How to permanently remove advertising on Xiaomi Poco F3: from system settings to custom firmware

Advertising in Xiaomi Poco F3 smartphones is one of the most annoying features of the MIUI branded shell. Even in the Poco series, marketed as devices for enthusiasts, the manufacturer has integrated ad units into system applications, settings menus and even the notification panel. According to a study by XDA-Developers, up to 30% of Poco F3 users encounter unwanted advertising at least once a day, and 15% note its appearance every time they open the Security application.

In this article, we will discuss 7 proven ways to remove ads, from basic MIUI settings to radical methods like custom firmware installation. Importantly, the effectiveness of methods depends on the MIUI version (Poco F3 is 12-14) and the firmware region. For example, in European builds (EEA) there are fewer ads than in global builds (Global) or Chinese. Also note that some methods require unlocking the bootloader or superuser rights (root) - this cancels the warranty and can lead to unstable device operation.

1. disable personalized advertising in MIUI settings

The easiest and safest way to do this is to deactivate personalized ads through system settings, which does not remove ads completely, but significantly reduces the amount of ads, especially in Topics, Security and Music apps.

Instructions:

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Google → Advertising.
• 🔄 Activate the switch to Turn off personalized advertising.
• 🔍 Return to the main settings menu and go to Settings → Additionally. → Confidentiality → Advertising services.
• 🚫 Turn off Personalized Advertising Recommendations (if available).

After this action, ads in system applications will become less intrusive, but will not disappear completely. For example, banners in the Weather or Calendar can remain, as they are downloaded from external Xiaomi sources.

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If you do not have an Advertising Services option in your region, try changing your firmware region to EEA (Europe) via Settings → About Phone → Region. This may reveal additional privacy options.

2. Removal of Advertising through ADB (without root)

The Android Debug Bridge (ADB) method allows you to disable ad services at the system level without requiring superuser rights.It is suitable for users who do not want to risk the stability of the device, but are willing to execute multiple commands in the terminal.

What you need:

• 💻 Computer with installed ADB-tool.
• 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
• 📱 Included debugging by USB Poco F3 (Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Tap 7 times, then go back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Debugging by USB).

Input commands in the terminal (alternately):

adb shell pm hide com.miui.systemAdSolution


adb shell pm hide com.xiaomi.midrop




adb shell pm hide com.miui.analytics




adb shell pm hide com.miui.msa.global




adb shell pm hide com.miui.player




adb shell settings put global hidden_api_policy 1

These commands disable Xiaomi’s core ad modules, including analytics and background services. Once the device is rebooted, the ads should disappear from most system applications. However, some banners (such as in Weather) may remain as they load from the cloud.

⚠️ Note: pm hide commands temporarily "hide" applications, but do not delete them. MIUI The ads may come back. Permanent removal will require root.

3. Use of blocking applications (without root)

If previous methods have not worked, you can use third-party apps that block ads at the DNS level or through a VPN. Poco F3 works well:

• 🛡️ Blokada – Blocks Advertising Domains at Level DNS, It doesn't require root. Minus: It can slow down the Internet connection.
• 🔒 AdGuard supports filters to block ads in apps. There is a free version with restrictions.
• 🌐 DNS66 — Open source software to block ads through change DNS-server.

How to set up Blokada:

1. Download APK from the official website (not from Google Play!).
2. Install and allow creation VPN-linkage.
3. In the settings, select the Energy or Fennec lock list.
4. Activate the lockdown.

These apps block ads in all applications, including system ones, but do not remove banners embedded in MIUI at the code level (for example, in Settings), and they may conflict with some games or banking applications.

4. Removal of system applications with advertising (root required)

If you're willing to get root rights, you can completely remove the apps that are responsible for the ads you're showing. It's a radical method, but the most effective. F3 The following packages are responsible for advertising:

Use Root Explorer or Titanium Backup to remove the commands via ADB with superuser rights:

adb shell


su




pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.systemAdSolution




pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.xiaomi.midrop




pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.analytics

⚠️ Note: Removing system packages can lead to unstable operation MIUI, errors in applications or inability to update the firmware. Before deleting, back up through TWRP!

5. Installation of custom firmware (radical method)

If nothing works, the last option is to install custom firmware without advertising. F3 popular:

• 📱 Pixel Experience – pure Android without unnecessary services Xiaomi.
• ⚡ LineageOS – stable firmware with open source.
• 🔥 Xiaomi.eu – modified MIUI Advertising-free and Chinese-based.

Installation process:

1. Unlock the bootloader through Mi Unlock Tool (requires a Xiaomi account binding and wait 7-30 days).
2. Install custom recovery (TWRP or OrangeFox).
3. Download the firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.eu for Poco F3 codename alioth).
4. Flush through recovery by first doing wipe of Dalvik, Cache, Data, System partitions.

Installing custom firmware completely removes ads, but deprives the device of official support for Xiaomi, including security updates through OTA. There may be problems with the operation of the NFC, camera or sensors (depending on the firmware).

6. Alternative methods: region change and resetting

If the advertisement is due to regional features of the firmware, you can try to change the region to EEA (Europe), where the rules of privacy are stricter.

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version.
2. Tap the MIUI version 10 times until you become a developer!
3. Go back to Settings → More → Region and select Europe (EEA).
4. Reset the device.

Another way is to reset to factory settings, sometimes ads appear after MIUI updates because of cache failures, resets can help, but delete all data from the device.

• 📁 Make a backup copy through Settings → Google → Backup.
• 🔐 Save passwords and application data (for example, through Titanium Backup with root).
• 📱 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Resetting settings.

After reset, do not restore data from the MIUI backup - this can return ads.

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When removing ads, users often face problems, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

If none of the methods worked, check:

• 📱 Version MIUI — in new assemblies (e.g, MIUI 14) less advertising, but it may be better disguised.
• 🔄 Firmware region - Chinese versions (China) ROM) More advertising than European or global.
• 🛠️ Viruses - some adware applications mimic system advertising.Verify the device via Malwarebytes.

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The most reliable way to get rid of advertising forever is to install custom firmware (for example, Xiaomi.eu), but this requires unlocking the bootloader and deprives of warranty. ADB-Blokada-type commands and blockers.

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing ads on Poco F3