Xiaomi’s modern smartphones are famous for their accessibility and functionality, but users are often annoyed by the company’s aggressive advertising policies. Pop-ups can appear in the most unexpected places: when unlocking the screen, while using standard applications or even on top of the interface of other programs.
Many gadget owners mistakenly believe that these windows are a sign of a virus infection, and they start downloading questionable antiviruses. In fact, in most cases, this is a regular MIUI ad engine that you can turn off in settings, and understanding how this mechanism works will allow you to regain control of the device.
However, if after all the manipulations, the ad continues to bother you, or you encounter a system failure that generates errors, it is important to be able to correctly communicate this to developers.Sending a correct report is not just a formality, but a real way to affect the quality of future firmware updates. In this article, we will discuss a step-by-step algorithm of actions.
The nature of advertising windows in the MIUI system
MIUI advertising integrations are implemented at a deep system level, and they are driven by a service that is often hidden from the eyes of the average user, that analyzes your actions and, at certain points, offers content from partners, and that is the company's main source of revenue when selling budget devices.
If windows only appear in standard applications like “Conductor”, “Music” or “Security”, then this is a standard feature. If pop-up banners block the interface of the browser or messengers, suggesting that you install an “accelerator” or “cleaner”, then this is a sign of the activity of the Adware virus.
The frequency of these windows depends on the region specified in the account settings and the firmware version. In some regions, such as India or Indonesia, the number of ad integrations may be higher, and the Android version and the specific smartphone model, whether it is the flagship Xiaomi 14 or the budget Redmi Note, also affects.
Disabling the System Advertising Service (MSA)
The first and most effective step is to disable the system component that is responsible for displaying ads, a process called MSA (MIUI System Ads) deactivation, without which most of the built-in advertising mechanisms will cease to function.
To do this, you need to go to the settings menu. The path may vary slightly depending on the shell version, but the logic remains the same. Find the item related to passwords and security, or search by settings by entering the acronym msa.
Once you find the MSA service, click on it and select the shutdown option, and the system can ask you several times for confirmation, suggesting that you wait 10 seconds before trying again, a psychological trick that you just have to wait.
☑️ Shutdown algorithm MSA
Importantly, after disabling the MSA, ads in some system applications may not disappear instantly. It requires a device reboot or wait for 24 hours until the cached data is updated. If the service is turned on on on its own, repeat the procedure again.
Set up individual advertising in system applications
Even after the main service is disabled, some applications can save their own personalization settings, so to completely clean the interface, you need to go through key system utilities, which ensures that no window slips through the filters.
Start with the Security app, and this is where you'll find the most frequent suggestions to clear your memory or speed up your phone, accompanied by banner ads, go to the app's settings (usually the gear in the top right corner) and find "Get recommendations." Turn it off.
Similar actions should be repeated for the Music, Video and Explorer app, each with a hidden settings menu that activates the customized recommendation function, and in the MIUI interface, these switches are often located at the bottom of the settings list.
⚠️ Attention: If you disable recommendations in system applications, the interface may become less informative. For example, in the Music app, album covers and biographies of artists on the home screen will disappear, only lists of tracks will remain.
Don't forget to check your theme settings. If you use third-party themes from Themes, they may contain their own ads. Switching to a standard theme often solves the desktop pop-up problem.
What to do if there is no MSA?
Blocking Advertising Through DNS and DNS
Modern versions of Android, which run MIUI, allow you to block advertising at the network connection level. Using Private DNS (private DNS) is an effective method that does not require the installation of third-party applications and obtaining superuser rights.
The idea is to redirect queries to known ad servers to nowhere, so your phone won't receive data from the domains that display banners, which speeds up page loads and saves traffic.
To set up, go to Connection and Sharing or Wi-Fi and the Internet. DNS» (Private DNS). Select the mode "Host Name of the provider" DNS» And put the address of a reliable blocker in there.
dns.adguard.comOnce you enter the address, save the settings. The Internet may be interrupted for a short time, after which the connection will be restored with an active filter, which blocks ads not only in the system, but also in many applications and browsers.
| Parameter | Standard value | Recommended value for blocking | The effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| DNS mode | Automobile | Provider host name | Manual control activation |
| Server address | (empty) | dns.adguard.com | Filtration of advertising traffic |
| Impact on speed | Normal. | Perhaps acceleration. | Less garbage loaded |
| Difficulty | Low. | Low. |
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If after turning on Private DNS, Wi-Fi stopped working in public places with authorization (where you need to enter a phone number or watch an advertisement for access), temporarily return the DNS settings to Auto or Disconnected.
Diagnosis: How to determine the source of a pop-up window
Sometimes the user is faced with a situation where none of the above methods work, and the ads continue to appear, in which case there is a high probability that a malicious application has hit the device, it may masquerade as a system process or it may not have an icon on the desktop.
To identify the culprit, use Task Manager. When a pop-up appears on the screen, don't close it immediately. Press the Menu button (three bars or a square, depending on the model) to open a list of running applications. An application that is active at that point is likely the source of the problem.
You can also use the Advanced Settings -> Special Opportunities feature, where you can see in the Utilization of Special Opportunities section which apps have access to the screen and may block other windows, and suspicious programs with names like Flash Player, Clearer or no name should be removed immediately.
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The main sign of the reklam virus is the appearance of windows on top of other applications and the absence of an application icon in the menu or on the desktop.
How to Send an Error Report to Xiaomi Developers
If you are sure that pop-ups are a bug of the system and not an advertisement, or if you encounter a critical error that cannot be fixed, you should send a report to the developers. MIUI.
There's a built-in log collection tool in the system. To submit a report, go to the Service & Feedback app, which is usually located in the Tools folder on your desktop, and if there's no application, you can find it through settings.
From the app menu, select "Bug report" and the system will select the category of problem, select the most appropriate one, such as "System" or "Advertising", and then you will be prompted to reproduce the error so that the system records the actions that led to the failure.
Once you record or automatically collect data, you can add screenshots and text descriptions, and it's important to describe the problem in detail: specify the device model, firmware version, and the steps that lead to the window.
Settings -> About Phone -> MIUI version (click 7 times to activate advanced reports)In some cases, deep diagnostics may require USB debugging, but for a standard error report, the feedback app's built-in functionality is enough. Remember, reporting only makes sense if you have a stable Wi-Fi connection, as the logs can be large.
⚠️ Note: When submitting a full error report, personal data (contact list, history of visits, geolocation) may enter the logs. Before submitting, carefully read what data will be included in the report, and if necessary use the function "Anonymous report».