Owners of the popular Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G series of smartphones often encounter intrusive advertisements that appear in system applications and the MIUI shell interface. This phenomenon, known as “system advertising”, can significantly reduce the comfort of using a device, distracting the user at inappropriate moments. Fortunately, the operating system architecture allows you to completely deactivate these elements without the need to obtain superuser rights.
The process of clearing the interface from marketing content requires you to do several actions in sequence across different menu sections, you have to change the settings of security, privacy and individual service applications, and we will take a detailed look at each step so that you can enjoy the clean interface of your gadget.
The first and most important step is to disable the system service msa (MIUI System Ads), which is responsible for collecting data and displaying banners. Without this step, other settings may not be effective, as the advertising mechanism will be automatically reactivated. First, open the settings menu of your smartphone and go to the section "Passwords and security".
In the list that opens, look for “Access to Personal Data” or “Special Features” (depending on the firmware version) and find a process called msa and put the switch inactive, and the system will alert you to the consequences by offering to wait 10 seconds before confirming.
Press the “Disable” button and wait until the countdown is completed. If you fail to turn off the first time and there is an error, repeat the procedure 2-3 times in a row, since Xiaomi servers sometimes may not respond instantly. Once the action is completed, the service will stop starting automatically when the device is turned on.
☑️ Checking the msa shutdown
The next critical step is to set up security, which often contains built-in ad modules.The Security app is set to receive recommendations and news by default, which creates additional information noise. To remove this, run the standard Security app with a shield icon.
In the upper right corner of the screen, click on the gear icon to enter the app settings. scroll down to the Get Recommendations section and turn off this switch. It's also worth checking the Cleanup section, where the Get Recommendations item can be activated after the scan is completed.
⚠️ Note: After disabling the msa service, some embedded themes or widgets may stop updating or work correctly, as they depend on advertising modules to download content.
Remember that the changes take effect immediately, but the application cache can save the old data for a while, it is recommended that after all the settings, restart the device to completely clean the RAM, which ensures that no advertising script will remain in the active process.
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Use Do Not Disturb at night so that even rare notifications from system services do not disturb your sleep.
One of the most annoying forms of advertising in the MIUI shell are the so-called "cards" or recommendations that appear in app folders and in the recent menu, which suggest downloading games or clicking on links, taking up useful space on the screen of your Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G.
To get rid of them, go to the settings and select Home Screen, find the "Recommendations" or "Receive recommendations" option and deaktivirujte it, and now the program folders will only have shortcuts of the apps you installed without unnecessary visual debris.
You should also check the launcher's settings. Press and hold your finger on the empty desktop, select Settings in the lower right corner, and you should find the Cards or Ribbon section and disable the news display from the aggregators, which will bring back the classic look of the Android interface.
- 📱 Turn off “Recommendations” in folder settings to remove game banners.
- 🗑️ Clear the cache of the Explorer app after changing the ad settings.
- 🔒 Check the permissions for the Downloads app to show notifications.
The Mi Browser, which is pre-installed on your smartphone, is set to actively collect data and show you news feeds by default. If you use this browser, you need to carefully configure it so that it does not become a source of constant ad stream. Open the browser and go to its settings through a three-dot menu.
In the Privacy and Security section, find the Recharges item and disable it. Go to the homepage settings and remove all news sources, leaving only the minimum functionality you need, which will significantly speed up your browser and save traffic.
For more advanced users, it is recommended to install a third-party DNS-A filter that will block ad domains at the network level, and this solution is universal and works in all applications at once, including games and programs that do not have their own ad settings.
| Parameter | Default value | Recommended value | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private DNS | Auto (Auto) | dns.adguard.com | Blocks ads in browsers and applications |
| MSA Service | Included | Off. | |
| MIUI Recommendations | Actively. | Inactively. | Remove cards from folders and menus |
| Receiving updates | Wi-Fi. | Only manually. | Prevents the installation of unwanted functions |
Why do you need a Private DNS?
Special attention should be paid to system applications such as Music, Video and Explorer, which may also contain advertising integrations. In the Music app, you need to go to the settings, select Advanced Settings, and disable the "Show Ads" option.
The File Manager app is similar: open the menu, go to settings, and find the About section. Often, the Get References switch is hidden here, which you need to deactivate, and you should also turn off the display of banner ads at the bottom of the Explorer screen.
Don’t forget to check the Downloads app. Often it’s where you get notifications about “recommended” files or promotions. Go to your phone’s settings, find “Downloads,” go to the app’s settings, and turn off notifications completely or leave only system ones.
⚠️ Note: When you turn off advertising in system applications, the interface may look a little different, since some decorative elements combined with advertising blocks may disappear.
If you prefer to use third-party launchers like Nova Launcher or Microsoft Launcher, this can also be an effective way to get rid of native MIUI advertising. Third-party shells do not have access to Xiaomi system recommendations and completely ignore the ad card settings.
However, it is worth considering that replacing the standard launcher can change the logic of some gestures and animations that you are used to. Adapting to the new interface will take some time, but the result in a clean working it is worth it. You will also be able to more flexibly customize widgets and application grid.
- 🚀 Third-party launchers often run faster than standard MIUI Launcher.
- 🎨 You get the opportunity to deep customize the appearance of icons.
- 🛡️ Complete independence from Xiaomi’s promotional module updates.
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Using a third-party launcher is a radical but most effective method of completely eliminating visual noise from the desktop without digging deep into system settings.
In some cases, even after all the above actions, advertising may appear periodically, this may be due to the fact that the system update restored some default settings or activated new services, in which case it is recommended to re-check all points, especially the msa service.
Also worth paying attention to are newly installed apps. Often free programs from Google Play contain their own ad modules that show pop-ups on top of other apps. Check the list of newly installed programs and remove suspicious ones.
To diagnose the source of the ad, you can use the "Above Other Apps" feature in your security settings. Go to "Passwords & Security" → "Privacy" → "Special Features" (or "Access to Personal Data") and see which apps have permission to display on top of other windows. Suspicious programs with such access are often the source of pop-up banners.