Xiaomi’s smartphones, including the popular Redmi Note series, are known for their excellent value for money, but users are often annoyed by built-in advertising. The company’s aggressive marketing manifests itself in the form of pop-ups in standard apps, banners in folders and intrusive offers when unlocking the screen. It’s not just visual noise, but a system feature that can be deactivated if desired.
Many MIUI-based device owners mistakenly believe that you can't get rid of intrusive banners without getting superuser rights or flashing the device to the global version. In fact, the company's engineers have built in-house disabling mechanisms for ad modules, even though they're hidden in the back of the menu.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available ways to eliminate advertising, from disabling the system service MSA to fine-tuning individual applications. It is important to understand that the process requires care, since some settings are scattered across different sections of the menu. Following the instructions, you can significantly improve the comfort of using your gadget.
Disabling the MSA system service
The main source of intrusive advertising in the MIUI operating system is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) system application, which is responsible for collecting user data and displaying personalized ads in various corners of the interface, and disabling this component is the first and most important step in the fight for a clean screen.
You need to go to the device settings menu to find the password and security section, and depending on the firmware version, the path may be slightly different, but the logic remains the same for all Redmi Note models, and you need to find the authorization and privacy section where the switch is hidden.
Find Advertising Services or Receive Recommendations on the list. After you go down this path, you will see an active slider that needs to be deactivated.The system may try to convince you to stay with the ads by running a countdown timer or showing a confirmation window.
⚠️ Attention: When attempting to disconnect MSA It can ask you a few times about your decision or show you an error message. Don't give up, try turning off the slider again -- usually on the second or third attempt, the service successfully shuts down.
After successfully switching the slider to an inactive state, the system process will stop loading advertising modules.This action does not affect the operation of the basic functions of the smartphone, but may require a restart of the device to fully take effect.
☑️ Shutdown checklist MSA
Configuring standard MIUI applications
Even after the main ad service is disabled, individual embedded apps can continue to display banners, including utilities like Explorer, Music, Video and Cleanup, each with its own recommendation settings that need to be disabled separately to achieve maximum effect.
Start with the Security app, which is often the main source of pop-ups. Go to the app, click on the gear icon in the top right corner, and find Receive recommendations. Turn the switch off. A similar procedure should be done for the Explorer app by going to its settings through the menu.
Multimedia applications Music and Video also contain hidden settings. In the Music app, go to the menu, select settings, and find the Advanced Settings section where you want to disable Ads Display. In the Video app, a similar option is in the user profile or general playback settings.
Hidden theme settings
Remember to check the folder settings on your desktop. Sometimes when you open the application folder at the bottom, you may see a line with recommended programs. To remove it, just open the folder, click on its name, and in the menu that appears, turn off the option Recommended Apps.
Notification and personalization management
Beyond built-in banners, users are often bothered by push notifications from various services and applications. While not always direct advertising from Xiaomi, controlling notifications helps clear the notification curtain of information noise. MIUI has a powerful tool to manage this aspect.
Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification management. Here you will see a list of all installed applications. Go through the list and turn off notifications for those programs that should not bother you in the background. Pay special attention to the applications from Xiaomi and GetApps.
Also worth looking at is GetApps (formerly Mi Store), an app store that often sends discount and new product notifications, go to GetApps settings, find General or Notifications, and uncheck any ticks that allow push messages.
- 📱 Disable personalization in the Password and Security section to limit data collection.
- 🔔 Check notification settings for each installed application individually.
- 🛑 Block notifications from system services you do not use.
An important step is to disable personalized advertising that is based on your interests. In the privacy settings, find Advertising Services and click Reset Advertising ID. This action will break the link between your device and your advertising profiles.
Blocking Advertising in Mi Browser
The standard Mi Browser is another channel for delivering advertising content; by default, it can show news, recommendations and banners on the homepage. Fortunately, these features are easily disabled in the browser settings, making it more comfortable to use.
Open your browser and go to the menu by clicking on the three bars at the bottom of the screen. Select Settings. In the list that opens, look for the Home Page or News Feed section. Here you will need to disable the display of the newsfeed, which often contains advertising articles.
Then go back to the basic settings and look for Privacy and Security, and inside this section, there should be an option called Ad Blocker, activate it so that the browser automatically hides pop-ups and banners on the sites you visit, which will significantly speed up page loading and improve readability.
💡
Use Incognito mode to visit questionable sites, as it does not store history and cookies, which reduces the likelihood of targeted advertising in the future.
If you don’t use a standard browser, consider installing an alternative solution, such as Chrome or Firefox, which have a stricter privacy policy and built-in default tracker protection mechanisms.
Comparison of Ad Blocking Methods
There are many ways to combat unwanted content on the Redmi Note, from simple switches in settings to using third-party software. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages that should be considered when choosing a protection strategy.
Standard methods, such as disabling MSA and configuring applications, are the most secure and stable, do not require additional software installation and do not affect system performance, but they do not protect against advertising in third-party applications and on sites to the fullest extent.
Use of the DNS-filtering or blocking applications (such as AdGuard) provide a deeper level of protection by intercepting advertising requests at the network level, but such methods may require constant operation of background processes, which slightly increases battery consumption.
| Method | Efficiency | Difficulty | Impact on the battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSA shutdown | High (systemic advertising) | Low. | No. |
| Set-up of applications | Medium (banners in UI) | Medium | No. |
| DNS-filtering | Very high (all traffic) | Medium | Minimum |
| Blocking applications | Maximum | Tall. | Notable. |
For most users, the best solution is a combination of standard settings and the use of secure DNS, which will provide a balance between the purity of the interface and the autonomy of the device without the need for complex manipulations.
Using a private DNS to block
One of the most effective and modern ways to remove ads on Xiaomi without installing unnecessary applications is to configure a private DNS. This method allows you to filter traffic at the network level, blocking requests to known ad servers even before they reach your device.
To activate this feature, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing (or Additional Settings). Find Private DNS. The default is "Auto." Select the DNS Host Name (or "Manual") option.
In the box that appears, you need to enter the address of the verified server that blocks ads. One of the most popular and reliable is the AdGuard server.
dns.adguard.comOnce you enter the address, save the settings. Now all requests to ad domains will be blocked systemically, and this works not only in the browser, but also in many applications that use standard network protocols to download ads.
⚠️ Note: If, after the inclusion of a private DNS Some apps or sites (e.g., banks or local services) will stop working, and temporarily return the setting to Auto or Disconnect to restore the connection.
This is especially useful for those who don't want to understand the many settings of each application, and once you have a DNS address, you get global protection for the entire device.
Additional recommendations and conclusions
To complete the setup, it’s worth mentioning GetApps, which often goes unnoticed: It’s a store that can update and install recommended software on its own, and it’s recommended not only to turn off notifications, but also to prevent auto-start and work in the background through the application management menu.
Also keep an eye out for MIUI updates. Sometimes newer firmware versions may reset or move ad settings. After a major system update, it is recommended to recheck the items described in this article to make sure that the protection is active.
Using a private DNS in conjunction with a disabled MSA gives almost 100% guarantee of no intrusive advertising in the interface and browser, it is the most effective bundle at the moment for users who do not want to get Root rights.
💡
An integrated approach, including disabling system services and setting up DNS, provides maximum protection from advertising without losing the functionality of the smartphone.
Remember that full ad blocking can have a negative impact on the developers of free applications that exist due to ad integrations. If an application stops working correctly, try adding it to the exceptions in the DNS or blocker settings.