Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often encounter intrusive pop-ups offering to install new wallpaper or fonts.This theme notification can appear at the most inopportune moment, overlapping the interface and disrupting work. MIUI system, and now the new HyperOS shell, aggressively promote content from their own app store, which causes annoyance for many users.
Fortunately, the developers have left it completely deactivated without the need to obtain root rights. The process of disabling is quite simple, but requires care, since the desired switches can be hidden in different sections of the settings or inside the Themes application itself. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to solve the problem.
You'll learn how to block the app from accessing the Internet, disable ad personalization, and remove system recommendations, and these will help make your Xiaomi Redmi interface cleaner and more productive. Let's start setting up your device.
Disabling recommendations in the annex Topic
The most effective way to remove pop-ups is to change the settings inside the app that generates them. The standard Themes app has a hidden section with options where you can turn off personalization and promotional offers, the first step that every smartphone owner needs to take.
To start, run the Themes app on your device. In the upper right corner of the screen, you'll see a profile icon or avatar. Click on it to open the user menu. Next, select Settings. This is where the key switches that display the content are.
In the list that opens, look for the Additional Settings or About App section, and you need to find an option called "Receive References" or "Show Ads." Put the slider in the inactive position. You should also turn off the Automatic Theme Update option if you are not using this feature.
☑️ Checking the application settings
Note that after updating the MIUI operating system, item names may vary slightly. If you do not find the right switch at once, carefully examine all subsections of the application settings menu. Often options are grouped under the general heading "Privacy" or "Notifications".
⚠️ Note: After disabling the recommendations, the store interface may become less informative, but this ensures that there are no pop-ups in the future.
Restriction of Internet access for system components
Many of Xiaomi's system applications, including advertising and analytics services, require a network connection to get data on new topics, and if you deny them access to the Internet, they won't be able to physically download and show you a notification, which is a radical but very powerful method.
Go to Settings for your smartphone. Find the Apps and select All Apps. Find the Topics app in the list. You should also find the MSA (MIUI System Ads) app, which is responsible for system advertising, and GetApps.
Within each of these apps, look for Network Connection or Data Use. Turn off Wi-Fi switches and Mobile Internet. The system will warn you that the app may not work properly — agree. Themes app is not critical unless you plan to download new designs right now.
- 📱 Find the Topics app in the list and open its properties.
- 🌐 Go to the Network Connection item in the application menu.
- ❌ Disable access to Wi-Fi and mobile data.
- ✅ Repeat the procedure for the application MSA and GetApps.
This method is especially effective for older Redmi models, which can receive fewer interface updates. Blocking network traffic for ad modules reduces battery load and saves traffic. However, remember that automatic theme updates will not work.
What happens if you turn off the Internet for MSA?
Managing Notifications through Android Settings
Android provides powerful tools to control notifications, and you can prevent the Topic app from displaying any messages on the lock screen or in the curtain, which won’t stop the app itself from working, but will hide its activity from your eyes.
Open your smartphone settings and go to Notifications and Status bar. Select Notification Management. In a long list of apps, find Topics. Click on the title to open the detailed settings.
Here you will see the Allow Notifications switch. Turn it off completely. If you want to leave some features but remove ads, scroll down to the Ads or Recommendations category (if such a separate category is present in your HyperOS version) and turn it off only.
| Type of notification | Recommended action | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|
| General notices | Shut down. | Hide all messages from the app |
| Sound and vibration | Shut down. | Take down the soundtrack. |
| Notifications on the lock screen | Hide. | The screen will remain clean when blocked. |
| Important notifications | Shut down. | Prevents appearance in status bar |
Using Android system settings is the safest way to combat intrusiveness: you don't disrupt system files, you just change the rules for displaying information, and this is especially true for users who are afraid of accidentally removing an important system component.
Disconnection of MSA (MIUI System Ads)
MSA is the main source of advertising content in the MIUI shell.It is this process that collects data about your preferences and generates personalized offers, including topic notifications.
To find this service, go to Settings → Password and Security → Data Access. In the list, find the msa application. Turn off network access for it. However, a deeper setup is made through the authorization menu.
Go to Settings → Password and Security → Access to Personal Data (or Authorization and Security). Find the msa list and turn off the slider. The system will require you to wait 10 seconds, then press Cancel. If you fail the first time, repeat the procedure 3-4 times until the system confirms the action.
⚠️ Note: When withdrawing authorization MSA If the "Revoke" button is inactive, check the network connection.
After successfully disabling MSA, the number of ad integrations in standard Xiaomi applications will drop dramatically, which can also have a positive impact on the autonomy of the device, as the background process will no longer constantly synchronize with the servers.
💡
If the "Cancel" button on the MSA menu is gray and doesn't click, try switching temporarily from Wi-Fi to mobile Internet or vice versa, sometimes helping to reset the interface freeze.
Setting up Advertising Personalization Parameters
At the bottom of Xiaomi’s security settings, there’s a separate module that’s responsible for personalizing ads. Even if you’ve disabled MSA, that setting can continue to work, and turning it off makes ad impressions less accurate, and often stops them altogether.
Open the Safety app (green zipper icon). Click on three dots in the top right corner and select Settings. Find the Receive recommendations section. Turn off this switch. This action will prevent the system from analyzing your actions to select advertising content.
You should also check your Mi Account settings. Go to Settings → Mi Account → Data and Privacy. This may be Advertising Services or Ad Personalization. Disconnect it to break the connection between your account and the company’s ad servers.
A comprehensive approach that includes disabling all of these options gives the best result. Do not neglect any of the steps, as the mechanisms of displaying ads in Xiaomi are often duplicated in different system layers for reliability.
- 🔒 Open the Security app and go to the settings.
- 📉 Find and disable the option to receive recommendations.
- 👤 Check your privacy settings in your Mi Account profile.
- 🧹 Periodically clear the theme app cache through the app menu.
Additional methods and work with the launcher
Sometimes notifications may not come from the theme app itself, but from desktop widgets or from the system launcher. In the new versions of HyperOS and MIUI 14, desktop functionality is also enriched with ad units that can be misrepresented for notifying themes.
Press your finger on an empty desktop space and select Settings. Check if the Glance option is enabled. This service is often a source of pop-ups suggesting you unlock your phone with a new theme. Disable it in the Lock Screen section.
Also worth paying attention to is the Explorer and Cleanup app. Their settings also have recommendation sections. Although they don't directly relate to topics, they use the same notification mechanisms. Clearing the cache of these apps through the App menu → Storage → Clear can help reset erroneous notification triggers.
💡
Comprehensive cleaning of all system applications from cache and disabling the wallpaper carousel is the final touch in setting up a clean Xiaomi smartphone.
If none of these methods worked, consider installing a third-party launcher, such as a Nova Launcher or Lawnchair, which would completely replace the desktop interface and eliminate the possibility of Xiaomi system widgets, but this would require a deeper customization of the smartphone.