Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often encounter intrusive banner ads that appear in the most unexpected places of the system. Especially annoying when advertising content appears on the lock screen or when unlocking the device, blocking access to the camera or messages. This is not a bug, but a feature of the MIUI shell (HyperOS), which by default includes the “Wallpaper Carousel” feature to monetize users.
Fortunately, the developers left the ability to completely disable this functionality, returning the gadget to its original appearance, you do not need root rights or complex manipulation of system files, it is enough to correctly configure standard applications of the system to clean the interface of unnecessary visual noise.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at everything from simple menu switches to deep customization of system services. The instructions are relevant to most modern models, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO F5 and Xiaomi 13. Follow the steps sequentially to ensure you get rid of unsolicited offers.
The nature of advertising in the Xiaomi system
The main source of unwanted images is the built-in Security app, or rather its wallpaper carousel module, which is designed to regularly change the background image on a locked screen, showing news and advertising integrations, and the system positions this as personalization, but in practice it is just an advertising channel.
Additionally, advertising IDs and recommendations can be streamed through system services such as msa (MIUI System Ads). Even if you turn off the carousel, some apps may continue to show banners if you don't restrict their rights to display on top of other windows. Understanding the MIUI architecture helps to effectively combat intrusiveness.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling system services completely can affect the performance of widgets or recommendations in standard applications. Make sure you turn off the ad modules, not mission-critical processes.
It's important to distinguish between in-app ads and in-app ads, and if banners appear inside third-party programs, the system settings are powerless, but if you're talking about system windows and lock screens, the solution lies in privacy and security settings.
Disabling the wallpaper carousel through settings
The easiest and safest way to remove the picture with the offer is to turn off the function in the settings menu. To do this, go to Settings of the main menu of the smartphone. Find the section Always on screen and Lock the screen (or simply Lock the screen depending on the version of MIUI).
Inside this menu, you're interested in the wallpaper carousel item, and if you click on it, you're going to go to the content management submenu, and you're going to have to put the wallpaper carousel switch inactive, and the system might try to keep you from changing the frequency, but you're going to stand there and select "Off."
☑️ Checking the lock settings
Once the feature is turned off, the lock screen will return to the standard static image or live wallpaper you chose yourself.Advertising slides will no longer load every time you turn on the screen.This action does not remove the application completely, but blocks its activity.
Deep Cleaning through the Security App
If the standard menu doesn’t give you full control, you need to go to the hardware control through the native Safety app (green zipper icon). This is where the detailed settings of the ad modules are hidden. Open the app and find the Settings section (cog in the corner).
In the list of options, look for the wallpaper carousel. It's much more functional than the usual screen settings. You don't just have to turn off the function, you have to turn off all the activities associated with it. Pay attention to the check boxes and switches that are responsible for receiving content.
| Setup parameter | Recommended value | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|
| Turn on the carousel. | Off | Complete slide ban |
| Get content | Off | Stopping data loading |
| Planning | Off | Cancel the update timer |
| Notifications | Off | Silence in the notification curtain |
Pay special attention to Planning. If it's active, the system will try to activate the carousel at a given time, even if you've turned it off before. Turning off "Get content" is critical, because it blocks the very ability to upload banner ads to the device.
What if the switch switch is turned on by itself?
Restriction of MSA System Services
The Xiaomi interface is often managed by the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which allows you to remove ads not only on the lock screen, but also in system folders and applications. You can find them along the way: Settings → Passwords and security → Access to personal data.
In the list, find msa and turn off the access slider, the system will alert you that this may affect the operation of certain functions, and ask you to wait 10 seconds before confirming, which is the standard protection against accidental shutdown, which you just need to wait.
- 📱 Search for services: In the list of applications, look for “msa”, not “Mi Account».
- ⏳ Wait timer: Don't miss the 10-second delay, otherwise the "Cancel" button won't activate.
- 🔄 Reboot: After disconnecting, it is recommended to restart the smartphone to apply changes.
If you use a global firmware version, the service may be called "Recommendations," a similar approach: find, disable, wait, confirm, and this action makes the system much easier and reduces the load on the processor in the background.
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After disabling the msa service, the ads may disappear not instantly, but within 24 hours, until the cached data on Xiaomi servers is updated.
Customization of personalization and recommendations
Xiaomi collects device usage data to generate personalized recommendations, and disabling this feature makes ads less accurate and sometimes completely removes the display. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Privacy.
Here you are interested in Advertising Services (or “Special Features” in older versions). Disable Personalized Advertising. Also check the settings in the Security app itself: go to the scanning settings and remove the tick from “Receive recommendations”.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling personalization does not guarantee 100% disappearance of ads, but it does make them random and less intrusive as the system stops using your data for targeting.
Remember that some system applications, like Music or Video, have their own ad settings inside their interfaces, and you have to turn them off separately, go to the settings of each particular application, which is a complex job of cleaning up your smartphone.
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Comprehensive disabling of ads requires action in three places: lock screen settings, access to personal data (msa), and privacy settings.
Notification management and pop-up blocking
Sometimes, the ad on the lock screen is not a system feature, but a notification from the installed application. Browsers, games or utilities may have permission to show over other windows.
To do this, go to Settings → Applications → Application Management. Click on three dots in the corner and select Special Opportunities (or “Other Permissions”). Find “Master on top of other apps” and carefully study the list.
- 🚫 Suspicious apps: If you see unknown utilities with screen access, turn off immediately.
- 📉 Cache Clearing: For advertising modules, it is useful to clean the cache through the application settings.
- 🔒 Blocker: Make sure that call blocker settings do not include paid or promotional themes.
Also, you should limit background activity for unnecessary services. In the Battery and Performance section, you can adjust the behavior of applications in the background. If you do not need an application right now, set a background activity limit so that it can not initiate advertising processes.