Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphone owners often encounter intrusive content that comes at the most inopportune moment, and it is particularly annoying when, instead of a regular dial or a clean background, you see a carousel with news and promotional offers, not a bug, but a built-in feature called Wallpaper Carousel, designed to show content, but often turned into a source of visual noise.
Fortunately, modern versions of MIUI and HyperOS have the flexibility to manage this process. You don't need to be an IT expert to get your screen personalized back under your control. In this article, we'll take a look at how to disable ad slides, block system notifications from apps, and clean up the lock screen of any junk.
We're going to look at not only the standard settings, but also the deeper settings that are often hidden from the eyes of the average user. Disabling ads is a complex process that requires attention to detail, but the result is worth it. Your smartphone will be fast, clean and completely yours again.
Disabling the Wallpaper Carousel function
The main source of blocked screen advertising is the wallpaper carousel service (Glance), which downloads images from the Internet, mixing beautiful landscapes with banner ads, and to get rid of them, you need to change the type of wallpaper in the system settings of the device.
The process of disabling is simple, but requires precise steps, as the interface may vary depending on the version of MIUI. First, unlock your phone and go to the main screen. Find the Settings icon, which usually looks like a gear, and click on it. In the menu that opens, you will need to find the visual section.
Depending on your Xiaomi model, this item may be called differently. Look for the Lock Screen or Wallpaper section. Inside you'll see the current status of the design. If you have an ad activated, there'll be a tick opposite to the "Wallpaper Carousel" or "Glance" item. This is the switch you need to deactivate.
☑️ Algorithm to shut down carousel
Once switched, the system will prompt you to select a new static image from a gallery or a standard collection. Choosing a static image completely disables downloading content from the Internet. Now, when you turn on the screen, you will only see the time, date and picture you choose, without any pop-ups or news.
Set up notifications and recommendations
Even after the carousel is turned off, some system applications may continue to send notifications that appear directly on the lock screen, often from the Mi Browser browser, the GetApps store, or the Cleaner system analyzer. These notifications may look like important information, but are essentially disguised ads.
To block this channel of content distribution, you need to go to the notification settings. Go to the Settings menu → Notifications and Status bar → Application notifications. This is a complete list of programs that have the right to display information on the screen. Your task is to find suspicious system utilities and restrict their rights.
Pay special attention to the following applications: Security, Cleanup, Music, Video and Mi Browser. When you go to the settings of each, look for “Recommendations” or “Receive notifications” and disable all options related to receiving news, promotions or optimization tips.
⚠️ Warning: Don't disable notifications from messaging apps (WhatsApp, Telegram) and calls, or you may miss important messages.
You should also check the settings of the lock screen itself. In Settings → Lock screen, there can be a separate item called "Show notifications on the lock screen." If you want complete silence, you can turn off preview content, leaving only icons, which will increase your privacy and remove text spam from the locked screen.
Management of MSA System Service
Xiaomi’s advertising is driven by a hidden system process called MSA (MIUI System Ads), which collects your preferences and displays ads in the interface, and it’s impossible to remove it completely without root rights, but it can be strangled by taking away Internet rights.
To do this, you will need access to advanced settings. First activate the developer mode, if it is not already on. To do this, go to Settings → About phone and quickly press 7 times on the MIUI version (or OS version). Once the message “You became a developer” appears, you can move to the next step.
Go back to the main settings menu and find Advanced Settings → Privacy → Special Features. Find msa. The switch next to it will be active. Click on it to turn it off. The system will resist stubbornly: a countdown timer (usually 10 seconds) will appear, after which you will need to click on "Disable" again.
What if the MSA doesn’t shut down?
After successfully disabling MSA, the number of ads in system applications will be significantly reduced. However, it is worth remembering that this is not a panacea. Some embedded applications may have their own advertising modules that are independent of MSA. So this step is better combined with cleaning the cache and disabling personalization in each application separately.
Cleaning of embedded applications
Ads on the lock screen can be not only system-based, but also come from specific pre-installed applications. In MIUI and HyperOS firmware, many standard utilities have their own ad settings. If left unchecked, they will continue to generate pop-ups and push notifications.
Consider a list of the major apps that require manual cleaning. Go to each, click on the three dots in the corner (menu) and select Settings. There, look for "Receive recommendations" or "Show ads" and uncheck the boxes.
- 📂 Explorer: In the settings, find the “About Us” item or the “Recommendations” switch immediately and turn it off.
- 🎵 Music: Go to Settings, select “Advanced Settings” and remove the tick from “Receive recommendations».
- 🎬 Video: The "Mine" tab, then the settings, the "General" section. Turn off "Online recommendations" and "Autostart video».
- 🌤️ Weather: Click on three menu bars, then settings. Turn off "Receive recommendations" and "Subscribe to notifications».
- 🛡️ Security: Click on the gear in the corner, find “Get recommendations” and turn off.
This procedure may seem tedious, as some versions of the firmware may have more points. However, doing this once will save you from having to permanently close pop-ups in the future.
Comparison of blocking methods
There are several approaches to combating unwanted content on Xiaomi: users are often confused in terms, believing that an antivirus or a simple ad blocker from the Play Market will solve all the problems.
Below is a table that will help you choose the right cleaning strategy depending on your situation.We will compare the effectiveness of different methods for different types of advertising intrusion.
| Method | Effectiveness against Carousel | Effectiveness against MSA | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Change of wallpaper | 100% | 0% | Low. |
| MSA shutdown | 0% | 80% | Medium |
| Set-up of applications | 0% | 50% | Tall. |
| Private DNS | 0% | 60% | Medium |
As you can see from the table, no one method is universal. A comprehensive approach that involves changing wallpaper, disabling system service, and configuring applications is the best thing. Using a Private DNS (like dns.adguard.com) can be a great addition to cutting off network-level advertising requests, but it won’t remove the built-in banners in the interface.
Frequent problems and their solution
Users may encounter various difficulties in setting up the system, such as when HyperOS updates, some settings may reset or move, and the MSA shutdown point may be inactive (gray) or immediately switched back on, often due to an active Internet connection when the shutdown is attempted.
If standard methods don't work, try the following algorithm: Turn off the Internet (Wi-Fi and mobile data), go to the special features settings and try to disable msa. Without access to Xiaomi servers, the disconnection process is more successful. After that, turn on the Internet again.
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If the ads appear immediately after the system update, check to see if the “Recommendations” function in new applications is automatically activated.
Another common problem is the appearance of ads from third-party apps that you installed yourself. Often free programs (flashlights, QR scanners, photo editors) use aggressive advertising. Check the list of installed applications and remove those that you do not use, or find paid versions of them without ads.
⚠️ Warning: Be careful when installing programs to “accelerate” or “clean up” from third-party sources, often the source of advertising junk and may install hidden miners.
Additional security measures
Once you have removed visual advertising, it is worth thinking about data security. Advertising modules often collect telemetry. To minimize the digital footprint, it is recommended to turn off the analytics service. Go to Settings → Password and Security → Privacy → Analytics Service and turn this off.
It's also useful to check application rights periodically. Go to Settings → Applications → Permissions. See which programs have access to Auto Run or Display Over Other Windows. If you see an unknown application or a simple calculator there, immediately strip those rights away from it, which will prevent ads from appearing in unexpected places.
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Regularly checking app permissions is the best prevention of hidden ads and viruses on Android.
Digital hygiene on Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones makes it possible to turn a budget device into a comfortable tool for work and entertainment. By removing the excess, you will not only save battery power, but also protect your personal data from collection by advertising networks.