Owners of budget smartphones like the Redmi 9A often face intrusive ads that appear in standard apps.This is a fee for the affordable cost of the device, as Xiaomi compensates for the low margins through Internet services. However, the constant pop-ups and banners on the menu can be seriously annoying and distracting from using the gadget.
Fortunately, MIUI provides users with enough tools to set up privacy and block unwanted content.You don’t have to be a programmer or get super-user rights to make the interface cleaner. In this article, we’ll look at proven methods to help remove ads on Xiaomi Redmi 9A without losing functionality.
Before we start, it's important to understand that the process of disabling is a multi-step process, some settings are on the surface, others are hidden in the depths of the system menus. We'll go through each item in sequence to ensure maximum effect. Complete removal of ads requires all the steps of the instruction, since individual methods only block some of the traffic sources.
Disabling the MSA system advertising service
The main source of intrusive banners in the system is the MIUI System Ads process, also known as msa. This system component is responsible for downloading and displaying advertising content in standard utilities, the first step is to force it to disable through the authorization menu.
You need to go to the settings section where you manage passwords and accounts. Find the authorization section and turn off the recommendation slider. The system may ask you several times about your decision, saying that without it, the functionality will be limited, but for the Redmi 9A this is not critical.
Notice the countdown timer. After the first shutdown attempt, you'll have to wait 10 seconds before the confirmation button is active. It's a safety mechanism, but it's easy to do with just waiting.
- 📱 Open Settings and go to Passwords and Security.
- 🔐 Select Access to Personal Data or Authorization and Security.
- 🚫 Find the msa service in the list and turn off the switch.
- ⏳ Wait until the timer ends (10 seconds) and press Stop.
⚠️ Note: If you failed to disable the service the first time and saw a network error message, try repeating the procedure. 2-3 Often it takes several attempts to successfully apply the settings.
☑️ Checking the shutdown MSA
Set up a private DNS to block ads
One of the most effective methods of combating advertising traffic is the use of special advertising. DNS-The good thing about this is that it doesn't require third-party applications to be installed, and it works at the network level. 9A Under Android 10 and above, this method is available natively.
The idea is that your phone does not go to a standard ISP server, but rather to a filter gateway, which automatically blocks requests for known ad domains, and as a result, banners simply do not load, saving you traffic and battery power.
To activate this feature, look for the connection or Wi-Fi section in the settings. You will need to enter the address of a special server manually, this action is safe and does not disrupt the operation of normal sites or applications.
dns.adguard.comEnter the address in the appropriate DNS settings field. Once saved, the phone may require a reconnection to the Wi-Fi network or a reboot of the mobile Internet. The effect should manifest almost instantly in all browsers and applications.
- 🌐 Go to Settings. → Connection and sharing.
- ⚙️ Find a private item DNS (It may be in the section "Additional").
- ✍️ Select the hostname of the provider DNS.
- 📝 Enter the address: dns.adguard.com and save.
What to do if the DNS is not working?
Disabling personalization and advertising ID
MIUI collects your preferences to show more relevant ads, and even if you have disabled msa, data collection can continue in the background through other services, and you must limit the collection of information about your use of the device.
There's a separate section on privacy and security in the settings menu, and you can find a recommendation option here, and disabling this will stop the system from analyzing your actions for advertising purposes.
It's also worth resetting your advertising ID, which is a unique number that is assigned to your device to track in ad networks, and resetting it breaks the link between your current activity and your previously accumulated user profile.
| Parameter | Where to find out. | Action. |
|---|---|---|
| Recommendations | Settings → Passwords and security | Turn it off. |
| Advertising ID | Settings → Passwords and Security → Privacy | Drop it. |
| User experience | Settings → About the phone | Turn it off. |
Remember that these settings can be spread out into different subsections depending on the firmware version. Carefully study each item associated with the word "advertising" or "recommendations".
Cleaning Standard Apps from Advertising
Even after global tweaks, some embedded apps can continue to display banners, such as Explorer, Music, Video and Cleanup, each with its own internal content display settings.
Start with the Security app. This is where most of the time, virus notifications or memory cleanup suggestions pop up, which are actually ads, go to the settings of this app (usually through a three-dot menu or gear) and find "Get recommendations." It needs to be deactivated.
A similar procedure should be performed for the Explorer application, which also hides a switch in its settings that displays recommended files and news, and disabling this option will make the file manager interface clean and functional.
- 🧹 Open the Security app → press the gear.
- 📂 Open the Application Explorer → menu → setting.
- 🎵 Go to the Music app. → setting → extension.
- 📺 In the Video app, go to profile → setting.
In each of these apps, look for phrases like "Recommendations," "Get news," or "Show ads." Their status should be changed to "Switched off." It takes a few minutes, but the result is worth it.
⚠️ Note: After updating the system through OTA settings within individual applications may reset. Periodically check these items to ensure that the ads do not return.
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Use Full Screen mode in applications. In some versions of MIUI, enabling full-screen mode for applications hides the bottom ad plaque if it is present in the program interface.
Removal or freezing of system applications (MIPicks and others)
Redmi 9A can pre-installe apps you’ve never used, like MIPicks or various news aggregators, and they’re often a source of push notifications and background activity.
You can't uninstall some system applications in the standard way, but you can freeze or disable them, and that will hide them from the desktop and prevent them from running. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps.
Find unnecessary services on the list. If the "Delete" button is inactive, click "Disable" or "Hide" to prevent them from working and collecting data. Be careful not to turn off system components that you do not know what they are intended for so as not to disrupt the phone.
Settings → Applications → All Applications → [Select App] → DisablePay special attention to apps called "Mi Video," "Mi Music," if you don't use them, and replace them with third-party apps from the Play Market that don't have built-in ads.
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Disabling unused system applications not only removes advertising, but also frees up RAM, which is critical for low-end models like Redmi 9A.
Use of third-party blockers
If built-in methods aren't enough, specialized blocking apps come to the rescue, and they work like a local VPN, filtering all traffic through the phone, and one of the most popular solutions is AdGuard.
Installation of such an application requires permission to create VPN-It's safe because the traffic is not sent anywhere, but filtered locally on the device. Blockers are effective not only in the browser, but also inside other applications.
It is worth noting that free versions of such programs may have limitations, but even basic functionality is usually enough to block the bulk of banner ads in the MIUI system.
- 🛡️ Download a proven blocker (such as AdGuard or Blokada).
- ✅ Provide the necessary permissions at the first launch.
- 🔄 Update filters in the application settings.
- 🚀 Enjoy a clean system without any extra trash.
Using third-party software is a last resort if Xiaomi’s regular tools are not effective enough, and in most cases, the combination of methods described above is enough for comfortable use.