How to remove a floating window on Xiaomi Redmi

Users of popular Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a situation where an unexpected window appears on the screen on top of the main interface, such as advertising, a download notification or a video that prevents full use of the device. A floating window is a special element of the MIUI or HyperOS system that allows you to perform several tasks at once, but sometimes its functionality becomes intrusive.

The annoying element can block important buttons, reduce readability of text and simply distract from work. Depending on the source of the appearance, the algorithm for eliminating it will differ, you need to determine exactly whether this is a system function of the Floating Window or an intrusive advertising from a particular application.

In this article, we will take a closer look at all the possible causes of these windows and provide step-by-step instructions for turning them off, learn how to multitask and clean the screen of unnecessary visual noise, regaining comfort when using the gadget.

Identification of the type of floating window

The first step before any action is to understand what exactly you are dealing with. Xiaomi’s system features and third-party advertising require fundamentally different approaches to solving the problem. If you do not identify the source, attempts to disconnect may not succeed.

A system floating window usually has translucent boundaries, resizeability, and clear control buttons (close, deploy). It often appears when switching between running applications or when a video player is activated. A banner ad tends to look less neat, may flash or contain calls to action that are not related to the current context of your work.

⚠️ Note: If a floating window appears immediately after the lock screen is turned on or requires you to install an antivirus, it is a sign of malware, not a system feature.

Notice the behavior of the element. System windows respond to gestures, you can drag and drop them across the screen. Advertising modules often stick to the edges or have a fixed position that is difficult to change. Also check whether the activation occurs when you start your browser, clear your memory or at any point in time.

Disabling the system function of floating windows

MIUI and HyperOS have a built-in mechanism for working with multiple applications at once, and if you're annoyed by the possibility of accidentally creating such windows or swiping them, this feature can be limited through settings.

To start, go to your device's Settings section, find the option for additional system functions. It can be called differently in different versions of firmware, so carefully study the list of options available.

• 📱 Open the Settings menu on the main screen.
• 🔍 Find the Additional Features (or “Special Features” section in the new versions).
• 🖥️ Select the option Floating windows.
• 🚫 Turn off the Sidebar option if it is active.

You can also find window behavior settings here, for example, you can prevent apps from running in the default floating mode, which will help you avoid situations where a video or messenger takes up part of the screen without your knowledge. The sidebar is a common reason for random launches when you take the phone in your hand.

After making changes to the settings, it is recommended to completely restart the device, which is necessary for Android system services to correctly apply the new settings and reset the cached window states.

Blocking Ads from Specific Applications

The most common reason for unwanted windows is free apps that monetize their content, such as memory cleaners, flashlights, simple games or photo editing tools.

To remove this window, you have to find the culprit, and modern versions of MIUI have a handy tool that allows you to instantly determine which application has displayed ads on the screen, which makes it much easier to clean the system of junk software.

When the floating window is active, try swiping from the top corner of the screen down or press the menu button (three dots) if it appears in the window interface. In the list that opens, select About or Information. The system will redirect you to the settings of the very component that created the window.

Once you're on the culprit app menu, you can do something radical or lenient. The radical method is to delete the program completely. The soft method is to turn off notifications and restrict background activity. Often, the ad modules work through pop-up notifications that disguise themselves as windows.

Set up notifications and permissions

Many users don't know that a floating window is often just an extended notification. Android has a special type of permissions that lets programs display content on top of other windows. By controlling this setting, you control the visibility of windows.

Go to Settings → Privacy Protection (or Apps) and find Special Access or Special Access Rights, which is where key switches to control program behavior are hidden.

You need to see "Master on top of other applications," and the list that opens will list all the programs that have that right, and carefully review the list and disable the apps that don't need it, and for example, you don't need to block the screen with a calculator or a voice recorder.

⚠️ Warning: Do not turn off access for Google or Xiaomi system services unless you are sure of their purpose.

Also, check the notification settings for suspicious programs themselves. Go to Notifications → Notification Management, select an app, and find the category responsible for advertising or marketing. Turn off the pop-up feature.

Use of Do Not Disturb Mode and Focus

If you can’t remove the window source, you can minimize its impact on the user. Xiaomi’s focus modes allow you to temporarily block all pop-up elements, leaving only important system notifications.

You can activate mode through the notification curtain or in the Sound and Vibration settings. Select the Do Not Disturb profile and adjust its settings. In advanced settings, you can only allow interrupts from selected contacts, and all visual effects, including floating windows, will be hidden.

Digital Well-being also offers a Focus mode that temporarily disables distracting apps, and if the ads come from a game or social network, activating that mode completely blocks them from working, including any pop-ups.

Radical measures: cleaning and discharge

In cases where the floating window is the result of a device being infected by a virus or miner, standard methods may not help.The malicious code may masquerade as an Android system process and return after being deleted.

The first step is to have a full antivirus check. The built-in scanner in Xiaomi's Security app does a good job of dealing with known threats. However, for deep cleaning, it's better to use specialized utilities like Malwarebytes or Dr.Web, downloaded from the official Play Market store.

If the check failed and the windows continue to appear, resetting will help.Be sure to back up important data before doing so, as all files will be deleted.

• 🔄 Go to Settings. → The phone.
• 🗑️ Select Settings Reset. → Erase all data.
• 🔒 Enter the unlock password and confirm the action.
• ⏳ Wait for the reboot and the initial device setup.

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Before resetting your settings, make sure your Google account and Mi Account are synced, otherwise you may lose contacts and photos without the ability to recover.

After the reset, take your time to install all the applications at once. Start with the basic set and observe the behavior of the system. If the windows don't appear, then the problem was in one of the previously installed applications. Return the programs one by one to calculate the culprit.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Systematic access control and removal of unused applications is the best way to prevent unwanted floating windows on your smartphone.