How to permanently disable ads on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro: the full guide

Xiaomi’s smartphone advertising is one of the most talked-about topics among the brand’s owners. The Redmi Note 8 Pro, despite its popularity, is no exception: users regularly encounter banners in system apps, push notifications and even ads on the lock screen, the reason lies in the MIUI’s proprietary shell, which integrates advertising modules for monetization by default.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can disable ads on the Redmi Note 8 Pro, from basic settings to advanced ADB techniques. It’s important to understand that some ads can be removed by standard means, but additional actions will be required to completely remove them. We’ll also analyze which apps are most likely to display ads and give recommendations for replacing them.

We'll focus on security, where some "tips" on the Internet suggest you disable system services or manually delete files, which can cause the device to run in an unstable way, and we'll tell you which methods are safe and which ones are best to bypass.

Why is there an ad on the Redmi Note 8 Pro?

Unlike pure Android, Xiaomi’s MIUI shell contains built-in software development kits (SDKs) that load banners from the company’s servers and show them in the following places:

📌 System applications: Browser, Music, Video, Themes, Security and even Settings (in some regions).

📌 Lock screen: banner ads at the bottom of the screen or during unlocking.

📌 Push notifications: messages from Mi Push Service with suggestions to install applications.

📌 Launcher: Advertising in weather widgets, calendar or when searching for apps.

According to Xiaomi’s policy, ads are shown only in non-critical parts of the system and do not interfere with basic functions. However, in practice, users often encounter intrusive banners that slow down the device and spoil the user experience.

In the European Region (EEA), Xiaomi defaults to disabling most of the ads due to local data protection laws. If your Redmi Note 8 Pro was purchased in Russia or Asia, it is likely that the ads are activated.

Method 1: Disabling personalized advertising in MIUI settings

The easiest and safest method is to disable personalization of ads through the settings menu, which won’t remove all banners, but will significantly reduce their number.

📱 Instructions:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode (if not already activated).
3. Return to Settings → Additional → Special Opportunities → Advertising.
4. Turn off the slider Personalized recommendations.
5. Reset the device.

⚠️

Note: Some versions of MIUI 12.5+ may not have an Advertising clause, in which case move on to the next method.

🔍 What does it mean:

• 🛡️ Data collection on your preferences for targeted advertising is stopped.
• 📉 The number of banners in the Browser and Themes is decreasing.
• 🚫 Does not affect push notifications and ads on the lock screen.

💡

If you have left ads after disabling personalization, check the region of the device, sometimes changing the region to Europe (EEA) in the Mi Account settings helps.

Method 2: Manually disabling ads in each application

Many Xiaomi system applications have their own ad settings, and they need to be disabled separately.

🔧 Applications with advertising settings:

🔄 Once you turn off, restart each application. If there is no Advertising item, then the application does not have built-in settings, move to the method of using the Advertising option. ADB.

⚠️

Warning: There is no separate switch for advertising in the Weather app, and it can only be removed by changing the region or by changing the location. ADB-team.

Open each system application from the list|Check for the "Advertising" item in the settings|Disable all sliders associated with advertising|Restart the application to apply changes-->

Method 3: Using ADB to Deeply Disable Advertising

If previous methods failed, you’ll need to connect to your device via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which removes system-level ads but requires a computer and minimal technical skills.

🖥️ What's the matter:

• 💻 Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 📥 ADB Tools by Google.
• 🔧 Developer mode enabled and debugging by USB phone-on.

📝 Step-by-step instruction:

1. Download and unpack the platform-tools on your computer.
2. Connect the Redmi Note 8 Pro to your PC and select File Transfer mode.
3. Open the command prompt (cmd on Windows or Terminal on macOS/Linux) in the folder with the platform-tools.
4. Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices should appear the name of your device.
5. Give the rights to debugging (on the phone will appear a request – confirm).
6. Follow the commands in turn: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.systemAdSolution adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.xiaomi.mipicks adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.browser adb shell settings put global captive_portal_detection_enabled 0
7. Reboot the phone.

🔍 What teams do:

• com.miui.systemAdSolution is a MIUI advertising system module.
• com.xiaomi.mipicks is a personalized recommendation service.
• com.android.browser is a standard browser (can be replaced with Chrome or Firefox).
• captive_portal_detection_enabled — Disables network verification, which sometimes shows ads.

⚠️

Note: Disabling system packages may cause some functions (such as weather widgets or design themes) to malfunction. If you have problems after you execute the commands, return it back to the command: adb shell pm enable com.miui.systemAdSolution.

💡

ADB-commands remove ads at the system level, but don't guarantee 100% results. MIUI.

Method 4: Replacement of Region to Europe (EEA)

As mentioned earlier, in the European version of MIUI (EEA), the adverts are disabled by default due to GDPR laws. You can take advantage of this by changing the region of the device.

🌍 Instructions:

1. Open Settings → About the phone → Additional → Region.
2. Choose a country from the European Union (e.g. Germany or France).
3. Confirm the change of region and restart the device.
4. After the reboot, open Settings → Mi Account → Exit (if the account is linked).
5. Log in to Mi Account and accept the new terms of use.

✅ What's gonna change:

• 🚫 Disappear advertising in Settings, Browser and Themes.
• 📱 It will be possible to disable all analytical data in the privacy settings.
• 🔄 Some system applications (such as Music) may be upgraded to the European version.

⚠️

Warning: Changing your region may result in the loss of some features tied to your current location (such as local topics or weather). OTA-Updates – the device will receive firmware for the European region.

Method 5: Install custom firmware (for advanced)

If none of these methods worked, the radical solution is to install custom firmware without advertising, which is only suitable for advanced users, as it requires unlocking the bootloader and potentially takes away warranty.

🔧 Firmware options:

• 📱 MIUI EEA — Official European version without advertising.
• 🛡️ LineageOS – “clean” Android without unnecessary modules.
• 🚀 Pixel Experience – firmware with Google Pixel functionality.
• ⚡ Xiaomi.eu – modified MIUI with off-shoot ads and extra features.

🔄 Step-by-step process:

1. Unlock the bootloader through the official Xiaomi tool (requires a Mi Account and wait 7-30 days).
2. Install TWRP Recovery for Redmi Note 8 Pro (the version must match the begonia model).
3. Download the firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.eu from here) and transfer it to your phone.
4. Download to TWRP (Power + Volume Up buttons) and run Wipe (Dalvik, Cache, Data, System).
5. Install firmware and GApps (if you need Google services).
6. Reset the device.

⚠️

Attention: Installing custom firmware permanently removes the device from the warranty and can lead to data loss. There is also a risk of "brick" (breakdown of the phone) if you do not do it correctly. TWRP Mi Cloud.

✅ The advantages of custom firmware:

• 🚫 Complete absence of advertising and unnecessary system applications.
• 🔋 Improved performance and battery life.
• 🔄 Regular security updates.

❌ Cons:

• 🔧 Loss of official support and OTA-update.
• 📱 Possible camera bugs, NFC or sensors (depending on the firmware).
• 🔒 Some banking applications may not work due to lack of certification.

More tips: how to avoid advertising in the future

Even after the ad is turned off, it can return after the MIUI update. To prevent this from happening, follow these guidelines:

🔄 What to do after updating the system:

• 🔍 Check the ad settings in each app (they may reset).
• 📥 Install updates only through Settings → Update the system, not through the Update App (it sometimes contains advertising modules).
• 🚫 Turn off automatic update downloads for Browser, Themes and Security applications.

📱 Alternative annexes:

🔒 Privacy settings:

• Open Settings → Privacy → Special permissions.
• Turn off Personalized Recommendations and Usage Analytics.
• In the Advertising section, reset the Advertising Identifier.

💡

Regularly check application permissions in Settings → Apps → Permissions. Many programs (such as games) request access to advertising SDKs, which can lead to banner displays.

FAQ: Frequent questions about advertising on Xiaomi