Owners of smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO Often faced with a situation where the device begins to offer to install new wallpaper or fonts without an explicit request from the user: These sudden notifications, known as "recommendation cards", appear on the lock screen or in pop-ups, annoying with their intrusiveness. Advertising content in the system MIUI or the new HyperOS built deep and aimed at promoting the company's services.
Fortunately, this mechanism is completely manageable, and you can easily prevent the system from bothering you with such suggestions. Just change a few hidden parameters in system applications to make the interface clean and minimal. In this article, we will discuss in detail all possible ways to disable pop-up themes on Xiaomi, including settings for different versions of the operating system.
Blocking ads will not only improve the visual experience, but also save battery life and mobile internet traffic. Below we will present the latest algorithms that work on most of the modern models released in recent years.
Disabling recommendations in the annex Topic
The main source of intrusive offers is the regular Themes app, which is responsible for the design of the interface and most often broadcasts banner ads, and to fix the problem, you need to penetrate the hidden settings of this system component.
First, open the Themes app on your desktop or in the Tools folder. In the upper right corner of the screen, you'll see the profile icon(s) or three horizontal dots. Click on them to open the drop-down menu. In the list that appears, select Settings. That's where the key switches for personalization and advertising are hidden.
In the settings menu, look for a section called “Additional Settings” or look for “Receive recommendations” immediately. If you have a new version of MIUI installed, this switch can be called “Show ads” or “Recommended themes.” Move the slider to the inactive position (gray), which will turn off notifications about new products.
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If the Receive Recommendations switch is missing, try clearing the Themes app cache through your phone’s settings and restarting the device – the option may pop up again.
Next, you should disable auto-update if you don't want the system to decide when to change the design. Find the "Auto-Update Themes" item and deaktivate it, which will prevent background data loading and pop-ups at unexpected moments.
- 📱 Open the “Themes” app and go to the user profile.
- ⚙️ Select “Settings” in the drop-down menu.
- 🚫 Find and turn off the option “Get recommendations».
- 🔄 Turn off Auto Theme Update to Save Traffic.
Once you have done this, the system will stop analyzing your preferences for advertising, but to have a full effect, it is also recommended that the application be denied access to location data, since geolocation is often used to target advertising offers.
Setting up the lock screen and wallpaper carousel
Users often confuse themes with Glance, a service that changes the picture on the lock screen every time you turn on your smartphone and can show news blocks or banners at the bottom of the screen, and if your goal is a static image and no unnecessary visual noise, this service should be turned off.
Go to the main Settings of your device. Scroll down to the Always on Screen and Lock screen section (in some versions of the firmware, this item is simply in the Lock Screen section). Find the option "Wallpaper Carousel" or "Glance for Mi." Click on the function name to enter its menu.
In the window that opens, you'll see the "Enable Wallpaper Carousel" switch, and you'll see it in the "Off" position, and the system may try to convince you to leave the function, showing the benefits of the service, but you need to confirm the shutdown, and then you'll only have your static photo and widgets on the lock screen.
☑️ Checking the lock screen settings
It's worth noting that new versions of HyperOS have changed the algorithms for the lock screen, where ads can be integrated more natively. If the standard Carousel shutdown didn't work, check the widget settings on the lock screen. Sometimes the ad block is a separate widget that can be removed with a long press.
| Function | Wherever | What's he doing? | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wallpaper carousel | Settings → Lock screen | Changes the wallpaper and shows the news. | Disable for static. |
| Recommendations to the topics | Appendix Topics → Settings | Offers to download new topics | Turn off to avoid spam |
| MDSA (Advertising Service) | Settings → Passwords and security | MIUI System Advertising | Disable msad |
| Receipt of notifications | Settings → Notifications | Permissions for system applications | Limitation for system services |
It's important to distinguish between live wallpaper and Carousel. Live wallpaper is an animated image that works locally. Carousel requires a constant Internet connection to download content. If you want to use beautiful animations but no ads, just select static live wallpaper from the gallery without activating subscription services.
MSA Global Advertising Disconnection
The MSA (MIUI System Ads) service is responsible for collecting data and displaying ads in the entire shell, and disabling this service is the most effective way to combat pop-ups, including suggestions for themes. Without disabling MSA, settings in individual applications can be reset after an update.
Go to Settings on your smartphone. Find Passwords and Security (or "Additional" in older versions). In the list of options, look for "Data Access" or "Special Opportunities" → "Data Access." In the app list that opens, find msa (may be called "MIUI System Ads"). Click on the switch next to it to deny access to the network.
⚠️ Attention: When trying to disconnect MSA You'll see a countdown timer (usually 10 seconds), and you'll have to wait until it's over, and then you'll press OK or Turn it off. If you press it earlier, it won't change the setting.
After disabling the MSA, it is also recommended to disable the service mab (MIUI Ads Browser) if it is present in the list, this component is responsible for advertising integrations in the browser and system widgets, the principle of action is the same: find in the list, deny access to data.
What if the MSA is activated by itself?
There is also a method of disabling ads through the developer menu, but it is less reliable and can be blocked in new versions of Android.
The effect of disabling MSA is noticeable immediately: advertising recommendations in standard applications such as Music, Explorer and Downloads disappear. The interface becomes significantly cleaner, and the speed of the menu can even increase slightly due to the lack of background load of advertising modules.
Cache cleanup and application resetting
If you have completed all the settings, but pop-up themes continue to appear, it is possible that old cached data is stored in the memory of the Themes or System Launcher application, in which case forced clearing of data and cache is required.
Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. Find the Themes app (tube icon) on the list. Click on it to open the control menu. Select Storage. Here you will see two buttons: Clear cache and Clear all (or Reset) and click Clear all.
A similar procedure is useful for the application "Security" and "System Launcher." In the launcher, resetting will return the location of the icons on the desktop to the factory state, so first make sure that you do not need important widgets or take a screenshot. Clearing the launcher cache often helps if the ads are embedded through system widgets.
- 🧹 Open the settings of the application "Themes».
- 💾 Select the item "Storage».
- 🗑️ Click on “Clean All” for a complete reset.
- 📱 Repeat the steps for the System Launcher».
After clearing the data, the Themes may request a re-acceptance of the user agreement when you first start the application. Be careful: at this point, the boxes often appear opposite to the "Receive personalized recommendations" items. Uncheck them before clicking the "Accept" button.
Use of third-party launchers
A radical but effective way to get rid of not only pop-up themes but the entire MIUI ecosystem is to install a third-party launcher.The launcher is a program that completely replaces the desktop, the app menu and often the lock screen.
Popular solutions such as Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher are available on the Google Play Store, and once installed, it becomes the main interface of the system. Since it is third-party software, it does not contain built-in Xiaomi advertising and does not have access to the system modules of the theme.
Installing a third-party launcher gives you complete control over the look of your smartphone. You can set up a grid of icons, gestures, animations and fonts without regard to manufacturer restrictions. Moreover, third-party launchers often run faster and consume fewer resources, as they are not overloaded with heavy visuals MIUI.
⚠️ Note: When installing a third-party launcher, the functionality of some Xiaomi system chips (such as “Second Space” or specific control gestures) may become unavailable or work incorrectly.
To upgrade to the new launcher, click the Home button on your smartphone after you install it. The system will ask which application to use as default for the home screen. Select the launcher installed and press Always. Now, when you return to your desktop, you will see a clean, ad-free interface.
Additional security and optimization measures
In addition to the basic settings, there are a number of additional measures to help keep the system clean. Often pop-ups are a consequence of not only the system services, but also the applications you install that have permissions to display on top of other windows.
Check the list of apps with the option to “Display on top of other apps.” To do this, go to Settings → Privacy Protection (or “Special Features”) → Special features. Study the list carefully. If you see unknown apps or flashlights, calculators and memory cleaners with enabled access, disable them. They often generate pop-up ads that users mistaken for system themes.
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Xiaomi system advertising and viral ads from apps are different things. If disabling MSA didn't help, look for the culprit among the programs you installed with suspicious permissions.
In new security patches, Xiaomi often closes vulnerabilities through which ad modules can bypass user settings. While updates sometimes bring new features, they also contain fixes to the banks in the work of system advertising.
Don't ignore Google's settings. You can limit ad personalization to your Google account. Go to Google's settings on your phone, select Ads and click Reset Ad ID or disable personalization. This won't take away ads completely, but it will make them less intrusive and tied to your interests.