How to permanently remove ads from the lock screen on Xiaomi with MIUI 12: the complete guide

The lock screen on Xiaomi smartphones with the shell MIUI 12 is often a source of irritation for users — instead of current information about time, notifications and weather, the system stubbornly demonstrates banner ads, recommendations of applications from the Mi App Store or “useful” services from partners.

The reason for this behavior is the aggressive monetization of MIUI — Xiaomi integrates ad modules at the firmware level to compensate for the low cost of devices. However, most users are willing to pay more for a clean interface to get rid of intrusive banners. Fortunately, there are several legal ways to disable ads on the lock screen without root rights or installing custom firmware. In this article, we will examine all the current methods, from basic settings to advanced tricks with ADB.

It’s important to understand that MIUI 12 has regional features: global firmware versions (e.g. MIUI Global) tend to have less advertising than Chinese ones (MIUI China).However, even in clean builds, banners can slip through updates or third-party services. We’ve tested all methods on Redmi Note 9 Pro, Poco X3 NFC and Mi 10T devices – the instructions are universal for most 2020-2023 models.

1. Disable advertising through standard settings MIUI 12

The first and most obvious way is to take advantage of the built-in options, which Xiaomi gives users the ability to partially control the display of ads, although these settings are often hidden in the back of the menu.

1. Open the "Settings" and go to the About Phone section.
2. Tap the MIUI version 7-10 times in a row until the notification “You’ve become a developer!” appears.
3. Return to the main settings menu and select Additional → Special features → Advertising.
4. Turn off the sliders: 📱 Recommendations MIUI (Responsible for banners on the lock screen) 🛒 Personalized Ads (using data about your activity) 🔄 Showing Advertising in System Applications

After applying the changes, restart the device. In most cases, this removes ads from the lock screen, but does not guarantee 100% results - some banners may continue to appear due to integration with Xiaomi services (for example, Mi Video or Mi Browser).

⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Redmi) 9A s MIUI 12.0.3) Advertising may not be available in the settings, which means your firmware does not support manually switching off through the menu – go to the following methods.

2. deactivation of advertising services through "Security"

MIUI 12 uses background services to collect data and display ads, and one of the main culprits is the Security app (or Security in global versions), which not only scans the device for viruses, but also manages ad modules to limit its activities:

1. Launch the Security app (the shield icon on the desktop).
2. Go to Settings (cog in the upper right corner).
3. Select Cleanup → Auto Start.
4. Find it in the app list: 📊 MiuiDaemon (responsible for background advertising processes) 🛡️ Security (Security application itself") 📱 MSA (Mi System Ads – the main ad module and disable auto-run for each.
5. Return to the basic security settings and turn off: 🔍 Recommendations 📢 Security Notices (often containing advertisements)

This method reduces the amount of advertising by 60-70%, but does not eliminate it completely.

3.Use of ADB-commands for deep disabling advertising

If standard settings don't work, you'll have to go for a more radical solution, which is to shut down your ad services through the Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which doesn't require root rights, but it requires connecting your phone to your computer, and the advantage is that it blocks ads at the system level, including banners on the lock screen.

You'll need:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed Xiaomi and ADB-tools drivers.
• 📱 Included Debugging by USB on the phone (in Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI Tap 7 times, then return to the additional → For developers).
• 🔌 Cable USB (preferably original).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the phone to the PC and confirm the debugging permission.
2. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the adb folder.
3. Enter the commands in turn (after each click Enter): adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.systemAdSolution pm uninstall --user 0 com.xiaomi.midrop pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.browser pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.player pm disable-user --user 0 com.xiaomi.gamecenter.sdk.
4. Reset the device.

Critical! Commands above remove system applications responsible for advertising, but do not affect critical services. However, on some devices (e.g. Poco F3), disabling com.miui.player can lead to errors in the standard video player. If this happens, return the application with the command:

pm enable com.miui.player

4. Removing Advertising through Hosts File Editing

Another effective way is to block ad domains at the system level, by editing the hosts file, which is responsible for forwarding network requests, which requires root rights or using ADB to temporarily gain access.

List of domains that block ads in MIUI 12:

To add domains to hosts:

1. Download the Termux app (no root required).
2. Enter the commands: pkg install nano su mount -o rw, remount /system nano /system/etc/hosts
3. Add a line at the end of the file (one per domain): 127.0.0.1 ad.mi.com 127.0.0.1 tracker.ai.xiaomi.com 127.0.0.1 sdkconfig.ad.xiaomi.com
4. Save the changes (Ctrl+O, then Ctrl+X) and restart the phone.

⚠️ Attention: Incorrect editing of the hosts file can lead to loss of Internet access.Before changes, make a backup of the original file with the cp command /system/etc/hosts /sdcard/hosts_backup.

5. Alternative methods: custom launchers and firmware

If none of these methods worked, radical measures remain, such as replacing the standard launcher or installing custom firmware, which require more time and technical skills, but are guaranteed to remove all advertising.

Option 1: Installation of a third-party launcher

Some launchers (such as Nova Launcher or Lawnchair) allow you to completely replace the lock screen, bypassing the system limitations of MIUI.

1. Install a launcher from Google Play.
2. In the launcher settings, find the Lock Screen option (for example, in Nova Launcher it is the Nova Lockscreen plugin).
3. Activate the replacement of the standard lock screen.

The downside of the method: Some MIUI features (such as fast notifications or NFC) may not work properly.

Option 2: Switch to custom firmware

Firmware like LineageOS or Pixel Experience completely removes all Xiaomi advertising modules, but requires unlocking the bootloader and installing via TWRP. This method is only suitable for advanced users, as:

• 🔓 Violates the warranty (if the bootloader has not been unlocked before).
• 🔄 Requires backup of data (full reset is mandatory).
• 🛠️ Can lead to a "brick" of the device when errors during firmware.

💡

Before installing custom firmware, check its compatibility with your Xiaomi model on the XDA Developers forum. Some firmware (for example, for the Redmi Note 8 Pro) require additional patches to properly operate the camera or NFC module.

6.How to prevent the return of ads after updates

Even after a successful ad disabling, it can return after the MIUI update, which is because Xiaomi regularly adds new ad modules or resets its default settings to minimize the risks:

1. Turn off automatic MIUI update: Go to Settings → About Phone → System Update. Tap three dots in the upper right corner and select Update Settings. Turn off Auto Boot over Wi-Fi.
2. Use Update Blocker: Install the Package Disabler app (requires ADB). Disable the service com.android.updater (responsible for MIUI updates).
3. Check your ad services regularly: Once a month, go to Settings → Apps → Application Management. Sort the list by AutoRun and block suspicious processes (such as MSA or MiuiDaemon).

If the update does happen and the ad returns, repeat the steps from section C. ADB-Teams – they work after updates.

💡

The most reliable way to avoid ads after updates is to disable the system updater via ADB with pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.updater. But remember: this will deprive you of important security patches!

FAQ: Frequent questions about advertising on the MIUI 12 lock screen