Ownership of a Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone is often overshadowed by intrusive advertising that appears in the most unexpected places: when you unlock the screen, in the Explorer, or even on top of open applications. Users are faced with a situation where the interface is suddenly blocked by a window offering to download a game, install an antivirus or go to a news site. These are not system bugs, but specially configured monetization algorithms that are by default active in the shell of MIUI and the new HyperOS.
Fortunately, the company's ad mechanisms can be completely deactivated without obtaining superuser rights. The shutdown process requires sequential passage through several menu items, as the developers artificially scattered these settings. Ignoring this procedure leads not only to visual noise, but also to increased traffic and battery consumption, as background processes constantly load content.
In this guide, we will discuss how to remove pop-up messages on a Xiaomi phone using only regular system tools. We will touch on disabling the msa system service, setting up personalized advertising and blocking notifications from embedded applications. Following the instructions will turn your smartphone into a clean tool without unnecessary information debris.
Disabling system advertising through Mi Account settings
The first and most important step is to disable personalized advertising at the account level, which tells the company’s servers that you don’t want to see targeted offers, and without doing this, other settings may not be effective, as the user profile in the cloud is given priority.
To start, you need to go to the basic settings of the device and find the partition responsible for passwords and security.The path may vary slightly depending on the version of the shell, but the logic remains the same for all models, whether it is a budget Redmi Note or flagship Xiaomi 14.
In the security menu, look for Advertising or Advertising Services, where the main switch is often hidden from the eyes of the average user, and activating the Personalized Advertising slider in the Off position stops collecting your preferences to generate promotional offers.
- 🔒 Open the Settings. → Passwords and security.
- 📉 Go to the section "Advertising" or "Advertising Services».
- 🚫 Transfer the Personalized Advertising switch to an inactive state.
- ✅ Confirm the action in the pop-up window with a timer.
⚠️ Warning: After pressing the switch, the system may require a 10 second wait before confirming.This is an artificial restriction designed to make it difficult to turn off the function.
It’s important to understand that disabling personalization doesn’t guarantee that all banners will disappear instantly, but it significantly reduces their frequency and relevance, a step that is fundamental to further clearing the system of intrusive content.
Deactivation of MSA (MIUI System Ads)
MSA (MIUI System Ads) is the system process that loads and displays ads in the interface, and it is this component that causes pop-ups in the browser, Explorer and lock screen, and turning off this service is a critical step that requires care, because the system will prevent this action in every way.
To access system services management, you need to go to the Apps menu, which displays the full list of installed software, including hidden system components, and find an item called "msa" in the list. Note that the name search on this menu often doesn't work, so you have to scroll through the list manually.
Once you find the msa service, click on it and select the "Disable" option, and the system will issue a warning that the shutdown may affect some functions, and start a countdown of 10 seconds. You have to wait for the timer to end and press "Disable." If the first time failed and there was an error "Disabled", try to repeat the procedure 2-3 times - this is a known feature of the shell.
☑️ Checking the shutdown MSA
After a successful shutdown, it is also recommended to clear the service data, which will delete the cached advertising modules that may have been downloaded earlier, and to do this, select Memory and click Clear in the same application management menu.
Setup of built-in Xiaomi applications
Ad units are built into the system, but also into standard utilities, and each application has its own recommendation settings, and if you are actively using a standard browser, Explorer or theme, you need to set them separately.
Start with the Security app, which often shows notifications about viruses or junk with advertising overtones. Go to the app settings (the gear icon in the corner) and find the "Get recommendations" section. Turn off this item. A similar procedure should be done for the "Themes", "Music" and "Video" app.
Pay special attention to the standard Mi Browser browser. It is often a source of pop-up news and banner ads. In your browser settings, look for the Privacy and Security section and turn off Personalized Guidelines. It is also useful to disable the display of the news feed on the home page.
| Annex | The path to adjustment | What to turn off |
|---|---|---|
| Security | Settings (cogs) | Receive recommendations |
| Topics | Profile → Settings | Showing Advertising, Auto Update |
| Downloads. | Three points → Settings | Receive recommendations |
| Music. | Settings → Advanced | Showing ads |
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If you don’t use standard Xiaomi apps (browser, video player), simply remove them or disable them from the app menu so they are guaranteed not to show ads.
Managing notifications and lock screen
Often, “pop-ups” are meant to mean app notifications or widgets on the lock screen. The MIUI shell by default allows many apps to display notifications, creating a sense of chaos, controlled through the notification center.
Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification management. This is the full list of apps. Go through the list and turn off notifications for programs you don't care about (such as games, stores, news aggregators). Pay special attention to apps with names like GetApps or Mi Video.
The Wallpaper Carousel is a feature that changes wallpaper on a locked screen and often shows advertisements with text. To remove this, go to Settings → Always screen and lock and turn off Wallpaper Carousel.
Also check the settings of specific applications that can pop up on top of other windows. In Android, this is called "Mastering on top of other apps." Find this item in the settings through search and check the list. If you see suspicious programs or system advertising services, deny them access.
⚠️ Note: Do not disable notifications from messaging apps (WhatsApp, Telegram) and Google Play system services, or you will stop receiving important messages and security updates.
Advertising Blocking in DNS (for Advanced)
The most effective way to remove pop-up messages on Xiaomi’s phone that come from apps and websites is to use private DNS filtering, a method that does not require third-party software installation and works at the network connection level.
The idea is that your phone sends requests to a special server that checks the site address, and if the address is known as an advertising address, the server blocks the connection, and the ads simply don't load, which speeds up the Internet and saves traffic.
To set up, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS. Select DNS Host Name and type in the address: dns.adguard.com. Save settings. Now all traffic will be filtered.
dns.adguard.comUse of the DNS-filtering is particularly effective against advertising in free apps and games, where pop-ups are the main way to monetize developers. However, it is worth remembering that this method may not work if advertising content is loaded from the same domain as useful content of the application.
What if the Internet stopped working after changing the DNS?
Removing Pre-Installed Garbage and Bloatware
The final step of cleaning up is to remove or disable pre-installed apps, which often serve as a source of pop-up ads. Xiaomi smartphones often feature apps from Amazon, Facebook, Booking.com and other services that the user has not installed.
Most of them can be simply removed, like regular apps. Click the desktop icon and click "Delete." If the delete button is inactive, the app can be "Disable" through the application management menu. The disabled app disappears from the active list and stops consuming resources and showing ads.
To remove system applications that are not disabled by standard methods, power users use a computer and an ADB (Android Debug Bridge) utility, which requires connecting the phone to the PC via USB and enabling debugging mode.
Example of a command to delete a packet via ADB:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.bipsUsing ADB allows you to remove even system components, such as Mi analytics or Google heavy services, that are not used in your area. However, be careful: removing critical system packages can lead to unstable phone performance or cyclical reboot.
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Comprehensive approach: the combination of MSA disabling, DNS settings and manual app cleaning gives 100% result in the fight against advertising on Xiaomi.