How to Turn Off Ads on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide

Owning a Xiaomi smartphone is often accompanied by intrusive marketing content that is built right into the MIUI shell. Users encounter banner ads in standard apps, on the lock screen and even in system windows.It is annoying, distracting and consuming traffic, even if you haven't opened the browser.

Fortunately, the company's engineers have made it possible to turn off most of the ad modules, although they have hidden these settings deep enough that deactivating ads does not require super-user rights or reflashing the device, just go through the settings menu consistently and turn off several specific services.

In this article, we will take a closer look at each step of cleaning the interface from marketing noise, how to remove banners in Explorer, Music and Security, and how to forget about offers on a locked screen forever, and doing these actions will make using a smartphone comfortable and fast.

Disabling system advertising through account settings

The first and most important step is to disable the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which is the system process responsible for loading and displaying banner ads in the interface, and without disabling it, other manipulations may not be effective.

To start, you need to go to the device settings menu. Find a section that could be called Passwords and Security or simply Security, depending on your firmware version.

In the list of system services that opens, find msa. The switch next to it needs to be turned off. The system will warn you that some functions may stop working correctly, and suggest waiting 10 seconds before trying again.

• 🛑 Click "Disable" and wait for the countdown to end.
• 🛑 Repeat the shutdown attempt until the system agrees to shut down the service.
• 🛑 Make sure the switch is grey and inactive.

⚠️ Attention: Disconnection process MSA It's not a bug, it's a security feature. Just be patient and repeat the action.

After a successful MSA shutdown, it is also recommended to disable the Get References service from the same menu, which will prevent pop-ups with tips for using phone features, which often contain hidden ads.

Remove ads on the lock screen

The lock screen in the MIUI shell often turns into a news feed with bright pictures, a feature called Wallpaper Carousel or Glance, which consumes the Internet and shows advertising images every time you wake up your phone.

To return a static image, go to Settings and select Always on screen and lock screen. Find Wallpaper Carousel or Glance for Mi. Inside, you need to turn off the service activation switch completely.

If you have an older version of the firmware, the path may be different. Sometimes you need to go to Topics → Profile → Wallpaper Carousel. There you also need to find the switch and deactivate it, and then only the time, date and notifications will remain on the screen.

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If the standard ways to disable the Carousel fails, try to change the theme to the standard "Classic" through the application "Themes", and then repeat the procedure of disconnection.

It is important to note that disabling this feature does not affect the ability to install live wallpaper from the gallery.You will still be able to use any static images, but they will no longer automatically change and contain sponsors' advertising logos.

Setup of built-in Xiaomi applications

Advertising integrations are deeply embedded in standard software, and every application, from Explorer to Downloads, has its own recommendation settings, and they need to be individually disabled.

Start with the Security app. Open it, click on the gear in the top right corner, and find the "Get recommendations." Turn it off. You should also go to the Cleanup section inside the app and turn off the same switch there.

Then we go to Explorer. Click on three menu bars, select Settings → About. Here you need to find and turn off the Recommendations option. Similar actions are required for the Music app: three dots in the corner → Settings → Advanced Settings → Show advertisements.

Don't forget the Downloads app, which also hides the "Show recommended content" option, and disabling this option will remove the ad tape from the main file bootloader window.

Cleaning up from advertising in the browser and Mi Video

The standard Mi Browser browser and Mi Video video player are among the most aggressive sources of advertising content, often opening pop-ups and offering to install additional apps.

To clean your browser, open it, click on the three dots in the bottom menu, and go to Settings. Select Privacy and Security. You need to turn off all items related to personalizing ads and receiving notifications from sites.

The situation is similar in the Mi Video app. Go to the user profile, then to Settings. Find the Settings section and turn off Online Recommendations and Push Notifications, which will prevent banners from appearing on the video player's home screen.

⚠️ Note: After the system update, the ad settings may reset. Check the specified sections periodically to make sure that the restrictions are still in place.

Disabling personalized advertising by Google and MIUI

In addition to its own advertising, Xiaomi broadcasts advertising identifiers for Google and other services, and disabling this feature will not remove ads completely, but will make them less intrusive and personalized.

Go to Settings on your phone, scroll down to Google. Select Ads and click Reset Ad ID or Disable Ad Personalization, which will break the link between your actions and the ads you show.

Also in MIUI settings is a Privacy section, which can be found under Advertising Services, which prevents the system from collecting data about your activities to generate advertising profiles.

These measures significantly increase privacy, and while avoiding online advertising entirely will not help, the number of targeted offers within the system will decrease markedly.

Using DNS to Block Advertising

One of the most effective modern methods is the use of private DNS, which blocks advertising requests at the network level without requiring the installation of additional applications.

Go to Settings → Connection and General Settings → Private DNS. Select Host Name of DNS Provider and enter the address: dns.adguard.com. Save settings.

Once this is applied, ads will disappear not only in system applications, but also in many games and browsers, but you should be careful: if the specified server stops working, the Internet on the phone may disappear.

• 🌐 Enter the address carefully, without unnecessary spaces and symbols.
• 🌐 To return to standard settings, select “Auto” or “Disabled».
• 🌐 This method works on Android 9 and higher.

⚠️ Attention: Use of third-party DNS-servers may cause some local services to fail or slow down the connection if the server is far from your region.

If the Internet is gone after entering the address, immediately return the DNS settings to automatic mode, which will confirm that the problem was the unavailability of the blocker server.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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The comprehensive approach, which includes disabling MSA, configuring apps and using DNS, eliminates 95-99% of all advertising in the Xiaomi system.