Owners of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones often encounter intrusive marketing content that is embedded in the shell of MIUI. This phenomenon annoys users accustomed to a clean interface and distracts from everyday tasks. Advertising can appear in standard applications, when you unlock the screen or even in system folders.
Fortunately, the system allows you to flexibly configure privacy settings and disable most ad units without obtaining Root permissions. You don't need to be a programmer to clean the interface of your gadget from unnecessary visual noise. It is enough to consistently perform a series of actions in the settings menu.
In this article, we’ll break down all the effective ways, from official menu switches to advanced methods through DNS and ADB. A comprehensive approach will allow you to enjoy the operation of the device, rather than viewing banners.
⚠️ Note: Before making system changes, we strongly advise you to back up important data to avoid accidental loss of information in the event of an error.
Disabling MSA System Advertising
The main source of intrusive banners is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) system application, which is responsible for collecting data about your preferences and displaying targeted advertising in the interface, and without it, other settings may not be effective.
The deactivation process requires care, because the system will try to keep the user on by suggesting that you leave the service on. You will need to confirm your decision several times, ignoring the countdown timers. This is a defense mechanism that you just have to endure.
To start, go to the Settings menu. → Passwords and security → Access to data. In the list, find the msa app and turn off the slider. The system will give you an alert, and you'll have to wait 10 seconds, and then press "Disable".
- 🔍 Open your smartphone settings and find the "Passwords and Security" section".
- 📉 Select "Access to Data" to view application network activity.
- 🚫 Find the msa list and deny it access to the Internet.
- ⏳ Confirm the action by waiting for the end of the waiting timer.
⚠️ Note: If you turn off the first time MSA Failed and there was an error, repeat the procedure 3-5 The system often blocks the first attempted shutdown.
☑️ Checking the shutdown MSA
Once these steps are successfully completed, the background load of the ad modules will cease, which will significantly reduce the load on RAM and reduce traffic consumption, but other components of the system will need to be configured to be fully effective.
Configuring recommendations in system applications
Even after the MSA is disabled, individual applications can continue to show recommendations, and in the MIUI shell, special services are responsible for this, built into Explorer, Music, Video and Cleanup, and they need to be customized separately.
Let's take a look at the standard Explorer. Open the app, click on the menu (three bars) and select Settings. Here you're looking at "About Service" or "Get Recommendations." Turn off this switch to remove the ad tape.
The same thing happens in the Security app. Go to it, click on the gear in the top right corner, and find "Get recommendations." After you turn it off, you'll lose your news feeds and game installers.
| Annex | The path to adjustment | Parameter for deactivation |
|---|---|---|
| Conductor | Menu → Settings | Receive recommendations |
| Music. | Menu → Settings → Additional | Showing advertisements |
| Topics | Profile → Settings | Personal recommendations |
| Cleanup | Settings (cogs) | Receive recommendations |
Secret cleaning function
Keep in mind that system updates may reset some of these settings, and check the menus after a major MIUI update or HyperOS upgrade.
Disabling Advertising in Mi Browser
Xiaomi’s standard browser is often the main source of pop-ups and push notifications. Many users don’t know that it can be customized or replaced. If you prefer to use it, you need to clean your settings thoroughly.
Go to your browser, click on the three dots in the bottom menu, and select Settings. Find the Privacy and Security section, and turn off all items related to personalization, secure browsing (which sometimes replaces pages), and product improvements.
Pay special attention to the item "Receive news and notifications", which is responsible for the appearance of the information feeds on the start page, disabling this option will return the browser to a minimalist look.
- 🌐 Open the Mi Browser browser and go to the settings menu.
- 🔒 Select the tab "Privacy and security".
- 📵 Turn off the option "Personal recommendations".
- 🗑️ Clear the history and data of sites to reset accumulated trackers.
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Consider installing an alternative browser, such as Firefox or Brave, which have built-in ad blockers and are not dependent on MIUI system settings.
If you rarely use the built-in browser, you can simply delete or disable it in the application settings, replacing it with a more private counterpart, which will free up space in memory and improve the overall security of the device.
Blocking Advertising through DNS (Private DNS)
One of the most effective methods that doesn't require third-party software is to use a private DNS, which blocks requests to known ad servers at the network connection level, and it works across all apps and browsers at once.
To implement this method, you'll need a trusted server address that filters traffic, and one of the most popular and stable is AdGuard DNS, which requires no application installation and works immediately after settings are entered.
Go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS. Select the “DNS Provider Host Name” mode and enter the address: dns.adguard.com. Save settings and restart the device.
dns.adguard.comOnce rebooted, all traffic will be through the filter server, which will remove banners in games, apps and websites, but it is worth remembering that some sites may not display correctly when using aggressive filters.
⚠️ Note: When using a third party DNS Your data about the visited sites passes through the provider’s server DNS. Choose only proven services with a good reputation.
Using ADB for deep cleaning
For advanced users who want to achieve maximum results, there is a method of removing system components through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to remove applications that are usually hidden from the user.
You'll need a computer, USB-cable and on-line debugging USB You can turn it on on on your smartphone. → About the phone, quickly pressing 7 times on the build number MIUI, and then in the section "For Developers".
When you connect your phone to your PC, use the command to remove the com.miui.misys package or other advertising modules. Be extremely careful: removing critical system packages can lead to a cyclic bootloop.
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.msa.globalThis is a method that gives you complete control, but it requires technical literacy, and if you're not sure what you're doing, you'd better limit yourself to the software settings described in the previous sections. ADB may require a complete reset of the device.
- 💻 Install drivers and platform ADB computer.
- 🔌 Turn on "Debugging by" USB" in the developer menu on a smartphone.
- 📝 Enter a command in the terminal to remove a specific packet.
- 🔄 Restart the device to apply changes.
Change of region and additional settings
There is an observation that the amount of ads depends on the region of the device chosen. Users often note that when you change region to "India" or "Russia", the number of banners can vary.
To change your region, go to Settings → Settings → Region. Choose a country with strict data protection laws, such as Germany. The interface may become cleaner, although this does not guarantee that ads will disappear completely.
You should also check your ad ID settings. In Settings → Passwords & Security → Privacy → Advertising services can reset your ad ID or disable personalization. This will not remove the ad completely, but will make it less relevant and intrusive.
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The combination of region change, MSA disablement, and DNS setup gives the best result in the fight for a clean MIUI interface.
Remember to update your system regularly. While newer versions of MIUI or HyperOS may bring new features, they also contain security patches that close vulnerabilities that can load malicious ad code.