Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often encounter intrusive banner ads that appear in system applications.This can be annoying, especially when you are trying to quickly open Explorer or run Calendar. Fortunately, the MIUI shell provides the ability to disable most ad modules without obtaining superuser rights.
In this article, we'll break down a step-by-step algorithm that will help you clean up the interface from unnecessary visual noise. Disabling ads will not only improve aesthetic perception, but also slightly speed up the device, since the system does not have to load advertising tracks. We'll look at both standard settings and deeper system parameters.
It is worth noting that the location of some menu items may vary slightly depending on the version of Android and regional firmware (Global, China, EEA).However, the general logic of action remains the same for all current versions of MIUI 12, 13 and 14.
⚠️ Note: Before making changes to system settings, it is recommended to back up important data in case of unforeseen interface failures.
MSA Disconnection: The Main Source of Advertising
The main provider of advertising in the Xiaomi ecosystem is the system process MIUI System Ads (msa), which is responsible for downloading banners to standard applications, and to block it, you will need to go to the authorization menu and accounts.
Find the password and security section in the settings, and you'll find "Access to Personal Data" or "Special Features." In the list of services, find msa and put the switch inactive, and the system will alert you to the consequences of a shutdown.
When you press the Stop button, you start a 10 second countdown, which is a safety mechanism that prevents critical services from accidentally shutting down, wait for the timer to end and confirm the action. If you fail to turn it off the first time, try again.
What to do if the Stop button is inactive?
It is important to understand that msa is not a virus, but a legitimate component of the shell, and its disabling does not violate the warranty, but can lead to the disappearance of some widgets of the tape “Mi Video” or “Mi Music” if they are tied to advertising integrations.
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Disabling the msa service blocks up to 90% of all system advertising, making smartphone use much more comfortable.
Customization of personalized recommendations in the system
Even after disabling the core module, some apps may continue to show recommendations based on your usage history, and there is a separate Get Recommendations Tool that regulates how MIUI algorithms work.
You need to go to the password and security settings section, scroll down until you find Privacy or Recommendations, and deactivate the option Get recommendations, which will stop collecting your preferences for content targeting.
This setting affects many built-in applications, including Security, Downloads and Themes, and disabling personalization will make the content more neutral, though less “smart” in terms of choosing exactly what you might like.
- 🔹 Go to Settings. → Passwords and security.
- 🔹 Find the Privacy or Special Opportunities section.
- 🔹 Turn off the switchboard Get recommendations.
- 🔹 Confirm the action in the pop-up window.
Some users confuse this feature with the personalization of advertising on Google. These are different mechanisms: one is responsible for Xiaomi system prompts, the other is responsible for advertising identifiers in app stores.
☑️ Checking the ad-off
Remove Advertising from Standard Apps
Ad units are often built directly into the interfaces of standard utilities. Each component requires a customized approach, starting with the Security app, which is the control center of the system and often contains banners in the cleaning or antivirus sections.
Open the Security app, click on the gear in the top right corner, find the "Get recommendations" item and turn it off, and look inside the app's settings for "Clean up" and remove the tick from "Get cleanup recommendations."
The File Manager app is similar: click on the menu (three bars), select Settings → About. You need to find and disable the Receive Recommendations option, and then the banner ads at the bottom of the screen should disappear.
⚠️ Note: In the Topics app, ads may return after the service update. Periodically check the profile settings in this app to disable personalized offers.
The Downloads app also tends to show popular files or games. To remove this, open Downloads, click three dots in the corner, select Settings, and turn off Receive Recommendations, which will make the file list clean and functional.
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If after updating the firmware, the ad appeared again, just repeat the disabling procedure in each application - the settings can be reset to factory values.
Cleaning Up Notifications and Pop-ups
Sometimes, the ads come in the form of push notifications from system services such as Mi Video or GetApps, which can appear even when the screen is turned off or when the device is unlocked, which is especially annoying for users.
To combat this, you need to set up notifications for each suspicious app. Press your finger on the app icon (like Music or Video) and select About → Notifications, where you can completely disable sending notifications or leave only critical ones.
Pay special attention to GetApps (Xiaomi app store), which often hides items about advertising mailings in its settings. Open the store, go to Profile → Settings, and uncheck all notifications and recommendations.
Also worth checking is the lock screen settings. In the Wallpaper or Wallpaper Carousel section, the Get New Content option can be activated, which uploads advertising images to the locked screen, disabling this feature will return a static picture or standard wallpaper.
- 🔹 Open the Settings. → Notifications and control centre.
- 🔹 Select the Advertising Source App.
- 🔹 Translate the “Allow notifications” switch to the off position.
- 🔹 Repeat for all system media services.
Comparison of Ad Blocking Methods
There are several ways to combat intrusive content, from standard settings to third-party software, each with its own advantages and disadvantages that should be considered before use.
Use of embedded functions MIUI It's the safest method, and it doesn't require any additional software, but it does require manual configuration of each application (DNS-filters) operate globally but may affect connection speeds.
Below is a table comparing the main methods of disabling ads on Xiaomi devices.
| Method | Efficiency | Difficulty | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSA shutdown | Tall. | Low. | Minimum |
| Set-up of applications | Medium | Medium | Absent. |
| Private DNS | Very high. | Low. | Possible slowdown. |
| Root rights + AdAway | Maximum | Tall. | Reduced security |
The choice of method depends on your technical skills. For most users, a combination of disabling msa and manually configuring applications is enough, and the use of Root rights is recommended only for experienced users who understand the risks of losing warranty.
Using a private DNS to block
One of the most effective ways to remove advertising not only in the system, but also in the browser and games is to use the “Private” function. DNS» (Private DNS). This method does not require application installation and works at the network connection level.
Go to Connection and Sharing or Wi-Fi. Find Private DNS (may be called Personal DNS) and select DNS Host Name and enter the verified blocker address, such as dns.adguard.com.
Once you save the settings, the phone will reconnect to the network, and all traffic going through known ad servers will be cut off, which greatly speeds up the loading of pages in the Chrome browser or MI Browser.
⚠️ Note: If, after the inclusion of a private DNS If some applications or Wi-Fi in public places stop working, temporarily disable this feature. DNS-server.
The advantage of this method is its versatility: it works independently of the version of MIUI and does not reset after the system update. However, it does not remove advertising space in the interface (empty squares can remain), but prevents the content itself from loading.