Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones are well aware of the intrusive ad integration that often appears in system applications and interfaces. A particularly annoying factor for many users is the appearance of banner ads inside folders on the desktop, a phenomenon characteristic of the shells of MIUI and the new HyperOS, which are set to monetize traffic by default.
Fortunately, developers have left it to be completely discarded without the need to root or flash the device to global versions. The process of deactivating promotional materials requires several steps in system settings and specific applications. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the steps of cleaning the interface.
You will learn not only to hide banners in folders, but also to disable the system service msa, which is responsible for collecting data and displaying ads. A comprehensive approach will allow you to enjoy a clean interface and improve the performance of the smartphone, as the background advertising processes will no longer consume the resources of the processor and battery.
The nature of the appearance of advertising blocks in the MIUI system
Folder ads are not a bug, but a feature embedded in the shell architecture to monetize budget devices, and the system analyzes your actions and offers content that algorithms think you might be interested in, but often they are just random offers to install games or subscribe.
The main source of annoyance is MSA (MIUI System Ads), which is the component that gets your location, search history, and running apps to target ads, and even if you turn off the recommendations in folders, without turning off the service itself, ads can pop up elsewhere.
It's important to understand that company policies change periodically, that in some versions of firmware, the switch may be active, in others it may be hidden or moved, so it's important to check the relevance of the settings after each major system update.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling system services completely can cause some features to function in an unstable way, such as personalized widgets or smart recommendations.
Users often confuse folder ads with Burning Keys widgets or newsfeeds, and these are different mechanisms that require separate settings, and we'll focus on the banners that appear when you open your app folders.
Disabling recommendations in application folders
The first and obvious step is to set up the contents of folders, and in the latest versions of the shell, this switch is often hidden or has a non-standard location, and you need to find the specific folder on your desktop that you want to remove the ads from.
Click on the folder to open it, but don't run the apps. The top right corner or bottom of the window that opens should show a gear icon or a three-dot menu, and you click on it and you'll be taken to the settings menu of that particular folder.
In the menu that opens, find Recommended or Receive Recommendations. Turn the switch to Off. After that, the banner that sits under the app icons should disappear.
- 📂 Open the problem folder on the desktop.
- ⚙️ Click on the settings icon (cog) inside the folder.
- 🚫 Remove the box from the item "Recommended».
- ✅ Repeat the procedure for all folders where there is advertising.
☑️ Checking folder settings
Unfortunately, in some regions and firmware versions, this switch may not be available, in which case only a complete shutdown of the MSA service helps, as discussed below.
Deactivation of the MSA System Service
The msa service is a key element of Xiaomi’s advertising ecosystem, and disabling it is the most effective way to remove ads from the entire system, including folders, browsers, and standard apps, and requires careful attention as the system tries to prevent a shutdown.
Go to your smartphone settings and find the Password and Security section. Next, select Personal Data Access or Special Permits. In the app list, find msa. Click on it and turn off the access switch.
The system will issue a warning that some functions may be disrupted, and it will start a countdown of 10 seconds, and you have to wait until the timer ends and press the Review button. If you fail the first time, repeat the procedure several times, which is a known feature of protection.
What to do if the “Review” button is inactive?
After successful permission revocation, it is also recommended to clear the data of this application: Find msa in the list of all applications, go to Memory and click Clear Data. This will delete the accumulated advertising identifiers.
- 🔒 Go to Password and Security» → «Access to personal data».
- 📉 Find the msa app in the list.
- ⏳ Turn off access, wait 10 seconds and click "Review».
- 🧹 Clear the application data through the Applications menu».
Some users also advise disabling GetApps (Mi Store) if you don’t use Xiaomi’s app store, an additional measure that will prevent pop-ups with offers to update programs.
Browser and system application settings
Folder ads are often just the tip of the iceberg, and to get the perfect result, you need to go through built-in apps that can also generate notifications and banners, starting with the Mi Browser browser.
Open your browser, click on the menu (three bars) and go to Settings. Find the Privacy and Security section, where you need to turn off Personalized Recommendations and Receive Notifications. Also, in the Home section, remove the tick from Recommended Feed.
Then we go to the Security app, which is a system tool that also likes to show ads. Open the app, click on the settings gear in the corner, scroll down to Get References and turn it off, and turn off Virus Notifications if you don't need them, because they're often advertising-related.
| Annex | Settings section | What to turn off |
|---|---|---|
| Conductor | Settings → About the annex | Recommendations, Internal Memory (advertising tab) |
| Music. | Settings → Additional | Displaying Advertising, Recommendations |
| Topics | Profile → Settings | Personal recommendations, Auto Update |
| Downloads. | Three points → Settings | Showing Recommended Content |
Be sure to check the Topic app. The profile settings often hide the Personal Recommendments item, which will remove ads from the theme and wallpaper store, which also affects the overall cleanliness of the system.
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Use Google’s alternative apps (Files, Chrome, Music) instead of Xiaomi’s system counterparts, which don’t have built-in ads and are more stable.
Limitation of advertising identifier
Even after all visible sources of advertising are turned off, the digital footprint, the advertising ID, is left in the system, and it is used for targeting, and it can be reset and restricted to privacy settings.
Go to Settings → Password and Security → Privacy. Go to Ad Services. Here you will see the Personalized Ads switch. Turn it off. This will prevent apps from using your ID to pick up ads.
Also available on this menu is a Reset Advertising ID button, which is recommended to be pressed periodically, which generates a new random number, breaking the link between your current activity and previously collected data about your preferences.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling personalized ads does not mean the ads disappear completely.You will see the same ads, but they will be random and less relevant, rather than based on your browsing history.
This measure is particularly effective in conjunction with disabling MSA. The double barrier almost completely eliminates the possibility of collecting data about your interests for advertisers.
Use of third-party launchers
If standard methods seem too complex or do not work, there is a radical solution: replacing the standard launcher.
By installing a third-party launcher like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Lawnchair, you completely replace the folder interface. In these launchers, the ad folder concept is simply not intended by the developers. You get a pure Android-like experience.
To install a third-party launcher download APK-You can find a file or an app on Google Play. Once you install it, you can ask it to choose the default app for Home. You can choose a new launcher. Now, all the folders you create will be devoid of ads by definition.
- 📲 Download Nova Launcher or analogue from Play Market.
- 🏠 Click the Home button and select a new launcher.
- 🎨 Set up the appearance of folders in the launcher settings.
- 🚀 Enjoy the interface without built-in Xiaomi ads.
However, it is worth remembering that third-party launchers can consume more battery resources than an optimized MIUI system launcher.In addition, some specific shell functions (gestures, widgets) may not work properly.
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Changing the launcher is a 100% guarantee of no ads in folders, but it requires getting used to the new interface and can reduce the autonomy of the device.