Modern Xiaomi smartphones, which are based on the shells MIUI or the new HyperOS, often delight users with rich functionality and affordable price. However, accessibility often has to pay for increased advertising, which can manifest itself in the most unexpected places. Pop-ups, banner ads in system applications and intrusive recommendations can be seriously annoying, especially when you are trying to focus on work or leisure.
Fortunately, the Android system allows you to manage notifications flexibly, and Xiaomi engineers have left a lot of hidden settings for advanced users. In this article, we will not only discuss standard methods of disabling advertising, but also touch on deeper system settings that will help you completely clean the interface of unnecessary visual noise. MIUI.
Before we take any action, it's important to understand the nature of these windows. Often they're not viruses, but legal, if intrusive, features of the operating system or third-party applications that you once gave permission to display notifications. We'll go through all layers of protection, from simple menu settings to disabling system services responsible for marketing content.
Analysis of the source of pop-up windows
The first step to solving the problem is to identify the source of the irritation precisely. A pop-up can be a standard app notification that you simply didn’t notice when you installed it, or it can be MSA (MIUI System Ads) system advertising. Understanding the difference between the two types is critical to choosing the right method of combating it.
If the window appears on top of other applications or on the desktop without explicitly running any program, it is most likely the work of aggressive advertising or malware. In the case that the notification comes in the curtain or appears when you use a particular application (for example, a browser or a game), the source is localized easier.
⚠️ Note: If pop-ups appear with a call to urgently update the antivirus, clean up memory or report a win, in no case click on the links inside them).
To diagnose the source, you can use the “Recent” function or start the task manager immediately after the advertisement appears, which will help to identify a process that is active in the background, often the culprits are applications for “battery optimization”, “memory cleanup” or “lightlights”, which monetize their freeness through aggressive marketing.
Disabling MIUI and MSA system advertising
The most common source of intrusive content in Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which is responsible for displaying advertising materials in standard applications such as Explorer, Music, Themes and even in the lock menu, and disabling this service is the first step to a clean interface.
To deactivate the service, you need to go to the authorization settings. Find the Settings menu for Passwords and Security, then select Data Access (or Special Options in some versions). In the list, find the msa process and turn off the slider. The system will warn you that some features may stop working, but for the average user it is invisible.
☑️ Shutdown checklist MSA
Importantly, the system can resist this action. Once you click on the off button, a countdown timer (usually 10 seconds) will appear, and only after it expires will the confirmation button be available. If you turn off the slider but do not confirm the action, the service will remain active. It is also worth turning off recommendation services in the Settings section → Additional → Receive recommendations.
In addition to msa, you should check your personalization settings. In the Settings menu → Passwords and Security → Data access can also be found services Mi Video, Mi Music and GetApps. Disabling data access for these applications (if you do not use them) will prevent downloading of advertising content and directory updates, which also reduces the load on the system.
Managing application-specific notifications
Often users install apps that ask for permission to display notifications and then forget about it. In Android 12, 13 and 14, and in HyperOS, notification management has become more granular. You can not just disable all notifications, but also filter their types.
To manage, go to Settings → Notifications and Control Center → Notification Management. This is a complete list of all installed applications. Go through the list, especially paying attention to those programs that you rarely use. If you see an application that should not tell you anything (for example, a calculator or voice recorder), feel free to turn off notifications for it.
| Type of application | Recommended action | Importance |
|---|---|---|
| Messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp) | Leave it on. | Tall. |
| Social media (VK, Instagram) | Leave only the important ones. | Medium |
| Games | Shut it down completely. | Low. |
| Stores (Play Market, GetApps) | Disable Advertising and Promotions | Low. |
| System services | Careful, just the commercials. | Tall. |
Within each app's settings, you can fine-tune the app name in the notification list, and you'll see switches for different categories: General, Marketing, Promotions, Sound. Marketing notifications can be turned off selectively, while saving important status messages or correspondence.
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Use Do Not Disturb at night to eliminate interruptions completely, or set up its schedule in the Digital Well-Being section.
Blocking pop-up windows in the browser
If pop-up ads appear while surfing the Internet, the problem lies in the browser settings or in the installed extensions. the built-in Mi Browser and Google Chrome browser have effective built-in blockers that are often disabled by default.
In Google Chrome on Android, go to the menu (three dots) → Settings → Site settings → Pop-ups and redirects. Make sure the switch is in the “Block” position. It is also recommended to go to the Ads section and enable blocking of intrusive advertising. This will prevent new tabs from opening when you accidentally click on banners.
For Mi Browser owners, the path will be: user profile (human icon) → Settings → Privacy and security. Here you need to activate Ad Blocker. In addition, in the privacy settings, you should disable Personalized Recommendations so that the browser stops collecting data about your preferences for displaying targeted advertising.
⚠️ Note: If the browser blocker doesn’t help, there may be a third-party app on the device that introduces its ads. Check the list of installed programs for utilities with names like Clearer, Battery Saver or Flashlight that you don’t know and delete them.
An alternative and often more effective solution is to install a dedicated browser with built-in AdBlock, such as Brave or DuckDuckGo. These browsers block trackers and ad scripts at the network level, which not only removes pop-ups, but also speeds up the loading of pages, saving traffic.
Special facilities and access to data
One of the most insidious loopholes for advertising is access to Accessibility, and many applications, especially those that promise to optimize or change the interface, require this permission, and once they get it, they can draw their windows over other applications that are difficult to close.
Check this section along the Settings path → Additional → Special. features. carefully examine the list of applications that have access. If you see an unknown application or program that you think should not have such rights (for example, a game or a simple calculator), immediately disable access.
Why do applications need access to special features?
You should also look at the Display on top of other apps. The path may vary depending on the version of MIUI, but it is usually in Settings → Privacy Protection → Special. features (or search for settings type "over"). This shows applications that can open windows on top of the active screen. Leave this access only for trusted system functions, messengers (for video calls) and navigators.
Newer versions of HyperOS and MIUI 14+ have introduced a Fraud Protection feature that can also block some types of pop-ups, recognizing them as potentially dangerous.
Using DNS to block advertising at the network level
The most radical and effective way to remove pop-up ads that work in all applications and browsers is to use a private DNS filtered, which does not require the installation of additional applications and does not load the processor, since the filtering occurs at the level of a network request.
Android 9 and later (which is true for all modern Xiaomi) has a built-in DNS setting. Go to Settings → Connection and Sharing (or Wi-Fi) → Private DNS (Private DNS). Select the option “Host Name of the DNS provider” (or “Manual”) and enter the address of the server blocking the ads.
One of the most popular and reliable services is AdGuard DNS. In the field for entering you must specify the following address:
dns.adguard.comOnce you save the settings, the smartphone will start redirecting all requests to the ad servers through this filter. If the server is locked in the AdGuard database, the ad window will simply not boot, and this also helps save battery power and traffic, since the ad scripts will not download.
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Using a private DNS (dns.adguard.com) is the most effective method of combating advertising, which does not require root rights and works systemically for all applications.
⚠️ Note: When using a third party DNS Make sure you have a stable Internet connection. DNS will be unavailable, some sites or applications may stop downloading content.In case of problems, just return the settings DNS in the "Auto" or "Disconnected" mode».