POCO, a sub-brand of Xiaomi, is famous for its excellent price-performance ratio. The POCO X3 (including the NFC and Pro versions) has become a hit thanks to its powerful processor and high-quality screen. However, users often encounter intrusive banner ads that appear in system applications and the MIUI shell interface.
Ad integrations are built deep into MIUI, so simply ignoring banners won't help. You'll need to go through multiple settings menus in sequence to block the main sources of receiving advertising content. It's important to understand that the process doesn't require root rights or complex software, enough care.
In this article, we will discuss all the current methods, from disabling the MSA system service to customizing personalized recommendations, and doing these actions will make using your POCO X3 significantly more comfortable and cleaner.
Disabling the MSA system service
MSA (MIUI System Ads) is the main source of advertising in the operating system, and it is responsible for displaying banners in standard applications such as Explorer, Music and Themes. To get rid of the bulk of pop-ups, you need to deactivate this component.
The process of disabling can take several attempts, because the system sometimes artificially delays the response or emits an error, and it's a security mechanism designed to keep the ad integrations active, and you need to be patient and repeat the action until the result is successful.
Go to your smartphone settings, select Password and Security, and find Access to Personal Data. In the app list, find msa and put the switch to an inactive state. Confirm the action by clicking Stop.
⚠️ Note: If the system gives an error "failed to disable", wait 10-15 You can try again. 3-4 attempt to successfully complete the operation.
Once you successfully shut down, the service will stop receiving data about your actions and showing targeted advertising, a key step in optimizing the system, without which other settings may be less effective.
Set up personalized recommendations
The second important source of intrusive content is the recommendation service, which analyzes your preferences and offers apps, games or news. In POCO X3, this functionality is often turned on by default and requires manual intervention.
To turn off, go to the Settings menu, then select Password and Security. Find Access to Personal Data or Privacy where the Receive References service is located. Turn off this switch.
You should also check the settings in the Security app. Open it, click on the gear in the top right corner, and find "Get recommendations." Make sure the tick is removed. This will help remove the promotional offers when you scan the system.
Disabling these features doesn’t affect the basic applications, but it makes the interface cleaner. You can still manually search for content, but the system will stop offering it aggressively.
☑️ Checking the privacy settings
Cleaning the “Themes” and “Music” app
Standard Xiaomi apps like Themes and Music often contain ad units on the home screens, and to remove them, you need to change the display settings inside the apps themselves.
In the Themes app, go to the user profile (human icon), then click on Settings. Here you need to find the item "Show advertisements" and disable it. It is also recommended to remove the tick from the item "Personal recommendations".
Similar actions are performed in the Music app. Open the settings, find the Advanced Settings section, and turn off the Display Ads option, which will remove banners from the player's home screen.
These changes make standard software more visually pleasing, and if you don't use these apps, you can simply remove them or replace them with third-party counterparts from Google Play.
What to do if the settings are reset?
Removing advertising widgets from the desktop
The POCO X3 desktop often preinstalled wallpaper carousel widgets or Glance newsfeeds, which not only consume traffic, but also display advertising images and headlines.
To remove Wallpaper Carousel, go to Settings → Lock screen. Find wallpaper carousel and select Turn it off. Then, when you lock the screen, you'll see a static image.
The news feed to the left of the main screen can be removed by swiping to the right and clicking on the settings (cogs) or simply turning off the "Widget Tape" switch in the desktop settings.
Desktop cleaning not only removes ads, but also saves battery life, as widgets constantly update content in the background.
| source of advertising | Where to turn off | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|
| Systems service | Settings → Password and Security → MSA | Eliminates 80% of ads |
| Annex Topics | Profile → Settings → Advertising | Cleans the store interface |
| Music appendix | Settings → Advanced → Advertising | Removes banners in the player |
| Wallpaper carousel | Settings → Lock screen | Takes down the naonka ad. |
Blocking Advertising in Mi Browser
The standard Mi Browser also contains news feeds and ad units, and if you prefer to use it over Chrome or Firefox, you need to change the settings inside the app.
Open your browser, click on three menu bars, and go to Settings, and find the Privacy and Security section and turn on the Ad Block option, which activates the built-in filter.
Next, in the general browser settings, find the “News Feed” or “Home Page” item and turn off the display of recommended content. This will make the start page empty and fast.
An alternative solution is to install extensions to block ads, if the browser supports them, or use them. DNS-filtering at the system level.
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Use browsers with built-in protection, such as Brave or DuckDuckGo, to avoid manually configuring filters. They block trackers by default.
Using a private DNS to block the world
The most effective method that works in all applications at once, including games and third-party software, is to configure a private DNS. This method does not require the installation of additional programs.
Go to "Settings» → «Connection and Sharing (or "Wi-Fi and Internet"). Find "Private" DNS» (Private DNS). Select the mode "Host Name of the provider" DNS».
In the field that appears, enter the address:
dns.adguard.comSave the settings. Now all requests to known ad servers will be blocked at the network level, which will speed up the loading of pages in the browser and remove banners in many applications.
⚠️ Attention: When using private DNS Some apps or sites may stop working correctly. If you encounter problems, return the settings DNS auto-mode».
This method is particularly effective for POCO X3, because the device processor can easily handle encryption DNS-requests without losing internet connection speed.
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AdGuard DNS setup blocks ads across the system, including browsers and games, without the need to install third-party software.