Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face intrusive notifications that appear in the most unexpected places of the interface: it can be offers to install apps, news from aggregators or tips on system optimization that actually annoy the user. Advertising algorithms are built deep into the shell of MIUI and the new HyperOS, making their removal unobvious to the inexperienced user.
Permanent pop-ups not only distract, but also consume traffic and battery power in the background. Many users mistakenly believe that they can only be eliminated by installing third-party launchers or flashing the device. However, the MSA (MIUI System Ads) system service can be deactivated by standard means by simply turning off the appropriate switches in the hidden settings menu.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at all the available ways to block ad content, from simple settings to advanced methods through ADB. You’ll learn where the notification sources hide in the Tools folder, how to clear the desktop of widgets, and why standard removal of apps doesn’t always help. Deep system setup will allow you to turn your smartphone into a clean and fast tool without unnecessary information noise.
Disabling system advertising through Mi Account settings
The first and most important step is to disable personalized advertising at the account level, which allows the system to collect your preferences to target advertising offers, and without doing this, other manipulations may be less effective as the data collection algorithms continue to work in the background.
You need to go to the basic settings of the device and find the section that handles the account. The path may vary slightly depending on the version of the shell, but the logic remains the same. You need to find the item related to privacy or advertising and uncheck the box with consent to receive personalized offers.
- 📱 Open Settings and go to Passwords and Security.
- 🔒 Select Access to Personal Data or Authorization and Privacy.
- 🚫 Find the msa service in the list and turn off the slider next to it.
- ⏳ Confirm the action by waiting for the countdown to end in 10 seconds.
⚠️ Note: After disabling the msa service, the ad may not disappear completely instantly. The system takes time (usually up to 24 hours) to apply changes to the server. Do not remove the service forcefully unless you are sure of the consequences, as this may disrupt the work of system applications.
It is important to understand that disabling ads through account settings is only the first line of defense. MIUI system components often duplicate the notifications across services, so after these actions are done, it is recommended to restart the device so that the changes take effect and the cache of the ad modules is cleared.
Remove notifications from the Tools and Desktop folder
One of the most annoying sources of junk notifications is the default default Tools folder, which is created by the system, and it has system utilities, many of which have their own notification settings, and the most common ones that users worry about are Cleanup, Security, Mi Browser, and Explorer.
To stop the flow of suggestions, you have to go into the settings of each application separately, which takes time, but it gives guaranteed results, and you start with the Security app, because it is the app that most often generates reports about viruses or junk, which are actually just banner ads.
- 🧹 Go to the Security app, click on the gear and turn off "Get recommendations».
- 🌐 Open Mi Browser, go to settings and find the “News Feed” to disable it.
- 📁 In the File Manager application, remove the tick from “Receive recommendations” in the settings».
- 📰 In the application “Music” and “Video” you also need to find privacy settings and disable.
Special attention should be paid to the widget “Wallpaper Carousel” (Glance), which replaces the standard lock screen and shows news and advertising every time you turn on the screen. To turn it off, go to Settings → Always on the screen and lock screen and choose the standard lock mode instead of the carousel. This will return you peace of mind when unlocking the phone.
☑️ Checklist for notification cleanup
After cleaning all system applications, it is recommended to check the notification settings in the general menu. Sometimes even after internal shutdowns, apps retain permission to display banners. Go through the Settings list → Notifications and Status bar → Notification management and prohibit suspicious notifications for system services.
Setup of Widget Ribbon and Negative Screen
To the left of the home screen, a swipe opens what is known as a “Negative Screen” or “App Vault” (App Vault) and, depending on the region and firmware version, can display news, popular apps and promotional cards, a feature that many users don’t use because they’re used to using widgets right on their desktop.
To turn off this tape, just press the empty space on the desktop and go to Settings. In the menu that opens, you need to find the Widget Ribbon or App Vault switch and turn it off, and it is also worth checking the settings of the widget itself if you prefer to leave the tape, but clean it of debris.
| System component | Where to look for settings | What to turn off |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop | Long press on the screen → Settings | Widget Ribbon/Wallpaper Carousel |
| Security | Appendix Security → Cogs | Receive recommendations |
| Downloads. | Downloads Application → Three Points → Settings | Show recommended files |
| Topics | Appendix Topics → Profile → Settings | Receive recommendations, push notifications |
With new versions of HyperOS, the logic of widgets has changed, but the principle has remained the same: If you don't use weather or news widgets on the home screen, remove them, and they are often the gateway to load advertising content into the device's RAM, even if you don't see it visually all the time.
Why does the ad return after the update?
Disabling Push Notifications in System Applications
Xiaomi’s system applications have a habit of aggressively promoting their services: GetApps app store, Mi Video service, Mi Music and even a calculator can show pop-ups. These are not viruses, but regular functionality, which, however, can and should be limited for comfortable use.
The GetApps store is a big focus, and it often sends notifications about promotions or new games, and to stop that, open the app, go to the profile and settings where you can find "Push Notifications" and turn off all kinds of alerts, and do the same for all media applications.
- 🎵 In Mi Music and Mi Video, go to the Profile → Settings and disabling “Online Services».
- 🛍️ In GetApps, turn off automatic app updates and notifications.
- 🧮 Even in simple applications such as Calculator or Recorder, check the settings for the presence of the item "Get recommendations».
There is also a hidden setting in the “Special Features” section, which sometimes activates the “App Launch Accelerate” feature, which shows ads before opening programs. Go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Special Features and make sure that no suspicious services are active.
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If you don’t use Xiaomi’s standard apps (browser, video player, music), simply remove them or turn them off in the app management menu, which will free up space and guarantee that their ads will be removed.
Using DNS to block advertising at the network level
For those who want to achieve the maximum result, a change is a great solution. DNS-This method blocks ad requests at the network connection level, preventing the phone from even downloading a banner ad, which speeds up the Internet and saves traffic.
In modern versions of Android and MIUI There is a built-in function "Private" DNS» (Private DNS). You don't have to install third-party apps or get super-user rights, just write down the address of the server that filters the ad traffic.
dns.adguard.comTo activate, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing (or “Wi-Fi and Internet”) → Private DNS. Select “DNS Provider Host Name” mode and enter the address dns.adguard.com. Once saved, the phone may require a reboot or reconnection to the network.
⚠️ Attention: Use of third-party DNS It can slow down the opening of some local sites or disrupt applications associated with the operator (for example, personal accounts of mobile operators). DNS auto-mode».
This method is universal and works not only for system advertising Xiaomi, but also for advertising in browsers and some games, but it will not remove the “native” system banners that are sewn into the application interface and do not require connection to external ad servers to display.
Advanced Methods: ADB and Disabling System Components
If standard methods fail, use the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) tool, a way for power users to remove or freeze system applications that cannot be removed in the usual way. Be careful: removing critical components can lead to unstable system operation or a bootloop.
You will need a computer to work, USB-cable and installed drivers ADB. On the phone, you need to activate the developer mode (7 times click on the build number in "About the phone") and turn on "Debugging by USB». Then connect the smartphone to the PC.
Using the adb shell pm list packages command, you can display a list of all packages. Find packages associated with advertising (for example, com.miui.misys, com.android.adbd - be careful, the names may change).
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 name.packageFor example, to disable some analytics services, you can use:
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.analyticsThis method allows you to freeze the application, making it invisible to the system, but leaving the ability to restore it factory reset. This is safer than a complete removal, because in case of an error, you can always return the device to its original state.
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ADB-commands allow you to remove ads at a deep level, but require caution. A mistake in the name of the package can lead to the failure of important functions of the phone.