Owners of budget and mid-budget smartphones often encounter intrusive banners that appear in system applications. Redmi Note 9 Pro, despite its popularity and excellent performance, was no exception to the rules of marketing policy of the company. Aggressive marketing is built into the shell of MIUI, which is annoying for users accustomed to pure Android.
Fortunately, most ad modules can be safely deactivated without getting root rights. Disabling ads will not only improve user experience, but also slightly reduce the load on the processor and battery. In this article, we will discuss all the available methods, from simple settings to deeper system intervention.
You don't have to be a programming expert to clear the interface of all the visual noise, but you just need to do a series of things in the settings menu in a consistent manner. The key is to turn off the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which is responsible for broadcasting banners. Let's start with the basic security and privacy settings.
Disabling the MSA Advertising Service
The first and most important step is to block the system service that is responsible for displaying ads, which has a complex system to protect against accidental shutdown, so the procedure must be done carefully, and without removing this service, all other manipulations may be temporary.
Go to the Settings menu of your Redmi Note 9 Pro and find the Passwords and Security section. From the list that opens, select Access to Personal Data. This list shows all the apps that request access to your information or system features.
You need to find a service called msa (MIUI System Ads) on the list, press the switch next to it to deny access, the system will alert you to the possible consequences and start a countdown of 10 seconds.
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If the msa switch is switched on again after a while, repeat the procedure 2-3 times in a row. MIUI specifically requires persistence from the user when turning off this service.
It's important to understand that msa is tightly integrated into the shell, and you can't completely remove it without flashing it to a global, ad-free version (Global ROM), but the restriction of access rights effectively blocks it from working, and after that step, the number of pop-ups should be significantly reduced.
☑️ Checking the shutdown MSA
Setup of Xiaomi system applications
In addition to the main service, the ads are broadcast by individual system utilities. In Redmi Note 9 Pro, it is most often the application Security, Explorer, Themes and Music, each of which has its own recommendation switch.
Start with the Security app, which is the control center of the system. Open it, click on the settings gear in the top right corner. Find Receive recommendations and put the switch to an inactive state. This will remove banners when scanning the system and clearing the memory.
Then we go to Explorer. Open the app, click on the three horizontal menu bars on the top left. Select Settings, then About. Here you also need to find and disable the Receive Recommendations option. Similar actions should be repeated for Themes and Downloads applications.
⚠️ Note: In some versions MIUI The path to settings may vary slightly. If you do not find the "Receive recommendations" item, look for the phrase "Recommendations" or "Show ads" in the "About the app" section".
Remember that system updates can reset some user settings. Check these points periodically after a major firmware update, especially for the Download app, which often starts showing ads again after updating Google Play components.
Using a private DNS to block
The most effective operating system-wide method is to use a private DNS, which allows you to block ad requests before they reach your screen. For the Redmi Note 9 Pro, this method is completely secure and does not require the installation of third-party software.
Go to Settings. → Connection and Sharing. Find a Private Item DNS (Private DNS). The default is "Auto." Select hostname mode. DNS Enter the address of a reliable blocker.
dns.adguard.comOnce you enter the address, save the settings. Now all traffic going through the mobile network and Wi-Fi will be filtered, this will remove advertising not only in system applications, but also in many games and browsers, but be prepared for the fact that some sites may stop opening if they use the same domains as advertising networks.
What to do if the Internet stops working?
The advantage of this is that it works globally, so you don't have to go through the settings of each application separately, but if you're using enterprise Wi-Fi or specific networks that require authorization through a portal, DNS can interfere with the connection, and in such cases, you can quickly turn it off with a single click.
| Parameter | Default value | Recommended value | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private DNS | Automobile | dns.adguard.com | Blocking Advertising Throughout the System |
| MSA Service | Included | Limited. | Removes MIUI system banners |
| Recommendations in thematic areas | Included. | Off. | Clears the shop of themes. |
| WAP-billing | Active. | Unplugged. | Protects against paid subscriptions |
Cleaning notifications from the browser and sites
Users often confuse system advertising with intrusive notifications from sites they accidentally subscribed to. If messages about “win” or “viruses” pop up on the lock screen or in the notification curtain, the problem is not MIUI, but browser permissions.
Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification management. Find your browser (Chrome, Mi Browser or another) in the list. Turn off notifications completely or select specific sites and prevent them from showing messages.
It's also worth checking the installed applications. Often, hidden modules are installed along with useful programs that generate ads. Go through the list of all applications in the settings. If you see a program without a name or with an icon that looks like a system, but you did not install it, delete it immediately.
The Redmi Note 9 Pro features a lot of third-party software (AliExpress, Booking, etc.) that removes all unnecessary apps immediately after purchase, not only eliminating potential sources of advertising, but also freeing up space in memory.
Blocking Advertising in Specific Applications
Some embedded applications have their own settings, independent of the general settings of the system. For example, the Music or Video app can display banners in the interface. To turn them off, you need to go to the settings of each application separately.
In the Video app, click on the user profile, then Settings. Find the Online Services or Recommendations section and turn off all options. In the Calendar app, you should also check the event and reminder settings to remove the promotional mailings.
The app GetApps (Xiaomi app store) is a special attention, and it often sends notifications about discounts and new items, go to its settings and turn off all kinds of notifications, as well as auto-update apps, if you prefer to do it manually through Google Play.
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A comprehensive approach: the combination of MSA disabling, DNS settings and manual notification cleaning gives 99% of the result of getting rid of advertising in MIUI.
Third-party solutions and blockers
If built-in methods are not enough, you can use specialized software, but installing such programs on Xiaomi has its nuances due to aggressive battery optimization, the system can automatically "kill" the processes of the blocker, considering them harmful or energy-consuming.
The popular solution is the AdGuard app, which requires localization to work. VPN-After installation, you need to allow the creation of a new VPN-connect and issue all necessary permissions in the Battery menu (mode "No restrictions").
There is also a method of installing modified versions of system applications, but we strongly recommend that ordinary users do not do this, it can disrupt the system, lead to loss of warranty and data security problems, it is better to limit yourself to setting up DNS and system switches.
⚠️ Warning: Avoid installing accelerators and cleaners from banner ads, which are themselves the source of advertising and often contain malicious code that steals personal data.
Using DNS-level blockers (as described in the section above) is preferable to installing heavy applications, which consume less of the Redmi Note 9 Pro processor’s resources and do not require permanent permissions to access the screen or other applications.