Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often encounter intrusive content that appears in standard apps and system menus. These can be cards in the widget feed, pop-ups in the Explorer or recommendations in folders on the desktop. MIUI and the new HyperOS are built so that monetization of the interface is a priority for the manufacturer, so by default the user sees a lot of offers.
Fortunately, the system allows you to flexibly adjust the appearance and functionality, getting rid of information noise. The process of deactivating advertising and news feeds does not require obtaining super-user rights or flashing the device. It is enough to go through several points in the settings and disable the relevant services. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to remove Glance, disable MSA and clean the interface of unnecessary garbage.
It’s worth noting that some of the items may vary slightly depending on the firmware version and region, but the overall algorithm remains the same for most current models, and deep cleaning of the system from advertising will not only improve visual perception, but can also positively affect the autonomy of the device, stopping the background loading of content.
Disabling Glance News Feed and Widgets
The first place that users notice the excess information is the lock screen and the left screen of the desktop, and the Glance service (formerly Lock Screen Magazine) is responsible for displaying pictures, articles and short videos on the locked screen. To remove it, you need to go to the lock screen settings.
Go to Settings → Lock screen and find the option "Wallpaper carousel" or "Glance for Mi." Put the switch in the inactive position. Then, when you turn on the screen, you will see a static image again, not a news feed.
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If after disabling Glance, pictures still flash on the lock screen, check if the slideshow in the Personalization section is selected as wallpaper.
The second source of news flow is the left edge of the desktop (widget screen or "Assistant"), which often displays news from aggregators, weather and shortcuts of applications.
- 📱 Swipe to the right of the left edge of the screen to open the widget tape.
- 🔍 Click on the gear icon (settings) in the top corner or pinch the empty space on the desktop and select Settings".
- 🚫 Find the Widget Ribbon or App Vault switch and turn it off, or select to display only widgets without the newsfeed.
Once you do this, the left swipe will either stop working or only open widgets, without news blocks, which will greatly speed up access to frequently used features.
Removal and disabling of the MSA service
At the heart of Xiaomi’s advertising ecosystem is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) system application, which is responsible for collecting user data and displaying targeted ads in the interface. Simply removing this application is not enough, because it is system-based, but it can be strangled by disabling auto-start and selecting permissions.
First, disable ad personalization. Go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Access to Personal Data (or “Authorization & Privacy”). In the list, find msa and disable the switchboard. The system will warn you that this may affect the operation of certain features, and ask you to wait 10 seconds before confirming.
☑️ Shutdown MSA
Then you need to prevent the application from running automatically. In the same menu "Passwords and security" select "Permissions" → "Out-Start". Find msa in the list and turn it off. It is also recommended to go to Settings → Apps → All applications, find msa, click "Saving charge" and select "No restrictions" (so that the system does not kill the process, if you decide to delete it through ADB, although for a simple shutdown it is not critical, you should choose "Restrict background activity" if such an option is available in your version of MIUI, or simply clear the data).
⚠️ Warning: When you try to disable msa, the system may display pop-ups several times asking "Why do you want to do this?". Just ignore them, choose "Continue anyway" or press the cross until you get the result.
After disabling msa, the amount of advertising in standard applications (Music, Video, Explorer) should be reduced to a minimum or disappear completely.
Set up standard Xiaomi applications
Even after the global MSA service is disabled, individual applications can save their own ad settings, so that the user can flexibly customize the experience of each service, and consider the major system applications that are most often sinned by intrusive recommendations.
In the Security app (green shield icon), ads often appear after scanning the system. To fix this, open the app, click on the gear in the upper right corner and find "Get recommendations." Turn off this switchboard. There you can turn off "Security News."
The Explorer app also likes to show popular content. Go to the Explorer settings (three menu bars → Settings) and turn off the Receive Recommendations option. This will remove the news feed from the file manager's home page.
What if the advertisement appeared in Mi Browser?
For music and video applications (Mi Music and Mi Video), the algorithm is similar, and in each of their settings, you need to find the section "Advanced Settings" or simply "Settings" and turn off the paragraphs "Show Ads" and "Receive recommendations."
| Annex | The path to adjustment | What to turn off |
|---|---|---|
| Security | A gear. → General. | Get recommendations, News |
| Conductor | Menu → Settings | Receive recommendations |
| Downloads. | Three points → Settings | Showing Recommended Content |
| Topics | Profile → Settings | Personal recommendations, Auto Update |
Don’t forget to also look at the Themes app. In its settings (profile → gear), you need to turn off “Personal recommendations” and “Auto Update” so that the system does not load traffic and the processor in the background.
Cleaning the desktop and folders
One of the most annoying things about MIUI is that you have ad blocks inside your desktop folders, and when you put a few apps into a folder, you can see a line called "Recommended Apps" that says you can install games or software.
To get rid of this, open any folder on your desktop. At the bottom, you'll see the folder name and maybe the ad bar. Click on the folder name (or the empty space next to the name if it's edited) to open the folder settings. There'll be a "Recommended Apps" switch. Turn it off.
Also, check the launcher's settings. Click on the empty space on your desktop, select Settings. Here you can turn off the Status Card (which shows the weather and news when swiping down) and set up the grid to remove unnecessary widgets.
If you use a third-party launcher (like Nova Launcher or Lawnchair), the issue with Xiaomi folders and newsfeeds will disappear automatically as you replace the system shell.
Blocking Advertising via DNS (Private DNS)
The most effective and elegant way to remove ads not only in the system, but also in browsers and some applications is to use a private DNS filtered, which requires no additional applications and works at the network connection level.
In your smartphone settings, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS (in some versions of Settings → Wi-Fi → Private DNS). By default, it is "Auto" or "Disabled". Select "Host Name DNS Provider" (or "Manual") and enter the address:
dns.adguard.comSave the settings. Now all traffic going through known ad servers will be blocked at the network level, this will remove banners in games, pop-up ads in apps and tracking.
⚠️ Attention: Use of third-party DNS This may cause some services that block such connections to fail (e.g. Spotify or some banking applications).If you notice problems with the Internet, return the settings. DNS auto-mode".
The advantage of the method is that it is universal for all versions of Android and MIUI. You do not need to search for specific switches in each application. However, the system advertising Xiaomi (cards on the menu) DNS can not remove, so this method is better used in conjunction with previous instructions.
Verification of notifications and permits
Often under the guise of “news,” users perceive routine push notifications from installed apps or system services. Xiaomi’s ecosystem has a separate notification management center that’s worth checking out.
Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Application Notifications. Go through the list and turn off notifications for apps that don’t matter to you. Pay special attention to Xiaomi’s apps: Xiaomi Services, Mi Credit, Mi Video, Mi Music.
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Regularly checking app permissions helps prevent sudden ads from appearing, as many programs request access to the display over other windows.
Also check permissions on "Above Other Applications." Go to Settings → Privacy Protection → Special Permissions → On top of other applications. Leave this access on for system functions only (phone, messengers), and for suspicious or advertising applications - turn off.
Remember that some apps may disguise themselves as system processes, and if you see a notification without an icon or with a suspicious name, press it and see which app it came from, which will help identify and remove the source of spam.