Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often encounter intrusive banner ads that appear in the most unexpected places.Pop-ups can overlap the interface, interfere with the work with applications or simply annoy with their sudden appearance on the desktop.
Fortunately, there are several effective ways to remove ads on Xiaomi without having to obtain superuser rights (root).The process of disabling does not require deep programming knowledge, but involves carefulness when switching toggles in system settings. In this article, we will discuss all methods, from simple switches to advanced DNS settings.
Not only does the content come from system applications, but it can also come from third-party software installed by the user, so the approach has to be comprehensive: first, we turn off the built-in MIUI and HyperOS mechanisms, and then we check the device for malware, which ensures that the interface is clean and speeds up the gadget.
Disabling system advertising through Mi Account settings
The first and most important step is to disable personalized recommendations at the account level, which allows the system to collect data about your preferences and show targeted advertising, and to perform this operation, you need to go to the account settings section.
You need to open the Settings menu, select Mi Account (or log in through the top curtain), then go to System About or Advertising Services. Here you should find the Receive Recommendations switch and put it in an inactive position. The system can request confirmation of an action to which you need to respond with consent.
⚠️ Warning: Once this option is disabled, the ads will not disappear instantly and completely.This step only prohibits personalization, but the main ad modules continue to work in the background.
Next, you need to check your privacy settings separately. In the Settings menu, find the Passwords and Security section, then Access to Data or Authorization and Privacy. Here, it is important to revoke consent to the use of advertising identifiers, which will limit the ability of applications to track your actions to show relevant content.
☑️ Checking account settings
Remember that the interface may vary slightly depending on the shell version. On older versions of MIUI 12, the path may be different from HyperOS. If you didn't find the item right away, search for the settings by entering the word "advertising" or "recommend".
Blocking the MSA service, the main source of advertising
MSA (MIUI System Ads) is the main system component responsible for displaying advertising content in the shell, and disabling this service is a critical step in removing most pop-ups, but the system will prevent this from happening by offering to wait 10 seconds before confirmation.
To turn off the service, go to Settings → Applications → All Apps. In the upper right corner, click on three dots and select Show System Services. In the list, find the msa (MIUI System Ads) application. Click on it and select the Disable option.
You'll see a countdown timer. You'll have to wait 10 seconds, and then the Disconnect button will be active. If you fail to turn it off the first time and you get an error, repeat the procedure 3-4 times in a row. Usually, on the third attempt, the system will surrender and turn off the service.
After successful MSA disabling, ads in standard applications such as Downloads, Explorer and Music should disappear, and this action will positively affect the autonomy of the device, as the background process will no longer consume the CPU resources.
Set up separate system applications
Even after the MSA service is disabled, individual system applications can continue to show ad units in their interfaces. Each component of the Xiaomi shell has its own ad settings that need to be manually disabled. It takes a while, but the result is worth it.
Consider the main applications where intrusive content is most common, and for each of them, you need to go to the settings (usually three dots in the corner of the screen) and find the item associated with “Recommendations” or “Ads”.
- 📁 Explorer: Click on three menu bars, select Settings → About the program and disable Get recommendations.
- 📥 Downloads: Open the app, click three dots, select Settings and remove the tick from Receive recommendations.
- 🎵 Music: Go to Settings → Additional settings and disable the display of advertising.
- 🧹 Security: Go to the app settings (cogs), find the Receive recommendations section and turn it off.
The app Security is a special focus, because it runs more often than others and has many modules, and you also have to go to the Cleanup section and turn off recommendations in the settings of this module, which will remove banner ads that appear during the scanning of the system.
Don't forget to check the Themes app. It also has a setting to Show ads, which is active by default, and turning this off will make the store cleaner and more enjoyable to use.
Using Private DNS to block at the network level
One of the most effective and modern methods of combating advertising is the use of the DNS over TLS (Private DNS) protocol, which allows you to block advertising requests at the network connection level without requiring the installation of third-party applications or complex settings.
The idea is that your phone sends requests to a server that filters domains of known ad networks, and if the domain is blacklisted, the request is blocked, and the ads simply don't load, and it works in all apps and browsers.
To set up, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing (or just Wi-Fi/Mobile Network).Look for Private DNS-service (Private) DNS). Select the hostname of the provider DNS And enter the address:
dns.adguard.comSave the settings. Now all traffic will go through AdGuard filters, which not only removes ads, but also speeds up the loading of pages, because there will be no extra advertising debris loading. It works at the level of the entire Android operating system.
⚠️ Attention: When using private DNS Some apps or sites may not work properly if they rely on ad trackers to log in.In rare cases, you may need to temporarily disable DNS accessing a certain resource.
If you want to return everything as it was, just select Auto or Disabled in the same DNS settings. This action is safe and reversible at any time.
Table: Comparison of methods of disabling advertising
To make it easier for you to navigate the locking methods, we have prepared a comparison table that will help you choose the best option or use a combination of them for maximum effect.
| Method | Efficiency | Difficulty | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSA shutdown | Tall. | Medium | Removes system banners |
| Private DNS | Very high. | Low. | Blocks ads in the browser and games |
| Application settings | Medium | High (long) | Remove recommendations in the interface |
| Disabling Mi recommendations | Low. | Low. | Only a reduction in personalization |
As you can see from the table, the best results come from a combination of methods: disabling MSA removes the system part, and Private DNS finishes the residues on the Internet and third-party programs.
Search and Remove Malware Applications
Sometimes pop-up ads are not from system processes, but from third-party apps that you installed yourself, often flashlights, memory cleaners, weather widgets, or games of dubious origin, and they can run ads over other windows.
To find the culprit, pay attention to the moment the ad appears. If the banner crashes when you are on your desktop or in another application, try the following:
- 👀 Observation method: Immediately after the advertisement appears, press the menu button (square or three bars) to open the list of running applications. The first application in the list (not counting the current one) is likely the source of the application.
- 📱 Check the list of applications: Go to Settings → Annexes → All apps. Look carefully for apps without a name or icon (empty white square) that are often disguised as system-based applications.
- 🛡️ Use antivirus: Run a check through built-in Security or install a reliable antivirus, such as Malwarebytes or Dr.Web.
If you find an application without an icon, delete it immediately. To do so, click on it in the list and select Delete. If the delete button is inactive, it may be that the application has administrator rights.
Also check application permissions. Go to Settings → Privacy Protection → Special Permissions → Display on top of other apps. Disable this access for any suspicious programs that don’t need it to work (the calculator doesn’t need to block the screen).