How to Turn Off Ads on Xiaomi Redmi 8: From MIUI to Google

Advertising on Xiaomi Redmi 8 smartphones has been a real headache for many users. Even after buying the device, you continue to see banners in the settings menu, notifications about “recommended apps” and pop-ups in system utilities. The manufacturer has integrated advertising modules at the MIUI firmware level, and allowed ads from Google and third-party services to be displayed. In this article, we will analyze all possible ways, from basic settings to radical methods for obtaining root rights.

It's important to understand that Redmi 8 runs on MIUI 10/11/12 (depending on the firmware version), where the ad mechanisms are deeply embedded. The usual disabling of "personalized advertising" in the settings will not help - you need complex actions. We tested all methods on real devices and selected only working solutions, including hidden functions and alternative firmware.

Why Redmi 8 is getting ads and where they come from

There are at least five advertising sources on Xiaomi Redmi 8, and each requires a different approach:

• 📱 Systemic advertising MIUI — Banners on the Security, Cleanup, Topics menu, and even notification panels, sewn into firmware and activated by default.
• 🔍 Ads from Google – shown in the search bar, widgets and some system applications (e.g. Google Discover).
• 📦 Third-party apps – pre-installed utilities like Mi Browser, Mi Video or Cleaner load banners from external networks.
• 📶 Push notifications – spam from Xiaomi services (e.g. Mi Push Service) or partner companies.
• 🔄 Updates MIUI — Sometimes the ad comes back after firmware updates, even if you've disabled it before.

The most insidious point: even after resetting to factory settings, the ad returns after 1-2 days, since its display is embedded in Xiaomi cloud services.

Method 1: Disabling Advertising through the standard MIUI settings

To start with, the simplest one is built-in firmware options, which won't remove ads completely, but will reduce ads by 40 to 60 percent, and is suitable for users who don't want to risk warranty or install third-party utilities.

The instructions are relevant for MIUI 10-12.5 (in newer versions, the paths may differ slightly):

1. Go to Settings → About Phone and 7 times click on the MIUI version to activate the Developer Mode.
2. Return to the main settings menu and open Additional → for developers.
3. Find the USB Debugging option and turn it on (password confirmation is required).
4. Now open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
5. In the upper right corner, click on three dots and select Show System.
6. Find the app with the names: msa (Mi Security Center) MiuiDaemon Analytics

For each of them:

• Open the application page.
• Click Disable (if the button is inactive, click Stop first).
• In the Notifications section, turn off all switches.

Unnecessary system applications (msa, MiuiDaemon)|Personalized Advertising on Google|Notifications from Mi Push Service|Auto-update MIUI-->

After this action, the ads in the settings and notifications menu should disappear. However, banners in Mi Browser, Mi Video and other pre-installed apps will remain.

⚠️ Note: Disabling system applications may cause some features to work unstable (for example, security updates or sync with Mi Account).If you notice a failure, return the settings back.

Method 2: Removing Pre-installed Advertising Applications

Xiaomi Redmi 8 comes with a dozen unnecessary utilities that not only show ads, but also consume battery power in the background.They can be removed without root rights, but this will require ADB (Android Debug Bridge).

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/Linux/macOS.
• 📱 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 🔧 Google’s Platform Tools utility (download and unpack into a separate folder).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect Redmi 8 to your computer and enable File Transfer (not Charging).
2. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (Linux/macOS) in the folder with Platform Tools.
3. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices If the device appears in the list, go further. If not, check the drivers and reconnect.
4. Run the command to remove unnecessary applications (one at a time): adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.analytics adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.xiaomi.ab adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.systemAdSolution adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.bugreport adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.hybrid adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.hybrid.accessory adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.xiaomi.midrop
5. Reboot the phone.

If you have problems after removing some applications (for example, the themes or settings stopped working), they can be restored by the team:

adb shell cmd package install-existing com.miui.analytics

(Replace com.miui.analytics with the desired package)

💡

Before uninstalling applications via ADB, back up important data. In rare cases, this can cause a system failure, especially if you delete a critical package.

Method 3: Blocking Advertising via DNS and Firewall

If you don't want to remove system applications, you can block ad servers at the network level, and there are two ways to do that: modifying the DNS and using a firewall.

Method 1: Change DNS to AdGuard or NextDNS

This is the safest way to do this, and it doesn't require any additional software, so you just have to change the network settings.

1. Go to Settings → Wi-Fi (or Mobile Network if you use mobile Internet).
2. Click on the connected network and select Change the network → More.
3. In the DNS 1 field, type 94.140.14.14 (AdGuard DNS) and in DNS 2 enter 94.140.15.15.
4. Save the settings and restart the phone.

Alternative DNS for blocking ads:

• 🛡️ NextDNS: 45.90.28.167 and 45.90.30.167 (requires registration on the site).
• 🌍 Cloudflare Family: 1.1.1.3 and 1.0.0.3 (blocks malicious sites) + promotion).

Method 2: Using NetGuard (without root)

If changing the DNS didn’t help, install the NetGuard app, which is a firewall that blocks access to ad servers at the application level.

NetGuard setting:

1. Download and install the app from Google Play.
2. Enable Traffic Filtering in NetGuard settings.
3. Go to the Apps tab and find MiuiDaemon Mi Push Service Download Manager Google Play Services (optional)

For each of them, click on the icon. 🔒 (block internet access).

Block domains

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/StevenBlack/hosts/master/hosts


https://adaway.org/hosts.txt

⚠️ Note: Blocking Google Play Services may disrupt some applications (such as cards or banking services) and use this method only if other methods have not helped.

Method 4: Install custom firmware (for advanced)

If you're willing to take drastic measures, you can install an alternative firmware that removes ads at the system level. Redmi 8 is suitable for:

• 📱 LineageOS – “clean” Android without unnecessary add-ons.
• 🔧 Pixel Experience – firmware with an interface like Google Pixel.
• 🛡️ MIUI Advertising-free versions of official firmware (e.g., modified versions, MIUI EU).

The installation process requires unlocking the bootloader and obtaining root rights. This cancels the warranty and can lead to a device blink if you are not sure of yourself, you should consult a specialist.

Short instructions (for experienced users):

1. Unlock the bootloader through the Mi Unlock Tool (Mi Account binding is required).
2. Install TWRP Recovery for Redmi 8 (codename: Olivelite).
3. Download firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience) and Open GAPPS (select nano).
4. Reboot to TWRP and run Wipe → Advanced Wipe (check Dalvik, Cache, System, Data).
5. Install firmware and GAPPS via Install.
6. Restart the device (the first start can take 10-15 minutes).

After installing custom firmware, advertising will not be in principle, but other nuances will arise:

• ❌ Certain functions MIUI (Game Turbo or Second Space may be missing.
• ⚠️ Security updates will have to be installed manually.
• 📱 Possible problems with the camera or sensors (solved by installing patches).

Method 5: Getting root rights and deep cleaning

If you don't want to change your firmware, but you're ready to get root access, you can manually remove the ad modules from the system.

1. Unlock the bootloader (as in method 4).
2. Install Magisk to get root.
3. Download and install App Manager (requires root).
4. In App Manager, find and remove the following packages: com.miui.analytics com.xiaomi.ab com.miui.systemAdSolution com.miui.hybrid com.miui.hybrid.accessory com.xiaomi.midrop com.miui.bugreport com.miui.player (Mi Music) com.mi.android.globalFileexplorer (Mi File Manager) com.miui.videoer (Mi Videoplay)
5. Open /system/etc/hosts through any root-access file manager (e.g. Solid Explorer) and add at the end of the file: 127.0.0.1 ad.mi.com 127.0.0.1 globalapi.ad.xiaomi.com 127.0.0.1 sdkconfig.ad.xiaomi.com 127.0.0.1 tracking.miui.com
6. Reset the device.

After this action, the ads will disappear by 99%, but there are risks:

• 🔒 Some banking applications (Sberbank, Tinkoff) may stop working due to root.
• 🔄 Updates MIUI through OTA will not be available.
• ⚠️ The warranty on the device will be lost.

💡

Getting root permissions is the most effective way to remove ads, but it's only for power users. If you're not willing to risk system stability, use methods 1-3.

What to do if the ad returns after the MIUI update

Xiaomi regularly releases updates that can restore ad modules. If banners reappear after the update, do the following:

1. Check if the system applications that were previously disabled are back (via Settings → Applications).
2. Update your lock lists in NetGuard or AdGuard.
3. If you have used ADB, repeat the commands to delete packets.
4. Reverse to the previous version of MIUI (if the update brought too much advertising).

To prevent automatic updates:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Settings.
3. Turn off Auto Booting via Wi-Fi and Auto Update.

If you use custom firmware, keep an eye out for forum updates (e.g. XDA Developers) and modified versions of MIUI often release patches that block new ad mechanisms.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Redmi 8 ads