How to permanently remove ads in Xiaomi phones: from MIUI 12 to HyperOS

Advertising on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones has become one of the most talked-about issues among brand users. Even after buying the device, many face intrusive banners in system applications, notifications and even on the lock screen. The manufacturer has integrated advertising modules deep into MIUI (and now HyperOS) firmware, making them a non-trivial task. In this article, we will examine all the current ways, from standard settings to advanced methods using ADB and third-party utilities.

It's important to understand that completely removing ads without root rights is only possible on global firmware versions (EEA/Global). On Chinese and Indian builds (China ROM, India ROM), some ad modules are locked at the system level, and it will require radical measures to turn them off. We'll look at solutions for all cases, including new devices on HyperOS, where the algorithms for displaying ads have become even more aggressive.

Why is Xiaomi showing ads and is it legal?

Xiaomi officially declares that advertising in their devices is part of a business model to keep smartphone prices low, and reports say that up to 30 percent of the brand’s revenue comes from ad integrations, which does not legally violate any agreement: when you first turn on your phone, you accept the MIUI User Agreement, which states, among other things:

⚠️ Note: Some regions (e.g. the EU) have stricter data protection laws: If your phone was bought in Europe but the firmware was changed to China ROM, Advertisements can appear even though local restrictions. → The phone. → Version. MIUI.

The main sources of advertising in Xiaomi:

• 📱 System applications: Security, Themes, Music, Videos, Notes and even Settings.
• 🔔 Notifications: Advertising push notifications from Mi Browser, Mi Video and GetApps services.
• 🔒 Lock screen: Banners offering themes, games or services (including Mi Credit in India).
• 🔍 Search: Advertising Tips in Quick Search and Mi Launcher.
• 📦 Partner Apps: Pre-installed games and services (e.g. Mi Pay, Mi Finance).

According to a study by XDA Developers, MIUI 14 saw a 40% increase in the number of ad points compared to MIUI 12. HyperOS has made algorithms even more aggressive: now ads are tailored to user behavior (for example, if you use the camera often, you will be shown banners of photo applications).

Method 1: Disabling Advertising through the standard MIUI/HyperOS settings

Let’s start with the simplest method that works on most global firmware (Global ROM, EEA ROM), which requires no additional tools and is suitable for users who do not want to risk the stability of the system.

Step 1: Open Settings → Memory → Clean (or Settings → Applications → Application Management in HyperOS) You need to deactivate the "Recommendations" option here:

1. Slap three points in the top right corner.
2. Select Cleaning Settings.
3. Turn off the "Show recommendations" slider.

Step 2: Turn off personalized ads in Settings → Google → Ads (if you use Google Mobile Services):

• Select Reset Advertising ID.
• Turn off Personalized Ads.

Step 3: Stop showing ads in system applications:

Open Settings → Applications → Application Management

Select Security → Notifications → Disable All Unnecessary

In the Topic app, disable Recommendations in settings

In Mi Video and Mi Music, turn off Autoplay and Banner Ads

Remove or disable GetApps, Mi Browser, Mi Pay-->

Step 4: Turn off the ads on the lock screen:

1. Go to Settings → Lock screen.
2. Select Additional Settings (or Lock Screen Settings in HyperOS).
3. Turn off the "Recommendations" and "Show notifications about topics" options.

💡

If your region does not have the option to disable ads in Cleanup Settings, try changing the device region to European Union in Settings → Additional → Region. After rebooting, some ad modules may disappear.

Method 2: Using ADB to Deeply Disable Advertising

If standard settings don’t work, the next step is to use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a method that allows you to disable system applications and services responsible for displaying ads without obtaining root rights.

Step 1: Preparing to work with ADB:

• 🖥️ Install. ADB Fastboot Tools on the computer.
• 📱 Turn on Debugging. USB on the phone: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Tap 7 times to activate Developer Mode, then return to Settings → Additionally. → For developers and enable debugging by USB.
• 🔌 Connect your phone to your PC and confirm your debugging permission.

Step 2: Run the following commands in cmd (or Terminal on Mac/Linux):

adb shell


pm hide com.miui.systemAdSolution # Disables the system advertising module




pm hide com.xiaomi.midrop # Disables Mi Drop (frequently shows ads)




pm hide com.miui.analytics # Disables analytics collection (indirectly affecting advertising)




pm hide com.miui.cloudservice # Disables Xiaomi Cloud Services




pm hide com.miui.cloudbackup # Disables backup (may contain advertising modules)




pm hide com.xiaomi.payment # Disables Mi Pay (financial services advertising)




pm hide com.miui.miservice # Disables MIUI services (including push notifications)




pm hide com.android.browser # Disable Mi Browser (if not used)




pm hide com.miui.videoplayer # Disable Mi Video (if not used)




pm hide com.miui.player # Disable Mi Music (if not used)

Step 3: Reboot the device, and then most of the banner ads should disappear, and if some apps stop working, they can be returned by the command:

pm unhide com.name.packet

⚠️ Note: On some firmware (China) ROM) The pm hide commands may not work, and you'll need to use an alternative method with adb shell dumpsys or get root rights. MIUI/HyperOS Some applications can be activated again – the procedure will have to be repeated.

Method 3: Removing Advertising through Hosts File Editing

Another effective method is to block Xiaomi ad servers at the system level, by editing the hosts file, which is responsible for redirecting domain names, which works without root rights, but requires ADB.

Step 1: Download the ready-made hosts file with the blocking of Xiaomi advertising domains:

• 🔗 Official repository on GitHub (select a file for your version) MIUI/HyperOS).
• 📄 Save the file as hosts (no extension) to a convenient location on PC.

Step 2: Replace system hosts through ADB:

adb push path/to/your/hosts/data/local/tmp/hosts


adb shell




su




mount -o rw,remount /system




cp /data/local/tmp/hosts /etc/hosts




chmod 644 /etc/hosts




mount -o ro,remount /system




exit

Step 3: Restart the device, and then the ads will be blocked at the DNS level.

⚠️ Note: Editing a hosts file can cause problems with system updates and some services (for example, Mi Cloud).If errors occur after the changes, restore the original file with the command: adb shell su mount -o rw,remount /system rm /etc/hosts echo "127.0.0.1 localhost" > /etc/hosts mount -o ro,remount /system

Method 4: Install custom firmware (for advanced users)

If none of the previous methods worked, a radical solution is to install custom firmware that lacks ad modules, a method that is suitable for advanced users, as it requires unlocking the bootloader and can potentially disenfranchise warranties.

Step 1: Unlock the bootloader:

1. Go to the official Xiaomi website and get permission to unlock (you will need to link your Mi Account).
2. Download the Mi Unlock Tool and follow the instructions (the process can take up to 72 hours due to validation).

Step 2: Install custom recovery (TWRP):

• 🔧 Download. TWRP For your model from the official website.
• 🖥️ Connect your phone in Fastboot mode (press the Power). + Vol Down when switched on).
• 📥 The command is fastboot flash recovery. twrp-3.7.0-your model.img.

Step 3: Sweat the custom firmware:

• 📱 Popular firmware without ads: LineageOS — pure Android without unnecessary modules. Pixel Experience — firmware with the interface Google Pixel. Xiaomi.eu — modified MIUI Advertising-free (Global models only).
• 🔄 Download the firmware in.zip format to the phone and install via TWRP.

💡

Installing custom firmware will void warranty and may cause the device to operate unstable. Before the procedure, make a full backup via TWRP or adb backup.

Method 5: Disabling Advertising with Magisk and Modules

If you already have root rights (or are willing to get them), the most reliable way to do this is to use modules for Magisk, which allows you to manage ad modules flexibly without completely flashing them.

Step 1: Install Magisk:

1. Download the latest version of Magisk from GitHub.
2. Fly Magisk.zip through TWRP or patch through Magisk Manager.

Step 2: Install modules to block ads:

• 🛡️ Xiaomi Debloater: Removes unnecessary system apps and advertising services. https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/magisk-module-xiaomi-debloater.4239687/
• 🚫 AdAway: Blocks ad domains at the system level (similar to editing hosts, but with a graphical interface).
• 🔍 MIUI Optimizer: Optimizes firmware by removing advertising and analytics modules.

Step 3: Activate the modules in Magisk Manager and restart the device.

Advantages of this method:

• ✅ Flexible configuration – you can only turn off the modules you need.
• ✅ Compatibility with updates – after update MIUI/HyperOS re-install modules.
• ✅ Security – You can roll back changes at any time.

Method 6: Alternative launchers and circumvention of system constraints

If you don't want to interfere with system files, you can bypass ads with third-party launchers and apps, which doesn't remove ads completely, but minimizes the appearance of ads.

Best launchers for Xiaomi without advertising:

• 🏠 Nova Launcher: Allows you to hide system widgets and notifications, replacing them with your own.
• 🌈 Lawnchair: Light launcher with themes and no integrated advertising.
• ⚡ Smart Launcher 6: Automatically hides unwanted apps and banners.

How to set up a launcher to minimize advertising:

1. Install the selected launcher from Google Play.
2. Set it as the default launcher in Settings → Applications → By default.
3. Disable system widgets (e.g. Mi Weather, Mi Calendar).
4. Hide unnecessary apps in the launcher menu (in Nova Launcher, this is done by a long tap on the icon → Hide).

Additional applications for blocking advertising:

• 🛡️ Blokada: Blocks Advertising Domains at Level VPN (no root).
• 🔒 NetGuard: Allows you to turn off the Internet for system applications responsible for displaying ads.
• 📵 AppOps: Manages application permissions (e.g., you can prevent Mi Browser from showing notifications).

Method 7: Calling for Xiaomi Support (Official Way)

If you don’t want to set up your phone, you can try the official way to ask Xiaomi to turn off ads, which doesn’t always work, but in some regions (e.g. the EU), the company is getting in touch with users.

How to make a request:

1. Go to the Xiaomi support website.
2. Select your device model and the theme of Advertising and Notifications.
3. Write a message on the template: Hello! I bought a phone [model] in the region [specify region, for example, EU]. Please turn off all advertising modules in the firmware, as they violate my user experience. Under GDPR (if you are in the EU), I have the right to opt out of personalized advertising. Please confirm the request.
4. Attach screenshots with ads (for example, banners in Settings or on the lock screen).

What to do if support is refused:

• 📧 Please contact Xiaomi Data Protection with a link GDPR (if you are in the EU).
• 📱 Try changing the firmware region to EEA (Europe through Settings → Additionally. → Region.
• 🔄 Update your firmware to the latest version – sometimes there are fewer ads in new builds.

⚠️ Note: Support may be asked to respond IMEI Never share this data in unverified sources, use only official channels.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi advertising