How to turn off advertising on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face intrusive marketing that is built into the shell of MIUI and the new HyperOS. Advertising can appear in the most unexpected places: when unlocking the device, in system applications and even on the lock screen, overlapping wallpaper and widgets. This annoys users, reduces the speed of the interface and creates a feeling of congestion.

Fortunately, developers have left the ability to deactivate most ad modules without having to obtain Root rights or flash the device to the global version.The process of disabling requires care, since the settings are scattered across different menu sections. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to turn off ads on the screensaver and other system components, returning the phone to its original appearance.

All the steps will take no more than 10-15 minutes, but the result is worth it: your smartphone will work faster, and the interface will look clean and minimalist. We will look at both standard methods through settings, and more advanced ways for power users.

The Nature of Ad Blocks in MIUI and HyperOS

Xiaomi’s smartphone ad integration is not a random bug, but a smart strategy to monetize budget and mid-budget devices. The company subsidizes the cost of iron by displaying advertising content through the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which is the process that drives banners into the Security, Explorer, Music and, most importantly for us, the lock screen.

It's important to understand that Lock Screen ads are often disguised as "Recommendations" or "Wallpaper Carousel." Users see beautiful pictures of news text without even knowing that it's the same advertising mechanism. Disabling standard recommendations in the gallery does not always completely remove banner ads if MIUI Daemon or GetApps is activated.

⚠️ Note: Complete removal of system advertising components through ADB This may cause some applications to work unstable, and we recommend using software-based methods to disable the settings described below, as they are safe and reversible.

With the release of the HyperOS shell, the menu structure has changed a little, but the way the ad engine works has remained the same. Now the privacy settings are moved to a separate center, but the Get Recommendations switch is still hidden in the depths of the personalization menu, and ignoring these settings will lead to the fact that even after cleaning the cache, the ads will appear again when you first connect to Wi-Fi.

Disabling Advertising in the Security App

One of the main sources of irritation is the Security app, which runs by default with banner ads at the bottom of the screen. To remove them, you need to change the settings of the application itself, not just the system. First open the Security app and click on the gear in the upper right corner of the screen.

In the menu that opens, look for General settings, and here you are interested in the Receive recommendations switch, which should be turned off. This action will remove banners from the main menu of the security application. However, that's not all: there are separate modules inside the application, such as Clean up or Antivirus, which may have their own ad settings.

For complete cleaning, follow the following steps:

• 📱 Go to Clean Up Inside the Security app, click on three dots in the corner and select Settings, then turn off Get Recommendations.
• 🛡️ Go to the Antivirus section, click on the settings again (cog or three dots) and deactivate the Receive recommendations item.
• 🔋 Check the Battery partition (if available separately) where a similar switch may also be hiding.

Once you do this, the ads in the system utilities should disappear. If you use the memory acceleration feature, which shows the banner ad when cleared, this step is critical. Many users miss the setup of the internal modules, leaving "holes" through which marketing content again penetrates.

Setting up the lock screen and wallpaper carousel

The screensaver is most often broadcast via the wallpaper carousel function, which automatically changes the background image and shows news feeds or promotional articles every time you wake up, and to get rid of this, you need to completely disable the carousel service.

Go to Settings → Always on screen and lock screen (or just lock screen). Find wallpaper carousel. Inside you will see the switch Turn on wallpaper carousel. Turn it off. The system may try to convince you to stay by showing a preview of beautiful pictures, but consent will only lead to the return of advertising.

If you want to leave the wallpaper change, but remove advertising inscriptions and articles:

• 🖼️ Inside the carousel settings, select Change Frequency and set Never or select a specific time so that pictures don’t change too often.
• 📰 Find Receive Content or Recommendations and uncheck the box. This will remove the text blocks with news.
• 🔒 Make sure that in the section of the registration → Wallpaper not activated subscription to paid or advertising themes.

⚠️ Warning: After the wallpaper carousel is turned off, the lock screen may return to a static image. If you are used to dynamic change, adjust the change of the usual wallpaper in the gallery, but not through the Glance advertising service.

In some versions of MIUI, settings can be duplicated in the Themes app. Open the Themes app, go to profile (human icon) → Settings and check if it is synchronized with Carousel. It is critical to disable “Recommendations” in the phone’s system settings menu, as settings inside the Theme app may not have priority.

Management of MSA Service and System Advertising

The centerpiece of the advertising system is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which is the most effective way to stop banners in the entire system, but you can't just delete it, because it's a system application, and you can only deactivate it or deny it access to the Internet.

To start, try the standard permission revocation method. Go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Access to Personal Data (or Special Features → Access to Data). Find the msa list and turn off the switch. The system will count down the time for 10 seconds to warn of the consequences, then click Cancel.

List of services that should be checked and revoked their access to data:

• 📊 msa is the main advertising agent.
• 📈 MIUI Daemon – collects usage statistics, often linked to targeted advertising.
• 🌐 GetApps – Xiaomi app store, notification sources.
• 🔍 Mi Video / Mi Music – If you don’t use standard players, revoke their access.

If the switch in the settings is inactive or the ad returns after the reboot, a more radical method is needed.It is to turn the application off via the developer menu or ADB, but for most users it is enough to simply ban background activity. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find msa, go to Battery and select No restrictions (paradoxically, but sometimes it is necessary for correct revocation), and then in the Other permissions section, disallow everything that is possible.

Cleaning the Theme and Browser application

The Themes app and the built-in Mi Browser are two more channels through which Xiaomi streams content. The browser is particularly aggressive: it can show news on desktop or pop-ups. To clear the browser, open it, click on three dots (menu) → Settings → Privacy and security.

In your browser settings, find the Notifications section and disable Receive Notifications. Also in the General section, remove the tick from the Receive Recommendations item. This will stop the news feed from appearing on the browser's homepage. The Themes application algorithm is similar to: Profile → Settings → disable Auto Update Themes and Receive Recommendations.

Below is a table summarizing the places to disable ads in popular apps:

Remember that when you update your apps through GetApps, your settings may reset. Check these sections periodically, especially after major MIUI or HyperOS updates.

Disabling personalization and advertising ID

Even after disabling visible banners, the smartphone continues to collect your preferences to create an advertising profile. To minimize the digital footprint, you need to reset the advertising ID and disable personalization. This is done in the Passwords and Security → Privacy section.

Find Advertising Services, where you turn off the Ad Personalization switch, and click Reset Advertising ID, which will give your device a new random ID, breaking the link to previously collected data about your interests.

Additional steps for maximum privacy:

• 🔒 In the Privacy section, disable Participation in the Improvement Program MIUI. This will stop sending telemetry to Xiaomi servers.
• 📍 Check the location settings: Settings → Location → Geolocation Services and Turn Off Google Advertising.
• 📱 In Google Settings (a separate app in the menu) go to Advertising and select Remove Advertising ID.

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Use Do Not Disturb mode at night so that the ads from the system apps don’t wake you up in the middle of the night, even if you missed a switch.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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The main secret of pure Xiaomi is a comprehensive approach: you need to disable advertising in each system application separately, not only in general settings.