How to permanently remove ads on Xiaomi phone: from MIUI to apps

Advertising on Xiaomi smartphones is one of the most annoying features of MIUI firmware. Banners in settings, pop-up notifications from Mi Browser, ad blocks in standard applications (for example, Security or Themes) can appear even after you buy a device. In this article, we will discuss 10 proven ways to remove ads on a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO phone – from basic MIUI settings to radical methods for power users.

It’s important to understand that Xiaomi embeds ad modules at the system level, so you can’t get rid of them completely without unlocking the bootloader or installing custom firmware. However, with our instructions, you can reduce the number of impressions by 90% or more without resorting to risky manipulations. All methods are tested on current versions of MIUI 14/15 (Android 13/14) and work on models from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

1. Disabling personalized advertising in MIUI

The first step is to deactivate the targeted ad system that collects data about your actions, which will not remove all banners, but will significantly reduce their number.

Go to Settings → Google → Advertising and:

• 🔹 Turn off the Personalized Ads option (this will block targeting based on your activity on Google services).
• 🔹 Click "Reset advertising" ID" — This will reset your current profile for advertisers.
• 🔹 In the "Additional Settings" section, deactivate "Show ads based on my activity".

Then go back to Xiaomi’s basic settings and open Settings → Privacy → Special Permissions → Advertising Services.

• 🔸 Turn off Personalized Recommendations (this will stop collecting data about your preferences inside) MIUI).
• 🔸 Deactivate “Show ads on the lock screen” (if option is available).

⚠️ Note: After these actions, advertising in system applications (Themes, Security) may become less relevant, but will not disappear completely.

2. Removal of Advertising in Standard Xiaomi Apps

Many of Xiaomi’s built-in utilities (e.g. Mi Video, Mi Music, Security) show banners regardless of system settings. Let’s consider how to turn them off for each application.

Annex "Security" (Security)

This is the main advertising nest in MIUI, to remove banners:

1. Open the Security app.
2. Move to the ⚙ Settings → About the programme.
3. Tap 5-7 times on the application version until the message "Additional settings allowed" appears.
4. Go back to the main menu and open it. ⚙ Settings → Advertising preferences.
5. Turn off all switches related to "advertising" and "recommendations".

Annex “Themes” (Themes)

Here, the ad is built into the theme and wallpaper tape, to remove it.

• 🎨 Open Topics → Profile → ⚙ Settings.
• 🎨 Turn off "Recommend Content" and "Show Ads".
• 🎨 In the "Notifications" section, disable all notifications from the app.

If the ad still appears, try to disable automatic updates to the topics:

1. Go to Topics → Settings → Updates.
2. Deactivate Auto Update.

3. Blocking ads via DNS (without root)

One of the most effective ways is to redirect ad domains to empty servers using a private DNS, which requires no root rights and works at the network level.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Connections and Sharing → Private DNS.
2. Select "Private DNS Host Name".
3. Enter one of the addresses: 🔒 dns.adguard.com (AdGuard DNS — Blocks advertising and trackers). 🔒 doh.securedns.eu (SecureDNS) is a European filter server). 🔒 dns.nextdns.io (NextDNS – requires registration, but allows you to configure your own filters).

Save the settings and restart the phone.

To check the availability:

• Open Mi Browser and try to visit a website with ads (for example, forbes.com).
• If the banners are gone, DNS works. If not, try another server.

⚠️ Note: Some applications (e.g. banking) may block access when using third-party applications DNS. In this case, add them to the exceptions or return the standard settings.

Opens the "Private DNS" section in the settings

Entered address dns.adguard.com or analogue

Phone reboots after changes

Checked the display of advertising in Mi Browser

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4. Disabling Advertising in Mi Browser

Mi Browser is one of the most spammy apps in MIUI, and ads appear on the homepage, in search results, and even in new tabs, and you can remove them in two ways:

4.1 Browser settings

Open the Mi Browser and do:

1. Tap it on. ⋮ → Settings → Main page.
2. Turn it off: 🌐 "Recommended content". 🌐 "News". 🌐 "Quick links (this is advertising banners).

Settings → Confidentiality

“Personalized recommendations”

4.2. Installation of an alternative browser

If the settings don’t help, the best way to do this is to remove Mi Browser (if firmware allows) or install a replacement:

• 🦊 Mozilla Firefox (Blocking Trackers by Default).
• 🛡️ DuckDuckGo (private browser without ads).
• 🔍 Brave (built-in ad blocker).

To make the alternative browser the primary:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Default Applications → Browser.
2. Select the browser installed (such as Firefox).

💡

If Mi Browser cannot be removed, disable its updates in Google Play. To do this, open the application page in the Play Market, tap on the app. ⋮ and uncheck the "Auto-Update" box".

5.Using ADB to Deeply Disable Advertising

If previous methods have failed, you can use ADB (Android Debug Bridge), an Android debugging tool that allows you to disable system components without root, which is suitable for power users.

Preparation:

1. Download Platform Tools (includes adb.exe).
2. Turn on USB debugging on your phone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (tap 7 times until the message “You’re a developer” appears). Then go back to Settings → Additional → For Developers and activate “Debugging by USB”.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and confirm your trust in the device.

Commands to disable ads:

Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with the platform-tools and enter alternately:

adb shell pm hide com.miui.systemAdSolution


adb shell pm hide com.xiaomi.midrop




adb shell pm hide com.miui.analytics




adb shell pm hide com.xiaomi.market

These teams will shut down:

• 📵 System module of display of advertising (com.miui.systemAdSolution).
• 📵 Xiaomi Analytics (com.miui.analytics – collects data for targeting).
• 📵 Mi Market (app store with advertising).

After completing the commands, restart the phone. Advertising in the settings and system applications should disappear.

⚠️ Note: Disconnect system components through ADB This can cause some functions to function unstable (e.g., air updates or sync with Mi Account).If problems arise, return the components with the command: adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.systemAdSolution (replace the name of the package with the desired one).

6. Installation of custom firmware (for advanced)

If you’re willing to take drastic measures, installing custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience) will completely remove ads and system bloatware.

• 🔧 Unlock the bootloader (will result in resetting all data).
• 🔧 Installations TWRP (custom recovery).
• 🔧 Knowledge of fastboot commands and the risk of “bricking” the device.

Pros:

• ✅ Complete absence of advertising and unnecessary applications.
• ✅ More smooth operation of the system (without background) MIUI).
• ✅ Regular security updates.

Cons:

• ❌ Loss of warranty (if the device is under warranty).
• ❌ Risk of Firmware Errors (May be Required) EDL-resuscitation).
• ❌ Some features of Xiaomi, for example, IR Blaster or Game Turbo may not work properly.

If you’re considering this step, follow the official XDA Developers forum guides for your model, such as the Pixel Experience for the Redmi Note 12 and LineageOS 20 for the Xiaomi 13.

💡

Custom firmware is the only way to remove ads 100%, but is only suitable for experienced users who are ready for risks.

7. Alternative methods: from blockers to root

If none of the previous methods worked, consider additional options:

7.1. Blocking applications (without root)

• 🛡️ Blokada – Blocks Advertising at Level VPN (It does not require root, but may conflict with banking applications).
• 🛡️ NetGuard filters traffic and blocks advertising domains.

7.2. Root access + AdAway

If you have root rights, install AdAway – this app blocks ads at the hosts file level, redirecting requests to ad servers to “nowhere.”

Instructions:

1. Get root (for example, through Magisk).
2. Download AdAway from F-Droid.
3. Open the application and click "Download files and apply".
4. Reboot the phone.

7.3. Disable updates to system applications

Often, ads return after updating embedded utilities (such as Security or Themes) to avoid this:

1. Open Google Play → Profile → Device Management.
2. Find system applications (Mi Browser, Security, etc.).
3. Tap it on. ⋮ and select "Disable Auto Update".

FAQ: Frequent questions about advertising on Xiaomi