Modern smartphones brand Xiaomi are famous for their excellent ratio of price and performance, but for an affordable cost users often have to put up with intrusive marketing. Device owners often face a situation where the desktop appears incomprehensible widgets, folders with recommendations or pop-up banners that interfere with the comfortable use of the gadget. Remove advertising from the desktop Xiaomi is quite realistic, but this will require a number of settings in the depth of the system.
Advertising content is implemented by MIUI shell developers through various system services, such as msa (MIUI System Ads) and Mi Video. These processes can be activated automatically after a firmware update or initial phone setup. To return the cleanliness of the interface and improve performance, you need to consistently disable several switches in the settings menu, which will be discussed in detail below.
Before you start taking any drastic measures, it is important to understand that some elements may look like advertising, but are part of the launcher functionality. It is critical to distinguish system recommendations from third-party widgets, as the methods of disabling them can vary. In this article, we will discuss all the available ways to clean the workspace, from simple switches to shutting down system services.
Disabling recommendations in the Security Annex
One of the main sources of intrusive notifications and banners is the built-in Security app, which often offers to “speed up” the phone or shows news that are essentially advertising integrations.
Open the Security app and click on the gear icon in the top right corner of the screen. In the menu that opens, find Receive recommendations and put the slider inactive. This action will stop the news feed from appearing in the app itself.
Next, look for the Clean Up inside the security settings section, find the Receive recommendations option here, as it is responsible for pop-up tips after scanning the system, and it is also recommended to go to Viruses and disable the similar recommendation-receiving function to completely protect yourself from marketing offers.
⚠️ Note: When you turn off the recommendations in the Cleanup section, you will stop seeing tips for optimizing memory, but this will not affect the actual operation of the file cleanup function.
Once you do this, the interface will be much cleaner, but this is only the first step, since desktop advertising is often linked to other system components.
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Periodically check the list of installed applications for programs unknown to you, as some of them may be installed along with system updates and contain their advertising.
Set up widgets and folders on the desktop
Often users accidentally activate ad modules by installing a "Burning Wallpaper" or "Card" widget, which takes up space on the screen and broadcasts content from partners of the company, and you can remove them directly from the desktop.
Click on the empty space on your desktop to go into editing mode, or just tap the widget if it's interactive. In the menu that appears, select Settings or the gear icon. Here you need to find the Receive recommendations switch and turn it off.
App folders deserve special attention, and there is a feature called Recommended Apps in the MIUI shell that fills empty spaces in the folder with game and service icons to fix this:
- 📱 Open any folder on the desktop where there are free cells.
- 🔍 Click on the folder name or the empty area inside it to call the menu.
- ⚙️ Find the Recommended Applications Switch and Deactivate It.
- ❌ Remove the advertising icons that appear by clamping them and dragging them to the cart.
If you have the default theme, sometimes the adverts may appear as a wallpaper widget, in which case (long press) on the widget will remove it or change the display settings. It is important not to confuse system widgets with third-party, store-loaded themes.
Disconnection of MSA (MIUI System Ads)
The msa service is the main engine for displaying ads on the system. Without disabling it, all other settings may not be effective, as the service will periodically restore its settings. The process of disabling requires care, as the system will try to “persuade” you to leave the ads.
Go to your smartphone Settings menu, then select Passwords and Security. In the list, look for Access to Personal Data (or Authorization and Review). In the list that opens, find msa and turn off the switch next to it.
Once the switch is turned off, the system will start a countdown of 10 seconds. After the time expires, a confirmation window will appear. Here lies the main trap: the switch button can be barely noticeable or hidden. You need to find a barely visible checkbox or Cancel button (which actually confirms the withdrawal of permission) to complete the process.
⚠️ Note: If you can’t turn off the service the first time, repeat the procedure 2-3 The system makes this process more complicated so that the user gives up and leaves the ad on.
Once permissions are successfully revoked, msa will stop collecting data and displaying targeted ads, an action that is key to cleaning the interface of marketing noise.
☑️ Shutdown checklist MSA
Cleaning system applications from advertising
Ad integrations are built into many of Xiaomi's standard apps, such as Music, Video, Explorer and Downloads, and even if you don't use them, they can run in the background and stream content. Let's take a look at how to defuse the major ones.
In the Music app, go to the settings (three bars or dots in the corner) and find the Advanced Settings section. You need to turn off the Receive Recommendations option. A similar procedure is done in the Video app: go to profile, then to the settings and disable all the points associated with recommendations and autostart.
The Downloads app also often contains banners. Open it, click three dots in the corner, and select Settings. Remove the tick from Get Recommendations. This will prevent promotional offers from appearing when downloading files from the Internet.
For clarity, below is a table with the main applications and ways to disable advertising in them:
| Annex | The path to adjustment | What to turn off |
|---|---|---|
| Conductor | Menu → Settings → About the application | Receive recommendations |
| Topics | Profile → Settings | Personal recommendations |
| Downloads. | Three points → Settings | Receive recommendations |
| Scanner. | Three points → Settings | Receive recommendations |
It takes a few minutes to do this, but the result is worth it. The interface will become more responsive and the battery will be spent more economically, as applications will stop constantly loading advertising content.
Disabling personalized advertising Mi
Xiaomi collects user preferences to generate personalized advertising offers, and even if you disable msa, you can remain in the targeting database if you don’t turn off the corresponding feature in your Mi Account.
Go to Settings, scroll down to Passwords and Security, and select Privacy. In this section, look for Advertising Services. You need to turn off the Personal Advertising switch.
Also available on this menu is the option to reset your advertising ID, and it is recommended to click Reset the ad ID to reset your accumulated interest profile, which will break the link between your past actions and future advertising.
Why do you need an advertising ID?
It is important to note that completely disabling ads does not mean that all banners on the Internet disappear, but the system intrusiveness will disappear completely. You will no longer see offers to download games or apply for credit when unlocking the screen.
Use of third-party launchers
If standard methods seem too complicated or you want to drastically change the look of the interface, you can install a third-party launcher.Replacing the standard shell is a radical but effective way to forget about Xiaomi ads.
Popular launchers like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher completely replace the desktop, control panel and app menu. They do not contain built-in advertising and offer much more customization options.
To install a third-party launcher, download it from Google Play Market. Once installed, the system can suggest selecting the desktop default app. Select a new launcher and click Always. If that doesn't happen, go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management → Three dots (menu) → Default applications → Desktop and select the installed launcher.
⚠️ Note: When using third-party launchers, some branded features MIUI, such as gestures or widgets may not work properly or require additional customization.
This method is ideal for advanced users who want a clean Android experience on their Xiaomi device without undue interference with system files.
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Using a third-party launcher is the most reliable way to completely eliminate system advertising, but it requires getting used to a new interface.