How to turn off ads on Xiaomi Mi Note 10: the full guide

Owners of the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 smartphone often face intrusive advertising that appears in standard applications, the browser and even in the system interface. Although the MIUI shell is famous for its functionality, monetization through ads can annoy users, reducing the overall experience of using the device. Fortunately, developers have left the ability to manually deactivate most sources of marketing content without the need to obtain superuser rights or flash the device.

In this article, we will discuss in detail all the known methods of blocking ads on Xiaomi Mi Note 10. MSA, setting up the built-in browser, clearing notifications from preinstalled applications and using DNS-Network-level filters to block ad trackers, and following these guidelines will allow you to turn your smartphone into a pure tool for work and entertainment.

Deactivation of the MSA system service

The main source of advertising in the shell of MIUI is a system service called MSA (MIUI System Ads), which is responsible for collecting data on user behavior and displaying banner ads in standard utilities, and disabling this component is the first and most important step in the fight for the purity of the interface of your Xiaomi Mi Note 10.

The shutdown procedure requires care, as the system may ask you several times about your decision, trying to keep the user. You need to go to the Settings menu → Passwords and security → Access to personal data. In the list that opens, find msa and switch the slider to an inactive position. The system will issue a warning, after which you will have to wait 10 seconds and press the Disable button.

Sometimes the first time you can’t turn off the service because of connection errors or software failures, in which case you should repeat the procedure 3-5 times in a row. If you see an error message, just try again until you confirm that you have successfully disabled.

⚠️ Note: After the service is disabled MSA Complete cache cleaning and deletion of residual advertising files can take up to 24 hours of active smartphone use.

Setting up the standard Mi Browser browser

Xiaomi’s built-in browser is often a source of pop-ups and news feeds with in-store ads, and to minimize its impact, deep customization and interface are needed, especially for users who prefer not to install third-party browsers like Chrome or Firefox.

Open your browser and go to settings through the three-bar menu. Find the Privacy and Security section. You should activate the pop-up lock function here. You should also disable personalized recommendations that often contain advertising content. In Settings → General, remove the boxes that display news on the homepage.

To block it more effectively, you can use the built-in Incognito mode or install extensions if the browser version allows it, but the most radical method is to completely abandon the Mi Browser in favor of more private alternatives that are not integrated deep into the MIUI system.

• 🔒 Enable pop-up blocker in privacy settings.
• 📰 Turn off the display of the news feed on the browser's home page.
• 🚫 Prohibit notifications from the site in the settings of a specific resource.

Cleaning Notifications from System Applications

Many pre-installed apps on the Xiaomi Mi Note 10, such as Music, Video, Explorer and Cleanup, have their own notification mechanisms. Often these notifications are disguised advertisements or suggestions to install other ecosystem products, and can be managed through the notification center or general system settings.

To get rid of spam, go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification Management. Go through the list of system applications. For each suspicious app (such as Mi Video or GetApps), turn off notification categories related to recommendations, promotions and news. Leave only critical system alters.

Special attention should be paid to the GetApps app store. This is the equivalent of Xiaomi's Google Play, which aggressively promotes games and programs. Go to the GetApps settings, find the Notifications section, and disable all items except for updates to installed applications. This will significantly reduce information noise.

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Use long-tap on the incoming notification to quickly go to the notification management menu for this application and block its source.

Blocking Advertising Through DNS

One of the most effective anti-advertising methods of today is the use of DNS (Private DNS), which allows you to filter traffic at the level of network queries, blocking access to known ad servers even before content is uploaded to the device. For the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 with Android 9 and above, this feature is available out of the box.

Go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → DNS. Select the option “Host Name of the DNS provider” and enter the address of the verified locking service, for example, dns.adguard.com. Once you save the settings, the phone may require a reboot or reconnect to the network. This method not only removes ads in the browser, but also in many free apps and games.

It is important to understand that using a third-party DNS can have a slight impact on the network response rate in rare cases, if the server is located far away geographically, but for most users in the CIS, using AdGuard servers or similar services is completely invisible, providing only an increase in comfort.

• 🌐 This method works for all applications that use standard network protocols.
• 🛡️ No need to install additional software.
• ⚡ Blocking occurs instantly at the domain request level.

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Using a DNS with dns.adguard.com is a “silver bullet” that removes up to 90% of all ads on the system without the complex setup of each application separately.

Disabling recommendations in the MIUI interface

The MIUI shell has built-in recommendation mechanisms that appear in folders on the desktop, in the app menu, and when you search, and these elements often look like part of the interface, but are essentially advertising modules, and you can turn them off in the global settings of the system.

Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Access to personal data and find cardservice. Disabling this option will remove the cards with recommendations that can pop up in different places of the interface. It is also worth checking the settings of the folders on the desktop: when you open the folder with applications, sometimes a line with recommended games appears, which can be hidden by clicking on the cross or removing the tick in the launcher settings.

Don't forget the Themes app. Even if you don't use third-party designs, it can be notified. Go to the user profile in the Themes app, open settings, and disable all kinds of notifications and personalized recommendations.

⚠️ Warning: When you turn off system services like "cardservice" or "Msa", keep the launcher stable. MIUI This could cause a re-drawing of the interface, but on current firmware for the Mi Note 10 it is safe.

Additional measures: cache cleanup and identifiers reset

After all the settings are done, it is recommended to clean the ad services cache to remove the already downloaded banners. Go to Settings → Apps → All applications, find previously disabled system components (msa, daemon, miui daemon) and select Clear → Clear cache. This will free up space and delete the residual data.

It is also worth resetting the Google Ad ID so that ad networks lose the accumulated profile of your interests. Go to Settings → Google → Advertising and click Reset Ad ID. In some regions, you can also turn on the option “Opt out of personalized advertising”.

A comprehensive approach that includes disabling MSA, configuring DNS and cleaning notifications will allow you to completely get rid of ads on the Xiaomi Mi Note 10.The system will work faster and the battery will be spent more economically, as the background ad processes will no longer consume the CPU and network resources.