Xiaomi smartphone users often encounter intrusive banner ads that appear in the most unexpected places of the interface. Especially annoying is the situation when ad units appear right on the desktop, overlapping widgets or occupying free space in application folders. This is not a virus or an accidental failure, but part of the company’s corporate strategy to monetize budget devices through the software shell of MIUI or HyperOS.
To return a clean interface and improve the comfort of the gadget, you need to perform a number of settings that are often hidden by default from the average user. In this article, we will discuss detailed methods for disabling advertising modules that are responsible for the appearance of banners. You will learn how to manage system services and block sources of unwanted content at the operating system level.
It is important to understand that you can remove ads completely only in a comprehensive way, affecting several services at once. Simply removing the app shortcut will not solve the problem, since advertising content is often broadcast through system processes. Deep cleaning of settings will allow you to enjoy the operation of your smartphone without unnecessary visual noise.
The nature of advertising in MIUI and HyperOS
The main source of intrusive banners is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) system service, which is responsible for collecting user data and targeted advertising in standard applications and on the desktop. Xiaomi implements this service in all its devices, regardless of the region of sale, although its activity may be reduced in global firmware versions.
Desktop advertising often appears through embedded widgets like Cards, Music or Security, which are set to receive content from the web by default, leading to promotional offers. System restrictions do not allow removing these components completely without root rights, but they can be effectively defused.
⚠️ Note: Complete removal of system applications through ADB It is recommended to use the method of disabling services or restricting access rights, rather than completely removing the shell.
Another source of irritation is recommendations in application folders: MIUI algorithms analyze installed programs and offer “similar” or “popular” applications that are essentially advertising integrations, which disables this feature greatly speeds up folder opening and makes the interface cleaner.
Disabling the MSA service, the main source of advertising
The first and most important step is to deactivate the MSA service. Without this action, the rest of the settings may not have a full effect, as the service will constantly try to download advertising content.
To start, go to the settings menu. Open Settings, then find the Passwords and Security section (or additionally in new versions). You will need to access personal data. In the list that opens, find the msa service and turn off the access slider.
☑️ Checking the shutdown MSA
After the slider is turned off, the system will start a countdown (usually 10 seconds) and after the time has passed, a confirmation window will appear. It is critical not to miss this moment and press the "Disable" button. If you simply close the window or press "Cancel", the service will remain active.
Sometimes the system can give an error "failed to disable" on the first attempt, in which case you need to repeat the procedure 3-5 times in a row. Android can block instantaneous change of critical settings, requiring persistence from the user. After a successful shutdown, the ad will cease to update, although old cached banners may not disappear immediately.
Set up widgets and folders on the desktop
Even after the MSA service is disabled, there may still be active content-generating elements on the desktop, most commonly Cards or Horizon widgets that load news and promotional offers, and you should check every widget located on your home screen.
Press and hold your finger on the widget, then select the setting button (usually a gear) or option "More." In the menu that opens, find the "Receive recommendations" or "Personalized recommendations" switch and turn it off. The "Security" widget (green icon) also requires manual adjustment within the app itself.
Open the Security app, go to the settings (cog in the corner) and find Receive recommendations. Unchecking this box will remove banner ads from the virus scanner and memory cleaner interface, which are often duplicated on the desktop.
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If the widget doesn’t customize and continues to show ads, try removing it from your desktop completely.Replace the standard Xiaomi widgets with Google Play alternatives that don’t contain ads.
Special attention should be paid to the application folders. When you open the folder at the bottom of the screen, the line "Recommended" often appears. To remove it, open any folder, click on the folder name (to rename), or simply open the folder settings if they are available, and turn off the Recommended. In some versions of MIUI, it is enough to simply open the folder, click on three dots or a gear and remove the tick.
System settings of advertising and personalization
And underneath the system's settings, there's a special section on advertising that allows you to limit data collection globally for targeting, and while it doesn't eliminate ads completely, it makes them less intrusive and reduces the number of banners that are based on your interests.
Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Access to Personal Data. Here, in addition to the MSA service, it is worth checking access for the miuiDaemon, Analytics and GetApps applications. Disabling access to data for Analytics will stop collecting statistics about your behavior.
Next, go to Privacy → Advertising Services (the path may vary depending on the OS version). You need to activate the switch to Disable Ad Personalization. You also recommend clicking Reset Advertising ID to reset the accumulated profile.
| System component | Function | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|
| MSA | Principal advertising agent | Disable data access |
| GetApps | Xiaomi App Store | Disable notifications and recommendations |
| Analytics | Collection of usage statistics | Prohibit access |
| MIUI Daemon | Device data collection | Limit background activity |
Remember that changes don't take effect instantly. The system cache can store the old settings for a while. After doing all the actions, it's recommended that you restart the device so that all services restart with the new security settings.
Cache cleanup and reset ad settings
Sometimes, even after all services are turned off, banner ads continue to show up, because the phone has cached images and scripts in its memory, and will require manual cleaning of specific system applications to remove them.
You need to go to Settings → Apps → All apps. In the list, find the Security app. Go to its storage and select Clear Data → Clear Everything. Fear not, it won't delete your files or contacts, just your antivirus settings and temporary files.
What to do if the advertisement remains?
It is also worth clearing the Explorer and Downloads app data if they were used to view files where ads might have been downloaded. In the application management menu, find them and click Clear Cache. This will free up space and delete temporary advertising files.
For users familiar with advanced methods, there is a possibility of using DNS to block ads. DNS-The server at the level of the entire network allows you to filter advertising traffic before it hits the screen.
Using DNS to Block Advertising
One of the most effective ways to remove ads not only on the desktop, but also in the browser and applications is to configure a private DNS. This method does not require the installation of third-party software and works at the level of the Android network connection.
Go to Settings. → Connection and Sharing (or Wi-Fi). Find a Private Item DNS-server (Private) DNS). Select the mode "Host Name provider" DNS" and enter the address: dns.adguard.com. Save settings.
Once these settings are applied, all requests to known ad servers will be blocked, which means that the places where the ads were supposed to be will remain empty or will be replaced with neutral plugs, and the network filter significantly increases the speed of page loading.
⚠️ Attention: When using private DNS Some apps or sites may not work properly if they use the same domains for advertising and useful content. DNS in the meaning of "Automobile".
This method is particularly effective when it comes to disabling the MSA service, and as long as the system does not try to load the ads itself, the DNS blocks external sources, creating a double barrier to unwanted content.
Additional measures and notification management
Often, users take push notifications from system applications as ads, they can appear in a curtain and be duplicated on a lock screen or desktop as widgets, and controlling notifications is an important part of the struggle for a clean interface.
Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification Management. Go to the list of system applications: Mi Video, Mi Music, Cleanup, GetApps. For each of them, turn off notification categories associated with “Recommendations”, “Promotions” or “News”.
If you use a POCO Launcher or third-party shell, the settings may be inside the launcher itself. Press and hold the empty space on the desktop, select Settings, and look for items related to the "Widget Tape" or "App Vault." Disabling these features removes the left screen with news and advertising.
Check the list of installed apps regularly. Sometimes the ads come from randomly installed games or utilities with aggressive monetization. Deleting such applications (Adware) instantly clears the desktop of pop-ups.
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A comprehensive approach, including disabling MSA, setting up DNS and managing notifications, ensures that there is no advertising on the Xiaomi desktop.