Modern Xiaomi smartphones offer powerful functionality and affordable prices, but they pay for it with intrusive advertising, especially annoying pop-ups and game recommendations that appear in system folders, the Cleaner interface and even on the lock screen, these notifications are not only distracting, but also consuming traffic and the battery of the device.
Fortunately, most of these features can be manually deactivated, regaining control of MIUI or HyperOS. The process does not require root rights, but requires careful follow-up, as some switches are hidden in non-obvious menu locations. We'll look at all known ways to eliminate digital noise.
In this article, we will take a closer look at how to find and disable recommendation sources using standard system settings and special services, learn to distinguish between system advertising and useful notifications to customize your gadget to your needs, and start by analyzing the reasons for the emergence of such content.
Reasons for the appearance of intrusive recommendations
The main source of advertising is MSA (MIUI System Ads), which is integrated into the manufacturer’s shell, and it is this component that collects data about your preferences and demonstrates personalized content. Without turning off this service, fighting advertising will be like fighting against hydra: remove one window, another will appear.
In addition, game recommendations are often embedded in standard applications like Security, Downloads, and Music. Developers use these entry points to monetize free devices. Understanding the system architecture helps them find hidden switches faster.
It’s important to note that after major firmware updates, some settings may be reset or re-named. So if you’ve updated Android or the shell version, it makes sense to recheck key menu items.
⚠️ Note: Complete removal of system components through ADB This can cause your phone to work unstable. Use only the safe methods of shutting down through settings described below.
Some users mistakenly believe that the ads are caused by viruses, but in the case of Xiaomi, it is a regular feature of the operating system that can be controlled. Viral software usually behaves differently and does not require complex manipulation of the settings menu to eliminate it.
Disabling MSA and personalization
The first and most important step is to deactivate the MSA service. Without this action, all other settings will have a temporary effect. This process requires the execution of a certain algorithm, as the system will try to keep the user, requiring confirmation.
Go to your phone's settings and find the Passwords and Security section. Then select Access to Personal Data. From the list that opens, find msa and turn off the switch. The system will alert you to the consequences and start a countdown of 10 seconds.
When the time is up, press "Disable." If you fail the first time and you have an error, try repeating the procedure 3-5 times in a row, a well-known feature of the shell that requires persistence from the user.
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If the “Disable” button is inactive, try first to turn off the Internet, turn off the service, and then turn the network back on.
In parallel with MSA, it is recommended to disable GetApps (formerly Mi Apps), which is also responsible for promoting content, and it is located in the same data access menu, disabling these two components eliminates up to 90% of all advertising on the system.
- 📱 Go to Settings. → Passwords and security.
- 🔒 Select "Access to Personal Data».
- ❌ Find and disable msa and GetApps.
- ⏳ Wait for the timer to end and confirm the action.
After these steps are done, banner ads in standard apps should disappear, but in some widgets and folders, recommendations may remain, as they are governed by separate parameters.
Setting up the Security and Cleaner app
The Cleaner app is one of the main sources of desktop game recommendations, and by default, it shows the cards with news and game installation tips every time you clear the memory, and you can remove this through the internal settings of the app itself.
Open the Security app and click on the gear icon in the top right corner. Scroll down to Get Recommendations. Uncheck this box. You can also turn off Auto Clean if you don't need one.
☑️ Checking Cleaner settings
In the same menu, it's useful to turn off the Clean Notice feature, which often contains ad inserts. A clean interface will speed up your phone and eliminate visual noise. Remember, settings can be called differently depending on the version of MIUI.
If you use the cleaning widget on your desktop, you can also reconfigure it. Click on the widget and select the "Change" option to leave only the cleaning button, removing the recommendation tape.
⚠️ Note: Do not remove the Security app completely, as it contains important system features such as antivirus and call filter.
Regularly checking these settings ensures that after updating the app, ads will not return.Some users prefer third-party counterparts for cleaning, but the standard tool, once set up correctly, works quite efficiently.
Managing recommendations in folders and on the desktop
The MIUI launcher has a feature called Recommended that adds a folder of games and apps to the home screen, often by itself after installing new programs or updating the system, and you can't just drag and drop it into the cart.
To turn off this feature, press and hold your finger on the empty desktop to call the edit menu. Select Settings (cogs). Find Recommendations or Widget Carousel and turn it off.
In newer versions of the shell, the path may differ: Settings → Desktop → Recommendations. Here, you need to uncheck the item “Get recommendations.” This action will hide the Recommended folder and stop the appearance of advertising icons in the widget feed.
Also worth checking is Wallpaper Carousel, a wallpaper-changing service that often mixes advertising content, which is turned off in Settings → Always on screen and lock screen → Wallpaper carousel.
- 🖱️ Hold an empty space on the desktop.
- ⚙️ Click on the launcher settings icon.
- 🚫 Turn off the “Recommendations” option».
- 🖼️ Check the settings of "Wallpaper Carousels».
Hidden folders
With these changes, the interface will be minimalist, and you will no longer see random offers to download games or news that often don’t match your interests.
Cleaning Notifications in System Applications
System applications like Music, Video, Downloads and Themes also have their own promotion channels, often including notifications for new products that are essentially ads, and you need to turn them off in the menu of each application separately.
In the Mi Music app, click on the menu (three bars), select Settings, and find Advanced Settings, where you need to turn off Show Ads and Get push notifications. Similar actions are done in the Video app.
In Downloads, click three dots in the corner, select Settings, and turn off Receive Recommendations, which will prevent game suggestion pop-ups from appearing after downloading files.
| Annex | The path to adjustment | What to turn off |
|---|---|---|
| Music. | Menu → Settings → Extended | Showing ads, Push. |
| Downloads. | Menu → Settings | Receive recommendations |
| Topics | Profile → Settings | Personal recommendations |
| Conductor | Menu → Settings → About the application | Receive recommendations |
Remember, when you update your apps, you may reset your settings. Check these points periodically to keep the interface clean. It only takes a couple of minutes, but it greatly improves user experience.
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System applications are separate modules, and turning off ads in one does not affect the others.
Developer Mode and ADB (for Advanced)
For those who want to get the most out of it, there's a method of disabling advertising components through USB debugging and a computer, which requires a PC and minimal technical skills, but it's the most effective.
First, activate the developer mode. To do this, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly press 7 times on the MIUI Version (or OS Version) and the message will appear “You became a developer”.
Next, turn on “Debugging by USB» In the menu that appears, "Advanced" or "Advanced Settings." Connect your phone to your computer, install drivers. ADB and execute a command to remove advertising packages.
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.misys
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.daemonThese commands remove the services responsible for the statistics and some of the advertising mechanisms for the current user, without affecting the system partition. This is safe and reversible (resetting to factory settings will return everything as it was).
⚠️ Note: Be careful when typing commands ADB. Removing critical system packages can lead to a device brick or cyclical reboot.
Using this method, you can remove even those items that do not have switches in the standard menu, but for most users, the settings described in the previous sections are enough.