Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones are known for their excellent price-performance ratio, but users are often annoyed by intrusive advertising and pop-up recommendations in the system. MIUI and the new HyperOS shell by default contain a variety of services that analyze your actions and offer content that algorithms think you are interested in. This can be advertising in standard applications, recommendations in folders or pop-ups after installing programs.
Fortunately, most of these features can be completely deactivated, returning the device to a clean and minimalist look. The process of disabling does not require root rights or complex code manipulation, but requires care, since the settings are scattered across different menus. Complete disabling of system advertising (MSA) is a key step without which the rest of the settings can be ineffective. In this article, we will detail each step of cleaning the interface from information noise.
Before you make any deep changes, it’s worth understanding that some of the recommendations are part of Xiaomi’s ecosystem and may come back after major system updates. So knowing where these switches are hidden will come in handy to you regularly. We’ll look at not only standard methods through settings, but also more advanced ways to block ad services.
MSA Disconnection: The Main Source of Advertising
The most important step in the fight for a clean interface is to disable the MSA (MIUI System Ads) system process, which is responsible for collecting data about your behavior and displaying targeted advertising in various corners of the operating system, without deactivating it, other settings can only have a temporary effect.
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 switch the slider to an inactive position. The system will warn you that some features may stop working correctly, and suggest waiting 10 seconds before confirming.
When the timer expires, press the Cancel button. If you failed to turn off the service the first time and there was an error, try repeating the procedure 2-3 times - this is a common feature of the shell. It is also recommended to revoke access from GetApps and Mi Video services if you do not use them, as they are also sources of notifications.
☑️ Checking the ad-off
It is worth noting that once permissions are revoked, the system may periodically request them again or try to restore the service in the background. Android is designed so that some system components tend to self-heal, so a few days after setting up, it is recommended to check this item again and make sure that the slider remains turned off.
⚠️ Attention: After disconnection MSA Advertising in system applications should disappear, but in third-party programs (browsers, games) it can remain, as it is controlled by their developers, not Xiaomi.
Customization and recommendations in the system
In addition to direct advertising, Xiaomi is actively using personalization algorithms to offer you articles, videos and applications, which are collected by MIUI Daemon and other analytics modules, disabling these features not only eliminate unnecessary notifications, but also potentially improve the speed of the device by reducing background load.
To prevent the system from collecting data about your use, go to Settings → Password and Security → Privacy. At the bottom of the screen, find the Personalization Services or Programs and Services section, and turn off all switches related to recommendations, personalization of advertising and improving the user experience.
- 🚫 Disable Personalized Advertising – This will prevent the use of your data for targeting.
- 🚫 Uncheck the “Recommendations” box – remove the hints in the menu and on the lock screen.
- 🚫 Turn off Automatic Update for system applications if you want to manually control this process.
You should also check your Mi Account settings, go to your profile settings and find the Advertising section, make sure that the Personalized Recommendations option is also deactivated, and this will create a double barrier to information collection.
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Check the Privacy section periodically after major MIUI or HyperOS updates, as developers may reset some of the default privacy settings.
Cleaning the desktop and folders from advertising garbage
Even after you turn off system services, you can still have content-generating elements on your desktop, especially app folders, and the MIUI shell has a feature that offers "Recommended Apps" inside the folders where you put the programs.
To remove this feature, open any folder on your desktop. Click on the folder name to open the edit menu, or just look at the top of the open folder. There's a Recommended Apps (or "Promoted Apps") switch. Turn it off. Now, the folders will only display shortcuts to the programs you've installed.
The second source of visual noise is the Wallpaper or Wallpaper Carousel widget on the lock screen, which not only changes the images, but also shows banner ads. To turn it off, go to Settings → Wallpaper → Wallpaper Carousel and select Turn it off. You can also simply remove the widget from the lock screen through the theme settings.
| Interface element | Where to turn off | The effect |
|---|---|---|
| Application folders | Inside the folder (switch) | Icons of other people’s games and programs disappear |
| Lock screen | Settings → Wallpaper → Carousel | Static picture instead of advertising |
| Security Annex | Application settings (cogwheel) | Remove banners in the “Cleaning” section |
| Music/Video | Profile → Settings | Hiding recommendations of tracks and videos |
Remember to also clear the launcher cache if the interface is unstable after the changes. This can be done through Settings → Apps → All Apps → Desktop → Clear → Clear the cache.
Remove notifications and pop-up windows
A common problem for Redmi users is sudden pop-ups offering to install games or clear memory, most often the source of such windows is the standard Security application or the Mi Browser browser.
To set up the Security app, open it, click on the gear in the top right corner, and find Receive recommendations. Turn it off. It's also worth turning off notifications from the app itself in the Android system settings, leaving only critical virus warnings.
If you use an embedded browser, go to its settings (three bars → Settings) and find the Privacy and Security section, where you need to disable Notifications and Personal Recommendations. Ideally, for comfortable use, it is better to install an alternative browser, such as Chrome or Firefox, and assign it to the default.
⚠️ Note: In some regions, firmware settings may be called different names. If you haven't found "Get recommendations," look for synonyms like "Content," "Tape" or "Discover».
It’s also worth checking the permissions for the MIUI Daemon app. Although it’s a system process, it doesn’t need a constant internet connection for basic work, and restricting its background activity through Activity Control can further reduce the number of background requests.
Specificity of the shutdown in HyperOS and new versions of MIUI
With the release of the HyperOS shell, Xiaomi began to change the structure of the menu and the names of some items. Fundamentally, the logic remained the same, but the location of the switches could shift. In new versions, the emphasis on the ecosystem is increased, so advertising integrations can be deeper.
HyperOS often hides the ad section deeper into your account settings. Go to Settings → Mi Account → Agreements and Privacy → Advertising. You may need to disable Personalized Recommendations for each region or service.
Hidden Developer Settings
Newer versions also note the appearance of the Tape widget to the left of your desktop. To turn it off, swipe the screen to the right, click three dots or a gear, and select Ribbon Settings, then turn off all news and recommendations. This will return a normal blank screen or Google search widget.
Advanced methods: DNS and blockers
If standard methods don’t give 100% result or you want to guarantee that you block ads in all applications, including browsers, you can use the blocking method at the network level. DNS (Private DNS).
Go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS (or search for settings, type “DNS”). Select the DNS provider hostname option and type in the address of a trusted blocker, such as dns.adguard.com. After saving, restart your smartphone.
dns.adguard.comThis method redirects all requests to ad servers through a filter that simply doesn’t let advertising content through.This is a versatile solution that works regardless of the version of MIUI or HyperOS. However, it’s worth remembering that in rare cases, it can slow down some sites or disrupt individual applications.
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Using a private DNS with dns.adguard.com is a “silver bullet” that blocks up to 95% of ads in the system and applications without installing additional software.
Once you have set up your DNS, check your internet. If your sites stop opening, return your DNS setting to Auto or Shutdown. For most users, MSA + Private DNS Disconnection is the perfect result.