The lock screen on Xiaomi Redmi 7 often turns into a real advertising platform: weather from MIUI, news reports, app recommendations and even targeted advertising. For many users, this is not just an annoying element, but a real threat to privacy — especially when content is uploaded via the mobile Internet in the background. Unfortunately, MIUI 10-14 firmware does not have a single “disconnect everything” button, and settings are scattered across different menus, some of which are hidden from the user.
In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways – from official settings to editing system files (for advanced users), you will learn how to delete news completely, block their traffic through the firewall, and what to do if after the MIUI update, the settings are reset. All methods are tested on Redmi 7 (codename onc) with MIUI 11-14 firmware based on Android 9-11.
Why do news appear on the lock screen and can it be removed?
The news feed on the locked screen is part of the MIUI ecosystem, which is integrated at the firmware level, and is sourced from:
- 📰 Service «MIUI News"** - a content aggregator from Xiaomi, downloaded through the application com.miui.systemAdSolution.
- 🌍 Local partners – depending on the region, it can be Yandex.Zen, Google Discover or local media.
- 📊 Advertising module – part of the coin system MIUI, which shows targeted banners (disabled separately).
Xiaomi technically makes it as unobvious as possible, but it makes it as non-obvious as possible. For example, in MIUI 12 the option is hidden in the Settings menu → Lock screen → Additionally, and in MIUI 14 it was moved to the Special Features section. Moreover, after major firmware updates, settings can be reset automatically - this is not a bug, but a feature of MIUI, which returns the "recommended" settings.
⚠️ WARNING: If you use a corporate smartphone with politicians MDM (For example, through Mi Enterprise, the administrator can block the change of these settings, in which case only resetting to factory settings will help.
Method 1: Disconnect via standard MIUI settings
The safest method that works on all versions of Redmi 7 is to use the built-in options, but the path to these may vary depending on the version of MIUI:
For MIUI 11-12.5:
- Open the Settings → Lock screen.
- Slip on the item Style of the lock screen.
- Choose Classic or Simple (without widgets).
- Go back and go to the additional settings.
- Turn off the sliders: 🔄 Show recommendations 📰 Showing the news 🌦️ Weather and calendar (optional)
For MIUI 13-14:
- Go to Settings → Always display (or Lock Screen → Widgets).
- Press the widget settings.
- Turn off all switches in the News and Recommendations section.
- Save the changes and restart the device.
If news continues to appear after these actions, check:
- 🔄 Update the firmware to the latest version (sometimes bugs are fixed in patches).
- 📱 Make sure you don’t have third-party launchers (like Nova Launcher) installed that can conflict with system widgets.
☑️ Check before turning off news
Method 2: Block news traffic through a firewall (no root)
If standard settings don’t work, you can block network traffic for the services responsible for downloading news, such as NetGuard (free, no root) or PCAPdroid (for traffic analysis).
Instructions for NetGuard:
- Install NetGuard from Play Market.
- Launch the app and give access to the VPN (necessary for traffic filtering).
- In the list of applications, find: com.miui.systemAdSolution (MIUI News) com.miui.weather2 (Weather, often loads news) com.android.systemui (System interface)
For each of them, click on the icon. 🔒, Blocking access to Wi-Fi and mobile data.
Reboot your smartphone.
Alternatively, you can use ADB to lock packets without a firewall, which requires you to connect to a PC:
adb shell pm hide com.miui.systemAdSolution
adb shell pm hide com.miui.weather2⚠️ Note: Blocking com.android.systemui can lead to unstable interface operation (disappearance of notification panel, gesture bugs.
💡
If news is still coming after blocking traffic, check background activity through Settings → Apps → Permissions → Autorun. Turn off autorun for all MIUI news-related services.
Method 3: Editing system files (root required)
For users with unlocked bootloaders and root rights, a radical method is available – removing system uploads and editing configuration files – which is irreversible and can cause MIUI to crash, so use it only if other options are exhausted.
Steps to remove news services:
- Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
- Go to /system/priv-app/ and delete: SystemAdSolution (responsible for news and advertising), MiuiDaemon (MIUI background service), Weather or Weather2 (if you don’t need the weather)
/system/build.prop
ro.miui.has_news_app=false
ro.miui.newsapp.disable=true644
If the system is unstable after removing the ups, restore the deleted files from the backup or reflash the device through the Mi Flash Tool.
What if notifications are missing after removing system apcs?
Method 4: Use of alternative launchers
If you don’t want to interfere with system files, you can bypass the limitations of MIUI with a third-party launcher, some of which (for example, Nova Launcher or Lawnchair) allow you to completely replace the lock screen by removing news widgets.
Instructions for Nova Launcher:
- Install Nova Launcher and activate it as the default launcher.
- Download the Nova Lockscreen module (Nova Prime required).
- In the module settings, disable the option to Show MIUI widgets.
- Set up an alternative lock screen (such as with clocks and fast action).
The downside of this method is that not all features of the original lock screen will be available (for example, a fast camera or flashlight), but you will get full control over the appearance and content.
| Method | Root is required. | Difficulty | Risk of failure | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard settings | ❌ No. | ⭐ 1/5 | ❌ No. | ⚠️ Medium |
| Firewall (NetGuard) | ❌ No. | ⭐⭐ 2/5 | ❌ No. | ✅ Tall. |
| Removal of system ups | ✅ Yes. | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 | ✅ High-pitched | ✅✅ Maximum |
| Alternative launcher | ❌ No. | ⭐⭐ 2/5 | ❌ No. | ✅ Tall. |
Method 5: Reset the lock screen settings to factory
If all previous methods failed, you can reset the lock screen to its original state through a reset, which does not affect user data, but resets all display settings.
How to perform the reset:
- Go to Settings → System → Resetting settings.
- Select Reset the lock screen settings (or Reset the interface in new versions).
- Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.
After discharge:
- 🔧 Configure the lock screen again by choosing a minimalist style without widgets.
- 📵 Turn off automatic updates MIUI In Settings → The phone. → Update the system to avoid returning news after the update.
⚠️ Note: In some regions (e.g. China), resetting the lock screen settings may result in loss of Mi Account data if the device is tied to Xiaomi servers in that country.
💡
If news comes back after each MIUI update, the only radical way is to disable automatic update installation or switch to custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience).
Frequent problems and their solutions
Even after a successful news blackout, Redmi 7 users face typical problems, including the most common ones and ways to fix them:
Problem 1: News has disappeared, but empty blocks have appeared in its place.
- 🔹 These are artifacts from system widgets. Set up a third-party launcher or reset the lock screen settings.
Problem 2: After the MIUI update, the news came back.
- 🔹 Xiaomi often resets widget settings when updates. Repeat steps from Method 1 or use NetGuard to permanently lock.
Problem 3: The gestures on the lock screen are not working.
- 🔹 This is a side effect of removing system apcs (see Method 3.
Problem 4: News is only shown when connected to Wi-Fi.
- 🔹 So, traffic is blocked only for the mobile network. In NetGuard, check your Wi-Fi settings or use it. ADB to completely shut down services.