How to turn off pop-up pictures on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face intrusive ads that appear in the most unexpected places. Most often annoying pop-ups pop up on the lock screen or when unlocking the device. This is not a virus, but a regular feature of the MIUI or HyperOS shell, designed to monetize budget devices.

Fortunately, developers have left users the ability to completely remove these visual interferences. The deactivation process does not require superuser rights or firmware replay. It is enough to correctly configure a few hidden items in the system menu to forget about junk content forever. In this article, we will discuss in detail all possible sources of advertising and ways to eliminate them.

Disabling ads will not only improve the visual experience of the interface, but also positively affect the autonomy of the device. Background loading of banner ads consumes traffic and CPU resources. By removing unnecessary processes, you will make the smartphone work more smooth and predictable.

The nature of advertising on Xiaomi screens

The main source of pop-up images is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) system application, which is responsible for collecting analytics and displaying personalized content, including advertisements. Many users mistakenly believe that a picture on a locked screen is a standard feature of the gallery, but in fact it is part of the company's marketing strategy.

In addition to system advertising, third-party applications that you installed from unverified sources can cause problems. Often free utilities, flashlights or memory cleaners implement their own ad display modules. It is important to be able to distinguish between system notifications and malicious pop-ups from third-party software.

It’s worth noting that menu names may vary slightly across regions and across firmware (Global, China, EEA), but the logic of how the system works remains the same across all brand devices, and understanding how the content display mechanism works will help you find the switches you want faster.

  • 📱 Systems service MSA — main source of banners in the interface.
  • 🔒 Lock screen – the place where intrusive content most often appears.
  • 📦 Third-party apps – a hidden source of pop-up windows after installation.

To effectively combat advertising, you need to act in a comprehensive manner. Just closing one window is not enough, because there can be several mechanisms for implementing content. Below we will consider a step-by-step algorithm for completely cleaning the system.

Disabling Advertising through Lock Screen Settings

The most visible source of pop-ups is the Wallpaper Carousel, which automatically changes the background and shows the ad slides every time you wake up your phone, and you need to go to the personalization settings to get rid of that.

Go to the Settings menu, then select Always on screen and lock screen. In this section, look for Wallpaper Carousel. If the function is active, the switch will be lit in blue or green. Click on it to turn off the service.

⚠️ Warning: After the wallpapers are turned off, the background images on the locked screen will no longer be updated, you can set a static picture from the gallery, but the automatic change will not work.

You should also check the theme settings. Some third-party themes downloaded from MIUI Themes may contain embedded ads. If the problem occurs after a change of design, try going back to the standard Classic or Default theme.

In some versions, the settings shells may be hidden deeper.Look for "Receive recommendations" or "Show ads" inside the lock screen menu. Disabling these options ensures that the system banners no longer bother you every time you use your smartphone.

Configuring the MSA system application

The msa service is a key element of Xiaomi’s advertising ecosystem, and completely shutting it down requires several actions to be taken in a consistent manner as the system tries to protect this process, first finding the application in the installed program list.

Go to Settings → Applications → All Apps. In the upper right corner, click three dots and select Show System Processes. Find the msa list and go to its properties.

☑️ Shutdown checklist MSA

Done: 0 / 5

After trying to shut down, the system will start a countdown timer for 10 seconds, which is a security mechanism that prevents the service from accidentally turning off. You have to wait until the timer reaches zero, and then confirm the action. If you fail the first time, try repeating the procedure 2-3 times.

In parallel with MSA, you should check your Mi Account settings. The Mi Account → Privacy menu often hides items that allow the use of data to personalize ads, disabling these options will make the ads less accurate and in some cases completely stop showing them.

It's important to understand that disabling MSA doesn't disrupt the basic functions of the smartphone. Social media, messengers and games will continue to function normally. You just remove the layer of system monetization that is not critical to Android.

Blocking advertising in the browser and applications

Often pop-ups don't come from the system, but from the web browser. The built-in Mi Browser or Chrome browser can skip advertising scripts from the sites visited. To solve the problem, you need to configure a content blocker.

In the browser settings, find the Privacy and Security section. Activate the "Block pop-up!" function. It is also recommended to clear the cache and cookies, as they may have saved scripts that cause reappearance of ads.

For more advanced users, it is recommended to install specialized DNS-This allows you to block ads in all applications at once, without installing software. An example of this service is dns.adguard.com.

  • 🌐 Activate the pop-up blocker in the browser settings.
  • 🧹 Clean your cache and browsing history regularly to reset your advertising identifiers.
  • 🛡️ Use the safe. DNS Filtering traffic at the entire system level.

If ads continue to appear in specific applications, check their permissions. Often programs request access to "Display on top of other applications." Disabling this right for suspicious utilities instantly solves the problem with intrusive banners.

Management of notifications and authorizations

Sometimes what the user takes for a pop-up picture is just an aggressive notification from the app. MIUI and HyperOS have a powerful notification management tool that lets you fine-tune what might appear on the screen.

Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification management. Go through the installed program list. If you see an application that you don’t need or rarely use but actively send notifications, disable this item.

Android's Hidden Permissions
Android 11 and above has a resolution called "Master on top of other apps." If you don't know which app is showing ads, go to the special features settings and check the list of programs that have the right to draw on top of the interface. Most often, the culprits are “Memory Cleaners”, “Batteries” or “Lights".> Pay special attention to system applications such as Security, Downloads or Explorer, which often hide the "Receive recommendations" or "Show news" clauses in their settings, and disabling these features removes banner ads inside the apps themselves. Also worth checking is the "Special Features" section, which may be hiding services that were installed with an application and are now running in the background. If you see an unknown name for a service with access rights, disable it immediately. There are many ways to get rid of unwanted content, but their effectiveness and complexity vary: some methods require only changing the settings, others – installing additional software. The choice depends on your technical background and goals. The safest method is to use the standard system settings. It does not require the installation of third-party programs and does not affect the device warranty. However, it may not block advertising in all applications at once. DNS-filters are more efficient, but may slow down the response rate of some sites. The table below will help you choose the best way to deal with pop-ups depending on your situation: Method Difficulty Efficiency Impact on battery Disconnection MSA Low High (System) Positive Browser Setup Low Medium (Web Only) Neutral DNS-filtering Average Very High Minimum Third Party Blockers High Maximum Visible When choosing a method, focus on the balance between convenience and functionality. MSA More sophisticated methods should be used only if standard tools do not help. Additional tips and prevention To prevent the problem from returning, it is important to maintain digital hygiene. Do not install applications from unknown sources and carefully read the permissions that the program requests when installing. Often, small text contains a consent to display advertising materials. Watch for system updates. Xiaomi periodically changes the location of privacy settings in new versions. MIUI After a major update, always check the Privacy and Ads sections to make sure your settings are not reset, and if you use pirated content or modified versions of apps, the risk of ads increases many times over. In such cases, system settings may not help, and you will need to remove the offending application. Remember that a completely sterile environment is difficult to achieve, but minimizing interference with your smartphone experience is a real task. Be alert to new items on the menu after updates. Frequently asked questions (FAQ) Is it safe to completely shut down the service? MSA? Yes, disabling msa is safe for your smartphone to work. It's a system component that's solely responsible for advertising and analytics. The phone's core functions, calls, messages and apps won't suffer. Why did the ads come back after the shutdown? The system update might reset your settings. In addition, some apps might force the service to reactivate. In that case, the MSA disabling and permission check procedure should be repeated. How do you remove ads in standard Xiaomi apps? Every standard application (Findor, Security, Downloads) has its own settings menu. Usually, under the "Ablog" or in the general menu (three dotwebs) you need to find the "Can" and get recommendations? Yes, if pop-ups appear randomly, even on desktops, and lead to dubious sites, this can be a sign of malware. In this case, it is recommended to scan the phone with an antivirus or perform a factory reset. Does the region of the device affect the amount of advertising? Yes, in some regions (for example, India or Russia), advertising integration in MIUI can be more aggressive than in the European version (Global EEA), where data protection laws are stricter.