How to remove ads on Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus: the complete guide

Xiaomi smartphone owners often encounter intrusive banner ads that appear in system apps and the interface.The Redmi 5 Plus model, despite its age, is still in active use, and the pop-up problem is relevant to it.The MIUI system is set up by default to show advertising content, which annoys many users who want a clean interface.

Fortunately, there are many ways to block ads without getting super-user permissions. You don't have to be a programmer to clean your gadget of garbage. In this article, we'll look at effective methods ranging from simple menu settings to advanced techniques.

Doing this will significantly speed up the device and save battery life. Advertising modules consume Internet traffic and processor resources, so turning them off is a step towards optimization. Let's start tweaking your Redmi 5 Plus in detail.

Disabling system advertising through MIUI settings

The first step is to turn to built-in security and system settings. Xiaomi provides an official, though not always obvious, option to limit personalized ads. This won’t remove all banners completely, but will reduce their number and relevance.

You need to find the Security app that's pre-installed on every device, and it has important switches inside it that affect how the system behaves, and look at the recommendations section, because that's the one that most often generates pop-ups.

Then you go to the general settings of the system. The path may differ depending on the firmware version, but the logic remains the same. Look for items that contain the words "advertising", "recommendations" or "MSA".

• 📱 Open Settings and search for the word "advertising".
• 🔒 Find Password and Security or Advanced Settings.
• 🚫 Turn off the "Receive References" switch in the security section.
• 📉 In the Explorer application, go to the settings and remove the tick from "Receive recommendations".

⚠️ Warning: After disabling Get Recommendations, the system may ask you to wait 10 seconds before confirming an action. Do not interrupt this process, otherwise the setting will not remain.

It's also important to check the settings of specific applications, such as Music, Videos and Themes, each with its own recommendation section that needs to be manually deactivated, which takes a few minutes, but the result is worth it.

Blocking the MSA (MIUI System Ads) process

The centerpiece of Xiaomi’s advertising system is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) process, which is responsible for loading and displaying most banners in the interface, and disabling this component is the most effective way to combat intrusive content.

To find the process you want, go to Settings -> Advanced Settings -> Access to Personal Data. This lists all the apps that have access to your information. Find the msa list and turn off the access slider.

The system will alert you that a shutdown may affect some functions, and this is a standard warning that you can ignore, and you have to agree and wait 10 seconds, and then click "Stop."

If you fail to turn off the first time, repeat the procedure several times. Sometimes the system requires several attempts to confirm the user's action. After successful shutdown, restart Redmi 5 Plus.

Using a Private DNS to Block Advertising

One of the most powerful tools for removing ads is the Domain Name System (DNS) setup, which blocks ad requests at the network level, preventing the phone from downloading banners even in apps.

Modern versions of Android and MIUI have a built-in "Private DNS" feature, so you don't have to install third-party programs, just write down the address of a special server that filters traffic.

Go to Settings -> Connection and Sharing (or "Other Settings" in older versions). Go to Private DNS. Select "DNS Host Name" mode and enter the address.

dns.adguard.com

Once you enter the address, save the settings. Now all traffic on your device will pass through AdGuard filters that cut off known advertising domains, which will significantly speed up the loading of pages in the browser.

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If some applications or Wi-Fi networks stop working after you set up your DNS, temporarily return the setting to Auto mode. This can happen on corporate networks with authorization.

Set up standard Xiaomi applications

Xiaomi system apps often have built-in recommendation modules. To completely clean the interface, you need to go through each of them, which is especially true for owners of Redmi 5 Plus with an 18:9 screen, where banners can overlap content.

Start with the Topics app. Go to profile (human icon) and click on the settings icon, and you need to turn off "Show ads," "Receive recommendations" and "Autoplay video."

Then open the Downloads app. In the menu (three dots), select settings and uncheck the box from "Receive recommendations." Repeat the same steps for the Music and Video apps.

Don’t forget to check your Mi Browser settings if you use it. It also has a Privacy and Security section where you can turn off ad personalization, but it’s better to use third-party browsers like Chrome or Firefox.

Disabling notifications from system applications

Even after the ads are turned off in the interface, notifications from system services can continue to be troubling, often coming from Mi Credit, Mi Video or GetApps apps.

To combat them, use the Notifications feature in the settings. Press the icon of the unwanted application on the desktop or menu, select About App and go to the notifications section.

Here you can completely disable notifications or leave only critical ones.It is recommended to disable all notifications from Xiaomi marketing services.

• 🔔 Go to Settings -> Notifications and status bar.
• 📵 Find a list of apps and sort them by notification frequency.
• 🚫 Disable notifications for GetApps, Mi Video, Mi Credit.
• ✅ Keep only messengers and important system services active.

You should also look at the settings of the notification center itself. Swipe from top to bottom, click on the settings icon (cog) and check which apps are prioritised. Remove the extra ones so you don't miss important messages.

Additional methods and installation of blockers

If standard methods are not enough, you can use specialized software. Blocking applications such as Blokada or AdGuard (full version) create local software. VPN-traffic-filtering tunnel.

Installation of such programs requires permission to create VPN-It's safe, because it's not going to external servers, but it's being processed locally on the device, but it can actually increase battery consumption a little bit.

For advanced users, there is a method to disable ads through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), connecting the phone to the computer, you can remove or freeze the system packages responsible for advertising by command line.

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.msa.global

Using ADB commands requires caution. Incorrectly disabling the system component can lead to unstable MIUI operation. Use this method only if you are confident in your actions.

⚠️ Attention: When in use ADB-Always check the name of the packet, removing critical system components can cause a cyclic device reboot).

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The combination of MSA disabling, DNS settings and manual app cleaning gives 100% of the result in removing ads on Redmi 5 Plus.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)