Owners of Poco smartphones, in particular the X3 Pro, often face intrusive advertising integrations in the shell of MIUI. This phenomenon has become a kind of payment for the affordable price of flagship hardware, but not every user is ready to tolerate constant pop-up banners and promotions. Fortunately, the architecture of the Android operating system allows you to control most system processes, including those responsible for demonstrating marketing content.
In this guide, we will take a comprehensive approach to cleaning up the interface of your smartphone from unnecessary visual noise, not only touching on standard settings, but also on deeper system settings that require attention. Disabling ads will significantly improve the speed of the interface and save battery life, as background processes will no longer load media content.
Following the steps below, you can transform your Poco X3 Pro into a clean tool for work and entertainment. It is important to perform actions consistently, as some settings can be reset after a reboot, unless the main service aggregator is disabled. Deep cleaning of the system will take about 15 minutes, but the result is worth it.
Disabling the system advertising service MSAParallel to the launch of the shells MIUI Xiaomi has introduced a system service called MSA (MIUI System Ads: This component is responsible for collecting data about your actions and then showing targeted ads in standard applications, without deactivating it, all other settings will only have a temporary or partial effect. The disabling process requires several confirmation attempts, as the system will insist on leaving the service on, you need to go to the Settings menu, then select Passwords and security, and then Access to personal data. In the list that opens, find the msa string and switch the switch to an inactive state. ⚠️ Attention: When attempting to disconnect MSA The system will show a countdown timer (usually 10 seconds) and prompt you to leave the service on. You have to wait until the timer ends and press the shutdown button again. If you can't turn it off the first time, don't despair. This is the standard behavior of the system's defenses. Repeat the shutdown procedure. 3-4 And then the button will be active to turn off, and then the advertising algorithms will lose the main source of data about your preferences. ☑️ Checking the shutdown MSAFind msa service in the list of applications Disable access to personal dataRepeat attempt 3-4 Check the absence of advertising in folders: 0 / 4
Once the main ad module is defused, you need to clean individual system utilities that have their own promotion settings. Xiaomi standard apps such as Explorer, Music, Themes and Security often contain built-in recommendations that are activated by default. Start with the Security app. Open it, click on the settings gear in the upper right corner and find the "Get recommendations" item. Transfer the slider to the "Off" position. A similar procedure should be repeated for the Topices application: go to the profile, then to the option of the option for the app, and select the recommendations from the "File" section. This will remove banners that may have appeared when opening files or navigating directories. 💡Do not remove system applications through third-party launchers unless you are sure of their function.It is better to disable advertising in settings than risk system stability.
Desktop Notifications and Folders Management One of the Most Infuriating Forms of Advertising on Poco X3 Pros are what are called hot apps or recommendations in folders on your desktop. When you create a folder and put a few icons in there, the system can suggest that you add third-party apps to it. You can turn it off globally. → Find the "Get recommendations" option (or "Wallpaper carousel" in some versions of the firmware) and deaktivate it. You can also customize the behavior of folders by preventing the recommended content from being displayed inside them, which will make the interface clean and predictable. 📊 What annoys you the most in MIUI?Intrusive advertising Unnecessary preinstalled applicationsSettings complexityUnstable workSpecial attention deserves system notifications from Xiaomi applications. Even if you don’t use Mi Video or Mi Music, they can send push notifications with news and promotions. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification Management. Go through the list of system applications and turn off notifications for those marked as “Recommendations” or “Marketing”.
The standard Mi Browser is one of the main channels for delivering advertising content. It is often installed by default and offers a news feed on the homepage. To get rid of this, open your browser, click on the menu (three dots or stripes) and go to Settings. → Privacy and security: In this section, you need to find and disable the following options: 📉 «Personal recommendations" - disables the selection of news on the main. 📉 «Notifications – prohibits sites from sending fluffs. 📉 «Analytics stops collecting data about visited pages. It is also worth checking the GetApps app (Xiaomi app store). Despite the presence of the Google Play Store, this service can work in the background. Open it, go to settings and disable auto-update apps and notifications. If you don't use this store, you can simply remove it or disable it in the application management menu. Alternative browser If the standard browser continues to be annoying, consider installing Chrome, Firefox or Brave. They have built-in ad blockers and are not integrated into the MIUI shell as deeply as the Mi Browser.
Blocking advertising through DNS (The most effective way to remove advertising not only in the system, but also in applications and games, is the use of private advertising. DNS It's a filtering method that doesn't require third-party software, and it works at the network level. X3 Pro is the perfect option, because it doesn't load the processor. You need to go to Settings. → Connection and Sharing (or “Additional Features») → Private DNS. Select the mode "Host Name provider" DNS» (or “Manual”) and enter the address: dns.adguard.com. Once saved, the phone will reconnect to the network, and most of the advertising requests will be blocked at the domain name level. ⚠️ Attention: Use of third-party DNS It can cause some local services to fail or slow down the Internet if the server is not available». This method is particularly effective against ads in free mobile games and on websites viewed through a browser, but it will not block ads that are sewn into the code of the application itself (the developers’ own advertising), but will significantly reduce its number.
For ease of perception of information and choosing the optimal strategy, we have prepared a summary table of methods. It will help you understand which method is best suited for your situation and what risks it carries. Method Efficiency Complexity Impact on the system MSA High (system advertising) Average Minimum Setup of applications Average (local advertising) Low No DNS filtering Maximum (web and applications) Low Possible slowdown Root-right + AdAway Full (100% lock) High risk of loss of warranty As seen from the table, the combination of the first three methods gives the best balance between security and clean system. Using Root rights, while effective, can lead to blocking of banking applications and disruption of the work of the bank. DRM-content (Netflix, Spotify in the HD), Therefore, in this article we do not recommend this path to ordinary users. 💡Combination of shutdown MSA and settings DNS-Filtering eliminates up to 95% of all ads on your device without the need to obtain superuser rights.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ) Will the Advertising Setting Reset After the Update MIUI? Yes, major system updates (e.g. transition from the MIUI 12 on MIUI 13 or 14) may reset some user settings, including access to personal data. After updating the firmware, it is recommended to recheck msa in the access settings. DNS from AdGuard? Using public? DNS-Advertising filtered servers are safe for ordinary users, but remember that the provider is safe for users. DNS In theory, it can see the list of domains you visit, although the content of the traffic (passwords, correspondence) remains encrypted. MSA? Without obtaining Root rights or use ADB-commands to remove the system application MSA It's impossible to just turn it off. Attempts to forcibly delete via superuser file managers can lead to a cyclical smartphone bootloop.Why does advertising still appear in some games? Ads inside the gameplay are often downloaded directly from the game developer’s servers or ad networks (Google AdMob, Unity Ads), which are not blocked by Xiaomi’s system settings. DNS-filtering or buying a premium version of the game. Does the ad-cutting affect Poco's speed? X3 Pro? Yes, the positive impact is obvious. Blocking ad modules frees up RAM, reduces the load on the Snapdragon 860 processor and reduces traffic consumption, which together makes the interface work smoother.