Owners of Redmi smartphones often face intrusive notifications that appear in the most unexpected places of the interface. Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 Pro device, despite its age, remains popular, but the built-in MIUI advertising system can significantly reduce the comfort of use. Advertising is broadcast through system applications, folders and even during the unlocking of the screen, which annoys many users accustomed to the purity of Android.
Fortunately, there are several effective ways to block unwanted content completely or partially without obtaining superuser rights. In this article, we will detail how to set up a private DNS, disable the MSA service, and remove personalized recommendations, you can return your gadget to its original speed and save yourself from constant visual noise.
It is important to understand that removing advertising modules completely requires careful steps. We will look at both secure software methods and deeper system settings. Follow the instructions consistently to maximize the results and ensure that your Redmi Note 4 Pro runs comfortably in 2026 and beyond.
Analysis of advertising sources in MIUI
Before you start blocking, you need to understand where exactly the data stream comes from. In the MIUI shell, a separate system process is responsible for displaying banner ads, which is often masquerading as a service update or application recommendation. The main source is the MIUI System Ads (msa), which runs in the background and downloads content from the Internet.
Additionally, advertising recommendations can come from specific applications, such as Explorer, Music, Themes and Security, each with its own customization settings that are activated by default, and allow algorithms to analyze your actions and show targeted offers.
- 📱 System Notifications: Pop-ups in folders and on the desktop.
- 🎵 Multimedia applications: Banners in the player and video player interface.
- 🔒 Lock screen: Advertising wallpaper and offers to download content.
Blocking a single source does not guarantee that ads will disappear completely, so a comprehensive approach is needed. Below we will look at a table that will help identify the main components of the system that require attention.
| System component | Function | Risk of shutdown |
|---|
| msa (MIUI System Ads) | Display of advertising banners | Low (safe) |
| getApps | Xiaomi App Store | Medium (needed for updates) |
| Mi Credit | Payment system | Low (if not used) |
| Daemon | Background synchronization services | High (do not touch) |
⚠️ Warning: When disabling system processes through the developer settings, be careful. Disabling getApps service may make it impossible to update standard Xiaomi apps through the built-in store.
Disable MSA service through settings
The most effective and safest way to combat advertising is to deactivate msa, a process that requires no third-party software and is done directly on the smartphone menu, but will prevent this from happening by offering to wait or canceling the request.
To start, you need to go to the password and security settings section. Find Access to Personal Data (or Authorization and Review in new versions of MIUI). In the app list that opens, find msa and switch to the "Off" position.
The system will start a countdown (usually 10 seconds) and then require you to confirm the action. Press withdraw. If the button is inactive or there is an error "failed to withdraw", just try again. Often it takes 3-5 attempts until the system misses the request.
Once the permission is successfully revoked, the service will stop receiving targeting data, which does not remove the ad module completely, but prevents it from downloading current banners, and in some cases, it may be necessary to restart the device to take effect.
Blocking Advertising through Private DNS
A more radical and reliable method is to use a protected DNS-This is a way to block requests to ad servers at the network connection level. For the Redmi Note 4 Pro with Android 9 and above, this feature is built into the system, which makes the method extremely convenient.
You need to go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS (or Private DNS). Select the DNS Host Name (or Manual) mode and enter the dns.adguard.com address. Once saved, the phone will reconnect to the network, and most of the ads will disappear not only in the system, but also in the browser.
The advantage of this method is that it does not require the system services to be disabled, which reduces the risk of unstable operation of the interface. DNS-The filter simply ignores requests for known advertising domain names.
What happens if Private DNS doesn’t work?
If the Internet is lost or the ads remain after entering the address, try the alternative addresses: dns-family.adguard.com or one.one.one.one. VPN-Applications that may conflict with system settings DNS. In rare cases, on older versions of Android, the function may not work properly, then it is worth considering installing the AdGuard application. It is worth noting that this method may conflict with some applications that use advertising to function (for example, free versions of games or specific services). Set up Xiaomi system applications even after disconnection MSA and settings DNS, Individual apps may continue to show recommendations if their internal settings activate the appropriate options. Each shell component MIUI It has a hidden switch. Start with the Security app. Go to its settings (cog in the corner) and find Receive recommendations. Turn it off. Then go to the Topics app, open a profile, and in the settings also tick off personalized offers. Don't forget to use Explorer and Downloads. These utilities often have a "About Recommendations" or "Show Ads" menu on their settings, and disabling these features makes the interface clean and minimal, leaving only the necessary functionality. 📂 Conductor: Settings → About the programme → Disable recommendations. 🎨 Topics: Profile → Settings → Personal recommendations. 🔒 Security: Settings → Get recommendations. These actions take only a few minutes to complete, but they greatly improve the user experience. The interface is more responsive because the system doesn't have to spend resources on downloading and rendering ad units. Deleting ad notifications in the browser Often users confuse system advertising with notifications from sites they accidentally subscribed to in the browser. If the lock screen or notification curtains appear messages about "win" or "viruses", the problem lies in the settings of the Chrome browser or MIUI Browser. To solve the problem, go to the browser settings, find the Notifications section or Site Settings. There you will see a list of resources that have permission for the browser, it can be used for the browser and all the data is also deleted. Go to Phone Settings → Apps → All Apps → Your Browser → Memory → Clear. Once you clear the permission list, browser spam should stop. If notifications continue, check if there is a malicious application on the phone masquerading as a system process. Additional methods and resetting If standard methods did not help, you can use deeper system tools. In the Developer menu (which is activated by seven times clicking the build number in the About Phone section), there is an option to turn off data transfer for background processes. However, the most effective but radical method is a complete reset on the system. When you first set up after reset, don't log in to Mi immediately and turn off the internet so the system doesn't have time to load advertising profiles. ADB-commands to remove system packages, but for Redmi Note 4 Pro this can be redundant and risky.Using the command line requires a PC connection and knowing the exact packet names. adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.misys adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.msa.global These commands remove components of the advertising system for the current user. Be extremely careful: a syntax error can cause the phone to fail. 📊 What is the most effective way for you? MSA manually: Set up Private DNS:Cleaning up browser notifications: Complete phone reset ⚠️ Attention: Use ADB-commands to remove system applications can lead to a device "bricking" or a cyclical reboot. Do this only if you are an experienced user and understand the risks (FAQ) Is it safe to completely delete msa? Yes, removing or disabling msa is safe for system stability. It won't cause personal data to be lost or your phone to break. The only consequence is that banner ads disappear in system applications. MIUI? When updating the firmware, the settings may reset, and the msa service will have to be turned off again. However, using the method of private DNS (dns.adguard.com) is more resilient and often saved after a system update. Can you remove ads in apps downloaded from the Play Market? The instructions in the article only address Xiaomi system advertising. Advertising inside third-party apps (games, utilities) is more difficult to block and often requires the installation of specialized blockers (AdGuard, Blokada) or the purchase of premium versions of the applications themselves. On the contrary, disabling background advertising processes and synchronization services MIUI Usually frees up RAM and CPU time, which can positively affect the speed of the Redmi Note. 4 Pro. 💡Combination of service shutdown MSA use DNS-filtering provides 95-99% protection from system advertising Xiaomi without the need to obtain Root rights.