Owners of the Xiaomi Mi 8 often face intrusive ads that appear in system applications, desktop folders, and even when unlocking a device, a problem that has become especially acute with the release of new versions of the MIUI shell, where marketing integrations are built deep into the system. While advertising allows the company to reduce the final cost of gadgets, for many users it becomes a serious distraction from work.
Fortunately, there are several effective ways to eliminate this digital noise, completely or partially: you don't need superuser rights or complex device reflashing; you just need to change a number of settings in the Security menu and Android system settings sequentially. In this article, we'll look at all the available methods, from standard features to more advanced techniques.
It’s worth noting that completely cleaning up the system from ad modules may require disabling some “smart” features, such as automatic recommendations or personalized content. However, for most Xiaomi Mi 8 owners, the comfort of not having pop-ups outweighs the loss of secondary features.
MSA Disconnection: The Main Source of Advertising
The main culprit behind the appearance of banner ads in the system is the MSA system application (MIUI System Ads), which is responsible for downloading and displaying marketing content in various corners of the interface, and to block it, you need to find the appropriate item in the authorization settings and turn it off.
The shutdown process can take several attempts, because the system sometimes artificially delays the response or requires re-confirmation, and it's a security mechanism to keep the user in the ecosystem, but it's easy to get by with persistence, and you need to go to the authorization menu and find the line responsible for the advertising services.
Once the msa is found, the switch must be put inactive, the system will issue a warning that some functions may stop working correctly, but for the average user these changes are not noticeable, the main thing is to wait for the countdown (usually 10 seconds) and confirm the action.
⚠️ Note: If the switch is back in active position after the first time, repeat the procedure again. 2-3 Often it takes several attempts to successfully shut down the service.
What to do if the “Disable” button is inactive?
It is important to understand that MSA is closely integrated with other Xiaomi services, so disabling it is a key step.Without this procedure, the rest of the settings may be less efficient. Make sure the switch remains in the off position after the device is restarted.
Setting up the “Security” application and cleaning
The Security app is one of the most commonly used tools on the Xiaomi Mi 8, and this is where ads pop up most often — after every virus check or memory clearing. To spare yourself from this, you need to change the settings of the app itself, turning off receiving recommendations.
Inside the app, you need to go to the settings (the gear icon in the corner) and find the section related to Getting Recommendations, disabling this option will prevent banner ads from appearing under the scan results, and it is also worth checking the Cleanup section, where additional promotional activities may be hiding.
☑️ Checking security settings
In addition, the app itself has hidden notification settings. Sometimes the ads come in the form of push messages on behalf of the system application. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Application Notifications, find Security and Cleanup, and prevent them from showing notifications, leaving only critical system warnings.
Some users prefer to limit the background activity of these applications so that they do not run advertising processes in the background, but this can lead to the fact that the system will less often perform automatic optimization, you decide whether it is more important: silence or background activity.
Remove ads in the standard browser and Mi Video
Xiaomi’s standard browser and Mi Video are separate sources of ad traffic. Unlike system banners, ads are embedded in the content feed. The solution for the browser is one: disabling push notifications from sites and using incognito mode by default, if possible.
In the Mi Video app, you need to open the app's settings, find the Online Recommendations or Get Notifications and deactivate them, and this will remove intrusive suggestions to watch new movies or TV shows that often overlap the interface.
An alternative solution for advanced users is to completely replace standard applications with third-party counterparts from Google Play, such as Chrome, Firefox or DuckDuckGo browsers do not contain built-in advertising from the manufacturer. This is a radical but very effective method.
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Install AdGuard Ad Blocker or similar DNS-This will allow you to block ads not only in the browser, but also within many applications without requiring root rights.
It’s worth remembering that standard Xiaomi apps are updated periodically through the GetApps store, and settings may be reset.Read notification status periodically after major system updates.
Cleaning the desktop and folders from recommendations
One of the most annoying things about MIUI is that you get ads inside your desktop folders, and when you open your app folder, you can see icons of your recommended games or programs at the bottom, not viruses, but a regular shell feature.
To remove this, open any folder on your desktop. In the upper right corner, you'll see a settings icon (usually a gear or three dots), and if you click on it, you'll see the "Promoted apps" switch.
It's important to do this for every folder where you want to see only your apps. Unfortunately, there's no global switch for all folders in some versions of the firmware at once, so you'll have to go through it manually. It takes a couple of minutes, but it's worth it.
| Interface element | Where to look for settings | What's off? |
|---|---|---|
| Folders on the desktop | Inside the folder. → A gear. | Recommended annexes |
| Security Annex | Settings → Get recommendations | Banner advertisements |
| Conductor | Settings → About the annex | Recommendations (in the annex section) |
| Theme of the design | Profile → Settings | Showing ads |
You should also look at the theme settings. If you use a third-party theme from the Themes store, it may contain its own ad modules. Switching to a standard Classic or Default theme often helps to remove visual debris.
Resetting the advertising identifier and personalization
To target ads, the Xiaomi Mi 8, like any modern Android smartphone, uses a unique advertising ID. Resetting this ID will not remove the ads completely, but will make them less personalized and intrusive, and will also break the link with your past behavior.
Go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Privacy → Advertising. Here you will find the Reset Ad ID button. Click on it. It is also recommended to turn off the Personalized Ads switch if it is active.
This procedure is particularly useful if you sell a device or transfer it to another user, and resetting the ID helps to clear the digital footprint that the system has accumulated over time.
And other Google services, too, are included in Google’s account settings, and there’s also an Ads section where you can turn off personalization, a holistic approach that impacts the entire Android ecosystem, not just Xiaomi’s shell.
Using DNS to block at the network level
One of the most effective and elegant ways to remove ads on Xiaomi Mi 8 is to use the Private feature. DNS (Private DNS), This method does not require the installation of additional applications and works at the network connection level.
The key is that your phone sends everything. DNS-requests via an encrypted channel to a server that automatically blocks known advertising domains. dns.adguard.com is ideal for this.
To activate this feature, go to Settings → Connection & Sharing → Private DNS (the path may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI). Select the DNS Host Name (or Manual) mode and enter the address:
dns.adguard.comSave the settings. All traffic that passes through Wi-Fi and the mobile network will now be filtered, and banner ads in apps and browsers will stop loading as requests to ad servers will be blocked at the entrance.
⚠️ Note: If, after activation, Private DNS stop working the Internet in some applications or Wi-Fi in public places (where authorization is required via the browser), temporarily disable this feature or select Auto mode».
It's one of the most reliable methods we've seen so far, and it doesn't conflict with the system, and it doesn't require constant interventions after you set it up, and the only downside is that you can't flexibly configure the filters without changing the filters. DNS-provider.
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Using Private DNS (dns.adguard.com) is the most effective way to remove ads in all applications without installing additional software.