Owners of budget smartphones like the Xiaomi Redmi 9A often encounter intrusive banner ads in system applications.This is a feature of the MIUI shell that allows the manufacturer to sell devices at a low price, offsetting the cost of showing ads. However, for many users, persistent pop-ups become an annoying factor that reduces the comfort of using the gadget. Fortunately, there is a proven way to completely get rid of this visual noise without losing warranty or functionality.
In this article, we will discuss how to disable ads on Redmi 9A using only the built-in settings. You do not need to obtain root rights or install third-party blockers that can slow down the processor. We will go through all the key menu items that are responsible for collecting data and displaying advertising content in standard utilities.
The process of turning off takes only a few minutes, but requires care, as some menu items have similar names. It is important to understand that disabling the MSA service (MIUI System Ads) is a key step, without which other settings may not give full effect.
Main sources of advertising on MIUI Redmi 9A
Before you start settings, you need to understand the mechanism of the appearance of advertising content. In the MIUI shell installed on Redmi 9A, a separate system process is responsible for displaying banners. It is integrated into most standard applications: Security, Explorer, Music and even in the screen lock menu. Advertising modules can be downloaded both over the Internet and be sewn into the cache of applications.
The main source of annoyance is the MSA service, which is responsible for targeted advertising, analyzing your actions, and there are separate settings for each system application that are activated by default, for example, in the Explorer, advertising can appear in the recommendations section, and in the Themes app – on the main screen of the store.
Not only does removing ads completely improve the visual experience, but it can also have a positive effect on battery autonomy. Advertising modules are constantly turning to the network to update content, which consumes traffic and battery power. By disabling these processes, you make the Xiaomi Redmi 9A work more smooth and energy efficient.
- 📱 Service MSA — main system module that broadcasts advertising.
- 📂 Built-in applications - "Conductor", "Music", "Downloads" have their display settings.
- 🔒 Personalized advertising – collecting data about your preferences to display banners.
- 📢 Recommendations – sections in the interface offering content from partners MIUI.
💡
Advertising in MIUI is built deep into the system, so you need to turn it off comprehensively, through several menu items, and not just in one place.
Disabling MSA Service and Personalization
The first and most important step is to deactivate the MSA service, which is responsible for the system advertising in the entire shell. First, open your smartphone settings and go to Password and Security. Here you need to find the Access to Personal Data item. In the list that opens, find the msa string and turn the switch to an inactive state.
The system will warn you that turning off this service may affect the operation of certain functions. Ignore the warnings and press the Stop button. You will have to wait 10 seconds, after which the button will become active. If you fail to turn off the first time, repeat the procedure 2-3 times - this is a common feature of MIUI on Redmi 9A.
⚠️ Note: After disabling the msa service, the adverts will not disappear instantly.The system can store cached banners that will disappear within 24 hours or after the device is restarted.
Next, you have to stop personalizing ads. Go back to the main settings menu and find the Password and Security section, then select Privacy. Scroll down to the bottom and find Advertising Services. You have to turn off Personalized Advertising, which will prevent the system from using your data to select ads.
☑️ Shutdown checklist MSA
Setup of Xiaomi system applications
After the global MSA service is disabled, you need to "clean" the settings of individual applications that are often ignored by users. Each standard application on Redmi 9A has its own advertising switch. Start with the Security app, since it is through this application that most often receive notifications about "viruses" or "junk" that are disguised advertising.
Open the Security app, click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Settings. Find Receive recommendations and turn it off. Then go to Clean up inside the security settings and also turn off recommendations, which will remove banner ads that appear after scanning the system.
Next in line is Explorer. Open it, click on the menu (three bars) and select Settings. Find About App or Settings (depending on the version of MIUI) and turn off Recommendations. Similar steps should be taken for Download, Music and Video applications. In each of them, look for the words "Recommendations", "Get tips" or "Advertisements".
| Annex | The path to adjustment | What to turn off | The result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security | Settings → General | Receive recommendations | No ads after scanning |
| Conductor | Menu → Settings | Recommendations | Clean file interface |
| Downloads. | Three points → Settings | Show recommendations | List of only your files |
| Music. | Menu → Settings | Showing ads | Absence of banners in the player |
What should I do if there is no “recommendation” item?
Removing ads in the browser and on the lock screen
Even after system settings, ads may continue to bother you in the Mi Browser browser or on the lock screen. Xiaomi's browser is set to aggressively display news and promotional materials by default. To fix this, open the browser, go to settings (three bars → Settings) and find the Home page section. Disable all switches associated with the news feed and recommendations.
Also, in your browser settings, look for Privacy and Security and turn on the ad blocker. While it's not perfect, it will weed out some of the intrusive pop-ups. For more efficient cleaning, you'd better use third-party browsers like Chrome or Firefox, setting them as your primary browser.
As for the lock screen, this is the Wallpaper Carousel function, which periodically changes the background and shows advertising images. To turn this off, go to Settings → Always on screen and Lock screen. Find the Wallpaper Carousel and turn it off. Now the locked screen will only have a static image and time.
⚠️ Note: If you turn off the wallpaper carousel, you will lose access to a collection of high-quality backgrounds that are automatically updated.
Don't forget to also check the settings of the widgets on your desktop. Often users accidentally add News or Hot Apps widgets, which are nothing more than ad units. Remove them from your desktop with a long press.
💡
For maximum efficiency after all settings, perform a full smartphone restart, which will clear temporary files and apply changes to all system processes.
Resetting the advertising identifier and additional measures
To consolidate the result, it is recommended to reset the advertising ID of your device. This will not remove the ads instantly, but will “nullify” the accumulated data about your interests, which will make the advertising impressions less accurate and possibly less frequent. To do this, go to Settings → Password and Security → Privacy → Advertising Services. click on the Reset Advertising ID button.
Another measure is to limit background activity for suspicious apps.If you have installed some kind of flashlight or scanner QR-codes, and they show ads even when they're closed, check their permissions. → Annexes → All apps, select a problem app and limit its background work.
Also worth paying attention to is GetApps (formerly Mi Store), an app store from Xiaomi that often sends notifications about discounts and new items that are essentially advertising. Open the app, go to My Profile → Settings, and disable all notifications and auto-updates if you are not actively using the store.
- 🔄 Resetting the ID breaks the link between your device and your advertising profile.
- 🚫 Background Restriction Prevents Pop-ups from Third-Party Apps.
- 📦 GetApps Disabled Removes Spam from Xiaomi’s Official Store.
- 📉 Reducing the load on the processor by stopping advertising scripts.
💡
Regularly cleaning the browser cache and system applications helps prevent ad scripts from accumulating, even if the main services are disabled.