourth and fifth one remove the standard Videos and Music that can be replaced with third-party counterparts. After completing the commands, the ads disappear guaranteed, but keep in mind that when you reset to factory settings, everything will return.

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Using ADB is "heavy artillery." It gives 100% results, but requires a PC and basic command line skills. For most users, the first section techniques are enough.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)