Why Xiaomi Redmi 9 is getting ads and can it be removed forever?
Xiaomi Redmi 9 smartphone owners often face intrusive advertising in the system: banners on the lock screen, pop-up windows in MIUI, advertising notifications from standard applications. The reason lies in Xiaomi’s monetization policy – the company integrates advertising modules into firmware to compensate for the low price of devices. However, this does not mean that the user is obliged to put up with intrusive ads.
In this article, we’ll look at 7 proven ways to remove ads on Redmi 9, from simple menu settings to radical methods like disabling system services. It’s important to understand that some methods may require unlocking the bootloader or superuser rights (root), but most solutions work without them. Also note that after the MIUI update, some ads can return — so we’ll show you how to prevent it from reappearing.
Before you start, check your firmware version: go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version. Redmi 9 most often has MIUI 12-14 based on Android 10-12.
Method 1: Disabling personalized advertising in MIUI settings
The safest and fastest method is to deactivate the targeting mechanisms right in the system, which won’t remove all banners, but will significantly reduce their number, especially in standard applications like Browser, Music or Themes.
Instructions:
- 📱 Open the Settings. → Google → Advertising.
- 🔄 Switch the “Personalized Advertising” slider** to the “Off” position.».
- 🗑️ Click "Reset advertising" ID»** (This will clear your profile for targeting).
- 🔙 Go back to the main settings and go to Settings → Privacy → Special permits → Advertising services.
- 🚫 Turn off the option “Personalized recommendations»**.
This method works on all versions of MIUI, but has a limitation: it does not block ads from Xiaomi directly (for example, banners on the lock screen), but only reduces its personalization.
💡
If banners still appear after disabling personalized advertising, try clearing the cache of the Google Play Services app in the application settings.
Method 2: Manual disabling of advertising in system applications
Many of Xiaomi's standard programs -- Browser, Music, Themes, Cleaner -- have built-in ad modules, which can be turned off individually in the settings of each app.
| Annex | The path to settings | What to turn off |
|---|---|---|
| Topics | Settings → Topics → ⚙️ → Recommendations | Turn off “Recommend topics” and “Show notifications” |
| Cleaner | Settings → Cleaner → ⚙️ → Notifications | Disable “Advertising Notices” and “Cleanup Tips” |
| browser | Settings → browser → ⚙️ → Confidentiality | Deactivate “Personalized News” and “Show Recommendations” |
| Music. | Settings → Music. → ⚙️ → Advertising | Turn off “Show banners” and “Recommend content” |
Once you turn off these options, restart your phone. If the ads in the apps are not completely gone, try clearing the cache for each of them: Settings → Apps → Select the app → Storage → Clear the cache.
Method 3: Blocking Advertising through ADB (without root)
For users who are ready for more complex manipulations, there is a method to disable advertising services through the Internet. ADB (Android Debug Bridge.It doesn't require root, but it will require a computer and a computer. USB-The method works on Redmi 9 with any version of the cable. MIUI, unless debugging is disabled USB.
Step-by-step:
- 🖥️ Install. ADB Tools on the computer.
- 📱 On your phone, turn on Settings. → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Press 7 times to activate the developer mode).
- 🔧 Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers and include “Debugging by” USB»**.
- 🔌 Connect your phone to your PC and enter: Adb devices (should appear with a serial number) in the command line).
- 🚫 Follow the commands in turn: adb shell pm hide com.miui.systemAdSolution adb shell pm hide com.xiaomi.midrop adb shell pm hide com.android.browser
These commands disable the main Xiaomi ad services. Restart your phone after you do it. If the ad comes back after you update MIUI, repeat the procedure.
Install ADB Tools on PC|
Enable the developer mode on the phone |
Activate debugging via USB|
Connect the phone to the computer |
Check the visibility of the device by the adb device command-->
Method 4: Using third-party ad blockers
If system methods don't work, you can install specialized ad-blocking apps. Redmi 9 has two types of solutions:
- 🛡️ Local blockers (e.g. Blokada or RethinkDNS) – create VPN-tunnel and filter advertising domains.
- 🌍 System host files (e.g. AdAway) – require root but block OS-level advertising.
For most users, Blokada is suitable:
- 📥 Download. APK from the official website (not from Google Play!).
- 🔓 Allow installation from unknown sources: Settings → Privacy → Special permits → Installation of unknown applications.
- 🔄 Launch Blokada, select the mode «DNS»** and activate the lock.
The advantage of Blokada is that it works without root and does not require complex settings, but some banners in MIUI (for example, on the lock screen) can remain, as they are downloaded from local resources of the phone.
Why does AdAway require root?
Method 5: Resetting the phone to factory settings
If the ad has penetrated too deeply (for example, after a virus or a failed update), a complete reset can help.This method will delete all user data, but also clean the settings of Xiaomi advertising services.
How to reset Redmi 9:
- 📲 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Resetting settings.
- 🔄 Select “Erase all data»**.
- 🔐 Enter the password (if set) and confirm the reset.
After the reboot:
- ❌ Do not restore settings from backup MIUI — It could bring back the adverts.
- ✅ Turn off personalized advertising immediately (see Method 1).
- 🚫 Do not install applications from unknown sources in the first hours after a reset.
💡
Factory reset is a last resort, and only use it if other methods fail, as it will remove all data from your phone, including photos, contacts and messages.
Method 6: Install custom firmware (for advanced)
The most radical, but also the most effective way is to replace the standard MIUI with custom firmware like LineageOS or Pixel Experience, which lacks Xiaomi’s ad modules but requires:
- 🔓 Unlocked bootloader (the procedure takes 7-30 days through the official website of Xiaomi).
- 🛠️ Ability to work with fastboot and TWRP.
- 📥 Compatible firmware for Redmi 9 (codename of the device – lancelot).
Warnings:
⚠️ Warning! Unlocking the bootloader will reset all data on the phone, including internal memory, and it can also lead to a loss of warranty (if it is still valid).
⚠️ Attention! Incorrect firmware custom OS can turn the phone into a "brick." Make sure you download the firmware specifically for the Redmi 9 model (check in Settings). → The phone. → Model of the device).
If you decide to take this step, follow the instructions on the XDA Developers forums for lancelot. Once custom firmware is installed, there won't be any ads at all, but you'll lose some MIUI features, such as Dual Apps or Read Mode.
Method 7: Disabling Advertising on the Lock Screen
One of the most annoying types of ads on Redmi 9 is the lock screen banners, which appear even when the phone is locked, and they're harder to remove than regular notifications.
Method 1 (without root):
- 🔒 Go to Settings. → Lock screen → Additionally.
- 🚫 Turn off the options: 📢 «Promotional notices»** 🌄 «Recommended topics»** 📊 «Weather and other information (sometimes containing advertising)
🔄 Reboot the phone.
Method 2 (with root):
If the banners are still there, you'll have to edit the system files. Install Root Explorer or Mixplorer with superuser rights and:
- 📁 Move to the /system/media/theme/default/.
- 🗑️ Delete the files lockscreen_magazine_* and lockscreen_wallpaper_*.
- 🔄 Reset the device.
On Redmi 9 with MIUI 13+, the lock screen ads can be embedded in the com.miui.miservice system application. Disabling it via ADB (adb shell pm disable-user com.miui.miservice command) will remove banners, but may disrupt some services, such as synchronizing your Xiaomi account.