Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face intrusive marketing built into the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS. This is a fee for the affordable cost of the device, but modern methods allow you to completely clean the system of visual noise.
Not to confuse system advertising with viruses, but in this case, it's legitimate, if annoying, features of the MIUI shell. The deactivation process will take no more than 15 minutes, but it will give you the comfort of using the gadget. Let's look at the detailed steps for each component of the system.
Basic setup of the MSA system
At the heart of the advertising ecosystem is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) system application, which is responsible for collecting data and displaying banners in the interface, and the first step is to make it impossible to work in the background.
Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Data Access. Find the msa app in the list and turn off the network access slider. The system will require you to confirm the action by counting down 10 seconds. Press “Disable” until the timer expires and access is permanently blocked.
⚠️ Warning: If you stop having Music or Mi Video widgets open after you turn off msa, that's OK. These widgets depend on the ad module. Remove them from your desktop for stable operation.
Next, you need to disable ad personalization, which will prevent you from analyzing your interests for targeted offers, find Advertising Services in your password and security settings, and deactivate the Receive References option.
Cleaning the system application "Security"
The Security app is one of the main sources of pop-ups. It scans the device regularly and often suggests "cleaning" or installing affiliate games. To remove that, launch the app and tap the gear in the top right corner.
In the menu that opens, find the Receive recommendations section and put the switch into an inactive state. This action will instantly stop the news feed and advertising blocks inside the utility.
It's also worth checking the antivirus settings inside the app, sometimes activating the Notify Threat feature, which is actually a disguised ad, and making sure that all options related to recommendations are turned off.
☑️ Security check
Removing Advertising in Explorer and Downloads
The standard File Manager Explorer is also influenced by marketing algorithms, banner ads can appear when you open folders or in the recent file section, and open the app and go to the menu to resolve them.
Select Settings → About. In the window that opens, find the Receive Recommendations switch and turn it off. After that, the interface will be minimalist and only display your files.
The same situation is observed in the Downloads app. Open it, click three dots in the corner, select Settings → Show recommended content and deactivate the feature. This will remove the news feed, which often replaces the list of downloaded files.
| Annex | Way of shutdown | The effect |
|---|---|---|
| Conductor | Settings → About the programme | Banners disappear at the root |
| Downloads. | Settings → Recommended | Clean list of files |
| Music. | Settings → Advanced | No track ads. |
| Topics | Profile → Settings | Disconnecting the fluffs |
Setting up the GetApps app store
GetApps' own store (formerly Mi Apps) aggressively promotes content through notifications. Even if you don't use it, it can send messages about discounts or new games. To stop this flow, open a store.
Go to the user profile (human icon), then to Settings → Notifications. You need to disable all items: “Advertising Notices”, “Discount Notices” and “Popular Today”, which is a critical step for a clean notification panel.
Should I remove GetApps?
If you don't use the store at all, you can further limit its background work. In the battery settings, find GetApps and set the "No background processes" mode, which ensures that the application does not consume charge and traffic.
Cleaning folders and desktop
One of the most annoying features is advertising in desktop folders, and when you open the app folder at the bottom, you might see a line called "Recommended" with game icons, which are not viruses, but a regular launcher feature.
To remove this, just open the folder where there is an ad. Click on the folder name (or the empty space next to the title if the title is not edited) and in the menu that appears, turn off the Recommended. The folder will instantly clear out the excess content.
Also worth checking is the settings of the desktop itself: Click on the blank space on the screen, go to Settings, and find the wallpaper carousel section. If you don't need the feature, turn it off. Often, it loads advertising images onto the lock screen.
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If the folder ads reappear after the system update, repeat the disabling procedure. MIUI/HyperOS updates sometimes return default settings.
Specifics of the application "Themes" and "Music"
The Themes app is another source of banners. Open it, go to the profile (human icon) and select Settings. Here you need to find and disable the options "Show ads", "Receive recommendations" and "Personal recommendations".
The situation is similar in the Music app. Go to the menu, select Settings → Advanced Settings. Turn off "Show Ads" and "Receive Recommendations." This will make the player interface clean, leaving only your library.
Don’t forget about the Mi Browser app if you use it. In settings (Settings → Privacy & Security), disable Personal Guidelines and clear the Push notifications from the sites.
⚠️ Note: In some regions (such as India or Russia), the menu items may vary slightly.Look for the keywords "Recommendations", "Ads" or "Promotions».
Use of DNS to block (Advanced level)
For those who want to be guaranteed to block ads at the network level, you can use Private DNS. This method does not require root rights and works throughout the system, including browsers and games.
Go to Settings → Connection & Sharing → Private DNS (the path may vary depending on the Android version). Select the DNS Host Name mode and enter the address:
dns.adguard.comSave your settings. All traffic will now be filtered through AdGuard servers that cut off known ad domains, the only way to remove ads inside third-party free apps and games where Xiaomi’s system settings are powerless.
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The combination of MIUI and Private DNS system settings gives 99% of the result of cleaning the smartphone from advertising without losing functionality.