Owners of budget smartphones like the Xiaomi Redmi 8 often face intrusive banner ads that appear in system applications – a fee for the affordable cost of the device, as the company compensates for low margins through Internet services. However, aggressive marketing can significantly annoy users, overlapping the interface and distracting from work.
Fortunately, the MIUI shell installed on your smartphone provides flexible personalization tools. You can completely get rid of all pop-ups if you go through multiple settings menus and turn off key services. In this guide, we will discuss all the effective ways to help you clean the interface of unnecessary visual noise.
Disabling the MSA System Service
The main source of ad integrations in the system is the MSA system application (MIUI System Ads), which analyzes your actions and selects the appropriate banners for display in standard utilities. Without disabling this service, other manipulations may not be effective, as the ads will return.
To start, you need to find a component called msa in the list of applications. Go to settings, select Apps and click All Apps. Find msa in the list and go to its properties. You need to click the "Disable Ads" button and wait for the countdown to end in 10 seconds.
After the time has expired, a “Disable” button will appear, which must be activated. If the system issues an error or writes “Can not disable”, the procedure should be repeated 2-3 times until a confirmatory message about the successful completion of the operation appears.
⚠️ Warning: Disable function may be inactive if the device is not installed an active Internet connection. Make sure that Wi-Fi or mobile Internet is working correctly before attempting to deactivate the service.
Set up personalized recommendations
In addition to the main service, there is a separate mechanism called Recommendations, which is responsible for offering content in folders, on the desktop and in the lock menu, and disabling this feature makes the interface static and predictable, removing unnecessary icons and text blocks.
To access these settings, go to Passwords and Security, and find "Access to Personal Data" or "Special Features" depending on the firmware version, and find the "Receive References" switch and turn it off.
Also check the theme and wallpaper settings. In the Themes app, click on the profile icon and select Settings. Turn off the "Show Ads" and "Receive Recommendations" options so the store will stop sending notifications about new paid or sponsored themes.
☑️ Checking the privacy settings
Cleaning Standard Apps from Advertising
Advertising modules are built into the system, but also in individual utilities such as Explorer, Music, Video and Cleanup, each of which has its own settings that need to be changed manually, which takes a little time, but the result is worth it.
Start with the Security app. Open it, click on the gear in the top right corner, and find "Get recommendations." Once you turn off this option, the banner ads will disappear from the virus scanning and memory cleanup window. Similar steps should be done in Explorer: click on the menu (three bars), select "Settings" and turn off "Recommendations."
The music and video app have a similar algorithm, so go to the profile or settings menu, look for settings, and check the box for "Show ads" or "His recommendations," and that prevents videos from appearing when you run media files.
| Annex | The path to adjustment | What to turn off |
|---|---|---|
| Security | Menu → Settings | Receive recommendations |
| Conductor | Menu → Settings | Recommendations |
| Music. | Menu → Settings | Showing ads |
| Downloads. | Menu → Settings | Showing Recommended Content |
What to do if the settings are reset?
Using a private DNS to block
The most effective method that works at the level of the entire device is to change the device. DNS-This method does not require the installation of third-party software and allows you to block advertising requests before they reach the screen of the smartphone. For Redmi 8, this method is especially relevant, since it runs stably on Android 9 and higher.
Go to Settings on your smartphone, then to Connect and Share.Look for Private DNS (may be called Personal DNS).Select Host Name of DNS Provider and enter the address dns.adguard.com in the box. Save the changes.
Once you have set up the settings, the system will begin to redirect all requests to known ad servers through the AdGuard filter, which will remove banners not only in system applications, but also in many browsers and games. If the Internet stops working, check the correctness of the address entry or try an alternative server family.adguard-dns.com.
⚠️ Attention: Use of third-party DNS-The server may slightly increase the network response time in some games.If you are a professional esportsman, test ping before continuous use.
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After changing the DNS, it is recommended to restart the smartphone so that all network services apply the new settings correctly.
Disabling notifications from system services
Even after the core services are disabled, some system components may continue to send push notifications with offers, most often the source of such messages is the services Mi Credit, Get coupons or Themes, which must be disabled individually through the notification center.
When an unnecessary notification appears on the screen, don't rush to swipe it. Press it and hold your finger for 1-2 seconds (or swipe left and tap the gear, depending on the version of MIUI).
In the menu that opens, you need to switch the All Notifications slider to Off. It is also helpful to uncheck the Important if it is active. Repeat this procedure for each annoying source until the notification list is clean.
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Long-click notifications are the fastest way to find and defuse the source of spam without searching the depths of the settings menu.
Limitation of background processes
For those who want to maximize their results, there is a method to limit background activity, which allows you to prevent ad units from running automatically when you turn on your phone, and this requires a deeper intervention in the developer's settings.
First, activate the developer mode. To do this, go to About Phone and quickly click on the MIUI version 7 times. After the message “You became a developer” appears, go back to the main settings menu and find a new section “Additional” → “For developers”.
In this section, find the item “Background Process Limit” and set the value “No More than 1 Process” or “No Background Processes.” This action can speed up the old device, but can also cause messengers to arrive with a delay.