Ownership of a modern smartphone from Xiaomi is often overshadowed by intrusive ads that appear in the most unexpected places, users encounter banners in standard applications, pop-ups when cleaning memory and even recommendations in system folders, the result of aggressive marketing policies of the manufacturer aimed at monetizing budget and medium-sized devices.
Fortunately, MIUI and the new HyperOS provide enough tools to minimize this digital noise without having to obtain root rights. Ad deaxation does not require deep programming knowledge, but requires a series of actions to be performed consistently across different menu sections. In this article, we will detail each step needed to return a clean interface.
It is important to understand that completely removing ad modules may require disabling certain system services. System advertising is built deep into the shell, so simply switching one toggle will not be enough. We will look at a comprehensive approach that will affect account settings, system applications and special features.
Disabling the MSA Advertising Service
At the heart of Xiaomi’s advertising ecosystem is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which is responsible for collecting data about your actions and displaying targeted ads in the interface, the first and most important step being to force it to stop and ban auto-start.
To start, you need to go to the smartphone settings menu. Find the Password and Security section and select Access to Personal Data. From the app list that opens, find msa and put the slider inactive. The system will warn you of the consequences, but it is safe for the user.
⚠️ Note: When you try to disable the msa service, a countdown timer will appear on the 10 The confirmation button will only be active when it's over. If the system makes an error, try again. 2-3 This is the standard behavior of the shell.
Once you successfully disable your data, go back to the main settings menu and go to the Apps section, find Services and Feedback (or Feedback) in the list, and also disable personal data, which will prevent the sending of usage reports, which are often used for analytics by advertisers.
☑️ Checking the shutdown MSA
This is a very effective method, because it blocks the main channel of communication with the ad servers. However, the ad modules can be cached, so the changes will take full effect once the device is restarted. Don't ignore this step, as it is the foundation for further cleaning of the system.
Setup of the system application Security
Security is one of the most annoying sources of pop-ups, and it regularly offers to clear memory, speed up or check viruses with banner ads to remove them, and you have to change the internal settings of the app to remove them.
Launch the Security app and click on the gear icon in the upper right corner of the screen. Here you are interested in the Receive recommendations section. The switch should be off. This action will remove the promotional offers that appear on the home screen of the application.
Next, in the same menu, look for Cleanup, which can also hide the option of receiving recommendations or news, disable all switches related to content, news or offers, and the interface will be minimal and will only perform its direct functions.
- 🛡️ Open the Security app and go to settings through the gear.
- 🚫 Find and disable the option to Receive recommendations in the general menu.
- 🧹 Go to the Cleanup section and also remove all ticks from advertising functions.
- ✅ Check the Antivirus section for similar settings and deaktivate them.
After these steps are done, the Security app will stop bothering you with pop-ups with suggestions to install games or subscribe, which will significantly speed up the smartphone, since the background processes will not load the system with advertising content.
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If the Security app still shows banners after disabling the recommendations, try clearing its cache in the application settings (Settings → Apps → All Apps → Security → Clear).
Personalization Management and Mi Pay
Another hidden source of advertising is personalization and payment services, and even if you don't use Mi Pay, the process can collect data and display notifications, and disabling these features also contributes to privacy.
Go back to the Password and Security menu and look for Special Features (or Special Features) that list the system services that have access to the interface, find services called Mi Pay, GetApps, and System Services, and you need to turn off access for each.
You should also check your Mi Account settings. Go to Settings → Mi Account → Advertising. If you have one, activate the opt-out option for personalized ads. This won’t remove the ads completely, but will make them less relevant and intrusive.
⚠️ Note: Disabling system services in the special features section may affect the performance of certain features, such as payment through the service. NFC or automatic update of applications from the GetApps store.
Remember that Xiaomi services are closely related. If you disable one component, you may notice changes in the way the other works, but for most users using alternative app stores (like Google Play), losing GetApps functionality will be subtle and even desirable.
Cleaning the Tools and Desktop folder
The standard desktop Tools folder often contains apps that broadcast news and promotional articles, a content aggregator that consumes traffic and distracts the user, and disabling this feature returns the desktop to a tidy look.
Click on the Tools folder to open it. In the upper right corner, find the settings icon (cog) or the Settings button. In the menu that opens, turn off the Receive Content or Recommendations option, and then the folder becomes just a container for app icons without a news feed.
Also, check the settings of the desktop itself. Hold your finger on the blank spot of the screen and select Settings. Scroll down to the Wallpaper Carousel or Widget Ribbon section, and disabling these features will prevent advertising slides from appearing when you unlock the screen or swipe to the left.
| System component | The path to adjustment | What to turn off | The result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desktop | Desktop settings | Wallpaper carousel | No Advertising When Unblocking |
| Folder Tools | Inside the folder → Settings | Get content | A clean folder without news |
| Mi browser | Settings → Confidentiality | Personal recommendations | Fewer pop-ups |
| Conductor | Settings → About the annex | Receive recommendations | Absence of banners in files |
Visual cleanliness is not just a matter of aesthetics, but also performance. Fewer widgets and live wallpaper reduces the load on RAM and CPU, which is especially important for the budget models of Redmi and POCO smartphones.
Configure the built-in browser and conductor
Xiaomi’s standard browser and Explorer also have built-in monetization mechanisms, which can show news feeds on the homepage or suggest installing additional extensions, and customizing these apps requires special attention.
Open your browser and go to the menu (three bars at the bottom). Select Settings → Privacy and Security. Find Personal Guidelines and turn it off. It is also recommended to enable the ad blocker in the browser security settings, if such an option is available in your version of MIUI.
The Explorer algorithm is similar. Open menus, go to Settings → About app (or immediately to settings if item is removed). Find the Receive recommendations switch and deactivate it. This will remove banners that may appear when you view files.
Alternative browsers
Using third-party alternatives to view files and surf the web is often a more radical but effective solution: apps like Files by Google or Solid Explorer are completely devoid of the manufacturer’s ad integrations and provide more functionality for managing the file system.
Blocking Advertising through DNS (Advanced)
For users who want to achieve maximum results, there is a method of blocking ads at the level of network queries. Using a private DNS allows you to filter out advertising domains before they reach your device.
Go to Settings. → Connection and Sharing (or Wi-Fi). Find a Private Item DNS (Private DNS). Select the hostname of the provider DNS and enter the address of a trusted server that blocks ads, such as dns.adguard.com.
dns.adguard.comOnce you have DNS settings, ads should disappear not only in the system, but also in some applications and games, but be careful: if the selected DNS server stops working or blocks the necessary system domains, some applications may stop connecting to the Internet.
⚠️ Note: When using a third party DNS Make sure you have the ability to quickly change this setting back to Auto if you have problems connecting to Wi-Fi or mobile.
This method is the most effective way to combat intrusive banners in free apps and games. DNS-level locking does not require additional software installation and works even without root rights, making it an ideal solution for advanced users.
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Using a Private DNS with dns.adguard.com blocks ads throughout the system, including browsers and games, without the need to install additional applications.