The Xiaomi Redmi 4X is one of the brand’s most popular budget smartphones, but even years after its release, owners are facing annoying system advertising. menu pop-up banners, MIUI ads and integrated ads in standard apps spoil the experience of use. Unlike new models where ads can be turned off through settings, on the Redmi 4X with firmware below MIUI 12, this process requires additional action.
In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods, from basic settings to radical root-right solutions. Each method is tested on current firmware versions (including MIUI 11 and MIUI 12.5 for Redmi 4X) and is suitable for both beginners and experienced users. Importantly, some steps can affect the stability of the system – we will warn about the risks in advance.
Why is Redmi 4X getting ads and can it be removed?
System advertising on Xiaomi Redmi 4X is sewn into the MIUI firmware at the core level.
- 📱 System notifications – banners from Msa (Mobile Services Ads) and MiuiSystemAdSolution.
- 🛒 Standard apps: Mi Browser, Mi Video, Music, Cleaner.
- 🔄 Updates MIUI — Advertising new features in notification centers.
- 📦 Pre-installed services (e.g. GetApps, Mi Pay).
On new Xiaomi smartphones, ads can be turned off via Settings → Password & Security → Authorization & Locking → Advertising Services. But on Redmi 4X, this item is often missing due to the outdated version of MIUI (before MIUI 10).
Redmi 4X cannot remove 100% of ads without root rights or custom firmware, but the combination of methods in this article will reduce the number of ads by 80-90%. If you are willing to sacrifice the warranty, consider unlocking the bootloader and installing MIUI without ads (see section 5).
Method 1: Disabling Advertising through Hidden MIUI Settings
This method works on Redmi 4X with MIUI firmware 9-12.5 and does not require root rights.
- Open Settings → About the phone and tap 7 times on the line version of MIUI to activate the developer mode.
- Go back to the main settings menu and go to Additional → For developers. Enable USB debugging.
- Install the MIUI Hidden Settings (or Activity Launcher) app from Google Play.
- In the app, search for the System Ad Settings section (or type in the Msa search) and turn off: 🔘 Personalized ad recommendations 🔘 Receive recommendations 🔘 User experience program
Developer mode activated
MIUI Hidden Settings app is installed
Disabled debugging on USB after changes
Backup of important data is made-->
If there are no items in MIUI Hidden Settings, try an alternative route:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → All applications.
- Find Msa (or MiuiSystemAdSolution), open its settings and click Disable → Stop.
Step-by-step:
- Unpack the archive from the platform-tools in any folder on the PC.
- Connect Redmi 4X to your computer and select File Transfer mode.
- Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (Linux/macOS) in the folder with the platform-tools and type: adb devices If the phone is determined (the serial number will appear), continue. If not, check the drivers.
- Follow the commands one by one (copy and paste to the terminal): adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.systemAdSolution adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.xiaomi.midrop adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.analytics adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.joyoseomi.
| Team team. | What's off? | Effects of consequences |
|---|---|---|
| com.miui.systemAdSolution | The main module of MIUI advertising | Banners in settings and notifications will disappear |
| com.xiaomi.midrop | Advertising in Mi Drop | Quick file transfer will stop working |
| com.miui.analytics | Xiaomi statistics collection | Mi Cloud could break down |
| com.xiaomi.joyose | Advertising in Mi Music and Mi Video | Playlists will no longer be updated |
After you execute the commands, restart your phone. Ads should disappear from the system menus and notifications. If some of the banners are left, repeat the process for the com.android.browser (Mi Browser) and com.miui.player (Mi Video) apps.
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Before execution ADB-Create a recovery point in the TWRP (This will help to return the system to working condition in case of failure.
Method 3: Remove Advertising via Mi Account (official method)
Xiaomi provides a legal way to disable personalized ads through a Mi Account.This won't remove all banners, but will reduce their number by 50-70%.The method works on all versions of MIUI, including the Redmi 4X.
Instructions:
- Open Settings → Xiaomi Account and log in (or create an account).
- Go to Mi Cloud → Settings → Advertising Services.
- Turn off all switches: 🔘 Personalized recommendations 🔘 Advertising identification 🔘 Participation in the improvement programme
Save the changes and restart the phone.
If there is no section for Advertising Services:
- 🌐 Try changing your account region to Europe or India (some regions have less advertising).
- 📧 Send a request to disable advertising through the official Mi Account website (Privacy section) → Ad Preferences).
⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi services (such as Mi Pay or Mi Home) may stop working after a region change. Before changing, check if important data (such as backups) are linked to your account).
Method 4: Using third-party blockers (without root)
If system methods didn't work, install third-party ad-blocking apps that work at the DNS or VPN level, intercepting ad requests. Best options for Redmi 4X:
| Annex | Type of lockdown | Pluses | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blokada | VPN + blacklist | No rooting, 90% of ads blocked | It may conflict with banking applications |
| RethinkDNS + Firewall | DNS-filtering | Low battery consumption, open source | A complex setup for beginners |
| NetGuard | firewall | Blocks access to advertising domains | Requires manual adjustment of rules |
How to set up Blokada (recommended option):
- Download and install Blokada from Google Play or from the official website.
- Launch the application and allow creation VPN-linkage.
- Select in the settings: 🔄 Automatic start-up - turn on. 🛡️ Block Advertising - Enable. 🌍 Use it. DNS — Choose NextDNS or AdGuard DNS.
Manually add Xiaomi domains to block:
ad.mi.com
tracker.mi.com
data.mistat.xiaomi.com
sdkconfig.ad.xiaomi.comOnce set up, restart your phone. Blokada will run in the background, blocking ads across all apps, including system apps.Please note: some banking apps (like SberBank or Tinkoff) may require you to turn off your VPN to work.
What if Blokada doesn’t block ads?
Method 5: Install custom firmware without advertising (for advanced)
If you don't like half-measures, a radical solution is to flash Redmi 4X to custom firmware without advertising, which requires unlocking the bootloader, installing TWRP, and potentially de-warranty, but it gives you 100% results.
Suitable firmware for Redmi 4X (codename santoni):
- 📱 Xiaomi.eu – modified MIUI Advertising-free and Chinese-based.
- 🤖 LineageOS – pure Android without branded Xiaomi apps.
- 🔥 Pixel Experience – firmware with Google Pixel interface.
Step-by-step instruction (briefly):
- Unlock the bootloader through Mi Unlock Tool (requires linking your Xiaomi account to your phone and waiting 7-15 days).
- Install TWRP Recovery for Redmi 4X (instructions here).
- Download the firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.eu for santoni) and transfer it to your phone.
- Boot in. TWRP (power + Volume Up and execute: 🧹 Wipe → Advanced Wipe (tag Dalvik, Cache, System, Data). 📥 Install → select the firmware file. ⚙️ After installation, go through Magisk (for root rights, if necessary).
⚠️ Warning: The wrong firmware can turn Redmi 4X - The brick:
- 🔋 Charge your phone to 100%.
- 📱 Make a backup through TWRP Mi Cloud.
- 🔍 Make sure the firmware is suitable for the santoni model (not for the santoni model). santoni_pro or other modifications).
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Custom firmware removes ALL ads, but requires technical skills. If you're not sure, stop at methods 1-4.
Method 6: root rights and removal of system applications (extreme method)
If you’re willing to take risks, getting root rights will remove the system-level ad units, a method that works for Redmi 4X on any firmware, but voids the warranty and may disrupt some features.
What you need:
- 📱 Phone with unlocked loader and installed TWRP.
- 🔧 Magisk (to obtain root).
- 🗑️ Root Explorer or Titanium Backup.
Instructions:
- Install Magisk via TWRP (instructions here).
- Download and install Root Explorer.
- Go to /system/priv-app/ and delete the folders: Msa MiuiSystemAdSolution Analytics
- In /system/app/ delete: Browser (com.android.browser) Music (com.miui.player) Video (com.miui.videoplayer)
- Clear cache and data through TWRP (Wipe → Cache/Dalvik).
What happens after removal:
- ✅ All system advertising will disappear.
- ✅ Unnecessary services will stop working (battery savings).
- ❌ May break: Mi Cloud, Themes, System Update.
- ❌ Some applications (such as Mi Fit) will require manual customization.