Ownership of Xiaomi’s smartphones, including sub-brands Redmi and POCO, is often overshadowed by intrusive ads that appear in the most unexpected places, including the lock screen. Users face situations where, after turning on the screen, instead of the usual wallpaper, banners, news or app offers are displayed. This is not only annoying, but also distracting from using the device, forcing them to look for ways to completely turn off such content. Fortunately, the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS provide quite flexible tools to manage this aspect.
Advertising integrations are built deep into system processes, but they can be effectively neutralized if you know which services and applications are responsible for generating them. Most often, the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service and the standard Browser or Music application are the source of the problem. It is important to understand that the process of disconnecting can vary depending on the firmware version and the region for which the device is released.
In this article, we will take a look at all the available methods for dealing with unwanted content, we will look at both the standard settings available to each user and more advanced methods that require attention. It is critical to understand that the complete removal of system advertising components requires caution, as some of them are integrated into the interface. Follow the instructions consistently to clean your smartphone of digital noise.
Disabling personalized recommendations in the block topic
The first step to take is to check the lock theme settings, and that's where the switch that most often hides is to allow "recommended" content to be displayed, which is essentially a disguised advertisement. The interface may be slightly different across the shell versions, but the logic remains the same. You need to find the partition that controls the lock screen appearance.
Go to Settings → Lock screen. In this section, look for an option called Wallpaper Carousel or Lock Screen Recommendations. If you have a global firmware version installed, this item may be called Lock Screen Magazine. This service downloads images and text blocks from the Internet, often accompanied by advertising inserts. Disabling this feature will return a static image or a standard gallery.
⚠️ Warning: After disabling Wallpaper Carousel, the lock screen may stop automatically changing background images. If you like the feature of changing pictures, but without advertising, try switching the source to Local Images or My Albums, if this option is available in your version of the software.
You should also check the settings of the theme app itself. Often, the ad modules are activated when you install third-party themes from the MIUI Themes store. Go to the Themes app, click on the profile avatar and select Settings. Find Receive recommendations or Show ads and deactivate all the switches. This action will prevent pop-ups when you change your system design.
MSA Service Management and System Recommendations
MSA (MIUI System Ads) is the main engine of the advertising machine in Xiaomi smartphones. It collects user data and selects relevant content. Completely disabling this service is a key step in the fight for a clean interface. However, the MIUI protection system does not allow you to simply remove or turn off this component using a waiting timer.
First, you need to go to the Settings menu. → Passwords and security → Access to personal data. In the application list, find msa and switch the slider to off, the system will issue a warning that some functions may be affected, and will prompt you to wait. 10 After the timer has expired, press "Revocation of permission." If you failed to turn it off the first time, repeat the procedure. 3-4 Once in a row - this is a known shell bug, which often requires multiple confirmation.
- 📱 Find the GetApps app (app store) in the list and also revoke access to personal data if you do not use it.
- 🔍 Disable similar access for the application MIUI Daemon, which is responsible for collecting usage statistics.
- 🚫 In the Special Opportunities section, check if there are active services from unknown providers that can inject advertising.
After manipulation with permissions, it is recommended to clear the service cache. Go to Settings → Apps → All applications, find in the msa list (may need to enable system processes in the display settings) and click “Clean”. This will delete the accumulated advertising cached data. The effect may not be instantaneous, so after all the actions it is better to restart the device.
☑️ Checking the ad-off
Setup of the built-in browser and application Security
The two systems applications that most often become a source of pop-ups and push notifications of an ad nature are the built-in browser and the Security app. They have their own notification settings that duplicate system bans. Even if you disabled the MSA, these programs can continue to show news and offers.
Start with the Safety app. Open it, click on the settings gear in the top right corner. Scroll down to the Get References section and turn off this switch. Also, go to the Cleanup section inside the app and disable the "Show ads after cleaning" option, if any, in your version, which will eliminate pop-ups after each manual memory cleaning.
Next, we'll go to the browser. Open the standard Mi Browser browser, go to the menu (three bars) → Settings → Privacy and security. Here you need to find and disable the "Receive notifications", "Personal recommendations" and "Popular sites." If you don't use this browser, you can simply delete or disable it through the application menu, replacing it with Chrome or Firefox.
| Annex | The path to adjustment | What to turn off |
|---|---|---|
| Security | Settings (cogs) | Receive recommendations |
| Mi Browser. | Menu → Settings → Privacy | Personal recommendations, Notifications |
| Conductor | Menu → Settings → About the application | Receive recommendations |
| Music. | Menu → Settings → Extended | Displaying Advertising, Recommendations |
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If the ads are still there after disabling the recommendations in the Security app, try clearing the app’s data through the All Apps menu, which will reset its state to factory status by removing temporary advertising identifiers.
Disabling advertising in system applications: Music, Explorer, Downloads
Advertising modules are embedded in many of the standard utilities we use daily. The Music app often shows banners when it launches, and Explorer can offer to install games or other services, each of which takes no more than a minute to set up, but in total it gives a tangible result.
In the Mi Music app, go to the profile or settings menu. Find the Settings section and turn off the Ads Display option. It is also recommended that the app be prevented from accessing the Internet if you only listen to local files. To do this, select Music → Traffic Control from the app menu and uncheck Wi-Fi and Mobile data.
File Manager requires a similar approach. Go to settings, select About or Settings, and find the Receive Recommends switch. Disabling this feature will remove the ad tape from the home page of the explorer. Do the Downloads app, which also has a "Show Recommended Content" option in its settings, which you need to deactivate.
⚠️ Note: In some regions (e.g. Indonesia or India), the ad-disabled points may be hidden or renamed. If you don't find the settings described, try changing the region in the Settings menu. → Additional settings → Region to "Neutral", for example, the USA or Germany, and check the settings again.
Don't forget the Themes app. In addition to the general settings, there may be ad integrations inside a particular design. If you're using a third-party theme downloaded from a store, check the description of it -- sometimes authors embed ads. Returning to a standard theme "Classic" often solves the problem of visual debris.
Hidden advertising processes
Using DNS to block advertising at the network level
One of the most effective and elegant ways to remove ads is to set up a private DNS, which requires no root rights and works at the device level, blocking requests to known ad servers, especially for those who don’t want to dig deep into each application’s settings.
To implement this method, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS (the path may vary slightly depending on the Android version, sometimes in “Additional Settings”). Select the DNS Provider Host Name (or Manual) mode and enter the address of one of the popular blockers. The most reliable and proven option is AdGuard DNS.
dns.adguard.comAfter you enter the address, save the settings. The system can interrupt the Internet connection for a second to apply the configuration. This method blocks advertising not only in the system, but also in many applications and browsers. However, it is worth considering that some services may not work correctly if they use the same domains as advertising networks.
- 🌐 dns.adguard.com blocks ads and trackers in most apps.
- 🛡️ Alternative: security.cloudflare-dns.com (malware protection, but less blocking ads).
- 🔄 To cancel the action, return the setting DNS in Auto or Off mode».
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Set up a private DNS is a “silver bullet” to block ads that acts globally across the entire app, but requires a stable internet connection to set up initially.
Radical measures: ADB and removal of system components
For advanced users who lack standard methods, there is the option of removing ad packages via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting a smartphone to a computer and having basic command-line skills, and allows you to physically remove or freeze system applications responsible for advertising.
Before you start, activate the developer mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly press 7 times on the MIUI Version (or OS Version). Then, in the “Additional” → “Develop USB” menu, turn on “Debugging on USB.” Connect your phone to your PC, install ADB drivers and tools. In the command line, enter a command to remove the MSA package:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.misysadb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.msa.globalThese commands will remove advertising services for the current user without affecting the system partition, which is safe to guarantee. However, be extremely careful: removing the wrong packages can lead to unstable operation of the system or a “boot” (cyclical reboot).
⚠️ Attention: Use ADB Do not remove system components that you are not 100% sure of their purpose; Delete critical services can make your phone unusable without flashing it back up. Always back up important data before you start manipulating it.
If you notice an interface error after deleting, components can be returned by running the reinstall command with the same package name, or simply resetting the phone completely to factory status.This method is considered an extreme measure and is recommended only if the soft settings did not help.