Xiaomi smartphone owners often face intrusive advertising that appears in standard apps and even on the desktop.This is especially true for the Redmi Note 7 model, which runs on the MIUI shell with active marketing modules. While such monetization allows you to keep the price of the device low, constant pop-ups can be annoying and distracting from work.
Fortunately, the system allows you to disable most ad units manually without obtaining superuser rights. You don't need to be a programming expert to set up a clean interface. You just need to go through several settings menus consistently and disable the corresponding switches to significantly improve the comfort of using the gadget.
In this article, we will take a closer look at all the steps in cleaning up marketing noise, not only the obvious settings, but also the hidden system services that are responsible for displaying content. Follow the instructions carefully so that you do not miss any advertising source.
Disabling the MSA System Service
The main source of banner ads in the system is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which collects data about your preferences and translates targeted ads to application folders and system utilities, and before you turn it off, you need to allow the system to revoke authorization.
Go to the settings menu and find the Password and Security section, and inside you'll need to select Access to Personal Data, and there's a long list of system applications, and you'll need to find msa, and click on it and put the slider inactive.
The system will give a warning that the shutdown may affect the operation of certain functions. Ignore and press the "Cancel" button. Importantly, the countdown timer is 10 seconds, after which the button will become active. If the first time failed, try repeating the action again.
⚠️ Note: After the withdrawal of authorization service MSA will stop receiving data for targeting, but the process itself can remain in memory until the restart.
Setting up the "Security" application
The standard Security app on the Redmi Note 7 often shows promotional offers when scanning the system or clearing the memory. To get rid of this, you need to change the settings of the application itself. Open Security and click on the gear in the upper right corner of the screen.
In the menu that opens, find the "Get recommendations" item and turn it off. It's also worth checking the "Clean up" section, where "Clean up recommendations" can be activated. Disabling these options will make the utility work quickly and deprive it of its commercial component.
Additionally, the Security app has a section called Accelerate, go to its settings and also turn off recommendations, which will prevent banners from appearing when using the RAM acceleration function.
☑️ Checking security settings
Cleaning the desktop and folders
Ad blocks often appear in desktop folders and wallpaper carousel. If you open the app folder and see the "Recommended" line at the bottom, it can be easily removed. Click on the folder name to open the settings, and turn off the "Recommended" option.
To disable ads in the slides (Wallpaper Carousel) go to Settings → Lock screen. Find the wallpaper carousel and deaktivate it. This will not only remove the ads, but can also positively affect the autonomy of the device, as the background loading of content will stop.
It's also worth checking the theme settings. Sometimes banner ads are embedded in third-party themes downloaded from Themes. If you notice suspicious activity, go back to the standard MIUI theme. This is guaranteed to remove any visual distortions of the interface.
What is a wallpaper carousel?
Disabling Advertising in Mi Browser
The built-in Mi Browser browser is another ad distribution channel that can show notifications about news and promotions even when you're not using the app. To stop this flow, open your browser and go to its settings.
In the settings menu, look for the Privacy and Security section, where you need to turn off the Receive Notifications and Personalized Recommendations option, which will prevent pop-ups at the top of the smartphone screen.
If you don’t use Xiaomi’s browser, you’d better just turn it off or remove the updates to free up space. Instead, you can use Chrome or Firefox, which don’t have built-in MIUI system ads.
| source of advertising | Where to turn off | Default status |
|---|---|---|
| Systems service | Password and security → Access to personal data | Included. |
| Security Annex | Settings (cogs) → Get recommendations | Included. |
| Conductor | Settings → About the application → Recommendations | Included. |
| Topics | Profile → Settings → Showing Advertising | Included. |
Settings of the application "Conductor" and "Themes"
The standard file manager on Redmi Note 7 can also display ads. To remove banners from the bottom of the screen, open the Explorer app. Click on the menu (three bars) and select Settings. Under About or Recommendations, uncheck the news box.
Themes is a visual style management center, but also a source of ad traffic. Go to the user profile (human icon), then to the settings. Find the item "Show ads" and turn it off. It is also recommended to disable "Auto-Update themes" if you do not want new interface elements to appear without your knowledge.
Remember that after the system update, some settings may reset. Check these sections periodically, especially after major MIUI updates.
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Use alternative applications for standard features, such as the Total Commander file manager or Brave browser. These are often faster and do not contain built-in MIUI advertising.
Disabling personalized advertising (mab)
The MIUI Ads Broker service is responsible for personalizing ads based on your actions, and disabling it won’t eliminate ads completely, but it will make them less intrusive and make it impossible for the system to collect data about your habits.
The process is similar to disabling MSA. Go to Settings → Password and Security → Access to personal data. Find mab on the list and revoke permission. The system will again warn you of the consequences, but for the average user they are not critical.
After disabling mab, ads can become more general and less relevant, or they can be reduced in system applications, an important step for those who value their privacy and do not want algorithms to analyze their behavior.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling system services may cause some widgets to temporarily unstable. If you notice serious errors, refund permissions.
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The total shutdown of all services (MSA, mab, in-app recommendations) has the maximum effect, and disabling only one component can leave advertising tails in the system.
Using DNS to Block Advertising
The most effective way to remove ads not only in the system, but also in applications and games is to use a private DNS. This method does not require the installation of additional programs and works at the network connection level.
Go to the connection settings. The path may vary depending on the version of MIUI: Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS. If there is no such option, type the word “DNS” in the settings search. Select the option “Host Name of the DNS provider” and enter the address: dns.adguard.com.
Save the settings. Now all the traffic going through Wi-Fi and the mobile network will be filtered. Ad servers simply won't be able to load the banner, and you'll see an empty space or a page loading faster.
dns.adguard.comThis method is especially effective for blocking ads in free games and applications where disabling system services does not help, but it is worth remembering that some sites may not work properly with the filter turned on.