Xiaomi’s smartphones are famous for their value for money, but ownership of the device is often overshadowed by intrusive marketing. Owners of the popular Redmi 7 model regularly encounter banner ads, pop-ups in the interface and recommendations in standard applications. This is not a system bug, but a feature of the MIUI branded shell, which is monetized by displaying content. Fortunately, most of these elements can be manually deactivated, returning the device to its clean appearance.
The process of disabling advertising requires sequential passage through several settings menus, since there is no single “Switch Off All” button in the system. You will have to disable the MSA system service (MIUI System Ads), change the settings for each preinstalled application and adjust the security settings. Despite the apparent complexity, the entire procedure takes no more than 15 minutes and does not require root rights or flashing the device.
In this guide, we will take a look at each step needed to clean up the Redmi 7 from noise.We will look at both standard methods through the settings menu and more advanced DNS locking methods that guarantee results even when the regular switches do not work properly.
Disabling the MSA system advertising service
The central element in charge of displaying ads on the system is the MSA service, which is a system application that runs in the background and downloads advertising content for various components of the shell, which is the one that needs to be turned off first. The deactivation process has one feature: the system will persistently ask you to cancel the action, claiming that without advertising functionality will decrease, but it does not.
To start, go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Data Access. In the list that opens, find msa and switch the slider to an inactive position. A 10 second countdown timer will appear, after which you press the “Disable” button. If you fail the first time and an error message appears, try again 2-3 times – the company’s servers are often overloaded, and failure when you turn off is the norm.
⚠️ Attention: Do not remove the application MSA Completely through third-party utilities if you have no experience with system components. Forced removal can lead to unstable operation of the launcher or theme store.
After a successful MSA shutdown, it is also recommended to restrict access to data for other system services that can broadcast content.In the same Access to Data menu, find GetApps, MIUI Daemon and Scanner, and also deny them access to mobile Internet and Wi-Fi. This will prevent them from updating advertising modules in these components.
Configuring standard MIUI applications
Even after the main service is disabled, individual MIUI applications can continue to show recommendations in their interfaces, each with its own privacy settings that need to be checked separately, including Explorer, Music, Video, and of course the app store.
Start with the Security app. Open it, click on the settings gear in the top right corner, and find the "Get recommendations." The switch should be turned off. Similar actions should be done in the Topics, Music, and Video apps, and in each of them, you should go to the profile or settings and find the option associated with personalization or recommendations and deactivate it.
☑️ Verification of system applications
Pay special attention to the GetApps app store. Go to its settings through the user profile and turn off all notifications, as well as the item "Advertising Notifications", which will save you from the constant pop-ups with suggestions to install games or speed up the phone.
For clarity, below is a table of the main applications and items that require your intervention:
| Annex | The path to adjustment | What to turn off |
|---|---|---|
| Security | Settings (cogs) | Receive recommendations |
| Conductor | Settings → About the annex | Receive recommendations |
| Topics | Profile → Settings | Showing Advertising, Auto Update |
| GetApps | Settings → Notifications | Promotional notices |
Cleaning the desktop and folders
One of the most annoying elements for Redmi 7 users is the ads in the folders on the desktop. When you open the folder with applications from the bottom, the Recommended Apps tape often appears. It's not a virus, but a regular launcher feature that can be easily removed.
To get rid of the banners in the folders, open any folder on your desktop. Click on the folder name as if you want to rename it, but instead of typing in text, find the Recommended Apps (or "Promoted Apps") switch and turn it off. The tape disappears instantly. If the switch is missing, try updating the Services and Feedback app through the GetApps store or Google Play.
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If the ads in the folders appeared after the system update, check for updates for the Service and Feedback application – it is often responsible for this interface element.
Also worth checking the launcher settings itself. Click on the empty space on your desktop, select Settings, and make sure that the Wallpaper Carousel section has disabled the option “Enable Wallpaper Carousel.” This service often uploads advertising images to the lock screen if not configured correctly.
Blocking Advertising in Mi Browser
Xiaomi’s standard browser is known for its aggressive policies on advertising and data collection, and many users prefer to remove it immediately and install Chrome or Firefox, but if you prefer to leave a standard solution, it needs to be carefully configured.
Open your browser, go to the menu (three bars) → Settings → Privacy and security. You need to activate the ad blocker here. Also, in the Notifications section, you should prevent sites from sending push notifications, as they often spam through them. In the News Feed section, turn off the display of news feeds that are oversaturated with advertising articles.
A more radical but effective method is to completely replace the start page and the search engine, install Google or DuckDuckGo as a search engine, and replace the start page with an empty or minimalist one, which will significantly reduce the amount of visual noise each time you launch your browser.
Using a private DNS to block the world
If manually disabling all services did not give 100% result, or you want to guarantee to block advertising in all applications at once, including games, use the method. DNS-This method works at the network connection level and does not require the installation of additional software.
Android 9 and higher, which is installed on Redmi 7, has a built-in private DNS feature. Go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS. Select the DNS Provider Host Name mode and enter the address:
dns.adguard.comSave your 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 from most free apps and games.
⚠️ Attention: When in use DNS-Ads in apps you want to support (for example, YouTube or some developer games) may stop working. DNS in Auto or Off mode».
What if the Internet stopped working after changing the DNS?
Disabling Personalization and Analytics
In addition to direct advertising, MIUI collects data about your use of the device to create an advertising profile, disabling these features will not only increase privacy, but also reduce the load on the processor, which is true for the Redmi 7 with its not the most powerful hardware.
Go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Privacy. Here, find the MIUI Improvement Program and turn it off. Next, go to the Mi Account settings (if you have one), and in About Device, turn off usage data, which will prevent you from sending statistics about what apps you open and how often.
Also, disable Google ad personalization. Go to Settings → Google → Advertising and click “Delete Ad ID” or “Reset” to break the link between your actions and advertising identifiers, making targeted ads less accurate but less intrusive.
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The comprehensive approach, including disabling MSA, setting up DNS and banning personalization, allows you to remove 95-99% of all advertising, turning a budget smartphone into a comfortable tool for work.