How to completely disable advertising on Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC: a step-by-step guide

Owners of Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC often face intrusive advertising in system applications, notifications, and even on the lock screen. This is not an accident, but part of Xiaomi’s business model: the company monetizes its MIUI firmware through integrated advertising, but it can be turned off — in whole or in part — without losing the functionality of the smartphone.

The problem is that the Poco X3 NFC ad units are built-in at the system level, appearing in Settings, Security, Themes, and branded utilities like Cleaner or Mi Video. Fortunately, there are legal ways to deal with them, from simple settings to the use of ADB (Android Debug Bridge). In this article, we will discuss all the current methods, including their pros and cons, and give recommendations for choosing the best solution for your case.

It's important to understand that some of the techniques require basic technical skills, like command line. If you've never used ADB, don't worry, we'll explain each step in detail. Also note that after major MIUI updates, the paths to customization may change, but the general logic remains the same.

Before you start, check your firmware version in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. This will help you avoid errors when choosing a method. For example, in MIUI 14 and later, some of the advertising identifiers have changed, so the old instructions may not work.

1. disable personalized advertising in MIUI settings

The easiest and safest way to do this is to deactivate personalized ads through the settings menu, which won’t remove ads completely, but will significantly reduce the amount of ads you’re using, especially in Xiaomi apps.

Go to:

Settings → Google → Advertising → Disable “Personalized Advertising”

Then go back to the main settings menu and find:

Settings → Additional → Special features → Services → Personalized recommendations

Turn off all switches in this section.

These actions will block the collection of data about your preferences, which will make the ads less targeted, but system banners (for example, in Settings or Security) will remain.

• ✅ Pros: does not require administrator rights, works on any version MIUI, reversibly.
• ❌ Cons: does not remove advertising completely, only reduces its frequency.
• 🔄 Relevance: Works on all versions of Poco X3 NFC, including MIUI 12/13/14.

2 Manual disabling of advertising through MSA (Miui System Ads)

MSA (Miui System Ads) is the system component responsible for displaying ads in MIUI. It can be deactivated through hidden settings, but the path to these depends on the firmware version. On the Poco X3 NFC with MIUI 12-14, the instructions are as follows:

Open the Settings app and enter the search bar (lamp in the upper right corner) the request:

msa

The results will show Advertising Services — go to it and turn off all the switches available. If the search doesn't work, try an alternative path:

Settings → Memory → Cleaning → Settings (cogs) → Advertising services

Some firmware may call this section Receive References or Personalized Services. If you haven't found an MSA, then your version of MIUI hides this section deeper - you'll need to use ADB (more on that in the next section).

⚠️ Attention: After disconnection MSA Some system applications (such as Themes or Mi Video) may stop updating content. This is not critical, but note that the functionality will decrease.

• 🛠️ Required: only access to settings, without ADB root.
• 📉 Efficiency: cleans up ~70% of ads, including banners in Settings.
• 🔄 Reverse: May reset after update MIUI.

💡

If the search for "msa" does not work, try entering "ad" or "advertising" in Russian. MIUI keywords differ.

3.Using ADB to Deeply Disable Advertising

ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is an Android debugging tool that allows you to send commands directly to the system. It can disable Xiaomi's ad services at the application level without getting root rights. The method works on all versions of the Poco X3 NFC, but requires a connection to a computer.

First, download and install:

• 🖥️ Google Platform Tools (includes) ADB).
• 📱 Enable Developer Mode on your phone: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 times).
• 🔌 Turn on the debugging. USB In Settings → Additionally. → For developers.

Connect Poco X3 NFC to your PC and execute the following commands in turn at the command line (cmd or Terminal):

adb shell pm hide com.miui.systemAdSolution

adb shell pm hide com.xiaomi.midrop

adb shell pm hide com.android.browser

adb shell pm hide com.miui.analytics

These commands disable the main ad modules, including Xiaomi analytics. Once executed, restart the phone. Ads will disappear from most system applications, but can remain in Themes and Mi Video.

⚠️ Note: pm hide commands temporarily "hide" applications, but do not delete them. MIUI To get it back, replace hide with unhide.

Install Platform Tools on PC|Enable the developer mode on the phone|Activate debugging by USB|Connect your phone to the original cable|Check the connection of the adb device team-->

4. Removing Advertising through Hosts File Editing

Another effective method is to block Xiaomi ad servers at the network level, by adding their addresses to the hosts file, which is responsible for redirecting domains, which does not require root, but requires rights to write to system files (they can be obtained through ADB).

Download a text file with ready-made lock rules (for example, from here) to your phone and execute in ADB:

adb shell


su




mount -o rw,remount /system




cat /sdcard/Download/hosts.txt >> /system/etc/hosts




mount -o ro,remount /system




exit

If you don't have root, use an alternative method through the DNS Changer app (available on Google Play), and install a custom DNS with ad filtering, such as:

• 🌍 AdGuard DNS: 176.103.130.130 and 176.103.130.131
• 🛡️ NextDNS: 45.90.28.167 (with locking settings)

After editing the hosts file, ads will disappear not only in system applications, but also in some third-party applications (such as a browser), but this method can conflict with VPNs and some banking applications.

5. Alternative methods: firmware and third-party utilities

If none of the above methods worked, consider more radical options: they require more time and skill, but are guaranteed to remove all ads.

1. Install custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience or LineageOS)

Android-based firmware without MIUI shells is completely devoid of Xiaomi advertising, but installation will require:

Cons: loss of warranty, risk of “bricking” the phone, possible bugs with the camera or sensors.

2.Advert blocking applications (without root)

Some Google Play utilities can partially block ads in MIUI:

• 🚫 Blokada – Creates a local VPN-traffic-filtering tunnel.
• 🛡️ NetGuard – blocks applications from accessing ad servers.
• 🔍 App Inspector – Helps you find and disable advertising modules manually.

The effectiveness of these applications varies from 30% to 70% depending on the version of MIUI.

⚠️ Note: When using custom firmware or modified recovery, you lose your right to the official warranty of Xiaomi.In addition, some banking applications (for example, SberBank Online) may refuse to work on uncertified firmware.

6. Resetting settings as a last resort

If the adverts are after a MIUI update or installing third-party apps, a complete reset can sometimes help, which returns the phone to factory status by removing all user data and settings, including possible configuration errors that lead to excessive advertising.

For reset, go to:

Settings → About Phone → Backup and Reset → Resetting settings

Choose to Erase all data and wait until the process is complete. Once you reboot, set your phone as new, but don't restore the backup, which may contain advertising modules.

Resetting helps in ~40% of cases where advertising is caused by a MIUI malfunction. However, this is not a panacea: system banners (for example, in Settings) will remain, since they are sewn into the firmware.

• ⚠️ Before reset: Save important data (photos, contacts, messages) to the cloud or PC.
• ⏳ Time of the process: ~10-15 minutes (depending on the amount of data).
• 🔄 Consequences: All apps and accounts will be deleted.

💡

Resetting is not a method of removing ads, but a way to eliminate errors that may have caused them. To completely disable ads, combine it with other methods (for example, ADB).

Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

The effectiveness of each method depends on your goals and technical skills, and below is a comparative table that will help you determine the best solution.

For most Poco X3 NFC users, the best solution is MSA + ADB. This gives maximum effect with minimal risks. If you are not afraid of experimentation, try custom firmware - it will not only remove advertising, but also improve the performance of the phone due to the absence of unnecessary background MIUI processes.

Remember, Xiaomi regularly updates its ad-show mechanisms, so even after a successful shutdown, you should check your settings from time to time. MIUI You may need to re-execute ADB-team.

FAQ: Frequent questions about disabling ads on the Poco X3 NFC