Xiaomi’s Poco lineup is well-deservedly popular for its excellent price-performance ratio, but owners of budget and mid-budget models like the Poco M3 often face intrusive advertising built into the MIUI shell. It’s a cost-effective charge, but the situation can and should be fixed manually.
Ads can appear in system applications, unlock the screen, or pop up over the interface as push notifications. The user needs to understand that completely removing ad modules requires several actions in succession in different parts of the system. There is no one magic button that will remove all banners at once, so be patient.
In this guide, we will take a look at all the ways to clean the interface of marketing noise, learn how to configure system services, change security settings, and use third-party solutions to block unwanted content at the network level. Follow the instructions carefully to make using the Poco M3 comfortable.
Disabling MSA System Advertising
The main source of intrusive offers in the shell of MIUI is the system process MSA (MIUI System Ads), which is responsible for downloading and displaying banner ads in standard applications, the first step to a clean interface will be to deactivate it through authorization settings.
To start, go to the smartphone settings menu. Find the Password and Security section and select Access to Personal Data. From the app list that opens, find the msa bar and put the switch to an inactive state. The system will warn you that some features may stop working and suggest waiting 10 seconds before confirming.
⚠️ Attention: After disabling msa, the ad may not disappear instantly.The process of completely clearing the cache and stopping background tasks takes up to 10-15 Don't panic if the banners keep popping up right after the switch.
If you fail to turn off the service the first time and the system fails, try repeating the procedure 3-5 times in a row. Often Xiaomi servers are overloaded, and the request to disconnect does not go away the first time, Perseverance in this case is the key to success.
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If the shutdown button is inactive, try temporarily shutting down the Internet (Wi-Fi and mobile network) before entering the data access menu, which will prevent the service from trying to confirm its work with the server.
Set up standard Xiaomi applications
After blocking the main advertising module, you need to “comb” standard utilities that have their own recommendations settings, and even without an active MSA, they can show promotional materials if the corresponding switches are turned on by default.
Start with the Security app, which is the control center of the system. Click on the settings gear in the corner of the screen and find "Get recommendations." Make sure the switch is off. It's also worth checking the Cleanup section, which often hides suggestions to install additional games or apps.
- 📱 Explorer: Open the app, click on the menu (three bars), select Settings and turn off Get recommendations».
- 🎵 Music: Go to the app settings, find the “Advanced Settings” section and remove the tick from the “Show Advertising” item».
- 📂 Downloads: The download menu also has settings where you need to deactivate the display of recommended content.
The Themes app requires special attention, and it is through it that notifications about discounts and new products often come, go to the user profile (human icon), then go to the settings and find the option "Settings", and you need to turn off all options associated with personalized recommendations and automatic updates with advertising.
☑️ Verification of standard applications
Notification management and blocking in the browser
Users often confuse MIUI system advertising with intrusive notifications from sites they accidentally subscribed to. If messages about “wins” or “viruses” appear on the lock screen or in the notification curtain, the problem lies in the browser permissions, not in the system.
To solve this problem, go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification Management. Find your browser (such as Chrome or Mi Browser) in the list. Inside the browser notification settings, find the Sites or Other Notifications section and prevent alerts from showing to suspicious resources.
To clean up the Chrome browser itself, click three dots in the corner, select Settings → Site Settings → Notifications. Here you will see a list of all sites authorized to send you fluffs. Ruthlessly delete or block all unknown domains.
| source of advertising | Where to look for settings | What to turn off |
|---|---|---|
| System banners | Password and security → Access to data | MSA Service |
| Push notifications | Settings → Notifications → Browser | Permits for websites |
| Recommendations in folders | Settings → Desktop | Receive recommendations |
| Advertising in annexes | Settings → Password and security | Receive recommendations |
Why is the ad coming back?
Blocking Advertising via DNS (Private DNS)
One of the most effective and safest methods that do not require the installation of third-party applications is the use of personal DNS. This method blocks advertising at the network connection level, preventing the loading of banner ads in applications and browsers.
In modern versions of Android (a Poco) M3 It's running on the current version, and it's built into the system. → Connection and Sharing (or “Connections») → Private DNS-server (Private) DNS). Select the mode "Host Name provider" DNS».
In the input box, you need to specify the address of the reliable filter. The most popular and proven option is the AdGuard service.
dns.adguard.comSave the settings. Now all your smartphone traffic will go through filters that cut off known ad servers, which will help remove banners in many games and applications where they were previously impossible to block by standard methods.
⚠️ Attention: When using private DNS Some apps or sites may stop downloading content if they use the same domains as ad networks. DNS auto-mode».
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Using Private DNS is a system solution that works even without root rights and does not consume battery power, unlike active blockers.
Use of blockers and additional settings
If standard methods are not enough, you can resort to installing specialized blocking applications. DNS-This requires the creation of a local VPN-traffic filtering connections. This may have a slight effect on the autonomy of the device.
A popular solution is the AdGuard app (full version) or open-source versions like Blokada, which allow you to more flexibly configure filters, select lock lists, and control which applications have access to the network. APK-file from the official website of the developer, as Google Play policy prohibits ad blockers.
Also worth paying attention to the settings of the desktop itself. MIUI has a Wallpaper Carousel feature that periodically changes the image on the lock screen and often contains advertising integrations. You can turn it off in the Wallpaper → Settings (cog) → Wallpaper carousel by removing the tick from the "Enable" item.
- 🚫 AdGuard: powerful combine with extended filters and parental controls.
- 🛡️ Blokada 5: Lightweight, open source application that minimizes resource consumption.
- ⚙️ DNS Changer: Simple tools for quick change DNS certificateless.
Keep in mind that installing third-party software from unknown sources carries potential risks. Download blockers only from official developer sites to avoid introducing malicious code under the guise of a useful utility.