How to remove recommendations for Xiaomi Redmi 9

Budget smartphone owners often face intrusive marketing that Xiaomi implements into its MIUI shell. Redmi 9, being a popular entry-level model, is no exception and by default offers users a lot of “smart” features that actually turn out to be ad units. The system analyzes your actions to offer applications or content, annoying with constant pop-ups and notifications in folders.

Fortunately, the modern version of MIUI allows you to configure privacy with enough flexibility and disable most advertising mechanisms without obtaining root rights. You do not need to be a programmer or carry your phone to the service to return a clean interface. In this guide, we will discuss system settings, disabling system services and hidden options that will help clean up the Xiaomi Redmi 9 from information noise.

Before we get started, it’s worth noting that removing some system components completely may require caution, but the methods described below are safe for everyday use. We’ll touch on Mi Account settings, security settings, and working with system applications like msa. Let’s make your smartphone truly yours, not an ad platform.

Disabling personalized advertising in account settings

The first step towards a clean interface is to stop collecting data for targeted advertising. This is a basic setup that must be done immediately after you buy or dump a device. The default system collects usage statistics to show you relevant but intrusive offers.

You go to the settings menu and find the password and security section, and you hide a key switch that users often ignore, you find Ads Services or Receive recommendations, and you don't take away all ads instantly, but you do reduce the number of ads and personalization.

• 🔒 Go to Settings. → Password and security.
• 📉 Find the Privacy or Advertising Services section.
• ❌ Move the “Receive Recommendations” slider to an inactive position.
• ✅ Confirm the action in the countdown timer window that appears.

⚠️ Warning: After this option is disabled, the system may require you to wait 10 seconds before confirming.Do not try to bypass the timer with a quick press, just wait for the countdown to end.

It is important to understand that disabling recommendations in the account affects the global settings of MIUI. This means that push notifications with suggestions to install games or use Mi Pay services will no longer arrive. However, some built-in applications may remain static banners that are regulated separately.

Removal of MSA System Service (MIUI System Ads)

The most effective way to combat ad blocks is to stop the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which is responsible for loading and displaying ads in system interfaces such as Music, Themes and Explorer, without which banner ads simply cannot load.

The process of disabling requires care, as Xiaomi has made it more complicated by adding repeated confirmations. You need to find the msa app in the installed list. It can simply be called "msa" or "MIUI System Ads." Click on it and select the "Disable" option.

When you first try to shut down, the system will give you a warning that the functionality may change, and it will start the timer for 10 seconds, after it ends, you need to press "Disable" again. If you hurry, the process will begin again, sometimes you need to perform this procedure 2-3 times in a row, until the button is active and the service stops completely.

Settings → Applications → All applications → Find “msa” → Disable

It’s worth noting that on some versions of the Redmi 9 firmware, the process name can be hidden or changed. If you can’t find “msa,” look for processes with the same name or related to system services.

Cleaning and Security App (Security App)

The standard security app on Xiaomi Redmi 9 is one of the main sources of advertising junk. Every time you clear the cache or check viruses, users see banners offering to download games or subscribe, and fortunately, these settings are easily changed within the app itself.

Open the Safety app (green lightning icon). In the upper right corner, click on the gear icon to enter the settings. Here you are interested in the Receive recommendations section. By disabling this switch, you will remove the ad blocks from the main screen of the antivirus and cleaner.

• 🛡️ Open the Security app.
• ⚙️ Click on the settings icon in the upper right corner.
• 🚫 Find the item Get recommendations and turn it off.
• 🧹 Now, when scanning, advertising will not be displayed.

Also in this section, it is useful to turn off notifications about “hot apps” or security news if you don’t need them, often containing suggestions to install questionable utilities, and the clean interface of the security application works faster and does not distract from the main optimization process of the system.

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If after disabling the recommendations in the Security app, the ad remains, try clearing the cache of the application itself through Settings → Apps → Security → Storage → Clean.

Cleaning the conductor and theme manager from advertising

The other two systems apps that are obsessive are Explorer and Themes, and in Explorer, banner ads can appear on the home page, and in the theme store, they can appear as promo blocks, and Redmi 9 is very interested in taking the next steps to neutralize them.

In File Manager, you have to click on the menu (three bars) and select the settings, and there's also a Receive Recommends switch, which will make the Explorer's start page clean, leaving only access to the files. Similar to the Themes app: go to the user profile, then to the settings and disable all the items related to personalization and recommendations.

Remember that after the MIUI update, settings may reset. Check these applications periodically, especially after major system updates. Advertising modules tend to come back if not blocked at the MSA service level, which was discussed earlier.

⚠️ Note: Do not remove Explorer or Themes applications completely through third-party utilities if you are not able to restore system components. This can lead to errors in the interface.

Managing Notifications and Tool Folder

Even after disabling ads in apps, folders with names like Popular or Recommended may still remain on the desktop. In Redmi 9 with MIUI 12 and above, these features are often built right into the launcher, and to remove them, you need to change your desktop settings.

Click on the empty space on your desktop or pinch it with two fingers to go into edit mode. Click on the settings icon (cogs). Find the section responsible for "Big folders" or "Recommendations in folders." Turn off the option "Receive recommendations" or "Show content." This will remove the advertising tiles from the inside of the app folders.

Also, check the notification settings for system services. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification management. Here you can find GetApps (formerly Mi Store) and completely disable it from showing notifications, which will save you from pop-up messages about discounts and new applications.

• 📱 Hold an empty space on the desktop.
• 🔧 Click on the gear of the launcher settings.
• 📂 Find folder settings and disable recommendations.
• 🔕 In the notification settings, disable notifications from GetApps.

Sometimes advertising widgets can be added by accident by the user himself when you first set up the phone. Check the desktop for News or Ribbon widgets. These can be removed by long pressing and dragging them to the basket or Remove button.

Additional measures: Disable GetApps and Mi Video

GetApps and Mi Video (and Mi Music) are pre-installed stores and media players that actively promote content.If you don't use them, they can be safely disabled, finally solving the problem with their notifications and background activity.

Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find it in the GetApps list. Click on it and select "Disable." The system will warn that the application will stop working, that's exactly what we need. The same can be done with Mi Video and Mi Music if you use third-party analogues like VLC or Yandex.Music.

Disabling these services frees up the Redmi 9’s RAM, which is especially important for low-end devices with 3 or 4 GB of RAM, and the phone will run a little faster and the battery will be spent more economically as background processes stop loading data.

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Disabling unused system applications (GetApps, Mi Video) is a double benefit: advertising disappears and smartphone performance increases.

To sum up, the comprehensive approach to customizing Xiaomi Redmi 9 allows you to completely get rid of obsessions. Start by turning off the MSA, then go through the settings of each system application and finish by cleaning the desktop. Your phone will become much more enjoyable to use.