Xiaomi’s modern smartphone has become a powerful communication center that often becomes a source of constant digital noise. Infinite fluffs from games, news feeds, system tips and advertising can seriously interfere with concentration or rest. Users often wonder how to completely isolate the device from the outside world without going into an air mode that blocks incoming calls.
In MIUI and the new HyperOS, there are many layers of alert customization, not just a sound switch, but a complex hierarchy of permissions, including banners, sounds, vibrations, and background activity, and to effectively manage this flow, you need to understand the difference between system notifications, application notifications, and shell advertising.
In this article, we’ll break down all the available methods, from fast locking through the curtain to deep tuning through the engineering menu, learn how to set up Do Not Disturb profiles for sleep and work, and how to get rid of annoying security prompts forever.
Global settings of the “Do Not Disturb” mode
The fastest way to silence a smartphone while still having emergency communication is to use Do Not Disturb mode, which, unlike simply turning off the sound, blocks the screen from turning on when incoming messages and hides pop-ups, which can be activated through the control center, swiping from top to bottom, or through the settings menu.
For a fine configuration, go to Settings → Sound and Vibration → Don’t Disturb. Here, the system offers flexible use cases. You can set up automatic switching on schedule, for example, from 23:00 to 07:00, so that nighttime messages don’t wake you up. There is also an activation feature for flipping the smartphone screen down, which is convenient during meetings.
⚠️ Attention: In the standard Do Not Disturb mode, calls from selected contacts can pass. If your goal is complete silence, make sure the exception list is empty or the mode is set to block all calls.
Special attention should be paid to the section "Repeat calls." If this feature is active, a second call from the same subscriber within 15 minutes will break the lock. To achieve absolute silence, this option must be deactivated. Also check which applications are authorized to interrupt the silence mode - by default, these can be alarm clocks or calendar.
There is also a hidden lock depth setting, with some firmware versions offering a Hide Content setting that leaves the screen black even when an important event occurs, which is critical for users who value privacy in public spaces.
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Do Not Disturb mode is the only regular way to block the screen from turning on when an incoming call is made without turning off the phone completely.
Managing notifications of individual applications
If your goal is to disable notifications not everywhere but in specific intrusive applications, the standard path is through the application management menu. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification management. Here is a complete list of all installed programs that have permission to display information on the screen.
Select the app from the list, and you'll see the Allow Notifications switch, which completely blocks any signals from the program, but the more flexible approach is to manually adjust categories. Modern applications, such as instant messengers or marketplaces, divide notifications into types: Personal Messages, Ads, Promotions, Systems.
- 🔕 Banners: Disable pop-ups that block the interface of other programs.
- 🔇 Sound and vibration: Leave the visual display in the curtain, but remove the soundtrack.
- 📴 Lock screen: Hide contents of messages so that text is not visible without unlocking.
It’s important to note the difference between normal and important notifications. On Android 11 and above, which is the basis of HyperOS, some notifications are marked as important and ignore the “Do Not Disturb” settings. To turn them off, you need to find the “Important Notifications” option in the app settings and uncheck, which is often found in banking applications and delivery services.
☑️ Checking the application settings
Don't forget the background activity. Even if you've turned off notifications, the app can run in the background, consuming the battery. In the same app settings menu, find Activity Control or Battery and select background activity restriction, which will prevent hidden data transmission and gun preparation.
Disabling system advertising and MIUI recommendations
One of the most painful topics for Xiaomi owners is built-in advertising and system recommendations, which often look like regular notifications, but come from system services such as Security, Explorer, or Music, which require changing the settings of several system applications to disable.
The first and foremost step is to turn off the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Access to personal data. Find the "msa" list and turn off the switch. The system will try to dissuade you by running a countdown timer of 10 seconds. Once it ends, click "Cancel." This procedure may have to be repeated 2-3 times, since the server may not respond the first time.
The way to disable advertising in applications:
1.Security → Settings (cogs) → Receive recommendations (off)
2. Downloads → Settings → Show recommended content (off)
3. Music → Settings → Advanced settings → Receive recommendations (off)
4. Topics → Profile → Settings → Showing ads (off)Also, disable personalized recommendations in the interface itself. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Privacy → Special Permits → Access to Usage Data. Disabling this setting for system services will reduce the number of targeted offers. Also, in the lock screen settings, disable Wallpaper Carousel, which often contains advertising slides.
⚠️ Note: After the withdrawal of permits from the service MSA The full update of the ad cache takes up to 24 hours. Do not remove system applications by force, it can disrupt the shell.
The Security app is the one that most often sends out virus or junk notifications, suggesting cleanups. Go to the Security app, click on the settings gear, and find the Get Recommendations section. Disabling this item will remove pop-ups with suggestions to install games or apps.
Set up notification channels for Android 13/14
Modern versions of Android that HyperOS uses have a notification channel concept that allows developers to split notifications into categories and the user to manage them in detail, and if you think it's too radical to just turn off the app, use channels.
If you click on the notification in the curtain for a long time and select Settings, you get into the channel menu, and you can see, for example, that the food delivery app divides the signals into Order Status and Promotions, and you can leave only the order status on, completely ignoring marketing spam.
| Channel type | Impact on the system | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Service (Foreground) | High priority, not swipe-cleaned | Leave for navigation, taxis |
| Messages (Messages) | Resurfaces on the lock screen | Leave it for messengers |
| Other (Miscellaneous) | Hidden channel for old apps | Boldly shut it down. |
| Marketing (Marketing) | Promotional mailings | Block without a doubt |
Android 13 and later has a temporary notification ban feature, which asks for permission to send notifications when you first launch a new app. If you say no, the app will never be able to send you a push until you change that setting, and it's the most effective method of spam prevention on new smartphones.
What to do if the notification channel is not turned off?
Blocking through ADB and Advanced Methods
For users who are ready for more complex manipulations, there is a method to disable notifications through debugging. USB (ADB). This is a way to remove or hide system components that don't turn off through the interface. You'll need a computer, a cable. USB and a set of platform tools ADB.
First, activate Developer Mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly press 7 times on either MIUI Version or OS Version. Then, in the Developer Menu, turn on USB Debugging. Connect your smartphone to your PC and confirm the pairing request on your phone screen.
To disable a specific component responsible for notifications, the pm disable-user command is used. For example, to disable global search and related prompts, you can use the command:
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.quicksearchboxBe extremely careful when using ADB. Disabling critical system services can lead to unstable device operation or "bootloop" (cyclic reboot).
⚠️ Attention: Use ADB-commands are not guaranteed in case of software failures caused by interference with the system.
There are also graphical shells for ADB, such as Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools or Universal Android Debloater, which simplify the process by providing a list of apps with checkboxes, and in such programs you can safely remove bloatware, which is often a source of background processes and notifications.
Frequent problems and solutions
Even after careful setup, users may find themselves in situations where notifications keep coming, often due to app-specific features or account synchronization, such as an email client may duplicate notifications via the Gmail system service and through its own app.
If notifications come from a remote app, check the list of websites that have permission to send notifications in the Chrome or Mi Browser browser. Often sites request permission to show fluffs, and then spam comes through the browser, rather than through a separate app.
In case settings are permanently reset after rebooting, perhaps a virus miner or malware is in the system. Do a deep check with an embedded antivirus or third-party scanner. Also check the list of device administrators in the security settings - there should be no extraneous programs.
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Use the Digital Well-Being feature to analyze which apps are most likely to distract you with notifications, which will help you identify hidden sources of noise.
Remember that completely disabling all notifications can result in missing important two-factor authentication messages or emergency alerts.