Smartphones series Redmi have long established themselves as reliable devices with excellent value for money, but users are often annoyed by intrusive advertising built into the shell of MIUI. Owners of the popular model Redmi 4X, running on Android, often face pop-up windows in system applications and browser. This is not a bug, but part of the marketing strategy of the company, allowing to reduce the final cost of gadgets.
Fortunately, there is a proven algorithm for removing banner ads completely without having to get root superuser rights. The process requires care, because the settings are spread across different menus, but the result is worth it. We'll look at the detailed steps to deactivate the system services that are responsible for displaying content.
Before we make any changes, it's important to understand that disabling some services can affect the performance of personalized recommendations. However, for most users, smartphone functionality is more important than offering to download a new game or install an app. Let's break down all the steps sequentially.
MSA service shutdown is the main source of banners
The main culprit behind the introduction of advertising in the system is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which collects data about your preferences and broadcasts advertisements to standard applications, and to stop it from working, you need to find the appropriate item in the authorization menu and turn it off.
Go to your smartphone settings and find the Mi Account section. Inside the menu, select System Apps or Authorization and Security where the services list will be. Find the msa list and put the slider inactive. The system will require you to wait 10 seconds before confirming the action, after which you need to click Stop.
If you fail to turn off the service the first time, repeat the procedure several times in a row. Sometimes Xiaomi servers may not respond instantly, and the button will remain gray. This is a standard behavior of protection against accidental disconnection, requiring persistence from the user.
☑️ Checking the shutdown MSA
After a successful MSA shutdown, the number of pop-ups should be drastically reduced, but for full effect, it is also recommended to disable related services such as MIUI Daemon, which is responsible for collecting device usage statistics.
Setup of system applications and notifications
Ads in Redmi 4X are often hidden inside standard utilities like Explorer, Music, Security and Downloads, each with its own settings, where recommendations and news are activated, and they need to be turned off individually for each component of the system.
Start with the Security app. Open it, click on the gear icon in the upper right corner, and find Receive recommendations. Transfer the switch to the position off. Similar steps must be taken for the Downloads app: open the menu (three dots), select Settings, and uncheck the Reveal recommendations.
⚠️ Attention: In the Music and Video app, the ad settings are deep in the menu. Click on the profile icon or menu, select Settings → Advanced settings and disable the option to Show advertisements.
Be sure to check the theme settings. Often banner ads are embedded through third-party themes, even if they are free. Go back to standard design or check the theme description carefully before installing for mention of ad integrations.
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Use only official themes from the global directory or download verified.mtz files to avoid hidden ad modules.
You should also look at the Explorer app. Click on the menu (three bars), select Settings → About program and turn off receiving recommendations. This action will remove banners from the main page of the file manager.
Removing Advertising in Mi Browser
Xiaomi’s standard browser is known for its aggressive policy of displaying news and promotional materials. If you use this particular surfing app, setting it up is critical for comfortable use.
Open your browser and go to the settings menu (three bars or dots). Find the Settings section → Home page. You need to turn off all switches associated with the News Feed, Popular and other information flows. Leave only the address bar and the main tabs.
Next, go to Privacy and Security, make sure that Personalized Recommendations are turned off, and this will prevent you from collecting data about your visits to targeted advertising sites.
| Setup parameter | Recommended value | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|
| News feed | Off. | Removes the noise from the main |
| Personalization | Off. | Reduces the collection of user data |
| Site notifications | Lock down | Prevents spam from visited resources |
| Auto-start video | Only through Wi-Fi. | Saving mobile traffic |
If the standard browser continues to be annoying, consider alternatives: Installing a third-party browser like Chrome or Firefox as the default app will completely eliminate interaction with Mi Browser ad modules.
Blocking Advertising through DNS and Hosts
A more advanced method that cuts off ad servers at the network level without affecting system files, which is effective not only for system advertising, but also for banners in games and third-party applications, does not require root rights and is safe for warranty.
The method is to change the DNS address to a private one, which filters requests to known advertising domains. To do this, go to Settings → Wi-Fi. Click on your network name (or the arrow on the right) and find the DNS Settings item.
Switch from Auto to Manual. In the DNS 1 Host Name field, type in dns.adguard.com. In the second field, you can type in dns-family.adguard.com for additional filtering of adult content. Save settings.
Primary DNS: dns.adguard.com
Secondary DNS: dns-family.adguard.comAfter the settings are applied, it is recommended to restart the smartphone, now all requests to the ad servers will be blocked at the connection level, and if a website or application stops working correctly, DNS can be temporarily returned to automatic mode.
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Using AdGuard DNS is the most effective way to block ads in all applications without installing additional software.
Working with notifications and MIPUSH permission
Often, ads come in the form of push notifications from little-known apps that you installed accidentally or that were preinstalled. Redmi 4X owners need to carefully monitor the list of apps that have the right to send notifications.
Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification management. Go through the list and turn off notifications for all suspicious applications, especially for cleaning tools, antivirus (except embedded) and games. Leave only messengers and important services active.
MIPUSH is a push notification service for Chinese applications. If you don't use software from the Chinese region, you can turn it off in the Apps menu → All Apps → Mi Push Framework → Notifications.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling system components like Mi Push may cause some Chinese apps or games to malfunction.
Regularly checking the list of installed applications helps to keep the system clean.Remove programs that you do not use, as they are often a source of background activity and advertising pop-ups.
Resetting the advertising identifier and additional measures
Even after all the settings, the system still has a unique advertising ID that is used for targeting, which can be reset, which will formally “nullify” your advertising profile for the MIUI system.
To do this, go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Privacy → Advertising Services. Press Reset Ad ID. You can also turn off ad personalization here if the switch is available in your firmware version.
As an added protection, you can use third-party blockers that work through a local VPN, such as AdGuard or Blokada, which create a local tunnel and filter traffic, but can slightly increase battery consumption on older devices like Redmi 4X.
Should I install Root to remove ads?
The comprehensive application of all the methods described guarantees almost complete freedom from intrusive marketing. Your Redmi 4X will work faster as advertising processes will no longer consume CPU and RAM resources.