How to remove recommendations in the folders Xiaomi Redmi 9C: the complete guide

Xiaomi’s Redmi series smartphones, including the popular 9C model, are known for their excellent price-performance ratio, but their MIUI shell is often criticized for intrusive advertising. Users regularly encounter situations where unnecessary recommendations and banner ads appear when opening folders on the desktop or in the application menu. This is not just annoying, but also distracting from the main work with the device, reducing the overall usability of the interface.

Fortunately, MIUI provides a flexible enough personalization tool to eliminate most visual noise. The process of disabling ad modules does not require super-user rights or device flashing. It is enough to go through several settings menu items consistently to make the interface clean and minimal. In this article, we will discuss all available methods, including disabling system services and adjusting folder settings.

It’s important to understand that advertising is built into different shell components, so to achieve maximum effect, you will need to perform a set of actions. We will look not only at standard switches, but also at deeper settings affecting the operation of MSA and GetApps services. Following the steps below, you can significantly improve the experience with your Redmi 9C.

The nature of advertising in the MIUI interface

Ads in folders and app menus are created by a dedicated system module, often called MSA (MIUI System Ads), which is responsible for collecting analytics and displaying personalized content that developers find useful to the user, but which is often perceived as spam. In the Redmi 9C model, as in many other low-end devices of the company, this mechanism is activated by default to compensate for the low cost of the device.

In addition, recommendations can come from the built-in GetApps app store and Music service, which have their own notification settings that duplicate system settings. If you notice that after cleaning the folder, the ad returns or changes its appearance, it means that one of the background processes has activated the synchronization of advertising identifiers again.

Personalization algorithms use your location and search history to pick up ads, which not only removes visual debris, but also increases the privacy of your data, and the system stops sending reports on application usage to the company’s servers, which can also have a positive impact on battery life.

⚠️ Note: Before making changes to system settings, it is recommended to back up important data. Although the described actions are safe, an accidental failure during a system services shutdown may require resetting the settings.

Understanding which component generates ads can help you pinpoint the problem. In the following sections, we will detail how to find and neutralize each source of unwanted content. Don't skip the steps, because turning off just one parameter may not be the full answer.

Basic setting of folder and desktop parameters

The first step to clean the interface is to disable recommendations directly in the folder display settings. In newer versions of the MIUI shell, this option is often hidden in the depth of the menu or requires activation through settings search. You need to press and hold your finger on the empty desktop to enter edit mode and then go to settings.

In the menu that opens, find the recommendation item, which can be called "Recommendations", "Receive recommendations" or "Enable ads in folders." The switch should be put into an inactive state. If you don't see this item right away, try changing the theme to standard, as some third-party themes block access to these settings.

Also worth checking is the settings of the Security app itself, which is often the gateway to (push) notifications. Inside the app, go to the settings (cog icon) and find the Get Recommendations section. Disabling this will prevent pop-ups with suggestions to clear memory or speed up the phone, which are often disguised as system messages.

After these steps are done, the ads in the folders should disappear. However, if you use widgets or certain launchers, the settings may be duplicated. Make sure you use a standard POCO or System Launcher launcher, as third-party shells may have their own monetization mechanisms.

Disabling the MSA System Service

MSA is the main source of advertising throughout MIUI. Disabling it completely requires a sequence of actions, as the system tries to prevent this by requiring a wait of 10 seconds.Look for the Passwords and Security section in the settings, then go to Access to Data or Authorization and Reviews.

In the list of services, find msa and turn off the switch, a countdown timer will appear, you need to wait until it expires, and press the "Revoke" button. If you hurry, the button will be inactive. Sometimes you can not turn off the service the first time - in which case, repeat the procedure 3-4 times in a row until the system confirms the license revocation.

Settings → Passwords and security → Access to data → msa → Disable

In parallel, we recommend turning off Mi Daemon, which also collects statistical information, and the same approach is used: find the list, turn off, wait for a timer, confirm a review, and this does not affect the stability of the phone, but only limits the collection of telemetry.

⚠️ Attention: After disconnection MSA The system cache must be updated to make the changes fully effective, not instantly.

The effectiveness of this method is confirmed by thousands of Redmi 9C users. MSA will no longer be able to download advertising modules, which will make the interface cleaner. However, it is worth remembering that when you upgrade to a new version of MIUI, the settings may reset, and you will have to repeat the procedure.

Notification and personalization management

Even after the main services are disabled, some apps may continue to show advertising notifications. To prevent this, you need to configure personalization settings. Go to Passwords and Security → Privacy → Advertising Services.

Also worth checking out is GetApps, an app store that often sends discount and update notifications. Open the app, go to your settings (profile) and find Notifications. Turn off all types of alerts, especially those labeled as “Recommendations” or “Promotions.”

Remember to check your Mi Browser settings if you use it by default. It also has built-in news feeds and push notifications. In your browser settings, find the Tape or News section and turn off the display. This will free the start page from noise.

Cache cleanup and reset ad settings

After making all the changes, it is recommended to clean the cache of system applications.This will help remove saved advertising identifiers and old banners that may have downloaded before the services were turned off. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps, find the Security app, and click Clear → Clear Cache.

Similar procedures are worth doing for the Downloads and Explorer app, and these system utilities also have recommendation modules, and cleaning up their data won’t delete your personal files, but will reset your content display settings, and in some cases, you may need to completely reset your ad settings through the Reset Ad ID menu.

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Periodically (once a month) check the list of installed applications. Often, hidden modules are installed along with free programs, which can resume displaying ads even after all settings.

If after all the manipulations, the ads continue to appear, try changing the region in your phone settings. Go to Settings → More → Region and select a country where the ads are less aggressive, such as the Netherlands or Germany. This action can change the set of available widgets and disable regional advertising campaigns.

It is important not to confuse cache cleaning with data deletion: Deleting data will return the application to a post-installing state, which may require reconfiguration of some parameters, but ensures that all temporary files, including advertising files, are deleted.

Alternative methods and use of third-party launchers

If standard methods don’t help get rid of intrusive elements completely, consider installing a third-party launcher. Apps like Nova Launcher or Lawnchair completely replace the desktop and app menus, ignoring the system settings of MIUI. It’s a radical but effective way to get a clean Android-like interface.

With a third-party launcher, you have full control over the app grid, animations and folders. These shells simply don't have built-in mechanisms to display recommendations, as they are designed with a focus on minimalism. The launcher installation does not require root rights and is done through the Google Play Store.

However, it’s worth considering that third-party launchers can consume more battery life than Xiaomi’s optimized system launcher.In addition, some features, such as control gestures or dual taping to turn on the screen, may not work properly or require additional customization through special permissions.

⚠️ Note: When installing a third-party launcher, the system may constantly offer to return the default standard launcher. To disable these reminders, look for “Breakdown Protection” or similar in the launcher settings.

Another method is to use DNS-based ad blocking applications, like AdGuard or Blokada, which filter Internet traffic and block requests to ad servers, and this helps to remove ads not only in folders, but also within some apps and browsers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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A comprehensive approach, including disabling MSA, configuring folders and clearing the cache, ensures that ads in Redmi 9C are completely removed.