How to disable Xiaomi reports: full privacy instructions

Owners of MIUI and HyperOS shell devices often face intrusive data collection in the background. System reports are sent to the manufacturer's servers to analyze device usage, improve stability, and personalize advertising. While technically it helps engineers fix bugs, for the average user it means reduced autonomy and invasion of personal space.

There are many hidden telemetry mechanisms that are activated immediately after the gadget is first turned on. Xiaomi, like many other Chinese brands, relies on Big Data collection, so privacy settings are often scattered across different menus or hidden behind complex switches. In this article, we will discuss how to completely stop this process and take back control of your smartphone.

Not only will disabling data transfers improve your digital security, but it can also have a positive impact on your power consumption. Constantly searching for a network to send analytics packets consumes battery life, especially in low signal conditions. Let's take a detailed look at all the blocking methods available.

The main privacy settings of MIUI

The first step to isolating your device from the telemetry servers is to change the basic settings in the settings menu, and you need to find the security and privacy section where the master switches are collected, and that's where the key options to allow or disallow statistics are.

With the newer versions of HyperOS and MIUI 14, the path to these settings has become more confusing. You need to go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Privacy. You should carefully study all the subsections here, as some options may be hidden inside the Special Opportunities or Ads menu.

⚠️ Warning: After disabling data collection, some personalization features, such as smart recommendations in the Music or Video app, may stop working correctly or disappear.

Pay particular attention to the item “Improving MIUI” (or “Improving System Operation”), which is the main gateway for sending error and usage reports, and deactivating this item interrupts the main stream of telemetry, but the system may periodically request permission again after major updates.

Management of MSA Services and Analytics

Xiaomi’s MSA (MIUI System Ads) system is responsible for ad integration and behavioral factors collection in Xiaomi devices, and without it, any other manipulation of privacy settings will be ineffective, and it has deep access rights and works even when the screen is off.

To limit its impact, go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Access to personal data. In the list, find the “msa” app (or “MIUI Daemon” in some firmware) and turn off the slider. The system will try to convince you to keep the service active, claiming that it will affect the operation of other applications.

You have to press the recall button several times and wait for the countdown timer (usually 10 seconds), persistence is a key factor: if you failed to turn it off the first time, repeat the procedure 3-5 times in a row until the system fails.

In parallel, check the settings for developers. If you have debugging mode enabled, make sure that the Send Usage Data option is also deactivated. This is an additional channel through which Android and the shell can transmit technical information.

Disabling user experience and programs

A separate set of settings is called “User Experience Improvement Programs,” which collect data about how often you open apps, what features you use, and how long you hold your smartphone, and provide an insight into how users are profiled.

To disable, go to Settings → Additional → Statistics (the path may vary depending on the version of MIUI). You must uncheck all points related to sending data to servers. In some regions, these items may be called the Join User Experience Program.

You should also look at the settings of specific system applications: Explorer, Music, Video, Security, each with its own About or Settings section, where you can hide the Receive Recommendations and Send Statistics switches, and you can only turn off completely when you process each system application sequentially.

Advertising ID setting

Advertising ID is a unique set of characters that is assigned to your device for targeted advertising. Even if you disable the main reports, this ID allows ad networks to track your actions across different applications. Resetting or deleting this ID greatly increases anonymity.

In Android 12 and later, which are the basis of modern Xiaomi, the management of this setting is made in the general settings of Google. Go to Settings → Google → Advertising. Here you will see the option “Delete Advertising ID” or “Reset Advertising ID”.

Once reset, the old ID will no longer be valid and the ad networks will lose connection to your previous history. It is recommended to perform this procedure regularly, for example, once a month, to break the tracking chain. Some users use automation through Tasker to reset the ID each time they reboot, but this can cause some services to be unstable.

Restriction of background services

Even after manually shutting down all the switches, some processes may try to start again. Mechanical back-end restriction is a radical but effective method. It prevents applications and services from running when you're not actively using them.

Go to Settings. → Annexes → All applications. Find suspicious system processes such as "Mi Service", "Analytics», «MAB» (MIUI Advertising Browser. For each of them, follow the following steps:

• 🛑 Click on “Energy Saving” and select “No Limits” (paradoxically, but sometimes you need to allow to then set it correctly, however, for telemetry, it is better to select “Limit background activity” if such option is available in your version).
• 🔒 Click on Other Permits and disable all items, especially access to location, microphone and phone.
• 📉 In the Battery menu, make sure that the "Background activity is limited" mode is available».

Be careful: excessively restricting system services can cause system applications to stop notifying you or update weather widgets. The balance between performance and functionality is very fragile.

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Use Flight mode overnight or during periods when you don’t need notifications, which guarantees any data channel, including telemetry, and saves battery life.

Using DNS to block trackers

If the software settings don't seem reliable enough, you can use the network lock layer. DNS-Wi-Fi or mobile servers allow you to filter traffic and block requests to known Xiaomi analytics servers and ad networks.

The most popular and free solution is to use AdGuard’s DNS. To set up, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS (or “Personal DNS”). In the hostname field, enter the address:

dns.adguard.com

This method works globally for the entire device and does not require the installation of additional applications. It effectively blocks domains associated with telemetry even before the data leaves your smartphone. However, if the DNS server is unavailable, some applications can take longer to download or emit network errors.

⚠️ Note: When using a third party DNS Make sure you have an alternative way to access the internet (such as mobile internet) if the main Wi-Fi router is not properly processing requests for the new router. DNS-server.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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A comprehensive approach that includes disabling services, changing DNS and limiting rights provides maximum privacy, but requires periodic review of settings after system updates.