Budget smartphone owners often face intrusive ads that appear in system applications, folders and even on the desktop.The Redmi 9A model, which runs on the MIUI shell, is no exception, as the company's marketing policy involves monetization through advertising integrations. This can be annoying, especially when pop-ups block important content or interfere with quick access to features.
Fortunately, Android allows users to deeply customize the device, including blocking unwanted traffic. The process of disabling ads on Xiaomi Redmi 9A does not require obtaining super-user rights or complex flashing. It is enough to consistently go through several settings menus and change the configuration of the system services responsible for displaying ads.
In this article, we will take a detailed look at each step of cleaning the interface from advertising debris, learn how to defuse the main MSA service, disable personalized recommendations, and configure blockers at the DNS level. Follow the instructions carefully to make using your smartphone comfortable and safe.
Disabling MSA – the main source of advertising
The first and most important step is to deactivate a system component called MSA (MIUI System Ads), which is responsible for collecting data about your preferences and broadcasting banner ads in standard applications, and without it, other settings may not be effective as the service will constantly try to resume displaying content.
To start, you need to go to the smartphone settings menu. Find the Password and Security section and select Access to Personal Data. In the app list that opens, find the msa bar and put the slider in an inactive position. The system will warn you that turning off this service may affect the operation of certain functions, but for the average user these changes will pass unnoticed.
⚠️ Warning: After the first slider shutdown, the system will start a countdown of 10 seconds. Don't press the confirmation button right away, wait for the timer to end, otherwise the process will not end.
If you fail to turn off the service the first time, which sometimes happens due to synchronization errors, repeat the procedure again. Often it takes 2-3 attempts for the system to finally allow the component to be disabled. After successful deactivation, it is recommended to restart the device to apply the changes.
☑️ Checking the shutdown MSA
Setup of system applications and folders
Even after disabling the main ad module, individual applications can continue to show recommendations, and in the MIUI shell, personalization settings within each system tool are responsible for this, starting with the Security app, which often contains embedded news feeds and tips.
Open the Security app, click on the gear icon in the top right corner, and find Receive recommendations. Transfer the switch to Off. A similar operation is required for the Downloads, Music, Video, and Explorer app, and you need to find settings in each of them (usually in the three-dot or gear menu) and remove the ticks from the items containing the words "Recommendations", "News" or "Advertising".
Desktop folders deserve special attention. Newer versions of MIUI automatically activate the Recommended Apps feature when creating folders, which uploads advertising icons. To fix this, open any folder, click on its name, and turn off the Recommended Apps option in the menu that appears.
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If you can’t find settings in the app, try clearing it through the Apps menu → All Apps → Select the app → Memory → Clean. This will reset the settings to factory settings, after which you can immediately turn off the ads.
Blocking Advertising Through DNS
One of the most effective methods that works at the device level is the use of private DNS-This method allows you to block advertising requests before they reach your Xiaomi Redmi smartphone. 9A. The method does not require the installation of third-party software and significantly saves traffic.
To activate the function, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS (or DNS). Select the DNS Host Name (or Manual) mode and enter the address in the box that appears: dns.adguard.com. Once you save the settings, the system will check the connection. If the address is entered correctly, the corresponding notification will appear.
Use of the DNS-Filtering has its own peculiarities: on the one hand, it is a powerful tool that removes banners in the browser and many games, on the other hand, it can slow down the opening of some sites or cause errors in the operation of applications associated with advertising networks for authorization. However, most of the Redmi users 9A This method is the optimal balance between system purity and functionality.
What to do if Wi-Fi stops working?
Disabling personalization and identifiers
Xiaomi, like many other tech giants, collects data on user behavior to create an advertising profile, and to minimize this collection and make advertising less targeted (or even stop it), you need to disable the relevant services in the back of the system.
Go to Settings → Password and Security → Privacy. Here you are interested in Advertising Services. Inside you will find the Advertising Personalization switch that you need to turn off. It is also recommended to click Reset Advertising ID. This action will assign your device a new random ID, breaking the link to the previously accumulated interest profile.
You should also check your Mi Account settings. Go to Settings → Mi Account → Device Data and disable participation in user experience improvement programs. This will prevent the technical statistics from being sent to the manufacturer’s servers, which will also have a positive effect on privacy.
| Parameter | Where to find out. | Action. |
|---|---|---|
| Personalization | Privacy → Advertising Services | Turn it off. |
| Identifier | Privacy → Advertising Services | Drop it. |
| Programmes for improvement | Mi Account → Data | Shut down. |
| Autosynchronization | Settings → Account and synchronization | Limit |
Managing Notifications in the Browser
Often users confuse MIUI system advertising with intrusive notifications from sites visited via an embedded browser or Chrome.Sites may request permission to display notifications, and upon consent, you begin to receive spam in the notification curtain even when the browser is closed.
To stop this flow, open your browser settings. In MI Browser (Standard Xiaomi Browser), go to Settings → Privacy and Security → Ad Blocking and activate this filter. Also go to Site Settings → Notifications and prevent sending push messages to all sites or select specific suspicious resources.
In Google Chrome, the path is a little different: Settings → Site settings → Notifications. Here you can see a list of all sites that have the right to send notifications. Carefully review the list and remove access to all unknown or unnecessary resources. This action will instantly clear the notification curtain from information noise.
⚠️ Warning: Be careful when installing browsers from unknown sources. Some lightweight browsers may be the source of advertising by embedding their banners into the interface.
Installation of third-party blockers
If the built-in system is not enough, specialized applications come to the rescue. For the Redmi 9A with its limited amount of RAM, it is important to choose a lightweight and efficient tool that will not consume battery power.
One of the best solutions is the AdGuard app, which is local. VPN, filter all incoming traffic. Download it to install it. APK-file from the official website of the developer, as in Google Play versions are often stripped down. After installation, activate the protection in the main menu.
The alternative is Blokada, an open source project that doesn't require root rights, and it does a great job of blocking ads in apps and games.
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Combination of shutdown MSA use DNS-filter (AdGuard) DNS or DNS) 99% of the system’s results are cleaned of advertising without loss of performance.