Advertising on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones has become one of the most talked-about issues among users. Even after buying a device, many people encounter intrusive banners in system applications, notifications and on the lock screen. The reason lies in the MIUI branded shell, which integrates advertising modules for monetization by default. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to disable advertising, from standard settings to advanced methods using ADB and third-party utilities.
It's important to understand that Xiaomi is not breaking the law by placing ads on its firmware, as stated in the user agreement. However, you have every right to disable it, especially if it interferes with the comfortable use of the phone. We tested all methods on the latest versions of MIUI 14/15 (Android 13/14) and highlighted those that work consistently. Some solutions require minimal technical skills, others only a few taps on the screen. Let's start with the simplest and move on to the more complex ones.
If you use a POCO or Redmi smartphone with global firmware (MIUI Global), the chances of success are higher β in the Chinese versions (MIUI China), advertising is much more, and turning it off may require additional steps. Also note that after major system updates, some settings may be reset, so they will have to be reconfigured.
1. disable personalized advertising in MIUI settings
The first and most obvious step is to deactivate personalized ads through the settings menu, which wonβt remove all ads, but will significantly reduce the number of ads, as the system will stop picking up banners based on your data. The instructions are valid for all Xiaomi models, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 Xiaomi 13T.
Open Settings β Google β Ads (or Settings β Additional β Privacy β Ads in some versions of MIUI). Here you will see two key switches:
- π Personalized Advertising β Disables Targeted Ads Based on Your Activity.
- π Resetting advertising ID β resets your identifier used to display ads (recommended to do after disabling the first item).
After applying these settings, advertising in system applications (such as Weather or Themes) will become less intrusive, but will not disappear completely.
β οΈ Note: Some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 12S Ultra with Chinese firmware) Advertising may not be on the menu, in which case use the methods in the following sections.
2. Manual disabling of advertising in system applications
Many of Xiaomiβs standard apps have built-in ad modules that can be manually deactivated. Below is a list of the most βadvertisingβ utilities and the way to customize them. Note that menu items may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI.
| Annex | The path to settings | What to turn off |
|---|---|---|
| Topics | Profile β Settings β Recommendations | Disable Display Recommendations and Personalized Recommendations |
| Weather. | βοΈ β Settings β Notifications | Turn off Advertising Notices and News Feed |
| Music. | Profile β Settings β Recommendations | Deactivate the recommendations on the main screen |
| Mi browser | βοΈ β Settings β Confidentiality | Disable Personalized News and Banner Advertising |
If you are not using any of these apps (like the standard browser), the best way to get rid of its ads is to disable or remove it. To do this, go to Settings β Apps β App Management, select the unnecessary utility, and click Disable (or Remove Updates if the delete button is inactive).
3.Using ADB to Deeply Disable Advertising
For users willing to take more drastic measures, there is a method to disable ads via Android Debug Bridge (ADB). This method requires connecting the phone to a computer, but allows you to completely remove system advertising services without root rights. MIUI, where standard settings are often hidden.
You'll need:
- π₯οΈ Computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and utility ADB (You can download from the official website of Android Developers).
- π± Included debugging by USB on the phone (Settings) β The phone. β Version. MIUI β Tap 7 times, then go back to Settings β Additionally. β For developers).
- π Cable USB (preferably original).
After preparation, execute the following commands in the Windows/Linux terminal (command line):
adb shell
pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.analytics
pm uninstall --user 0 com.xiaomi.midrop
pm hide com.android.browser
pm hide com.miui.player
pm hide com.miui.videoThese commands remove or hide the main ad modules, and if you want to bring the apps back, use:
pm install-existing com.miui.analyticsβ οΈ Some teams may cause a Failure error. [DELETE_FAILED_INTERNAL_ERROR] newer MIUI. In this case, try replacing uninstall with hide, and after you upgrade, some of the modules can be restored, you have to repeat the procedure.
Install Xiaomi drivers on PC|Enable debugging on USB phone-on|Download ADB Tools|Connect your phone to the original cable|Check the connection with the adb device command-->
4. Installation of alternative firmware (for advanced)
If you're not just annoyed by the ads, but also by the MIUI shell and its features, you might want to consider switching to custom firmware.
- π± LineageOS β pure Android without unnecessary add-ons.
- π Pixel Experience β firmware with an interface, like on Google Pixel.
- β‘ Xiaomi.eu β modified version MIUI Advertising-free and Chinese-based.
Installation of custom firmware requires unlocking the bootloader and can lead to loss of warranty.
- Unlock bootloader via Mi Unlock Tool (requires Xiaomi account binding and wait 7-15 days).
- Installation of custom recavery (TWRP or OrangeFox).
- Firmware of the selected OS through the Recovery.
Detailed instructions for each model can be found on the XDA Developers or 4PDA forums. For example, this topic will suit the Redmi Note 11: [link to XDA]. Remember that incorrect actions can lead to a device blink (complete failure).
What is a βbrickβ and how to avoid it?
5. Third-party applications for blocking advertising
If you don't want to go through the settings or use ADB, you can use specialized utilities that work at the system level and intercept advertising requests.
- π‘οΈ Blokada β Blocks Advertising at Level DNS, There's a free version with basic functionality.
- π« AdGuard supports filters to block ads in apps and browser. To work fully, you need root or setup VPN.
- π NetGuard β monitors network traffic and can block ad domains (requires manual configuration).
To install, go to Settings β Applications β Special Access β VPN and let the selected utility create a secure connection. Then launch the application and activate the lock. For example, in Blokada, just press a button and the program will select the optimal filters.
Please note that some banks and messengers (for example, SberBank Online or VKontakte) may conflict with the Internet. VPN-In this case, add them to the exceptions or disable the lock temporarily.
π‘
If push notifications (such as Telegram or WhatsApp) stop working after installing the ad blocker, check your VPN settings on Android. Sometimes changing the protocol from OpenVPN to WireGuard or vice versa helps.
6. Disabling Advertising in Mi Account and Cloud Services
Many users are unaware that some of the ads come through your Mi Account account, especially if you sync your data to the Xiaomi Cloud.
- Open the Settings. β Accounts. β Mi Account.
- Go to the Synchronization Settings.
- Disable Advertising Notices and Personalized Recommendations.
- Return to the main account menu and click Device Management β turn off the option to Show Ads on this device.
We also recommend that you go to account.xiaomi.com (desktop), go to Settings β Privacy and deactivate all items related to content personalization, which will help reduce the amount of targeted advertising not only on your phone, but also in emails from Xiaomi.
7. Resetting settings to factory (last resort)
If none of these methods worked, and the ads became unbearable, you could do a complete reset, which is a radical way to delete all the data from the phone, but also reset all the ad settings to factory settings. Before the procedure, make sure to back up important files!
Instructions:
- Go to Settings β About the phone β Reset settings.
- Choose to erase all data.
- Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.
After reset, do not restore data from the MIUI backup - this can return advertising settings. Instead, set up the phone as a new device and manually disable all advertising options according to the instructions from this article.
β οΈ Note: On some models (e.g. Xiaomi Mi 11 with a locked bootloader), resetting settings may result in a password requirement from the previously tied Mi Account!
π‘
Setting resets are the last chance to get rid of ads if other methods have not worked, however, it deletes all data, so use it only after you have backed up.