Xiaomi smartphone owners often face intrusive advertising that appears in system applications and on the lock screen. Redmi 9, running on the shell of MIUI, was no exception, as the company uses advertising integrations to subsidize the cost of devices. However, most users prefer a clean interface without unnecessary pop-ups and banners.
Fortunately, developers have left the ability to manually deactivate most ad modules without the need for superuser rights or flashing. Disabling ads will not only improve the visual experience, but also save battery life, as well as reduce mobile traffic consumption. In this article, we will detail all the hidden settings and system services that are responsible for displaying content.
The process requires careful attention, as the settings are scattered across different menus of the system. Some options may not be called obvious, such as msa or MAD, so it is important to follow the instructions Step-by-step. After all the actions are done, your Redmi 9 will become significantly more responsive and enjoyable in daily use.
Disabling the MSA service, the main advertising module
The main source of intrusive banners in the system is MIUI System Ads, often abbreviated as msa. It is this process that collects data about your actions and selects relevant ads for display in standard applications. To stop it from working, you need to find the appropriate item in the authorization and advertising menu.
Go to your phone settings, select Password and Security, and find Access to Personal Data. From the app list that opens, find msa and turn off the access slider. The system will alert you to the possible consequences and start a countdown of 10 seconds, then you will need to click "Revoke." Important: if you failed to revoke access the first time, repeat the procedure 3-5 times in a row.
After successfully disabling msa, ads in system folders and menus will become much less common or disappear completely. However, this is not the only source of banners, so it is recommended to check other service applications as well. Some users note that periodically checking this setting after major MIUI updates helps to maintain the cleanliness of the system.
⚠️ Note: When you try to disable the msa service, the recall button may be inactive or disappear, in which case just press the switch several times until the timer confirms the action.
⚠️ Note: Do not remove system applications through third-party file managers without understanding their function, this can lead to unstable work Redmi 9.
Set up personalized recommendations
Another channel for delivering advertising content is Personalized Recommendations, which analyzes your preferences and offers content in GetApps, Music, and more. For complete comfort on Redmi 9, you need to manually disable this option in each system application.
Start with the Security app. Open it, click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Settings. Find the Get Recommendations section and deaktivirujte it. You should repeat the same steps for the Explorer, Downloads and Themes app. In each of them, look for a switch called Recommendations or Get Recommendations.
In the GetApps app, you should also go to the settings and disable the auto-update of applications over the mobile network if you want to control traffic, and remove the tick from the “Advertising Offers” that will make the store interface more stringent and functional, without unnecessary banners on the home screen.
Removing Advertising in Standard Applications
Xiaomi system tools often contain built-in ad units that can be removed. For example, in the Music and Video app, ads can appear at launch or as banners in the interface. Redmi 9 is relevant to disable recommendations in each media application separately.
In the Mi Video app, click on the profile in the corner, then click on three dots and select Settings. Here, find the "Online recommendations" and turn it off, and check the "Push notifications" section and disable notifications for new videos if you don't need them, which will remove pop-ups while you view local files.
The situation is similar in the Themes app: Go to profile, then to settings, and find “Show ads” or “Recommendations.” Disabling this option will make the theme and font catalog cleaner. Note that some free themes may themselves contain ad modules that are more difficult to get rid of by system methods.
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For quick access to hidden menus in some Xiaomi apps, try quickly clicking on the MIUI version several times in the About Phone settings.
Blocking ads in the browser and notifications
Ads in the Mi Browser browser and push notifications from sites are a separate category of irritants. Xiaomi’s standard browser has a built-in blocker, but it often skips aggressive advertising. It is recommended to either set it as strictly as possible or install an alternative browser, such as Firefox or Brave.
To remove notifications from sites, go to your phone's settings, select Apps → All Apps. Find Browser (or Mi Browser) in the list, click Notifications, and turn off all categories except possibly Downloads. This will prevent pop-ups from appearing on your desktop.
If you use Chrome, enable Safe Browsing in your privacy settings to help filter out malicious sites that are often used to spread ad spam, and install a dedicated blocking app that works through a local VPN.
☑️ Checking notification settings
Using DNS to Block Advertising
One of the most effective ways to remove ads throughout the system, including games and third-party apps, is to set up Private DNS. This method redirects requests to ad servers to nowhere, blocking banner loads at the network level. On Redmi 9 with Android 9 and above, this feature is built into the system.
To activate, go to Settings → Connection and General Settings → Private DNS (or Private DNS). Select the DNS Provider Host Name option and enter the address: dns.adguard.com. Once saved, the phone may require a reboot or simply reconnect to the network.
This method does not require additional applications to be installed and does not consume battery, but it is worth considering that some sites or applications may not work properly with the DNS blocker enabled. In this case, the address can be temporarily deleted or replaced with a standard dns.google.
| Parameter | Default value | Recommended value | The effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private DNS | Automobile | dns.adguard.com | Blocking advertising in the browser and applications |
| MSA Service | On. | Disconnected. | Removes MIUI system banners |
| Personalization | On. | Disconnected. | Stops collecting data for advertising |
| Browser notifications | Permitted. | Prohibited. | Cleans the notification curtain from spam |
⚠️ Note: When using Private DNS Some applications (such as carriers or banking programs) may require this feature to be disabled to function properly.
Resetting the advertising ID and cleaning
After you have done all the settings, it is recommended to reset the Google AAID advertising identifier, which will “reset” the profile that ad networks have collected about you during your use of Redmi 9. While this will not remove the ads completely, it will become less targeted and intrusive.
Go to Settings → Google → Advertising. Click Reset Ad ID. You can also turn on the option to turn off Ad Personalization here, which is safe and does not affect your personal data, photos or contacts.
As the final step, clean the system cache. Go to the Security app → Cleanup. This will delete temporary files that may have been left behind after disabling various services. Regular cleaning helps keep the smartphone running at a high level.
What to do if the advertisement remains?
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The comprehensive approach: disabling MSA, setting up DNS and banning notifications give 99% of the result in the fight against advertising on Xiaomi.