Xiaomi and Redmi are famous for their price-performance ratio, but users are often annoyed by the manufacturer’s aggressive advertising policy, especially the system application Mi Explorer, which in recent versions of MIUI and HyperOS firmware has begun to display banners, videos and news feeds even without access to the Internet in cached form.
Fortunately, there are several proven ways to disable ads in a standard application, either completely or partially. Some methods require only switching switches in settings, others involve installing third-party software or changing system systems. DNS-It is important to understand that the complete removal of the system component can lead to unstable operation of the gadget, so we will consider safe methods of blocking advertising modules.
In this article, we’ll take a look at how to clear the interface of intrusive recommendations, disable the MSA service, and replace the standard Explorer with a cleaner counterpart. You’ll learn to customize Android so that it works exclusively for you, not advertisers.
The nature of advertising in MIUI system applications
The MIUI shell ads are not random, but are managed by the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which collects your preferences and displays targeted ads. In the Files (Mi Explorer) application, ad units can be located at the top of the screen, in the "Recommendations" section, or appear as pop-ups for certain actions.
Xiaomi developers are constantly changing the settings and process code names so that users can not easily disable monetization. However, the Android architecture allows you to redirect the requests of ad servers to nowhere or block them at the system level. Understanding how this mechanism works will help you to more effectively combat unwanted content.
⚠️ Note: Complete removal of system applications through ADB It may result in loss of warranty or disruption of work OTA-Use blocking methods, not forced removal.
It is worth noting that in different regions of the firmware (Global, China, EEA) the set of advertising modules may differ. European versions usually contain less advertising due to strict GDPR laws, but are not completely free of it.
Disabling recommendations in the settings of the application itself
The first and easiest step is to check the internal settings of the Mi Explorer itself, and in the latest versions of the interface, the developers have hidden the option to disable recommendations quite deeply, but it is still available, which will remove the news feed and banners inside the application interface, although the MSA background service may remain active.
To start, open the Explorer or Files app. In the upper right corner, find the menu icon (three dots or three bars) and select Settings. Next, scroll down to About or Recommendations. There may be a Receive Recommendations switch that needs to be put inactive.
- 📱 Open the Files app on the main screen.
- 🔍 Click on the menu icon in the upper right corner.
- ⚙️ Go to Settings. → About the programme.
- ❌ Find the recommendation item and turn it off.
If after these actions, the advertising disappeared only partially, then deeper system processes enter into the matter. In some versions of the firmware, the item may be called Show recommendations or have a similar name in English if you have a Russianification not completed.
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If you can’t find the recommendation disablement option, try updating the Files app through the GetApps store or Google Play to the latest version where the settings interface may have changed.
Blocking MSA service through system settings
MSA is the primary source of advertising throughout Xiaomi’s ecosystem, and shutting it down is a critical step that affects not only the conductor but other system applications, and requires care as the system tries to “protect” the service by requiring a wait before shutting down.
Go to the basic Settings of your smartphone. Search for settings, type msa or search for Passwords and Security → Access to Data (or Permissions → Special Features, depending on the version of MIUI). Find the msa (MIUI System Ads) app and click on it.
In the menu that opens, find the Recommendation (or Receive References) switch and turn it off. The system will issue a warning and start a countdown for 10 seconds. You will need to press the Disable (or Revoke) button. If the first time failed (there was an error "Failed to Disable"), repeat the procedure 3-5 times in a row - this is a known bug that often requires multiple attempts.
⚠️ Attention: Do not remove the application MSA completely, if you don't know exactly how to do it safely, just turn off his permission to access the network or revoke the license, as described above.
After successfully disabling the MSA, restart the device, an action that should significantly reduce the amount of pop-up ads on all system interfaces, including desktop folders and the theme of the design.
☑️ Shutdown checklist MSA
Using a Private DNS to Block Advertising
One of the most effective and safest methods is the use of private DNS (Private DNS). This method works at the level of the entire Android operating system (starting with version 9) and blocks requests to known ad servers, redirecting them to nowhere, which allows you to remove ads not only in the Explorer, but also in the browser and games.
You don't need root rights to implement this method. Go to Settings. → Connection and Sharing (or Wi-Fi and Internet). Find a Private Item DNS (Private DNS). Select the Host Name option of the provider DNS (Private DNS provider hostname).
In the field that appears, enter the address of one of the verified blockers. The most popular and reliable is the AdGuard service:
dns.adguard.comOnce you enter the address, click Save. Now all traffic on your device will go through AdGuard filters, which will automatically screen out advertising requests. If the Internet stops working or some sites stop opening, just return the DNS setting to Automatic mode.
| Locking method | Efficiency | Difficulty | Impact on the battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application settings | Low. | Low. | No. |
| MSA shutdown | Medium | Medium | No. |
| Private DNS | Tall. | Low. | Minimum |
| third-party conductor | Complete. | Medium | Depends on the app. |
What happens if Private DNS doesn’t work?
Replacement of standard conductor with alternative
If the built-in Mi Explorer continues to annoy with its behavior even after all the settings, the most radical and effective solution will be to install a third-party file manager. There are many great apps in the Google Play store that are free of advertising, work faster and have a more intuitive interface.
Popular and proven options are Files by Google, Total Commander, Material Files or X-plore File Manager. These applications do not have built-in advertising (or have a minimum amount of it in paid versions) and do not climb into the system settings of your smartphone.
- 📂 Files by Google – Minimal, well integrated with the ecosystem, able to clean garbage.
- 💼 Total Commander is a classic for those who love dual-panel mode and plugins.
- 🎨 Material Files – open source, modern design, no advertising.
After installing a new application, Android may ask which application to use by default to open files. Select a new Explorer and press Always. Standard Mi Explorer will remain in the system, but will stop running automatically.
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Using a third-party file manager is the only way to get rid of all the elements of the MIUI interface associated with viewing files, while maintaining the stability of the system.
Additional measures: disabling other services
In addition to MSA, Xiaomi has other services that can generate traffic and notifications, such as GetApps (formerly the Mi App Store) and Mi Video, which often work in the background, and can also be limited in data consumption or disable notifications.
Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Go to GetApps. Go to Notifications and turn them off. You can also go to Mobile Data and deny the app access to the network if you are not using this store.
A similar procedure is worth doing for the system video player Mi Video, if you use a third-party (for example, VLC or MX Player), which will reduce the load on the processor and reduce the number of background processes that can theoretically load advertising modules.