Owning a Xiaomi smartphone or a Poco sub-brand is often overshadowed by intrusive content that appears in the most unexpected places. It is especially annoying when you pick up a device to check a notification or time, and instead see an ad banner on a locked screen. It is not a system bug, but a specially embedded monetization mechanism that is activated by default in the shells of MIUI and HyperOS.
Fortunately, developers have left users with the ability to control this flow of information, although they have hidden the appropriate settings quite deeply. Complete removal of advertising modules requires sequential execution of several actions in different sections of the menu. It is important to understand that simply switching one switcher will not be enough, since different system services are responsible for displaying banners.
In this article, we will take a closer look at each step of cleaning the interface, not only the standard theme settings, but also the system security services that often remain in the shadows, and by following the instructions, you can return your gadget to its original appearance and save yourself from random clicks on links.
Disabling recommendations in the annex Topic
The main source of visual noise on the lock screen is the built-in Themes app, which is responsible for downloading popular wallpapers with brand logos and news reports, and to stop this process, you need to log into the settings of the app itself, not just change the picture in the gallery.
Open the Topics app on your device. In the upper right corner, you'll see a profile or settings icon (three horizontal bars). Click on it and select Settings. Here you're interested in a section called Popular Resources or Recommendations, which is what makes the phone download content from the Internet.
- 🔍 Find the “Get recommendations” switch and turn it to the “Switched off” position».
- 🚫 Turn off the option “Automatically update themes” if you do not want the system to change the design itself.
- 📉 Remove the tick from the item "Show advertising" if such item is present in your firmware version.
⚠️ Note: After disabling recommendations, the list of available themes may be reduced, as some collections are labeled as “popular” due to advertising integrations.
It is worth noting that the changes do not take effect instantly. The system can cach banner ads, so it is recommended to reboot the device after making changes. It is also advisable to clean the application cache through the application management menu to remove banners already downloaded but not yet displayed.
If you use third-party themes downloaded from unofficial sources, they may have their own lock settings, so you need to go to the settings of a particular topic and check if a separate news display module is activated there.
Security settings and memory cleaning
Another hidden source of advertising is the Security System App, which scans the device regularly and, when the check is completed, may suggest installing additional apps or showing a news feed, often linked to the lock screen via the Wallpaper Carousel mechanism.
To turn off, you need to start the Security app. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and go to Settings. Scroll down to Get Recommendations. This item is responsible for (push) advertising notifications within system utilities.
Next, look at the Memory Cleanup feature. In some versions of MIUI, after cleaning the RAM, a window pops up suggesting that the phone be speeded up, which contains ad units. To remove this, look for the Memory Cleanup option in the security settings and turn off the Post Cleanup Recommendations option.
- 🛡️ Go to the settings of the “Security” application through a long click on the icon.
- 📉 Find the section "Advanced Settings" or "General Settings».
- ✅ Uncheck all check boxes related to “Recommendations” and “Get advice».
The Wallpaper Carousel feature deserves special attention, and it often comes in conjunction with advertising. If you don't use automatic image change when you lock, it's best to turn off the service completely, either through the lock screen settings or through the Themes app in the Wallpaper Carousel section.
Management of MSA Service and System Advertising Modules
The most important step is to disable the MIUI System Ads (msa) system service, which is the background process that is responsible for collecting analytics and displaying ads throughout the system, including the lock screen, folders and standard applications. Without disabling this service, other actions may not be effective.
Go to the Settings menu, then select Passwords and Security. In this section, look for Access to Personal Data (or Authorization and Review). In the application list, find msa (MIUI System Ads).
Settings → Passwords and Security → Authorization and Review → msa → Turn offThe system will try to dissuade you by running a countdown of 10 seconds and claiming that it may affect the operation of certain functions. Don't pay attention to this. After the time has expired, click "Refuse" or "Cancel" (the text of the button can change depending on the translation version, the meaning is to deny access).
☑️ Shutdown checklist MSA
Often, the first time you turn off the service is not possible due to network errors or interface failures. If the switch returns to its original position, try repeating the procedure 3-4 times in a row, and it also helps to pre-disable the Internet (Wi-Fi and mobile network) before logging into the authorization menu.
⚠️ Note: After disabling the msa service, the ads will not disappear instantly.It takes time (15 minutes to a day) to update the server policies on the device.
Disabling personalized MIUI recommendations
The MIUI shell and the new HyperOS have a separate layer of personalization that analyzes your actions to show relevant ads. Even if you have disabled core services, this mechanism can continue to work by collecting data about the applications you run.
To limit data collection, go back to Passwords and Security, and look for Privacy or Special Features (depending on the Android version) and look for Ad Services or Ad Personalization.
In this menu, you will see a Personalized Ads switch that needs to be turned off, and you should also click the Reset Ad ID button, which generates a new random ID, breaking the link to the previously collected user profile.
- 🆔 Click “Reset Advertising Identifier” to reset your profile.
- 🚫 Turn off the switchboard "Personalized recommendations».
- 📱 Check the Google settings (Settings) → Google → Advertising) and also disable personalization there.
Don’t ignore Google account settings. While they don’t directly affect Xiaomi’s system advertising, they prevent the search giant from targeting, which combines to provide a cleaner experience.
Why do you need an advertising ID?
Specificity of removing advertising in HyperOS
With the release of the HyperOS shell, the menu structure has changed a little, although the principle has remained the same. Xiaomi is striving to make the interface more unified, but the advertising modules have not gone anywhere. In the new system, advertising settings can be scattered on different menu items “About phone” and “Advanced settings”.
HyperOS often has an additional service called GetApps, which can send discount and update notifications directly to the lock screen. Go to GetApps, go to My Profile → Settings, and turn off all notifications and auto-updates.
The new shell also features a Widget Ribbon widget (left of the home screen) that can broadcast news and ads. To turn it off, press the empty space on your desktop, select Settings, and disable the Widget Ribbon or Yandex.Zen if it's integrated.
| Function/Service | Location in MIUI 14 | Location in HyperOS | Impact on the lock screen |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIUI System Ads (msa) | Passwords and security | Passwords and security | High (principal source) |
| Recommendations to the topics | Annex Topics | Annex Topics | Middle (wallpaper) |
| Security | Security Annex | Security Annex | Low (notifications) |
| GetApps | Settings → Applications | Settings → Applications | Medium (push notifications) |
Poco device owners should be especially careful, as their firmware (Poco Launcher) may have additional widgets such as Cards or Ribbons, which also require a separate shutdown in the launcher settings.
Solving problems and additional settings
Sometimes, after all of the above actions, the ad may return or not disappear completely, this is because some system applications cache advertising data, in which case you need to clean the data of specific services.
Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. Search in the list for Security, Themes, Music, Video. Select Clear Data and Clear Cache for each of them. Fear not, it won’t delete your personal files, music or videos, just the settings of those apps.
💡
If the ad appears after a system update, repeat the MSA disablement procedure. The firmware update often resets permissions to access personal data.
There's also a radical method, which is using ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to remove ad packets, which requires a computer connection and some technical knowledge, and the removal commands look something like this:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.misys
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.ads
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.personalassistant⚠️ Attention: Use of teams ADB To remove system packets can cause the device to work unstable, use this method only if you are confident in your actions and have made a backup copy of the data.
For most users, software methods of disabling through the settings menu are sufficient. Aggressive removal of system components can lead to errors in the work of "Tem" or "Security", so it is recommended to limit the shutdown of services by regular means.
💡
A comprehensive approach, including disabling MSA, recommendations in applications and resetting advertising ID, guarantees 99% of getting rid of intrusive advertising.