Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often encounter intrusive ads and strange messages that suddenly appear on the lock screen or in the notification curtain.These are not always viruses, as many people think, but most often the result of built-in MIUI services or permissions you accidentally gave to applications. HyperOS, which replaced the old shell, also inherited many mechanisms of targeted advertising that require manual adjustment for comfortable use.
False notifications can be of two types: system recommendations from GetApps or Mi Browser, and spam from malicious applications that you may have installed from unverified sources. The former are annoying but harmless, the latter can steal data or overload the processor. It is important to understand the difference, because the methods of dealing with them are radically different. In this article, we will discuss how to identify the source of the problem and completely clean the device of digital debris.
Making matters worse, some system applications disguise themselves as regular notifications, offering “cleanups” or “updates” when they are actually promoting content. To regain control of your gadget, you’ll need to consistently check multiple settings sections, and don’t ignore this problem, as constant interruptions reduce productivity and consume battery power.
Diagnostics of the source of false messages
Before you start disabling services, you need to know exactly which application is generating ads. Often users mistakenly believe that the system itself is to blame, while the source lies in third-party software. The easiest way to find out the truth is to wait for the next notification to appear, but not open it, but immediately go to the settings.
Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification Center. This shows a list of all apps that are authorized to display messages. Find those that you don’t recognize or look suspicious. Look for apps without an icon or with a name like System Update, but with an Android icon, which is a frequent feature of an adware program.
⚠️ Warning: If you see an app called System Update or Security, but its icon is different from the standard system icon, or it was installed recently, it's almost certainly a virus.
Another diagnostic method is to use a task manager. When an ad pops up, click the Menu button (three bars or a square, depending on the model) to view the applications that are running. The active ad window will be highlighted. Remember its name and icon to find it in the installed program list.
Disabling system advertising in MIUI and HyperOS
Xiaomi’s official advertising is delivered via MSA (MIUI System Ads) and disabling it is the first step to a clean interface, but you can’t just delete it, you can only deny it. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Access to personal data.
In the list that opens, find msa and switch the switch to off. The system will require you to wait 10 seconds, then press "Revoke." If the first time failed (the server may be busy), try again 3-5 times. This is a standard procedure that requires patience.
☑️ Shutdown checklist MSA
Besides MSA, ads are generated by individual system applications, and you have to go to the settings of each and find the "Get recommendations" option, which is hidden in the back of the menu and often not obvious to the user. Turning off recommendations significantly reduces the number of pop-ups.
Here is a list of the main applications where you need to remove the boxes from the recommendations:
- 📁 Conductor: press "Review» → three-point → «Settings» → «About service».
- 🎵 Music: three dots → «Settings» → «Advanced settings» → «Showing advertisements».
- 📺 Video (Mi Video): "Mine» → three-point → «Settings» → «Online services» → «Receive recommendations».
- 🛡️ Safety: gear → «Receive recommendations».
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After disabling all recommendations, restart your smartphone. This is necessary in order for the cached advertising modules to completely clear from RAM.
Fighting viruses and advertising software (Adware)
If the system settings didn't work, it means that a malicious object has settled on the device, and these programs are often disguised as flashlights, memory cleaners, or scanners. QR-Their main purpose is to show ads even when you are on the desktop.
Use the built-in antivirus to find hidden threats. Open the Security app and run a full check. Although the built-in Avast or AVL engine doesn't always find complex threats, it detects the underlying Trojans effectively. If the built-in scanner is silent and there are ads, manual analysis will be required.
Go to Settings → Applications → All apps. scroll through the list carefully. Look for apps without a name (empty field) or with a transparent icon. They often hide at the bottom of the list. If you find one, delete it immediately.
| Sign of virus | Where to find | Action. |
|---|---|---|
| No name or icon. | Settings → Applications | Delete immediately |
| Name "System" or "Update" | List of all annexes | Check the installation date |
| High traffic consumption | Settings → Traffic | Limit background mode |
| It pops up on the desktop. | Recent annexes | Identify the source through the dispatcher |
⚠️ Note: Some viruses have administrator rights, which prevents them from being deleted in the usual way. → Passwords and security → Confidentiality → Special permits → Access the device administrator and uncheck the suspicious application.
Set up notifications in the Chrome browser
Often, the source of false notifications is websites you accidentally let send notifications to, not viruses in the classical sense, but spam from news aggregators or movie sites, which appear even when the browser is closed.
To stop this flow, open Google Chrome on your smartphone. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Settings. Next, go to Site Settings → Notifications. Here you will see a list of all sites that have access to notifications.
If you see unfamiliar domains or sites with names like “Virus Check,” “You won a prize,” block them. You’d better choose the “Do Not Notification” option for all sites or reset the permissions completely so that sites request access again.
How to find the source of notification in Chrome?
Cleaning up the cache of the Google Play service
Sometimes false notifications about the need to update applications or about “critical errors” are generated by the service itself Google Play Store due to accumulated cache or synchronization errors, this is especially true if you have not updated system components in a long time.
To clean up, go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find the Google Play Store list (not to be confused with Google Play Services). Click on it and select Storage. Here you click on Clean (or Reset) button. This is safe: your installed apps and account will not be affected, only temporary files and store settings will be reset.
After this procedure, it is recommended to restart the device and open the Play Store, which will re-check for updates for system components, and if the notifications were caused by a service glitch, they should disappear.
Radical Measures: Finding and Deleting Hidden Miners
In rare cases, the phone may behave strangely not because of advertising, but because of hidden mining. The smartphone warms up in plain sight, the battery runs down in a couple of hours, and the interface slows down.
Standard tools may not be enough to detect such threats, but it is recommended to install a third-party antivirus scanner, such as Malwarebytes or Dr.Web Light. Run a deep check. If a threat is found, the antivirus will offer ways to eliminate it.
In the most difficult cases, when the virus has penetrated the system partition (which is rare and more common on unlocked bootloaders), only a complete reset to the factory settings helps. Before that, be sure to save important data, since everything will be deleted.
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Wipe Data is the only guaranteed solution for removing complex viruses that are hidden in system folders and not visible in the regular list of applications.
Preventing False Notifications
To keep the problem from returning, it is important to maintain digital hygiene. Do not install applications from unknown sources. Xiaomi's security settings have a "Protection against installing malicious applications" feature - make sure it is activated.
Also, watch for permissions. When a new app asks for access to Notices, Contacts, or Location, ask yourself: Why would a flashlight need to access your contacts? Denying permissions is the best protection against spam.
Check the installed list regularly. If you see an app that hasn’t been used in six months or that has been installed “on its own” (often when installing free games), delete it without regret.