Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often encounter intrusive ads that appear in system applications, when unlocking the screen or while using the browser. This is the result of the MSA system service (MIUI System Ads), which is by default active on devices with the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS. Although the manufacturer explains the presence of advertising low cost devices, many users prefer a clean interface without unnecessary visual noise.
Removing ads does not require super-user rights (root) and can be done through standard security settings and system settings. In this guide, we will discuss all current blocking methods, from disabling system services to configuring system services. DNS-filters that will help make the use of Xiaomi Redmi Note as comfortable as possible.It is important to understand that the complete removal of the component may require the use of the device. ADB-Teams, but basic methods are available to everyone.
Before we get into action, it’s worth noting that some changes may affect the performance of personalized recommendations in standard apps like Music or Themes. However, the functionality of the smartphone itself, including calls, messages and the operation of third-party applications, will remain completely unchanged. MSA does not violate the warranty on the device and is a standard feature of the operating system.
Disabling personalization and advertising services MIUI
The first and most important step is to disable the data collection and ad service, which is called msa, and it's very closely linked to system recommendations, and to start with, you go to the settings menu, select passwords and security, and find the access to personal data section, and here you'll see a list of all the system processes that have access to your information.
Find the msa service in the list and turn the slider into an inactive state. The system will warn you that a shutdown may affect the operation of certain functions, and will suggest waiting 10 seconds before confirming. After the timer expires, click the "Disable" button. If you failed to turn off the first time, repeat the procedure 2-3 times - Xiaomi servers sometimes do not accept the request to disconnect on the first attempt.
Next, you should turn off ad personalization. Go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Privacy → Advertising Services. Here you need to activate the Ad Personalization switch, which will formally prevent the system from using your data to target ads. This will not remove the ads completely, but will make them less intrusive and relevant.
It is also important to check the settings for specific system applications. From the Passwords and Security menu, select "Special Features" where you can find and disable data access for Mail, Receiving Content, Statistics and Printing applications, which are often used to load advertising content in the background.
Setup of system applications: Browser, Explorer and Downloads
Even after global services are disabled, individual Xiaomi apps can continue to show notifications and banners. The standard Mi Browser browser is often the main source of pop-ups. To fix this, open the browser, go to settings (three bars in the bottom menu), select Settings → Privacy and Security. In this menu, you must uncheck the "Receive notifications" and "Personal recommendations".
The same situation is true for Explorer and Downloads. In Explorer, you click on the menu, select Settings → About, and disable Get Recommendations. In Downloads (com.android.providers.downloads.ui), you should open the settings (three dots in the corner) and remove the tick "Show recommended content."
The Themes app also requires attention, as it is through it that push notifications about discounts and new items often come. Open the app, go to the profile (human icon), then to the settings (cogs). Find the “Additional” section and turn off the “Receive notifications” and “Personal recommendations” options. This will significantly clean the interface of unnecessary visual debris.
☑️ Verification of system applications
Don't forget to check the Security app, too. Inside it is a Cleanup section, which often hides the "Get recommendations" option (cog in the corner), and disabling this feature will prevent banner ads from appearing when scanning the system for viruses or cleaning memory.
Blocking Advertising Through a Private DNS
One of the most effective methods that works at the level of the entire Android operating system is the use of a private DNS. This method allows you to block requests to known ad servers even before they reach your device.
To set up, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS. The default is Auto mode. Select the option “Host Name of the DNS Provider” and enter the address of a trusted blocker, such as dns.adguard.com. Once saved, the phone can lose its connection to the Internet for a second, and then restore it with active traffic filtering.
⚠️ Attention: Use of third-party DNS-servers may cause some services to fail if they are blocked by the carrier or require specific settings. If you notice problems with connecting to Wi-Fi or mobile Internet, return the setting to Auto or Off mode».
The advantage of this method is that it blocks ads not only in the browser and system applications, but also in many games and third-party programs that use standard advertising SDKs. However, this method will not be able to remove banners that are sewn directly into the interface of Xiaomi applications and downloaded from their own domains that are not included in the blocker.
💡
If dns.adguard.com is not working properly, try an alternative address called dns.adguard-family.com, which also blocks adult content.
It's worth noting that activating a private DNS can slightly increase network response time in some cases, but for most users, the difference is not noticeable, but you get clean Internet without pop-ups on all Wi-Fi-connected devices if you configure DNS at the router level, but on the phone it works locally and securely.
Managing Notifications from System Applications
Users often confuse in-front ads with intrusive push notifications. Even if you have disabled MSA, some apps may still send out notifications about “hot offers” or news, and to deal with this, you need to audit the permissions to send notifications for each system component.
Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification Center. This is a complete list of apps that can display messages. Go to the list of system utilities: Mi Video, Mi Music, Clean, Calendar, Scanner. For each of them, it is recommended to turn off the Allow Notifications switch or, if you use these applications, leave only critical notification types by disabling Other Notifications.
| Annex | Type of advertisement | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|
| Security | Banners on cleaning | Disable “Receive recommendations” in settings |
| Topics | Push notifications | Disable notifications in the system menu |
| Downloads. | Recommended content | Remove the tick in the application settings |
| Music. | Banners in the player | Turn off "Receive recommendations" |
Pay special attention to the Calendar app, which often sends notifications about events that the user did not create, these are spammy subscriptions that are easily deleted. Open the calendar, click on the menu, select Settings → Accounts or Subscriptions, and delete suspicious sources of events.
How to remove a virus-miner or advertising virus?
Disabling recommendations on the lock screen and in folders
The lock screen and the main screen (launcher) are the places where the user spends the most time, and this is where the ads are most annoying. MIUI And HyperOS has a Glance feature that changes the wallpaper and shows news or ads every time you turn on the screen. → Lock screen. Find the wallpaper carousel and turn it off. Also, you should turn off the "Get content" option in the same menu.
In desktop folders, the system often offers "Recommended Apps." This is a hidden ad that appears at the bottom of the open folder. To remove it, open any folder on your desktop, click on the folder name (to open folder settings), or pinch the blank space on the screen and select "Settings." Depending on the version of MIUI, you need to find the "Recommended Apps" or "Receive Recommendations" switch and deactivate it.
Also worth checking is the Widget Ribbon settings (left of the home screen). Often, news feeds with inlays are included. Click on the blank space on the screen, select Add widgets or feed settings, and turn off news sources such as Yandex.News or Google News if you don't need them.
⚠️ Note: After updating the firmware, some settings may reset, especially for the wallpaper carousel and access MSA. Check these sections periodically after major system updates.
Radical Methods: ADB and System Component Removal
If standard methods did not help to completely clean the system, you can use a more advanced way - removing or "freezing" advertising packages through the Internet. ADB (Android Debug Bridge. This method requires you to connect your phone to your computer and install drivers, but it gives you the cleanest result. You'll need a PC, USB-cable and Minimal program ADB and Fastboot.
The first thing you need to do is activate USB debugging. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on MIUI build number 7 times until you see the message “You’re a developer.” Then go back to Settings → Additional settings → For developers and turn on “Debugging on USB.” Connect your phone to your PC and confirm the debugging request on your smartphone screen.
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.msa.global
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.analytics
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.cloudhmsExecuting these commands in the ADB console will turn off the system analytics and advertising services at the user level. The phone will assume that these applications are removed, but when reset to factory settings they will recover. This is a secure method that does not require root rights. If you want to return everything as it was, use the command adb shell pm enable.
💡
Using ADB allows you to remove ads deeper than standard settings, but requires caution: do not remove system components, the purpose of which you are not sure.
There are also automated scripts like Universal Android Debloater that have a GUI and allow you to safely remove bloatware with Xiaomi with one click.This is a great option for those who are afraid of making the wrong commands manually.