How to permanently disable the screensaver on Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

Whether it’s banner ads on the Miui lock screen, automatic wallpaper on Smart TVs or annoying notifications about “useful services” – they all eat battery power, distract from work and sometimes even slow down the system, especially annoying owners of Mi TV 4/5 series, where the screensavers appear every 5-10 minutes of inactivity, interrupting the viewing of a movie or game.

In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to disable screensavers on different Xiaomi devices: from smartphones on MIUI 12-14 to Mi TV Q2/Q1E and Mi Box S. It is important to understand that the manufacturer specifically complicates this process - some settings are hidden in the depths of the menu, and in new firmware they are completely removed. But there are always workarounds. Let's start with the simplest and end with advanced methods for experienced users.

1. Disable screensavers on Xiaomi smartphones (MIUI 12-14)

On Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, screensavers come in three forms: lock screen ads, automatic wallpaper changes, and notifications from system applications (such as Mi Video or Mi Browser) that require a combination of standard and hidden settings to get rid of.

The first step is to turn off personalized advertising.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Show System Processes
3. Find the msa app (or Miui System Ads in newer versions)
4. Select Disable and Confirm Action

That's enough to remove most of the ads, but not all of the screensavers, like MIUI wallpapers can still change automatically.

• 📱 Open Topics → tap on your avatar → Settings → Turn off the automatic wallpaper change
• 🔧 B Settings → Lock screen select static image instead of Dynamic wallpaper
• 🚫 B Settings → Notifications disable the Recommendation option on the lock screen (if any)

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If after disabling msa some system functions stopped working (for example, the weather on the lock screen), try instead of completely turning off just limit the background activity of this application in the battery settings.

An important nuance for MIUI 14: In the latest firmware versions, Xiaomi removed direct access to the ad settings. Now, you need to use the ad settings to disable them. ADB-commands (discussed in section 5) or patches via Magisk (for rooted devices).

2. remove screensavers on Xiaomi Mi TV (all models)

Xiaomi Mi TVs (especially the 4A, 4S, 5, Q1E, Q2) are famous for their intrusive screensavers, which appear not only when inactivity, but also when watching movies through embedded applications (such as Mi Video or PatchWall), and can be turned off in several ways, from standard to radical.

First, try the basic settings:

1. Press the Settings button on the remote (cog) → select All settings
2. Go to Personal → Screen and Sound → Standby Mode
3. Turn off the option to show recommendations on the waiting screen
4. Go back and select Apps → AutoRun → Turn off AutoRun for Mi Video, PatchWall, and Mi Home

If the screensavers keep popping up, the problem goes deeper, because Xiaomi is putting the ad modules right into the PatchWall launcher to remove them:

Install a third-party launcher (such as an ATV Launcher)

Turn off the automatic PatchWall update

Clear cache and data of the Mi Video app

Reset your Smart Assistant settings (if any)

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Radical method: completely replacing the firmware with custom (for example, AOSP for Mi TV), this will remove all system screensavers, but will require unlocking the bootloader and losing warranty.

3. disable screensavers on Mi Box S and other consoles

In the Xiaomi Mi Box S, Mi Box 4 and Mi Stick consoles, the screensavers appear in the form of banner ads on the home screen and pop-up notifications. It is easier than with TVs, but there are pitfalls too.

Standard method:

• 📺 Go to Settings. → Preferences → Main screen screen
• 🔘 Disable Content Recommendations and Personalized Offers
• 🗑️ B Settings → Apps find Mi Video and Google Play Movies, then clear the cache and turn off notifications

If the adverts are still there, the problem is the launcher. The default on the Mi Box S is the Leanback Launcher, which cannot be replaced without the root rights.

1. B Settings → Find the Leanback Launcher
2. Click Disable Updates (if the option is active)
3. Return to Settings → System → Software Update and Turn Off Automatic Update

To remove ads completely, you’ll need to roll back firmware to an earlier version (like Android 8 on Android 7) that didn’t have built-in ad modules, but that could lead to some apps losing functionality.

4. Hidden settings: how to disable screensavers through the engineering menu

Some Xiaomi devices (especially the Mi TV 4/5 series) have hidden engineering menus where you can turn off the screensavers at the system level, which does not work on all models, but if you are lucky, it will save you from unnecessary manipulation.

For TVs:

1. On the remote, press sequentially: Menu → Settings → All settings → Support
2. Quickly press 5 times on Menu, then 1 time on Up and 1 time on OK.
3. If you have Factory Menu, select AD Settings and disable all options related to Recommendation and Ads.

For smartphones:

1. Open the phone app and type ##4636##
2. Go to the Phone Information tab → scroll down to Turn off ads (if you have an option)
3. Alternative code: ##8464## (opens screensaver testing menu)

Warning: Changes to the engineering menu can cause the device to function in an unstable way. For example, on the Mi TV 5X, when the ad modules are turned off, some applications sometimes lose sound, and if you're not sure, it's better to use other methods.

5. Advanced method: disabling screensavers through ADB

If the standard methods didn’t work, Android Debug Bridge (ADB) will come to the rescue, which works on all Xiaomi devices (smartphones, TVs, consoles), but requires a computer connection and basic command line knowledge.

Step 1: Preparation

• 💻 Install. ADB Tools on PC
• 📱 On Xiaomi, turn on Developer Mode (7 times click on Version) MIUI customized)
• 🔌 B Settings → Additionally. → For developers, turn on debugging by USB and Debugging over the network (for TVs)

Step 2: Connect and Commands

For smartphones:

adb shell pm hide com.xiaomi.msa.global


adb shell pm hide com.miui.systemAdSolution

For Mi TVs:

adb shell pm hide com.droidlogic.appinstaller


adb shell pm hide com.mitv.tvhome




adb shell settings put global captive_portal_detection_enabled 0

For the Mi Box S:

adb shell pm hide com.xiaomi.mitv.appstore


adb shell pm hide com.miui.videoplayer

Important: Once the device is restarted, some commands may reset. To fix the result, create a script to automatically execute those commands every time you connect to the ADB.

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ADB-commands are the most reliable way to turn off the screensaver forever, but it requires re-execution after resetting settings or updating the firmware.

Extreme measures: firmware and root rights

If none of the previous methods worked, there are radical solutions: install custom firmware or get root rights, which will give you complete control of the system, but deprive you of warranties and can lead to unstable work.

Option 1: Castom firmware (for televisions)

For the Mi TV 4/5 series, there are firmware based on Android TV without ads (for example, AOSP by Team Amlogic).

1. Unlock the bootloader via fastboot (command: fastboot oem unlock)
2. Install TWRP Recovery for your model
3. Sweat your custom firmware through ADB sideload

Option 2: Magisk and modules (for smartphones)

With Magisk, you can install modules that block ads at the system level:

• 📲 Install Magisk and get root rights
• 🔧 Download the Disabler for module MIUI AdAway in the Magisk repository
• 🔄 Reset the device

Warning for Mi TV Q2/Q1E owners: on these models, locking the bootloader can lead to the inability to recover using standard methods.Be sure to back up the original firmware through dumpimage before firmware.

Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

To make it easier for you to determine, we have compiled a table with the pros and cons of each method:

For most users, the best solution will be a combination of standard settings. + ADB-It's going to be as effective as possible with minimal risk, and bone firmware and root rights are only worth considering if you're prepared for the potential problems.

FAQ: Frequent questions about turning off screensavers