Xiaomi smartphones, including the popular Redmi 8 Pro, are known for their excellent price-performance ratio. However, users often encounter intrusive advertising content that is embedded in the MIUI shell. Advertising can appear in system applications, when you unlock the screen or even pop up on top of other programs. This is not only annoying, but also consumes traffic and battery power.
Fortunately, most of the ad mechanisms can be disabled without rooting or flashing the device. You don't have to be a programmer to do this. You just need to go through the system settings and each source application consistently. In this article, we'll look at all the known ways to combat spam that are relevant to current versions of the shell.
Some methods require careful attention, as menu items may vary slightly depending on the regional version of the firmware. Complete disabling of the MSA system service is a key step to eliminate 90% of banner ads. We will look at both standard methods through settings and more advanced options for those who want to achieve perfect interface cleanliness.
Disabling the MSA system advertising module
The main source of intrusive offers in the system is the MIUI System Ads (MSA), which is a process that collects data about your preferences and shows personalized advertising. The first and most important step is to deactivate it, and without this action, other settings may not have a full effect.
To start, you need to go to the settings menu of your Redmi 8 Pro. Find the Password and Security section and select Data Access. In the list of applications that have access to the Internet, you need to find msa. The slider next to it must be put in an inactive position. The system will warn you about the consequences of disconnection.
⚠️ Warning: When you press the shutdown button, a countdown timer (usually 10 seconds) will appear. Don't try to close the window early. If you hurry, the service may not shut down the first time and you will have to repeat the procedure.
When the timer runs out, press the Disable button. If the system has made an error or the timer has disappeared without confirmation, try again 2-3 times. Sometimes Xiaomi servers do not respond the first time, but persistence usually leads to success. Also, in the same menu, check for other suspicious system applications with names like Mi Video or Music and limit their access to the network if you do not use them.
☑️ Checking the shutdown MSA
Customization of personalization and advertising services
In addition to direct access to the network, the advertising mechanism relies on the collection of usage statistics, which disables the feature makes advertising less targeted and in some cases completely stops its display, a standard procedure for improving the privacy of the smartphone owner.
Go back to the main Settings menu and select Password and Security. At the bottom of the screen, look for System Services or Personal Data Access (name depends on MIUI version). Here you are interested in Advertising Services. Inside you will see the switch Personalized Advertising. It must be turned off.
Also in this section, it's a frequent item called Get Recommendations, which is responsible for the tips and suggestions that appear in various system utilities, and turning this option off will clear the interface of unnecessary text blocks, and after making changes, it's recommended that you restart the device so that all the settings are applied correctly.
- 🔒 Disabling data collection increases privacy.
- 📉 Reduces the load on the processor from background processes.
- 🚫 Banners disappear in standard apps.
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Check this section periodically after major system updates. Sometimes, after a MIUI update, privacy settings may be reset to factory values, including data collection back.
Cleaning Standard Apps from Advertising
Even after global services are disabled, individual Xiaomi apps can continue to display ads in their interfaces, including the built-in browser, explorer, music player and video player, each with its own settings that need to be changed manually.
Start with Explorer. Open the app, click on the menu (three bars) and select Settings. Find About apps or Get recommendations and turn it off. In the Security app (green zipper icon), go to the settings (cog in the corner), select Receive recommendations and turn off this switch, and this is where most often the notifications about viruses or junk pop up.
The built-in Mi Browser is also a source of banners. Go to its settings, find the Privacy and Security section, and turn off the Receive News and Notifications option. If you don't use a standard browser, you'd better install an alternative (like Chrome or Firefox) right away and remove or disable Mi Browser through the application management menu.
⚠️ Note: In some firmware versions, the "Receive recommendations" item in the Security app may be referred to as "Content" or "Tape." Look for any item related to news or offers.
Managing notifications and pop-ups
Advertising often comes in the form of push notifications from system applications, which can be disguised as weather, currency, or news, and to get rid of them, you need to manage the notification channels for each application separately.
Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Application Notifications. Go through the list of system programs: Music, Video, Themes, Clean. Inside the settings of each application, find notification categories with names like “Recommendations”, “Marketing” or “News” and disable them from display. Leave only critical notifications, if any.
The Themes app is a special feature, and it often offers paid wallpaper and themes. Go to the user profile (human icon), select Settings, and disable Show Ads and Personal Recommendations, which will remove banners from the theme store's home screen.
Blocking Advertising via DNS (Private DNS)
One of the most effective and elegant ways to remove ads is to use a private DNS, which blocks requests to known ad servers at the network level, meaning that ads will not load in the browser, in the applications, or in the system.
To implement this method, Redmi 8 Pro with Android 9 and above does not need third-party apps. → Connection and Sharing (or Wi-Fi). Find a Private Item DNS (Private DNS). Select the hostname of the provider DNS (or manually and enter the address in the field:
dns.adguard.comOnce you enter the address, click Save. If the Internet is working correctly, the setup has been successful. You will immediately notice that the amount of advertising in free apps and websites has decreased significantly. This method also speeds up the loading of pages, since the browser does not need to waste time loading ad units.
| Parameter | Meaning/Action | The result |
|---|---|---|
| DNS mode | Manual/Host Name | Activation of user settings |
| Server address | dns.adguard.com | Filtration of advertising traffic |
| Security | Encryption of DNS-over-TLS | Protection against DNS substitution |
| Impact on the battery | Minimum | Almost unnoticed |
What to do if the Internet stops working?
Disabling the tape of widgets and recommendations on the desktop
Redmi 8 Pro owners often complain about the news feed that opens when swiped left on the home screen, and there may also be cards with app recommendations and news, which turns off the feature returns the usual look of the desktop.
Make a long tap on the empty desktop space to open the edit menu. At the bottom of the screen will appear the Settings button (or gear). In the menu that opens, find the Widget Ribbon switch or Google Discover and turn it off. Now, when you swipe left, nothing happens.
It's also worth checking the Tools folder, which often has shortcuts that lead to advertising pages or news aggregators, and you can just remove them from your desktop by dragging them to your cart or selecting Delete, which won't delete the app itself, but it will remove the annoying label.
- 📱 Freed RAM from background widgets.
- 🧹 The desktop looks cleaner and more neat.
- ⚡ Increased speed of response of the interface.
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A comprehensive approach, including disabling MSA, configuring DNS and cleaning notifications, allows you to completely get rid of advertising on Xiaomi Redmi 8 Pro without losing warranty.