How to remove ads on Xiaomi Mi 10T: the complete guide

Owners of flagship devices like the Xiaomi Mi 10T often encounter intrusive marketing content that the system embeds into the MIUI interface. Despite its high performance and excellent camera, the software can annoy with sudden pop-ups in standard apps.This is not a fluke, but part of the manufacturer's business model to keep the price of iron competitive.

Fortunately, modern firmware versions give users enough tools to fine-tune privacy and comfort. Disabling ads requires multiple actions in sequential across menu sections. In this article, we’ll look at all the available methods, from simple switches to deeper system settings.

Ignoring this issue leads to constant distraction and traffic consumption in the background. The process of cleaning the interface will take no more than 10-15 minutes of your time, but the result will remain for the entire life of the smartphone.

Disabling the MSA System Service

The central element in charge of displaying advertising content in the MIUI shell is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) process, which collects your preferences and uploads banners to folders, security applications and a browser, and the first step is to strip this service of the right to display ads.

To do this, go to the Settings menu and find the Password and Security section, select the Personal Data Access section, find the msa service in the list that opens, turn off the slider on the right, alert you to the consequences and start a countdown of 10 seconds.

When the timer expires, press the Revoke button. Often the first time, the process does not turn off, and the button remains active or returns to its original position. In this case, the revocation procedure must be repeated 3-4 times in a row, this is the standard behavior of the system that forces the user to persevere.

• 📱 Open the security settings and access the data.
• 🔍 In the list of applications, find the system process msa.
• 🚫 Click "Cancel" and wait for the countdown to end.
• 🔄 Repeat the action several times if the first time did not work out.

⚠️ Note: After disabling the msa service, ads in standard apps should disappear within 24 hours, but the changes do not take effect instantly.

Set up standard Xiaomi applications

Even after the main service is disabled, individual system utilities may have their own built-in recommendation display settings. These modules are often updated independently of the main firmware, so they should be checked separately.

Start with the Security app. Click on the gear icon in the top right corner of the screen. Here you need to find Receive recommendations and deactivate it. Similar actions are required in the Topic app: go to the user profile (human icon) and in the settings turn off receiving recommendations and displaying ads.

Don't forget the standard Mi Browser browser, which is also a source of pop-ups, and in its settings, in the Privacy and Security section, you should turn off the Receive Recommendations option, which will prevent news feeds and promotional materials from appearing on the homepage.

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In the Themes app, you can remove ads not only in your profile settings, but also by disabling auto-update for that particular app on Google Play if you don’t use new themes often.

There is another hidden source of notifications, Mi Video and Mi Music, and if you don’t use these players, you can simply disable their notifications in the Apps section. → Application management. If you use it, there's also a "Get recommendations" switch inside each of them, which you need to turn off.

Limiting personalized advertising

Google and MIUI developers use advertising identifiers to target content, resetting or deleting this identifier makes ad impressions less relevant and in some cases completely stops them, an important step in digital hygiene for any smartphone user.

To manage this setting, open Settings and go to Privacy. Scroll down to Advertising Services (or Advertising) and prompt you to delete your advertising ID. Confirm the action by clicking the appropriate button.

Also on this menu is a personalization switch, which needs to be put into an inactive state, which prevents the system from analyzing your actions in the applications for selecting advertising offers, and the effect of this is customization and manifests itself in the long run.

Blocking Advertising Through DNS

The most effective method, which works at the network connection level, is to use a private DNS, which allows you to block requests to known ad servers even before they upload content to the screen of your Xiaomi Mi 10T.

To implement this method, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing (or Wi-Fi). Find a Private Item DNS (Private DNS). The default is "Auto." Select hostname of the provider. DNS and enter the address in the field: dns.adguard.com.

Save the settings. Now all traffic that goes through Wi-Fi and the mobile network will be filtered. This will remove ads not only in the system, but also in many free apps and browsers. It's important to note that using a third-party DNS can slightly increase ping in online games, but for the Mi 10T with its powerful processor, this is usually invisible.

⚠️ Note: When Including Private DNS Make sure you enter the address correctly, and a single letter error can result in a complete lack of Internet access.

If some applications (e.g., banking or enterprise) stop working after DNS is turned on, just return the setting to Auto or Off. For most users, this method is the most radical and effective solution, eliminating 95% of all marketing noise in the system.

Disabling notifications and recommendations

In addition to visual banners, the system is full of push notifications from Xiaomi’s own services, offering subscriptions, purchases or read news, and you can turn them off centrally without going to each application separately.

In the Settings menu, find the Notifications section → Notification from MIUI (This is all the switches for system services. Turn off the "Recommendations," "Security," "Memory Cleanup" items. MIUI) and disable all notifications and auto-start there.

Another source of noise is the folder on the desktop, and when you open the app folder, it often appears at the bottom with the recommended programs, so to remove it, open any folder, click on its name (to make the edit box appear) and turn off the Recommendations switch.

Additional methods and FAQ

In some cases, standard methods may not be enough, especially if you have an old firmware version or a specific region installed, and in such situations you can use USB debugging and ADB commands, but this requires a computer and certain technical skills.

For the average user, make sure that the settings are extended settings → Date and time are automatically synced. Wrong time can disrupt security certificates and ad filters. Also update apps regularly through Google Play, as new versions often contain security patches.

Below are the answers to frequently asked questions that will help.resolve the remaining ambiguities on the topic of cleaning the interface.

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A comprehensive approach, including disabling MSA, configuring DNS and checking application permissions, guarantees complete riddance of advertising on the Xiaomi Mi 10T.