How to permanently remove pop-up ads on the lock screen Xiaomi: a step-by-step guide

Why does the ad appear on the lock screen and can it be removed?

Xiaomi smartphone owners (including the Redmi, POCO and Mi series) often face intrusive ads right on the lock screen — banners, promotion notifications or app installation offers. This is not a coincidence, but part of the company’s business model: MIUI contains built-in ad modules that show content even when the phone is locked. The good news is that this ad can be turned off, but the methods depend on the firmware version and the region of the device.

The main reasons for the appearance of advertising on the block: 1) Built-in MIUI Ads services - the system automatically downloads banner ads through msa and mipush services; 2) Pre-installed applications (for example, Mi Browser, Mi Video, Themes), which have the right to output notifications; 3) Regional settings - on devices for China and India, there are more ads than in global versions.

In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to remove advertising, including hidden settings and radical methods for experienced users.

⚠️ Important: Some methods require superuser rights (root) or disabling system applications, which can disrupt the operation of the phone. MIUI 14 and later (2023-2026) some of the advertising modules are protected from manual removal – they can only be blocked through settings.

Method 1: Disabling Advertising in MIUI Settings (without root)

The safest method is to use the built-in system options, which is suitable for most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models on MIUI 12-14.

1. Open Settings → About Phone → Press 7 times on the MIUI version to activate the Developer Mode.
2. Return to the main settings menu and go to Additional → Special Opportunities → Advertising.
3. Turn off the sliders: 📱 Recommendations MIUI (responsible for banners on the block) 🔍 Personalized recommendations (analyzes your actions) 📢 Notification from MSA (Service shows advertisements in notifications)

Reboot the phone.

If there is no Ads item on the menu, try an alternative path: Settings → Google → Advertising → disable Personalized Ads and reset the Ad Identifier.

Whether recommendations are disabled MIUI (c) “Special opportunities"|

Is the ad ID reset in Google | settings?

Is the firmware updated to the latest version (some bugs have been fixed in the MIUI 14.0.5+)|

Removed themes from the Themes app (they may show banners)-->

⚠️ Note: Some Firmware for India and China (MIUI CN/IN) These settings may be missing or reset after the update. 2.

Method 2: Remove advertising applications (without root)

Even if you have disabled ads in your settings, some system apps continue to display banners, which can be disabled (not removed completely) through the app menu:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search, enter the names and disable (the “Disable” button) the following applications: 🎨 Themes (themes, often shows ads) 🌐 Mi Browser (browser with built-in banners) 📺 Mi Video (video player with ads on the main screen) 📊 Analytics (collection of statistics for personalized advertising) 🔔 MSA (Mi Security Center, responsible for push notifications)

After shutting down, restart the phone.

If the "Disable" button is inactive, the application is protected by the system, in which case only root access (method 4) or custom firmware installation will help.

💡

To return disabled applications, go to Settings → Apps → Show all apps (three dots at the top) → Disabled and click Enable.

Method 3: Using ADB to Deeply Disable Advertising

If standard methods didn’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a debugging tool that allows you to turn off system components without root, which works on all Xiaomi models, including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and Mi 13.

Instructions:

1. Download ADB Tools and unpack the archive.
2. Turn on the phone Developer Mode (7 taps according to the MIUI version in About Phone) and activate Debugging via USB.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and in the command line (in the folder with ADB) do: adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.systemAdSolution adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.xiaomi.midrop adb shell pm hide com.android.browser
4. Reset the device.

These commands remove advertising modules for the current user (flag) --user 0). Complete list of commands to remove ads:

⚠️ Note: Some commands (e.g., deletion of com.miui.analytics) may disrupt Xiaomi Cloud and sync services!

Method 4: Removing ads with root (for power users)

If you have root access (e.g., through Magisk), you can completely remove ad modules from the system, a method that is suitable for users who are willing to risk device stability for the sake of clean interface.

Steps:

1. Install a file manager with root support (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to the folder. /system/priv-app/ and delete the following folders: 🗑️ SystemAdSolution (main advertising module) 🗑️ MiuiDaemon (background process for displaying banners) 🗑️ AnalyticsCore (collection of data for advertising)

/system/etc/hosts

127.0.0.1 ad.mi.com


127.0.0.1 sdkconfig.ad.intl.xiaomi.com




127.0.0.1 data.mistat.xiaomi.com

Reboot the phone.

After these actions, the ads on the block will disappear forever, but there are risks:

Mi Account and cloud services may be disrupted.

Some system updates can restore deleted files.

Xiaomi warranty is cancelled if there is root.

Yeah, through the settings. MIUI|

Yes, but it didn't work - the adverts are back |

No, I'm afraid to break something.|

I use custom firmware without advertising.-->

Method 5: Install custom firmware (radical method)

If none of these methods worked, the last option is to install custom firmware (like LineageOS, Pixel Experience or Xiaomi.eu), which lacks MIUI advertising modules and offers pure Android.

Pros of the method:

- Complete absence of advertising on the block and in the system;

- The ability to select the version of Android (for example, upgrade to Android 14 on older models);

Improved productivity due to the lack of unnecessary services.

Cons:

Loss of warranty (if the phone is warranty);

- Risk of "bricking" if installed incorrectly;

- There may be bugs with a camera, sensors or wireless modules (depending on the model).

Instructions for installing Xiaomi.eu (the most stable custom firmware for Xiaomi):

1. Download the firmware for your model from the website xiaomi.eu.
2. Unlock the bootloader through the Mi Unlock Tool (requires a binding Mi Account and wait 7-15 days).
3. Install TWRP Recovery and run through it the downloaded firmware file.
4. Do a data reset (Wipe → Format Data).

If the ad returns, repeat the steps from method 2 (disable apps) or method 3 (ADB). In extreme cases, you can always return the phone to factory settings (Settings → Reset), but this will delete all data.

💡

Before resetting, save a list of installed apps using App Backup & Restore – this will save time for re-installation.

FAQ: Frequent questions about advertising on Xiaomi