Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often face intrusive advertising or system notifications that block the desktop.This phenomenon, known as a pop-up, can be caused by both built-in MIUI shell features and third-party apps. Annoying banners appear at the most inopportune moment, interfering with the use of the device and consuming battery resources.
To effectively solve this problem, you need to determine the source of the windows. Xiaomi system recommendations are easily turned off in security settings, whereas viral advertising requires a deeper analysis of installed programs. In this article, we will analyze all possible causes and provide step-by-step instructions for eliminating them.
Ignoring the issue can lead to a decrease in the performance of the gadget. Advertising modules often work in the background, collecting user data. Timely blocking will not only improve the visual experience, but also increase the level of digital security of your Android device.
The nature of advertising on MIUI and HyperOS
The MIUI shell and the new HyperOS initially featured recommendation services, which Xiaomi uses to monetize budget smartphone models, but these features can and should be turned off if they interfere with user-friendly use.
Users often confuse system notifications with malware activity. Viruses and miners may disguise themselves as legitimate processes. If windows appear even on a locked screen or on top of other applications without your participation, most likely unwanted software has settled in the system.
⚠️ Warning: If pop-ups offer to win iPhones or warn about viruses, do not follow the links inside them.
There are three main types of windows: system recommendations (MSA), notifications from installed applications, and browser spam. Each type has its own method of combating, and misidentifying the source can lead to the problem not disappearing even after resetting.
Disabling MSA System Advertising
MSA (MIUI System Ads) is responsible for displaying ads in standard Xiaomi applications, a system process that can’t be simply removed, but can be deactivated, and disabling this component is the first step to a clean system.
To start, you need to go to the phone's settings menu. Find the Password and Security section and select Access to Personal Data. In the list that opens, find the msa process and turn off the access slider.
The system will try to stop you by running a countdown timer for 10 seconds. Once it is completed, press "Cancel." If the first time failed, try repeating the procedure 3-5 times, as the server may be overloaded.
☑️ Checking the shutdown MSA
After successful revocation, advertising will be closed, but this does not guarantee 100% disappearance of all banners, as other services can also generate content, so it is recommended to check the related services.
Setup of security and cleaning applications
The standard Security app often shows recommendations for cleaning memory or checking viruses, and you can remove these windows by changing the settings of the app itself, which will return the interface to a classic look without unnecessary visual noise.
Open the Security app, click on the settings gear in the top right corner. Find the "Receive recommendations" and deaktivirujte it. It's also worth turning off the "Recommended Apps" option if it's active.
Similar actions are worth doing in the Explorer and Music app, each with a hidden settings menu that can be accessed through a menu button or profile, and look for phrases like "Recommendations" or "Receive news."
Hidden conductor settings
Remember that after major updates to the MIUI shell, settings may reset. Periodically check these items to ensure that the ad does not return. This takes less than a minute, but saves nerves.
Blocking advertising in the browser
Often the source of pop-ups is a web browser. The built-in Xiaomi or Google Chrome browser can skip spam if the appropriate filters are not configured, this is especially true when visiting sites with pirated content.
On Google Chrome, go to Settings → Site Settings → Pop-ups. Make sure the switch is in the “Blocked” position. It’s also recommended to turn on “malware protection.”
If you use Mi Browser, go to its settings, select Privacy & Security, and enable the ad blocker, a built-in feature that effectively filters most banners.
| browser | The path to settings | What to turn off |
|---|---|---|
| Google Chrome | Settings → Site settings | Pop-ups |
| Mi Browser | Profile → Settings | Ad-blocker |
| Yandex | Menu → Settings → Security | Protection against shock advertising |
| Opera | Settings → Advertising Blocker | Lock in. |
Using specialized blockers like AdGuard can enhance protection. They work at a level. DNS or create local VPN-This is a traffic filter tunnel, which is especially useful for older phone models.
Search and remove viruses and miners
If the ads appear chaotic and are not connected to the opening of applications, it is likely that a virus has penetrated the phone, such programs often disguise themselves as system processes or do not have an icon on the menu.
Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Study the list carefully. Look for apps without a name, with a transparent icon or a weird name like System Service with a custom icon.
If you find a suspicious object, click on it and select "Delete." If the delete button is inactive, then the application has administrator rights. In this case, go to Password and Security → Device Administration and revoke the rights from the virus, then delete it.
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Use the Virus Search feature in the standard Security app, which uses Dr.Web databases and can find hidden threats that are not visible to the user.
In difficult cases, safe mode helps. Press the off button, then hold your finger on the "off" button on the screen for a long time until the suggestion to go to safe mode appears, and only system applications work, which allows you to calculate the culprit.
Managing Notifications from Applications
Many users let apps send notifications and then forget about it, and over time, they grow into permanent pop-ups, and control over them is the task of every smartphone owner.
When an unnecessary notification appears on the screen, don't swipe it right away. Press it and hold your finger, or tap the gear/triangle icon next to it. Select "Notification Settings" and turn them off completely for this application.
You can also use the global menu, Notifications and Status bar → Notification Management, which provides a complete list of programs, and you can fine-tune what types of messages to allow and which to block.
- 📱 Social media: Leave only private messages, turn off likes and recommendations.
- 🛒 Marketplaces: Block all discount notifications, leaving only the order status.
- 🎮 Games: Ban notifications completely, they are almost always advertising.
- 📰 News aggregators: it is better to disable push notifications altogether, reading the news at will.
Regularly cleaning permits helps keep your smartphone in order. Apps should not have unnecessary rights unless they are used for the main function.
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The best way to get rid of intrusive windows is to find the source app when it appears and revoke the rights to display notifications.
Resetting and extreme measures
If none of the methods worked, and the pop-up continues to be a concern, the radical method remains: factory reset, which will bring the phone back to the “out of the box” state by removing all data and applications.
Before the procedure, make sure to back up important data, photos, contacts and documents can be saved to the Google Drive cloud or to your computer, and it will be easy to recover them after the reset.
To reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data. The phone will reboot and begin the cleanup process. It will take a few minutes.
⚠️ Warning: Full reset will delete all photos, music and installed apps. Make sure you have an up-to-date copy of important files before starting the procedure.
After turning on, take your time to install all the apps at once. Check the phone's "clean" state. If the ads don't appear, install the programs one at a time, tracking the system's response.
Prevention of the appearance of advertising
To prevent the problem from returning, it is important to be careful when installing new software: download apps only from the official Google Play store or GetApps. Third-party sites often distribute modified versions of programs with embedded advertising.
Read carefully the permissions that the app requests when installing, if a simple flashlight requires access to contacts and geolocation, it is an alarm bell.
Update your operating system regularly. With new versions of MIUI and HyperOS, Xiaomi is gradually removing the most aggressive forms of advertising to respond to user complaints.