Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often face intrusive marketing content that appears in the most unexpected places of the interface, especially annoying ads on the screensaver or lock screen of the Redmi Note 8 Pro, which prevents quick access to the basic functions of the device, this problem is solved not by removing one application, but by complex configuration of system security parameters and services.
In this article, we will discuss in detail how to deactivate the MSA system advertising module, disable personalized recommendations in standard applications, and clear the lock screen of third-party content. You will learn what switches you need to find in the settings menu to make using the Redmi Note 8 Pro comfortable and free of visual noise.
Before you start making changes, it’s important to understand that some settings may be called differently depending on the version of the MIUI shell. We’ll rely on current firmware versions, but the way system constraints work remains the same across the ecosystem. Be prepared to check each item carefully, as skipping one switch can reduce all efforts to zero.
Disabling the MSA system advertising module
The main source of intrusive banners and pop-ups in the system is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which collects data about your behavior and broadcasts advertising content to various parts of the interface, including application folders and the lock screen.
First, you need to access the hidden login menu. Go to Settings, then select Passwords and Security. In the list that opens, find Access to Personal Data. This list shows all the apps that have the right to collect information. Find the msa list and turn the slider to Off.
What to do if the switch button is inactive?
The system will warn you that some features may stop working correctly, a standard warning that can be ignored because the basic functionality of the phone will not suffer, once confirmed, the service will stop running automatically, but the changes will only take effect after the device is fully restarted.
⚠️ Attention: After disconnection MSA The ad may not disappear instantly, but within 24 hours, and this involves caching data on the company's servers and in the device's memory.
Some users have noted that the service tries to automatically turn on again after the system update, in which case the procedure must be repeated, and it is worth checking whether new system applications with similar names appeared in the data access list after major MIUI updates.
Setting up the lock screen and wallpaper carousel
Often, what people mean by screensaver ads is the wallpaper carousel function, which automatically changes the background image on a locked screen and shows news or banner ads at the bottom of the display, and if you want to have a static image without any extra content, you need to turn it off.
Go to the Settings menu and select Always on and Lock. Find the Wallpaper Carousel (or Glance for Mi in the newer versions). Inside this menu, you need to deaktivate the Switch to Turn on the Wallpaper Carousel. After that, the lock screen will only have the time, date and your widgets.
If you want to leave the wallpaper change but remove the ad blocks, look in the Carousel settings for Get Content More Often or Recommendations and turn them off. However, the most effective way is to completely disable the service, since content selection algorithms often prioritize commercial offers.
Also worth paying attention to the settings of the wallpaper itself. In some versions of the firmware, there is a separate Receive recommendations switch in the theme selection section. Make sure it is also off so that the system does not offer you paid or sponsored images when unlocked.
Cleaning Standard Apps from Advertising
Advertising integrations are deeply embedded in Xiaomi’s standard utilities like Explorer, Music, Video, and Cleanup. Even if you disable MSA, these apps can have their own recommendation settings that need to be configured separately for each case.
Consider setting up the Security app, which most often shows ads after scanning the system. Open the app, click on the settings gear in the top right corner. Find the Receive recommendations section and turn it off. Similar actions should be repeated for the Music and Video apps in their respective settings menu.
☑️ Checklist for app cleanup
The File Manager is the same. Go to the menu, select Settings, then About. You need to find the Recommendation switch and deactivate it. In some versions, this item may be right in the main Explorer settings menu.
| Annex | The path to adjustment | Name of the switch | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security | Settings (cogs) | Receive recommendations | Off |
| Conductor | Menu -> Settings -> About the program | Recommendations | Off |
| Downloads. | Three points -> Settings | Showing recommended | Off |
| Topics | Profile -> Settings | Personal recommendations | Off |
Remember that after updating standard applications through the GetApps store, settings may reset. Check these points periodically, especially if you notice the return of banner ads inside the system utilities.
Managing notifications and push messages
Sometimes what users perceive as a screensaver ad is a simple push notification from installed applications or system services, which can appear on the lock screen and create a sense of congestion in the interface, control over notifications is in your hands.
Go to Settings -> Notifications and Status bar -> Notification Management. This is a complete list of all installed applications. Go through the list and turn off notifications for those programs that are not important to you, especially for games and little-known utilities.
💡
Use Quiet Notifications for important, but not urgent, apps. They won't wake up the screen, but will stay in the notification curtain.
Special attention should be paid to system notifications from the MIUI. In the same menu, find apps with the Xiaomi logo or names like Google Play Service, Security, and disable notification categories related to marketing, promotions, and news, leaving only critical system messages.
You can also limit the display of notification content on a locked screen. From the Notifications menu and status bar, find the Notification Format on the locked screen. Select No Text and Images or Only icons to hide the contents of messages before unlocking the device.
Resetting Advertising Identifier and Personalization
Android and MIUI use a unique advertising identifier to target content, and resetting this identifier helps to “nullify” a user’s profile, which can reduce the frequency of specific intrusive ads and reset matching algorithms.
To do this, go to Settings -> Passwords and Security -> Privacy. Scroll down to Advertising Services. Here you will see the Reset Ad ID button. Click on it and confirm the action.
In the same menu, you should disable ad personalization. Find the ad personalization switch and make sure it's off. This will prevent the system from using your location and search queries data to generate ad feeds.
⚠️ Warning: Resetting your advertising ID does not remove ads completely, but makes them less relevant to your profile, often resulting in a decrease in their number and aggressiveness.
After a reset, it may take some time for the new settings to apply across all Google and Xiaomi services, during which time the amount of advertising may temporarily fluctuate, but in the long run it is a positive measure to protect privacy.
Additional methods and use of DNS
If standard methods do not give the desired result, you can use a more advanced way - change. DNS-This method allows you to block requests to known ad servers before they reach your device.
Go to Settings -> Connection and Sharing -> Private DNS. Select the DNS Host Name option and enter the trusted blocker address, such as dns.adguard.com. Save settings.
dns.adguard.comThis method is effective not only for the system, but also for browsers and some applications, but it is worth remembering that the use of a third-party DNS can have a slight impact on the response rate of the network in rare cases, although for most users this remains invisible.
💡
Using a Private DNS with dns.adguard.com is a powerful tool that blocks network-level advertising, complementing the MIUI system settings.
Importantly, this method may conflict with some local networks (such as cafes or offices) where authorization is required via a web page, and in such situations, it is better to temporarily return the DNS to Auto or Unplug mode.