Modern Xiaomi smartphones running MIUI shells or the new HyperOS offer users many convenient features, but often overshadow the experience of using intrusive notifications. These so-called “advice” are banner ads, app recommendations or offers to subscribe to services that appear in system folders, browser and even in the settings menu. For many users, this becomes an annoying factor, reducing productivity and distracting from basic tasks.
Fortunately, the architecture of the Android operating system in conjunction with the proprietary add-ons allows you to manage these processes flexibly. Disabling advertising does not require obtaining super-user rights or complex flashing of the device. It is enough to consistently go through several settings menus and deactivate specific services responsible for collecting data and displaying marketing content. In this article, we will detail every step necessary to clean the interface of your smartphone.
It’s important to understand that Xiaomi periodically changes the location of switches and menu items in different versions of firmware. However, the basic principles remain the same: find services related to MSA (MIUI System Ads), and limit their activity. Below is an updated guide to help you regain control of the device and enjoy a clean interface without unnecessary visual noise.
Disabling the MSA service is the main source of advertising
The centerpiece of Xiaomi’s smartphone advertising ecosystem is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) system application, which is responsible for collecting data on user behavior and displaying targeted offers across different parts of the system, and without disabling this service, any other manipulations may be ineffective, as ads will return after rebooting or updating components.
You first have to go to the settings of your smartphone and find the partition that manages the installed programs, and the path may vary slightly depending on the version of the shell, but the logic remains the same: you have to find the application on the system list and force it to stop, and then deny access to the Internet.
☑️ Checking the shutdown MSA
The shutdown process requires care, because the system will try to keep the service active. When you press the shutdown button, you'll have a countdown timer that you can't press other buttons. If you hurry, you'll have to start over again. This is done specifically to prevent critical components from accidentally being turned off, although in the case of MSA, it's more of a marketing defense.
⚠️ Note: If the “Disable” button is inactive (gray), first click on “View Permits” or “Other Permits” and forcibly ban Internet access (Wi-Fi and mobile data.
After the procedure is successful, you will notice that the number of pop-ups will be significantly reduced, however, for full effect, it is also recommended to clear the cache of this application to remove accumulated advertising identifiers. This action is safe and will not lead to loss of personal data or resetting of the phone settings.
Configure recommendations in folders and on the desktop
Even after the main ad module is disabled, some interface elements may continue to show recommendations, most often this applies to folders with applications on the desktop, where the “Recommended” line can be displayed at the bottom with a suggestion to download games or utilities, and you can remove this element through the launcher settings.
To do this, you need to go to the settings of a particular application, “Conductor” or “Desktop”. In the launcher settings menu, you should find the item responsible for obtaining recommendations and deactivate it. In new versions of HyperOS, this switch can be called “Receive recommendations” or “Show more recommendations”.
Hidden launcher settings
Also worth looking at are widgets and cards that can broadcast news feeds, often accidentally activated when you first set up your phone, check for Mi Video, Mi Music or news aggregators on the main screens and delete them if they are not in use.
It is important to check system updates regularly, as with new security patches, Xiaomi sometimes returns old ad modules under new names. If you notice ads after the update, the procedure for checking the launcher settings is worth repeating.
Managing personalization and advertising identifier
Targeted advertising is based on collecting data about your preferences, analyzing which apps you run, which sites you visit and what you search for online to create personalized offers, and to minimize this process, you need to turn off the ad personalization function.
Find the Password and Security or Privacy section in your phone settings, and inside that menu, you'll find Ad Services or Advertising ID. You'll want to turn off the Personalized Ads switch, which won't completely remove the ads, but it will make them less relevant and intrusive by resetting your digital profile.
It is also recommended to reset the advertising ID, which will assign your device a new random number, breaking the link with previously accumulated behavior history. Regularly resetting this ID (every few months) is a good practice for maintaining privacy.
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Check the Special Features section in your settings periodically. Some system applications, such as Cleanup or Security, may have their own Receive Recommendations switches that duplicate the general system settings.
Don't ignore the privacy settings in Mi Browser if you use the standard app. It also has its own news and recommendation mechanisms for the homepage. Disabling these features will greatly speed up your browser launch and clear your news feed.
Disabling notifications from system applications
Much of the noise is generated by Xiaomi’s built-in apps, such as Music, Video, Themes and Explorer, which are set to active notifications for new products, promotions and updates by default, often disguised as system messages, confusing users.
To combat this, go to the notification management menu. Select each system application from the list and configure notification categories in detail. Leave only critical (e.g., download completion), and disable all marketing categories (Recommendations, News, Promotions).
| Annex | Type of notification | Recommended action | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security | Advertising, Cleanup | Leave only "Cleanup" | High. |
| Topics | All notices | Total shutdown | Low. |
| Music. | Recommendations of tracks | Total shutdown | Low. |
| Video | New, Stocks | Total shutdown | Low. |
Pay particular attention to the Security app, which most often generates pop-ups that say "speed up your phone" or "clean up garbage," which are actually disguised ads, and the app's settings also have a hidden menu caused by long-term clicks on the icon where you can turn off receiving recommendations.
After doing this, your smartphone will become significantly quieter, you will no longer receive notifications about sales in app stores and offers to install games that you do not care about, which will return the device to the feeling of “pure” Android.
Setting up Mi Browser and GetApps
The two most active sources of external content are the branded browser and the GetApps app store, which operate as independent platforms and have their own privacy settings that don’t always sync with the phone’s general settings.
In GetApps (similar to Xiaomi’s Google Play), you need to go to your user profile and find notification settings, you should turn off new products and promotions, and in the store settings, there is often an “Auto-Update Apps” option, which is better translated into Wi-Fi Only mode or turn off completely to avoid background traffic.
In Mi Browser, the situation is similar: Open the settings menu (three bars in the corner), go to the Privacy and Security section and find Personalized Guidelines. Disabling this option will remove the news feed from the start screen, and it is also recommended to disable Site Notifications so that web pages can not send you spam.
If you don’t use these apps and prefer third-party counterparts (such as Chrome or RuStore), they can be simply removed or disabled through the application management menu, which will free up space in memory and guaranteed to stop any activity on their part.
Additional measures: Advertising Limiter and DNS
For users who want to maximize their results, there are more advanced blocking methods, and one of the most effective ways is to use private locking. DNS-This method works at the device level, blocking requests to known ad servers.
To activate this feature, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS. Select the DNS Provider Host Name mode and enter the address of a trusted blocker, such as dns.adguard.com. Once you save the settings, most of the ads in apps and browsers will stop loading.
⚠️ Attention: Use of third-party DNS-servers can cause some applications to run unstable or slow down Internet speeds if the server you choose is far from your region».
Another tool is the built-in Ad Limiter in privacy settings, which allows apps to prevent them from using an ad ID for targeting, and while this doesn't completely block ads from showing, it makes them random and less intrusive.
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The combination of disabling MSA, setting up system notifications and using a private DNS gives almost 100% of the result in the fight against intrusive advertising in MIUI and HyperOS.
Check the list of apps with permission to display on top of other windows regularly. Often this is the permission that allows advertising modules to overlap the interface of other programs.