Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often face intrusive ads that appear in the most unexpected places in the system. Especially annoying is when banner ads suddenly appear on the lock screen or in the gallery instead of personal photos. This is not a virus, but an integrated shell feature designed to monetize budget devices. Fortunately, in 2026 there are many ways to regain full control of the interface.
In this article, we will discuss all the current methods to remove advertising wallpaper and clear the system of intrusive marketing content. You do not need super-user rights or complex technical knowledge. We will look at the settings of the MIUI shell and HyperOS, and also touch on the hidden system parameters available to each user.
Before you start taking action, you need to understand the nature of these images, which are usually delivered through system applications like Wallpaper, Security, or the Mi Browser browser. Disabling each source requires a customized approach, but comprehensive cleaning ensures a clean screen without unnecessary costs.
Disabling Glance tape on the lock screen
The most common source of unwanted content on a locked screen is Glance (formerly known as Lock Screen Magazine), which automatically uploads news and advertising images to replace your static wallpaper, and to stop this process, you need to find the lock screen settings in the device menu.
Go to the settings section, look for "Lock screen" or "Always on screen and lock screen." There you will see the switch responsible for "Wallpaper carousel" or "Glance", disabling this feature will instantly return the standard lock view.
- 🔘 Open “Settings” and go to the “Block screen” section».
- 🔘 Find the option “Wallpaper carousel” and translate the slider to the position “Off».
- 🔘 If the item is hidden, try to find the Wallpaper app in the list of programs and turn off notifications there.
- 🔘 Restart the device to apply changes.
⚠️ Note: Once the wallpaper carousel is turned off, you will no longer receive automatic background image updates from Xiaomi. If you like quality landscapes from the manufacturer, they can be downloaded manually through the Themes app».
Sometimes the system can hide the carousel switch, especially on global firmware versions, so you should check for system updates or search for settings by typing in the carousel request, which will help you quickly find the right switch, even if it was moved to a new version of the menu.
Setting up the "Wallpaper" and "Themes" app
Obtainium, or just Wallpaper, often has its own recommendation settings that include displaying ad content, and even if you're not actively using it, it can run in the background, loading data, and you have to go inside and turn off personalization.
Open the Themes or Wallpaper app, click on the profile icon or menu (usually three bars or a dot in the corner). The Settings or About section often hides items related to getting recommendations and showing ads, disabling these options significantly reduces junk traffic.
It is also important to clear the cache of this app to remove already downloaded banner ads. To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find Wallpaper or Themes and select Clear Data. This action is safe and will not affect your personal photos.
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Check the list of installed apps periodically, and sometimes advertising modules are disguised as system services with similar names, but without the Xiaomi logo.
Removing Advertising through MSA Settings
The centerpiece of Xiaomi’s advertising system is MSA (MIUI System Ads), which is responsible for collecting your preferences and delivering targeted ads across the interface, and disabling it is a key step towards a clean system.
Find the password and security option in the settings, then go to Access to Personal Data. Search for msa and turn off the access slider. The system will require you to wait 10 seconds and confirm the action. If you fail the first time, repeat the procedure several times - Xiaomi servers are sometimes temporarily unavailable.
| Parameter | Where to find out. | Action. |
|---|---|---|
| MSA | Password and security → Access to personal data | Shut down. |
| Receipt of recommendations | Settings → Password and security → Privacy | Shut down. |
| Auto-reproduction | Appendix "Music" / "Video" → Settings | Shut down. |
| Personal advertising | Settings → Password and security → Privacy | Limit |
After the MSA is turned off, ads won’t disappear 100% instantly, as some cached items may remain.However, the flow of new ad requests will be stopped.This is especially important for owners of low-end models of the Redmi Note series, where the advertising load is initially higher.
⚠️ Attention: Disconnection of service MSA This can cause some system applications to temporarily run unstable, such as Downloads or Explorer, usually after the device is restarted.
Cleaning the Mi Browser browser and the Security app
The two most ad-heavy apps are the built-in browser and the security center, which often offer you to install additional programs or click affiliate links right on the home screen, and you can remove wallpaper and banners through your internal settings.
In the Security app, click on the gear in the top right corner. Find the Receive References section and turn it off. It's also worth unchecking the "Receive Updates" box if you don't want antivirus databases to be updated with the news feed load.
☑️ Checking security settings
The Mi Browser browser is similar in procedure: Go to the menu, select Settings, then Privacy and Security, and you need to disable the personalization of ads and push notifications from the browser itself, which will prevent pop-ups with offers to download games or apply for credit.
If you prefer not to use standard Xiaomi tools, they can be safely removed or replaced by analogues from Google Play. For example, installing Chrome or Yandex.Browser and antivirus from Dr.Web or Kaspersky completely solves the problem of intrusive recommendations in these categories of applications.
Hiding Advertising in Folders and on the Desktop
The MIUI shell has the unfortunate feature of adding recommended apps to folders on the desktop, and even if you created a Tools folder and put only a calculator in it, the system can add a shortcut to a game or a store, which is also part of an advertising strategy.
To remove these shortcuts, just click on them and hold your finger until the delete menu appears. However, to prevent them from reappearing, you need to disable the Recommended Apps feature. It is in the general desktop settings or in the specific folder settings (you need to click on the folder name).
Also worth paying attention to the widget “Tape” (Google Discover or Yandex), which is called swipe to the left, in its settings you can turn off the display of news cards and advertising blocks, leaving only the widgets of the weather or currency rate, if you need them.
What to do if the advertising label returns?
Using Private DNS to block ads
The most effective and cleanest way to remove ads throughout the system, including wallpaper and in-app banners, is by using the same method. DNS-This method does not require the installation of third-party programs and works at the network connection level.
You will need a reliable address. DNS-One of the most popular and proven options is AdGuard. DNS. It cuts off requests to ad servers, so banners just don't load.
To set up, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS. Select Host Name of DNS Provider and enter the address: dns.adguard.com. Save settings. Now all traffic on your smartphone will pass through the filter.
dns.adguard.com⚠️ Attention: Use of third-party DNS It can cause some local services to fail or slow down page openings if the server is overloaded. If you have problems, just return the setting to Auto mode».
This method is particularly effective in 2026, as many Xiaomi system apps download ads from external domains that are easily blocked at the DNS level.
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The combination of MSA disabling and Private DNS settings eliminates 99% of all advertising on the system, making smartphone use comfortable and fast.