Budget smartphone owners often face intrusive notifications that appear in the most unexpected places of the interface. Xiaomi Redmi 9, running on the shell of MIUI, is no exception to this rule, since advertising integrations are built deep into system processes. Many users mistakenly believe that this is virus software, but it is a regular feature of the operating system aimed at monetizing the device.
Fortunately, the company's engineers have left the ability to manually control these processes, allowing you to completely clean the screen of unnecessary visual noise. You do not need root access or complex reprogramming of the phone, just change several key parameters in the settings menu sequentially. In this article, we will analyze each source of advertising separately to ensure maximum efficiency of cleaning.
The shutdown process will take no more than 10-15 minutes of your time, but the result is worth it – the interface will become significantly cleaner and more responsive. We will look at both standard methods through settings, and more advanced ways to block traffic from ad servers.
MSA Disconnection: The Main Source of Advertising
The main culprit behind banners in system applications is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which analyzes your actions and generates personalized offers that are displayed in folders, browsers and menus, and to block it, you need to find the appropriate item in the authorization and advertising menu.
Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Access to personal data. In the list that opens, find msa and put the switch in an inactive position. The system will warn you of the possible consequences and ask you to wait 10 seconds, after which it will prompt you to confirm the action.
⚠️ Warning: The confirmation button (Stop) may not be active the first time. If it is not pressed, just repeat the deactivation procedure. 3-4 Once the service is successfully disabled, it is recommended that the device be restarted to apply the changes, which will stop the collection of application usage statistics and stop the formation of advertising profiles at the system level. 📊 Did you manage to shut down? MSA Yes, I had to try a few times Button did not press completely Found another way to configure system applications MIUI Even after the main service is disabled, individual embedded applications can continue to show recommendations and news. MIUI Each system utility has its own ad switch, which must be deactivated manually. This is for apps like Security, Explorer, Music and Themes. Start with the Security app by going to its settings via the three-dot menu in the top right corner. Find the Receive References section and turn it off. Similar actions must be repeated for "Conductor" (install "Settings" →"About the annex" →"Receive recommendations”) and the theme store. ☑️ Checking system applications Disable advertising in Security:Remove the tick in the settings Clear the Explorer cache:Settings → Memory. → Settings Topic: Section Recommendations → Turn offMi Video: Settings → Confidentiality → Turn off the advertisements Completed: 0 / 4 Don’t forget to also check the settings of the Downloads app, where promotional materials from Xiaomi partners often appear. In some versions of firmware, ad units may be hidden in the "Memory Cleanup" section of the security application, so carefully study all tabs. For the "Themes" application, it is important not only to turn off notifications, but also to remove the tick from the "Show Ads" section of the profile settings. This will prevent banners from appearing when searching for new designs. Blocking ads in the browser and notifications The standard Mi Browser browser is set to display news feeds and advertising articles on the start page. To turn it into a minimalist tool for surfing, you need to change the browser settings, simply turn off the "Main" page. It is also recommended to install a pop-up blocker that is built into your browser's privacy settings. This will significantly reduce the number of intrusive windows when visiting sites. App Way to Configure What to Disable Mi Browser Settings → Home page News Feed, Recommendations Settings Explorer → About App Get recommendations Security Settings (cog) Get recommendations Settings Downloads → About App Recommended Contents should be given notices from the apps themselves. Often the advert comes in the form of push notifications from installed games or utilities. Should I delete the standard browser?Delete the system browser is possible through ADB, But it can disrupt some links within the system. It's easier and safer to just not use it by installing Chrome or Firefox as the default browser, and the standard one is not allowing access to the network in the application settings. DNS For global locking, the most effective method that works at the device level is to configure Private. DNS. This method allows you to redirect everything. DNS-requests through a server that automatically filters and blocks access to known ad domains, which will save you from advertising not only on the system, but also within most free apps and games. → Connection and sharing → Private DNS. Select the option "Host Name of the provider Private" DNS" And you can put the address of a special server in there. One of the most reliable and free options is AdGuard. dns.adguard.com After you type in the address, click "Save." If you did everything right, the status bar will have a key icon or the words "Private." DNS Now all requests to ad servers will be blocked at the network level. ⚠️ Note: When using Private DNS Some apps (such as Spotify or certain games) may stop working correctly, because they perceive the blocker as the absence of the Internet. DNS "Automotive". 💡If, after the inclusion of the private DNS Wi-Fi stopped working in public places (where authorization is required via the browser), temporarily disable this function. captive portals are often blocked DNS-filter. Xiaomi’s personalization and analytics restriction collects extensive user data to improve its services, but this feature is also used for targeted advertising. To minimize the digital footprint and reduce the relevance of advertising offers, you need to disable user experience improvement programs" →"Privacy. This is the "User Experience Program" item that you're interested in. Disable participation in this program so that your smartphone will stop sending error reports and usage statistics to the company's servers. You should also check your Mi Account settings. Go to Settings → Mi Account. → Cloud. → Synchronize and make sure you don’t synchronize excess data that can be used for analysis. While it doesn't directly remove banners, it reduces the accuracy of targeting. MIUI And there's a separate section called "Advertising Services" in the privacy settings, and if you find one, you have to reset the advertising ID and turn off the personalization of the ads. ID Android, which resets the accumulated profile of interests. 💡Integrated approach including shutdown MSA, private-setting DNS And cleaning system applications, eliminating 99% of all ads in the Redmi 9 interface (FAQ) Is it safe to turn off the service? MSA? Yes, disabling msa is completely safe for operating system stability, it's a system process that is solely responsible for displaying ads, once it's turned off, the phone will work normally, just without banner ads, will the Internet disappear after setting up Private? DNS? Usually the Internet is stable, but sometimes there may be problems connecting to certain Wi-Fi networks or some games. In such cases, it is enough to return the DNS setting to Auto or Disabled mode in the connection menu. Will the ads return after the system update? When a major update to the Android or MIUI version (for example, from MIUI 12 to MIUI 13), the settings can be reset to factory ones. It is recommended that after each large update check the status of the MSA service and the Private DNS settings. Will removing updates of system applications help? Removing updates (" rollback" to the factory version) often helps if the new types of applications appear in the new version of the application again, however, this method often helps with new types of the new applications.