Owners of Xiaomi smartphones often face intrusive advertising banners that appear in the most unexpected places of the interface. Redmi Note 9 Pro, despite its popularity and excellent characteristics, was no exception to the rules of marketing policy of the company. Built-in advertising is designed to compensate for the low cost of the device, but for many users it becomes a serious irritant, preventing comfortable operation of the gadget.
Fortunately, MIUI provides flexible personalization tools to minimize or eliminate unwanted content. Disabling ads doesn't require super-user rights or complex flashing, and you just need to go through multiple settings menus and disable specific services, which we'll talk about in detail here.
In this article, we’ll take a look at all the available methods for cleaning the interface from banners, pop-ups and recommendation tapes. You’ll learn how to set up a system blocker, change DNS settings, and remove marketing suggestions from standard applications. Follow the instructions carefully to make your Redmi Note 9 Pro as clean and fast as possible.
Disconnecting MSA: The First and Main Step
The main source of advertisements in the system is the system application MSA (MIUI System Ads), which is responsible for collecting data about your preferences and displaying the corresponding banners in various sections of the shell. Without disabling this service, any other manipulations may not be effective, as the ads will return.
First, you need to find the appropriate item in the security settings menu. Note that the system may try to hold you back by showing a countdown timer or offering bonuses for saving settings. You need to be persistent and wait for the countdown to confirm your decision to turn off.
Follow the following steps to deactivate the service:
- 📱 Go to Settings. → Passwords and security → Access to personal data.
- 🔍 In the list, find the msa app and move the switch to an inactive position.
- ⏳ A timer will appear for 10 seconds, after which press the Disconnect button.
- ✅ If the system makes an error, repeat the procedure. 2-3 once until confirmation is received.
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If the “Disable” button is inactive, check for an internet connection, as the status of the service is synchronized with the server.
After successfully disabling MSA, the number of ad integrations in the system will decrease significantly. However, some embedded applications may have their own recommendations display settings that require special attention.
Setup of a system ad blocker
There is a built-in tool in the MIUI shell that is formally designed to block unwanted items, but by default it is often disabled or configured incorrectly. Activating this module allows you to hide ads in standard applications such as Explorer, Music or Downloads.
To activate the feature, go to the Security app, which is preinstalled on all Xiaomi devices. At the bottom of the screen, select the Advertising Services tab or find the Ad Blocker option in the Security Settings menu. Here you need to activate the Receive Recommendations switch, but paradoxically, this will open a menu where you will need to turn off specific display types.
☑️ Checking the Blocker settings
You should also pay attention to personalization settings. The system can offer you “useful” tips and news that are essentially disguised ads. Turn off the option to Receive recommendations in the main menu of the blocker settings. This action will prevent pop-ups when you unlock the screen and in the desktop folders.
It's important to understand that when you update your system, your settings may get lost. Check this section periodically, especially after major MIUI updates. If you notice banners returning, repeat the shutdown procedure. This is the standard behavior of the system to monetize the device.
Removing Advertising from Standard Applications
Even after global services are disabled, individual apps can continue to show content. Each component of Xiaomi's system has its own privacy and display settings. Redmi Note 9 Pro uses an updated version of the shell, where the paths to settings may differ from older models.
Let’s look at the main applications that require manual adjustment:
- 📁 Explorer: Open the app, click on the menu (three bars), select Settings» → «About the app. Find the "Get recommendations" item and turn it off. Also, in the conductor settings, remove the tick from "Show ads».
- 🎵 Music: Go to the app settings, find the "Additional" or "Extended Settings" section. Turn off the option to Show Ads and Get Recommendations».
- 🧹 Cleanup: In the Security app, go to Cleanup, click on the settings gear. Remove the ticks on Get Recommendations and Show Ads After Cleanup».
Hidden theme settings
Don't forget the Downloads app. Often, that's where the hot offers notifications appear. Open the Download Manager, go to the settings, and find "Show recommended content." It needs to be deactivated. This action will clear the main download screen of the news feed and banners.
If you are actively using the Mi Video or Mi Browser app, go to their settings separately. In the browser, you should disable push notifications from sites, as they are often a source of spam. In the video player, you should remove the personalization of recommendations. A comprehensive approach ensures that no window will remain unprotected from marketing intrusion.
DNS Blocking: A Method for Advanced Blocking
The most effective way to remove ads from all apps, including third-party ones, is to use a private DNS. This method redirects requests to ad servers to nowhere, making it impossible to download banners. For the Redmi Note 9 Pro running Android 10 and above, this feature is built into the system.
To set up, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS. Select the “DNS Provider Host Name” option and enter the address of a trusted blocker. One of the most popular and stable is the address dns.adguard.com. After entering the address, save the settings.
| Parameter | Meaning/Action | The result |
|---|---|---|
| Type DNS | Provider host name | Manual activation |
| Server address | dns.adguard.com | Blocking Advertising and Tracking |
| The alternative | family.adguard-dns.com | Advertising + Advertising Blocking for Adults |
| Reset | Auto (Off) | Return to the standard settings of the provider |
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Using a private DNS blocks network-level advertising, which is effective even in free versions of games and apps where other methods don’t work.
It is worth noting that the use of third-party DNS-The servers may have a slight effect on the speed of opening sites if the server is far from your region. However, for most users, the difference is not noticeable, and the purity of the interface is worth it. DNS, to verify the cause of the problem.
This method also helps protect your device from some types of phishing and malicious sites, the databases of which are updated by the supplier. DNS-This makes your smartphone a safer device to surf the Internet without installing additional heavy antiviruses.
Cleaning the desktop and widget tape
In the MIUI shell, there's something called the Widget Ribbon, or App Vault, which swipes to the right of the home screen, and by default, it displays news, popular apps, and advertising cards, and many users accidentally open it and get annoyed by the noise.
To remove this tape completely, press and hold your finger on the empty desktop space. In the bottom menu that appears, select Settings (or More), find the Widget Ribbon or Google Discover item, and select Unplugged or Widget Only, which will hide the news feed, leaving only useful widgets if you need them.
⚠️ Warning: After updating the system, desktop settings may reset. If the ad tape appears again, just repeat the deactivation procedure in the desktop settings.
It's also worth checking the folders on your desktop. In some versions of MIUI, the "Recommended" line may appear inside the application folders. To remove it, open the folder, click on the name of the folder on top and turn off the "Recommended" option, which will return the folder to a tidy look and remove intrusive suggestions to download new games.
Remember the lock screen. Sometimes there are wallpaper carousels with ad integrations. Go to Settings → Lock screen and turn off the wallpaper carousel. Choose a static image from the gallery so that when you turn on the screen, you will be met with only the right information.
Additional measures and optimization of notifications
The last line of defense is push notifications from the apps themselves. Even if you've removed system ads, installed programs can spam you with offers. Redmi Note 9 Pro has a powerful notification manager that allows you to customize in detail what may appear on the screen.
Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification Center. You can turn off notifications for specific applications or select No Sound mode. Pay special attention to apps in the categories Stores, Games and News. Often these are the source of intrusive banners.
It is also recommended to disable advertising personalization in your Google account. Go to Settings → Google → Advertising and click Reset Ad ID, and also disable personalization. This will not remove the ads completely, but will make them less intrusive and tied to your search queries.
⚠️ Warning: Don’t install questionable Play Market cleaners with the promise of removing ads, often as a source of ad debris and slowing down the system.
The combined application of all of these methods will allow you to turn the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro into a device that works exclusively for you, not for advertisers. The system will become more responsive and the battery will be spent more economically, as background ad loading processes will be stopped.