Owning a Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone is often not only about the joy of powerful hardware, but also about the intrusive advertising content built into the MIUI shell. Users are faced with sudden banners in folders, recommendations in standard apps and pop-ups that block out useful screen space.This irritates, distracts and reduces the overall productivity of the device, turning the use of the gadget into a constant struggle with the company’s marketing algorithms.
Fortunately, Android’s HyperOS or earlier MIUI system allows you to manage these processes with a lot of flexibility, if you know where to look for the right switches. In this article, we’ll go through all the methods, from simple menu settings to more advanced ways to lock down through DNS and disable system services. You’ll learn to customize your Xiaomi so that it works exclusively for you, not for advertisers.
We'll go through all the key spam points: browser, explorer, music, themes, even lock screen. Advertising IDs and personalized recommendations will be turned off, making smartphone use much more comfortable. Get ready to turn your device into a clean and fast tool for work and entertainment.
Disabling MSA System Advertising and Personalization
The main source of intrusive banners in the system is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which analyzes your actions and loads advertising content into various sections of the interface. Without disabling this service, any other manipulations may not be effective, as the system will constantly try to restore advertising integrations.
First, you need to go to the settings and find the authorization and privacy point, and this is the master switch that controls data collection and targeted ad exposure. Disabling the MSA service requires double confirmation and waiting for a timer of 10 seconds, because the system actively resists this action, and it's a security mechanism designed to keep the user in the monetization ecosystem.
In parallel with the MSA service, you should remove the tick from the "Receive recommendations" option, which is responsible for the appearance of promotional offers in application folders, on the desktop and in the settings menu, and without this step, the folders will continue to offer "useful" applications that are actually just paid integration.
☑️ Checking the ad-off
Once you do this, the system may behave a little differently, no longer offering new features or news, which is a normal reaction to disabling analytics services, and it is also important to check the settings in the Password and Security section, where permission to display ads in system applications may be duplicated.
Setup of the built-in browser and application Security
Xiaomi’s standard browser and Security app are often the main culprits of pop-ups. In the browser, ads can appear as push notifications from websites or in the news feed on the homepage. To get rid of this, you need to go to your browser settings through a three-dot menu.
In the settings section, look for "Privacy and Security" or "Notifications" and you need to turn off the "Receive Notifications" option and clear the list of sites that are allowed to send flies. Often users accidentally allow sites to send notifications, which then look like system advertising.
The Security app is a system combine that also contains an ad module. When scanning your phone or cleaning up your memory, it can show banners suggesting you install games or other applications. To remove that, open the app, click on the settings gear in the top right corner.
- 🛡️ Find the General or About section in the security settings.
- 🚫 Turn off the slider "Get recommendations" (Get recommendations).
- 🧹 In the Cleanup section, also check for ad switches and turn them off.
After these changes, virus scanning and cache cleaning will be done in a sterile mode, without unnecessary distractions, which is especially important when you need to quickly free up space or check your phone without waiting for the banner to load.
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If the ads in the browser continue, try changing the default search engine to Google or DuckDuckGo in the browser settings, as the built-in often contains advertising integrations.
Spam Cleansing in Guide, Music and Themes
System media applications and file managers in the MIUI shell are also not without advertising integrations. In the File Manager application, banners can appear when you open folders or in the recent section. In the Music application, ads often pop up when you switch tracks or in the recommendations section.
To turn off ads in Explorer, open the app, click on the menu (three bars) and select Settings. In the About program or Display settings section, find and disable the Receive recommendations. A similar procedure is performed for the Music app: menu → Settings → Advanced settings → Show ads (to be turned off).
The Themes app is one of the most aggressive sources of visual noise. It can offer paid wallpaper, ringtones and entire themes every time you unlock or open a store. To minimize this effect, go to the user profile (human icon) → Settings.
You should turn off all the items related to Popular, Advertising and Auto Update, and you can also turn off the wallpaper carousel display on the lock screen, which often contains advertising images, which will return the phone to its original, clean look.
| Annex | Where to look for settings | What to turn off |
|---|---|---|
| Conductor | Menus. → Settings → About the programme | Receive recommendations |
| Music. | Menu → Settings → Extended | Showing ads |
| Topics | Profile → Settings | Popular, Advertising |
| Downloads. | Menu → Settings | Receive recommendations |
Blocking Advertising through DNS and Network Settings
One of the most effective methods that works at the operating system level is the use of private DNS. This method allows you to block advertising not only in applications, but also in browsers, games and other programs that download content from known advertising networks.
To set up, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS. The default is “Auto.” You need to select “DNS Host Name” (or “Manual”) and enter the address of a dedicated server that filters traffic.
dns.adguard.comType this address into the field and save the settings. The phone can lose the Internet for a second, after which the connection will be restored with filtering enabled, this method does not require installing third-party applications and even works without root rights, which makes it ideal for most users.
⚠️ Attention: When in use DNS-Some sites or applications may stop displaying content correctly if they use the same domains for legitimate analytics. If you notice problems with the operation of a particular application, temporarily return the settings. DNS auto-mode".
The advantage of the method is that it also improves security by blocking access to known phishing and malicious resources, but it is worth remembering that YouTube ads will not be removed by this method, since they are broadcast from the same domains as the video itself.
Managing Notifications and Removing Miner Viruses
Sometimes the problem isn't with the system, but with the apps that you've installed. QR-Codes, memory optimizers, and questionable antiviruses often contain aggressive ad modules that can create shortcuts without a name on the desktop or show windows on top of all applications.
To find the culprit, pay attention to when exactly the ads appear. If immediately after launching a certain game or utility, delete it without a doubt. Also check the list of installed applications in the settings: Settings → Apps → All applications.
Look for apps without icons or with strange names. Often viruses disguise themselves as system processes. If you can't uninstall an application in the usual way, try Settings → Special Features and check if there are suspicious permissions for unknown programs.
- 🔍 Check the “Recent” section of Task Manager to see the name of the process causing the ads.
- 🗑️ Remove all newly installed apps that you don’t remember or use.
- 🛡️ Run a full check with built-in antivirus or install a reliable analog, for example, Malwarebytes or Dr.Web.
If the ad appears even on a locked screen, it's almost certainly a virus, and then Safe Mode might help, so press the on button, and when the "off" button appears, hold it with your finger for a few seconds, and the phone will suggest that you go to Safe Mode.
How to remove an unremovable virus?
Advanced Methods: ADB and Hidden Settings
For power users who want to get the most out of the system, there is a method to disable advertising components through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to “freeze” system applications that cannot be removed by standard means without disrupting the system.
That would require a computer, USB-cable and on-debugging USB on the phone (Settings) → The phone. → 7 times to press the version MIUI → Settings → Extended. → For developers → Debugging by USB). You need to install a platform on a PC. ADB.
The command to disable the MSA service is as follows:
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.misysYou can also disable the Getting Recommendations (MAB) application, which is responsible for analytics:
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.mab⚠️ Attention: Use of teams ADB Disabling critical system components can cause the phone to work in an unstable way or a "boot loop" (cyclic reboot). Always check the name of the package before entering the command.
If you're afraid of using the command line, there are helper apps like Universal Android Debloater that have a GUI and tell you which packets can be safely removed.
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The ADB method allows you to remove ads at the system level, making it physically impossible to run, but requires a PC connection and basic technical knowledge.