Owners of flagship devices in the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro series often face intrusive advertising that appears in system applications, folders and even when using third-party programs. Despite the transparent design and powerful processor, the MIUI software shell contains advertising modules that require manual deactivation by default.
The process of clearing the system of marketing inserts does not require obtaining superuser rights or flashing the device, just go through several settings menu items consistently and disable specific services. It is important to understand that completely removing advertising identifiers will take about 10-15 minutes of your time, but the result is worth it.
In this guide, we will discuss in detail all the stages of disabling embedded advertising, from the basic settings of the account to advanced methods of blocking through the DNS. You will be able to enjoy the clean interface for which this smartphone was created.
Disabling MSA Service and Advertising Identifiers
The first and most important step is to deactivate the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which is responsible for loading and displaying advertising content in the shell, and without disabling this component, all other settings will be ineffective, as the service will constantly try to restore its activity in the background.
To start, you need to go to the smartphone settings menu. Find the password and security section that hides key authorization and system services settings. In some firmware versions, this item may be simply called "Security" or have a shield icon.
Inside the authorization menu, you'll need to find the item associated with msa. The switch next to it needs to be put into an inactive state. The system will warn you that some functions may stop working correctly, but for the average user this is not critical.
⚠️ Warning: When the switch is turned off, a 10 second countdown timer will appear. Don't try to close the window right away, wait until the time ends, or the service will automatically turn on again.
In parallel, it is recommended to disable personalization of advertising, which will prevent collection of data about your preferences for targeted advertising, the path to this setting is usually in the section “Privacy” or “Passwords and security”.
☑️ Checking the shutdown MSA
Make sure you do everything in sequence. If the msa switch is activated again on its own, try repeating the procedure 2-3 times. Sometimes the system takes several attempts to finally confirm your decision.
Configuring MIUI system applications
After disabling the main advertising module, you need to “tame” individual system applications that have their own built-in banner display mechanisms. Each standard Xiaomi application – from the conductor to the design topic – can contain its own recommendations settings.
Start with the Security app. Open it, click on the settings gear in the top right corner, and find "Get recommendations." Disabling this option will remove the promotional offers when scanning the device or clearing the memory.
Next, go to the Themes app. Click on a user profile or three-bar menu, select Settings, and turn off the Display Ads, Personal Recommendations, and Receive Discount Notifications, which will clear the store's main screen of intrusive banners.
Don't forget the standard Mi Browser browser and Downloads app. In the browser, you need to go to the settings, select Privacy and Security, and turn off Personal Guidelines. In downloads, a similar option is found in the settings menu in the form of a "Show Recommended Content" switch.
Also worth checking is the Music and Video app settings, which often activate the default “Use Mobile Data for Auto Update” and “Receive Recommendations” feature, which load ad playlists and posters.
Hidden advertising modules
Managing notifications and folders on the desktop
One of the most annoying features of MIUI is the appearance of banner ads directly in folders on the desktop, which is called “carousel content”, which is activated automatically when you create folders with applications.
To remove the ad from the folders, click on any folder on the home screen to open. At the top of the window that appears, you'll see the folder name and some app icons. Near the title is often a small gear or setting icon.
In the menu that opens, find the Recommended Apps or Carousel switch and turn it off. After that, the horizontal tape with a suggestion to download games or utilities will disappear from the bottom of the folder.
Push notifications are worth special attention. Even after MSA is disabled, some applications may continue to send spam. Use the built-in notification management tool to combat this.
Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Application Notifications. Here you will see a list of all programs that are authorized to send messages. Go through the list and turn off notifications for suspicious or rarely used system services such as Mi Video, GetApps or MIUI Daemon.
It is also effective to disable notifications for specific ad packages, often with names like “msa,” “daemon,” or “miui system,” and blocking their notifications will not affect the basic functions of the phone.
Blocking Advertising through DNS and Private DNS
The most radical and effective way to remove ads is to use a secure DNS, which allows you to block advertising requests at the network connection level without requiring the installation of third-party applications or changing system files.
Starting with Android 9 (which is relevant for Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro), the system has a built-in private feature. DNS (Private DNS). She's encrypting. DNS-requests and allows you to redirect them to the server that sifts out advertising traffic.
To set up, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS. The default mode is Auto. You need to select the option “Host Name of the DNS Provider” (or “Manual”) and enter the address of the special server.
dns.adguard.comEnter this address in the input field and save the settings, and then all traffic going through known ad servers will be blocked, not only for system advertising, but also for banners in the browser and some applications.
| Parameter | Default value | Recommended value | The effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| DNS mode | Automobile | Provider host name | Activation of filtration |
| Server address | - | dns.adguard.com | Blocking ads |
| Encryption | No. | DoT (DNS over TLS) | Traffic protection |
| Impact on speed | Standard. | Minimum | Accelerating page loading |
⚠️ Note: When using a third party DNS Some public Wi-Fi networks (cafes, airports) may require additional authorization via the browser. If the login page does not load, temporarily return the settings. DNS auto-mode».
Use of the DNS-filtering also helps to save mobile traffic, as heavy promotional videos and images simply don’t load onto the device.
Disabling Personalization and Analytics Services
Xiaomi, like many other manufacturers, collects device usage data to improve its services, but this process often involves passing IDs to advertisers, disabling these features to not only improve the cleanliness of the interface, but also your digital privacy.
In the Passwords and Security section, look for Privacy, and here you find Ad Services or Ad Services, and inside you'll see Ad Personalization, and if you turn it off, you'll stop the system from using your data to select ads.
Also worth looking at is the MIUI Improvement Program, which sends error and usage statistics to the company's servers. Although it's not direct advertising, the background data transfer can load the processor and battery, usually at the bottom of the About Phone menu or in the Advanced Settings section.
Another important element is the User Experience Program, which involves automatically sending logs, and for the average user who wants maximum control over the device, participation in such programs is unnecessary.
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Check the Privacy section periodically after major MIUI updates. Sometimes the system may reset privacy settings to factory values, requiring a second shutdown of services.
Remember that completely disabling all analytics services can theoretically slow down the arrival of new features adapted to your region, but for the stability of the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro, this has no negative impact.
Additional methods and FAQ
If standard methods have not helped to completely clean the smartphone, you can use deeper settings, for example, disabling the MiuiDaemon service through the developer menu or using the device. ADB-commands for freezing system packages.
However, for most users, a combination of disabling MSA, setting up Private DNS, and manually cleaning system applications will ensure that 95-99% of all intrusive ads are removed without risking damage to the system.
Below are answers to frequently asked questions that users have during the setup process.