How to disable recommended apps on Xiaomi Redmi 10

Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often face intrusive ads that appear in the most unexpected places of the interface. The Redmi 10, despite its availability and powerful stuffing, is not without the branded MIUI shell, known for aggressive promotion of services. Users notice pop-ups in standard applications, banners in folders on the desktop and even recommendations in the notification curtain. It is not just visual noise, but part of the company’s marketing strategy to keep the cost of devices low.

Fortunately, the Android operating system in conjunction with the MIUI shell provides flexible tools to control these processes. You do not need to have superuser rights or install third-party antiviruses to restore the purity of the interface. It is enough to consistently go through several settings, disabling system advertising services and personalized recommendations. In this article, we will discuss in detail each step necessary to completely clean your Redmi 10 from unnecessary information noise.

Before you make any changes, it's important to understand the nature of these notifications, and they fall into two types: ads from system applications (like Explorer or Music) and so-called "recommendations" that the system itself offers based on your actions. Disabling the former requires customizing specific applications, while combating the latter is tied to the global parameters of the Mi Account and the MSA service. Ignoring these settings can lead to the fact that even after resetting, the ads will return.

MSA Disconnection: The Main Source of Advertising

The centerpiece of Xiaomi’s device advertising system is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) system application, which collects your preferences and broadcasts the appropriate banners. To effectively combat intrusive content, you first have to deny this service the ability to run automatically. The shutdown process requires care, as the system will try to hold the user by offering to wait or cancel the action.

To start, you'll need to go to the phone's settings menu. Find the Apps section, then select All Apps. In the list that opens, which is usually sorted alphabetically or by frequency of use, you'll need to find a line called msa. Note that the icon may look like a green android or a standard system icon. By clicking on it, you'll be taken to the app management menu where we're interested in the Resolution option.

In the permission list, find Receiving User Data or Accessing Usage Data and turn off the slider. Then go back and press the Disable or Delete button (if available). The system will issue a warning that some features may stop working correctly and start a countdown timer of 10 seconds. You need to wait until the countdown is completed and re-press the turn off button. Sometimes this procedure has to be repeated 2-3 times until the system finally gives up.

After successfully disabling MSA, advertising in most system utilities should disappear. However, this is not the only source of recommendations. Some embedded services may have their own independent content display settings. So disabling the main service is only the first, though the most important step towards a clean interface for your Redmi 10.

Configure recommendations in the folders of the desktop

One of the most annoying things about MIUI is that you have recommended apps inside folders on your desktop, and when you create a folder by combining multiple icons, the system automatically adds a Recommended box to it, which takes up useful space and often contains links to games or services you don't need, and you can remove that block, but the option is hidden deep enough in the launcher's settings.

To get rid of the ads in the folders, open any folder you create on the home screen. Click on the folder name to call the edit menu, or just look at the bottom of the open folder. There should be a switch called Recommendations or Receive Recommendations. Put it inactive. If the switch is not in the open folder, try pinching the empty space on the desktop and select Settings in the lower right corner.

In the desktop settings menu, find the folder display section. There may be a feature called Show Recommendations. Disabling this option will instantly clear all folders of unnecessary visual debris. It is important to note that after updating the system, the settings may reset, so it makes sense to check this item periodically.

⚠️ Note: If after disabling the recommendations folder collapsed or the icons moved, just drag any other icon to this folder and remove it back - this will update the display of the grid.

Also worth noting is the Google Discover or Yandex feed, which opens when swiped left on the home screen. While this is not a direct advertisement from Xiaomi, many users perceive the news feed as part of the obsessive recommendations, and you can turn it off in the same desktop settings by finding Tape or -1 screen and selecting No or Unplug.

Cleaning up from advertising in standard applications

Even after the MSA service is disabled, individual standard applications can continue to display banner ads, which is because each application has its own internal recommendation settings. Most often, ads are found in Explorer, Music, Video and Cleanup. To achieve the perfect result, you need to visit the settings of each of these applications separately.

Start with Explorer. Open it, click on the menu (three bars) in the top left corner and select Settings. Next, look for About App or Privacy Policy. Inside, there may be a Receive Recommendations or Show Ads switch hidden. Similar to the Music app: go to Settings, select Advanced Settings, and turn off the Display Ads option.

The Cleanup (Security) app also often has pop-ups suggesting speed up your phone or install antivirus. Go to the app settings (cog in the corner), find the Receive recommendations section and deactivate it. In some versions of MIUI, this item is called Recieve recommendations if the interface is not fully translated.

💡

Use Settings Search: Type the word “advertising” or “recommendations” into the search bar of the phone’s main settings menu to find the right switches in different apps faster.

Don't forget to check the Themes app. It's the main channel for promoting paid content. Go to the user profile (human icon), click on the settings gear and disable all items related to personalization and recommendations, this will prevent pop-ups with an offer to buy a new theme or ringtone.

Managing personalization and advertising identifier

Targeted advertising is based on collecting data about your actions. Xiaomi, like Google, uses an advertising ID to track user interests. Even if you have disabled visible advertising, data collection can continue in the background. For maximum privacy, it is recommended to reset the advertising ID and disable personalization in system services.

To do this, go to Settings -> Password and Security -> Privacy. Find Advertising Services. Here you will see the Personalized Advertising switch that you need to turn off. Below is the Reset Advertising ID button. By clicking on it, you will assign your device a new random ID, breaking the link to your previously collected interest profile.

You should also check your Mi Account settings. Go to Settings -> Mi Account -> Agreements and Notifications. You can turn off receiving promotional offers from the company here. This will not remove ads completely, but will reduce the frequency of specific offers from Xiaomi services.

The comprehensive application of these measures can significantly reduce digital noise. However, it can be difficult to completely eliminate advertising in the free version of the MIUI shell, as the company constantly changes the way advertising modules are integrated.

Disabling notifications in the browser and Push services

Users often confuse Xiaomi system ads with notifications from sites they accidentally subscribed to through a browser. If the lock screen or notification curtain constantly appears messages about “win” or “viruses”, the problem lies not in the system, but in the browser permissions. This is typical not only for Redmi 10, but for any Android smartphone.

Check installed browsers (Chrome, Mi Browser, Yandex). Go to your browser settings, look for Notifications or Site Settings. There will be a list of resources that have the right to send push notifications. Ruthlessly delete all suspicious sites or select Block Notifications globally. This will instantly clear the curtain from spam.

In addition, MIUI has a separate section for managing app notifications. Go to Settings -> Notifications -> Notification Management. Go through a list of apps you rarely use (e.g. GetApps, Mi Video) and turn off notifications completely or leave only important ones.

⚠️ Warning: Do not turn off notifications for system services such as Google Play Services or Security, otherwise your phone may stop working properly or miss important system alerts.

Also worth a look at is GetApps, which often sends notifications about updates or promotions, go to its settings and turn off all kinds of alerts if you don't use it actively, another channel through which the system tries to draw your attention to paid content.

Using DNS to block advertising at the network level

For those who want to go further and block ads not only in the system, but also in applications and games, there is a method of configuring a private DNS. This method does not require the installation of additional applications and works at the network connection level. It is especially effective for Redmi 10, since it does not load the processor with background tasks.

Go to Settings -> Connection and Sharing (or Wi-Fi). Find a Private Item DNS (Private DNS). The default is "Auto." Choose the hostname of the provider. DNS and enter the address in the field: dns.adguard.com. Save the settings.

dns.adguard.com

Once you have set up the settings, the phone can lose the connection to the Internet for a second, and then restore it. From now on, most ad requests will be blocked at the network level. You will notice that advertising has disappeared even in some free apps and browsers. However, be prepared for the fact that some sites may stop opening if they use the same domains as the ad networks.

This is the most radical and effective method, and it doesn't require constant intervention in application settings after initial installation, but if you use public Wi-Fi networks that require browser authorization, DNS can prevent the login page from appearing, and in such cases, you can temporarily turn off the setting.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

💡

Completely disabling ads on Xiaomi Redmi 10 requires a comprehensive approach: disabling the service MSA, settings for each system application and, optionally, use DNS-filtering.

To sum up, we can say that Xiaomi Redmi 10 — It's a great smartphone that gets even better after you set it up properly. 10-15 So if you're just a minute away from the original configuration, you're going to get months of visual noise and you're going to have a clean, fast interface, which is what it should be. Don't be afraid to experiment with the settings, but always remember to bring it back if you need it.