Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often encounter an intrusive interface element that suddenly appears on top of other applications. Floating windows can contain ads, suggestions to install apps or simply duplicate open browser tabs. This behavior of the system is not only annoying, but also significantly reduces the performance of the device, consuming RAM.
The reasons for these windows are diverse, from standard MIUI or HyperOS shell features that a user accidentally activated, to malware that got into the system, and understanding the source of a problem is the first step to solving it, and in most cases, changing the display settings or removing a particular culprit application is enough.
In this article, we will discuss all the ways to eliminate intrusive elements, learn how to distinguish system functions from banner ads and adjust multitasking as convenient as you want, and the main reason for advertising is the built-in services MSA and miui.daemon, which require manual disabling in settings.
Identification of the type of floating window
Before you start taking drastic measures, you need to determine exactly what you are dealing with. System floating windows in Xiaomi are implemented through the function of Second Space or multitasking mode, and they are disabled by standard methods. However, if a banner pops up on the screen with a proposal to download the game or clear the memory, it is malware.
Pay attention to the behavior of the device. If the window appears randomly, even when you are on the desktop or in the settings menu, this is a sure sign of the background service of an advertising nature. System windows, such as Free Window, appear only on your request or when you switch between running applications.
⚠️ Note: If a floating window cannot be closed with a standard swipe or cross, do not press the buttons inside it.
You can use the running app manager to diagnose it accurately, and click the menu button (three bars or a swipe from bottom up with a delay) and see which application has an active floating window. Often the name of the program is hidden, but the icon can tell you the source of the problem.
How to hide the name of the app-culprit?
Disabling MSA and MIUI system advertising
The main source of pop-up ads in Xiaomi shells is MSA (MIUI System Ads), a system application that is responsible for displaying advertising content in standard utilities. its deactivation will not disrupt the smartphone, but will require several consecutive actions in the settings menu.
The first thing you need to do is go to the authorization menu and turn off the personalization of ads, which will reduce the number of targeted offers, but it won't remove the windows completely. To have full effect, you need to deaktivate the service itself. Find msa in the list of applications and click on it.
In the menu that opens, find the Receive Recommendations switch and turn it off. The system may ask you several times if you really want to opt out of personalization. Ignore the countdown timer and confidently press "Disable." Sometimes you need to repeat the procedure 2-3 times, as the server may not respond the first time.
- 🛑 Go to Settings. → Passwords and security → Access to personal data.
- 🛑 Find the msa list and turn off the slider.
- 🛑 Confirm the action by clicking “Disable” and waiting for the end of the timer (about 10 seconds).
- 🛑 Repeat the procedure for the miui.daemon app if it is on the list.
☑️ Checklist of ad-shutdown
Floating windows (free windows)
If you're not talking about ads, but rather functional windows that interfere with viewing, you need to adjust your multitasking options. In modern versions of MIUI 14 and HyperOS, this feature is called "floating windows" and allows you to run multiple applications at once, sometimes users accidentally activate this mode by touching the corner of the screen or using incorrect gestures.
To remove an already open floating window, click on its header (a strip on top) and drag down until the closing icon appears. If the window is rolled up into a bubble at the edge of the screen, call the menu with a long press and select deletion. To prevent accidental opening, change the sensitivity of gestures.
In Settings → Special Features → Floating windows, you can completely disable the ability to create new windows or change the way you activate them. It is also useful to disable the sidebar if you are not using it, as this is often the source of random running applications in floating mode.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling the floating windows feature may limit the ability to use the navigator or messenger over other applications.
Some users prefer to use Full Screen mode for all applications to avoid black bars and random interface activations. This is done through Settings → Screen → Full Screen Mode, where you need to activate the switch for all installed programs.
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Use Do Not Disturb mode during games so that system notifications don’t turn into floating banners distracting from the process.
Search and Remove Malware Applications
If previous methods didn't work, you've got a virus application on your device, and often they're disguised as "Memory Cleanup," "Lightlight," or "Battery," and they don't have an icon on their desktop, but they're actively working in the background, generating ad windows.
The most effective way to find the culprit is to use the App Manager right when the ad appears. Once the window pops up without closing it, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. Sort the list by the time of last use. An app that was launched the minute the window appeared and that you didn't open yourself is the source of the problem.
When a suspicious program is identified, delete it immediately. If the Delete button is inactive (gray), then the application has device administrator rights. In this case, go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Privacy → Special Access → Device administrator applications and revoke the rights for the suspicious item.
| Sign of virus | Action. | Location of settings |
|---|---|---|
| No icons on the menu. | Remove through settings | Annexes → All applications |
| The button is not removed | Remove the rights of admin | Security → Access rights |
| Permanent notification | Disable notifications | Applications → Notification management |
| High battery consumption | Limit background work | Battery → Charge consumption |
In difficult cases, when a virus blocks the input to settings, try to start the smartphone in Safe Mode. To do this, press the turn off button, and when the turn off icon appears on the screen, click on it and hold it until you suggest that you go to Safe Mode. This mode only works system applications, which will allow you to safely remove the pest.
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Removing the virus application requires a preliminary revocation of the device administrator’s rights, otherwise the delete button will be blocked by the system.
Setup of notifications and push services
Often, users understand “floating windows” as pop-up notifications from apps. In Android, they can be displayed on top of current content, interrupting reading or playing. To combat this, Xiaomi has a flexible notification management system that allows you to customize the behavior of each program separately.
Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notifications Management Center. You can choose the display style here. However, a finer setting is available from the menu of specific applications. Find the list of social networks, games or news aggregators and select the display type “No sound”** or completely disable Floating notifications.
Xiaomi’s push notification service deserves special attention. It is necessary for the correct operation of message delivery, but sometimes it can cause crashes. Go to Settings → Notifications → Push notifications and turn off receiving advertising push messages from Xiaomi itself, leaving only system ones.
- 🔔 Open the settings of a particular application (for example, a browser).
- 🔔 Select the item “Notifications».
- 🔔 Find the category “Advertising” or “Recommendations” and turn it off.
- 🔔 Make sure that the Floating Notifications switch is also deactivated.
If you use third-party launchers or themes, they can also be a source of pop-ups. Try temporarily switching to the standard Classic theme and standard launcher to see if the problem will go away.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling system push notifications may delay the arrival of messages from WhatsApp, Telegram or Viber.Be careful when disabling Google and Xiaomi Push services.
Why do notifications come with a delay?
Use of antiviruses and reset settings
In case manual cleaning failed, it is advisable to use specialized software. the built-in antivirus in the Security application (green shield icon) is able to detect most known threats. Run a deep check and delete the objects found.
If that didn’t work, it could be that malicious code has penetrated deep into the system or damaged system files, and in this situation, the last resort is a factory reset, and before that, make sure to back up important data (contacts, photos, documents) to the Mi Cloud or computer, as all data from internal memory will be deleted.
To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data. The process will take a few minutes, after which the phone will return to the “out of the box” state, and all floating windows caused by a software glitch or virus will disappear.
After reset, take your time to restore all applications from backup at once. Install programs on one of the proven Google Play Store or GetApps, observing the behavior of the system, this will help avoid re-infection.