Modern Xiaomi smartphones running MIUI shells or the new HyperOS are famous for their functionality and affordable price, but many users are annoyed by the company’s aggressive policy regarding embedded advertising. Often after buying a new device, you may find that standard applications such as Explorer, Music or even in the notification curtain periodically pop up banner ads and intrusive recommendations.
Fortunately, developers have left the option to fully deactivate these features, giving the user full control of the interface. The process of cleaning the system from digital noise does not require root rights or reflashing the device to the global version, if you are willing to spend a little time fine-tuning the privacy settings. In this article, we will discuss all known ways to eliminate advertising content, from basic settings to disabling system services.
It is worth noting that the location of some switches may vary slightly depending on the version of the operating system and the region for which the device is intended. However, the logic of the system services remains the same throughout the ecosystem, including the Redmi and POCO models. Below is a detailed algorithm of actions that will help you make use of your smartphone comfortable and safe.
Disabling the MSA System Service
The centerpiece of Xiaomi’s advertising ecosystem is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) system application, which is responsible for collecting user data and displaying targeted ads across different sections of the interface. This is the process that needs to be turned off first, since it is the source of most pop-ups. First, you will need to go to the smartphone settings menu and find the section responsible for passwords and security.
Once you enter the relevant menu, look for “Access to Personal Data” or “Authorization and Privacy” and find the msa component and put the slider in an inactive position in the list of system services that opens, and the system will warn you that disabling this service may affect the operation of certain functions, and will suggest waiting 10 seconds before final confirmation.
It is important to be patient and wait until the countdown is completed, then click the "Cancel" button. Sometimes the system may not turn off the service the first time, giving an error or simply closing the window, so the procedure may need to be repeated 2-3 times in a row until a successful result.
☑️ Checking the shutdown MSA
Once these steps are successfully completed, the background process will stop loading advertising modules, which will have a positive impact not only on the purity of the interface, but also on the autonomy of the device. However, this is only the first step, since other embedded applications have their own settings for showing promotional materials.
Setting up the "Security" application
The standard Security app is one of the most commonly used tools in the MIUI shell, providing access to memory cleanup, antivirus and permission management. By default, this app activates the Get Recommendations feature, which broadcasts news and suggestions at the bottom of the screen after each system check.
To get rid of this visual garbage, run the Security app and click on the gear icon in the top right corner of the screen. In the settings menu that opens, scroll down to the bottom where you find the Get Recommendations switch. Deactivating this option will instantly remove the ad tape from the cleaner interface.
Also in this section, it is useful to check the notification settings so that the app does not bother you with unnecessary messages about alleged problems that are often of a recommendatory nature, this will allow you to focus only on the real protection of the device without information noise.
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If you can’t find the settings inside the app, try pinching its desktop icon, selecting About App and clearing the data — sometimes it resets imposed ad settings by default.
Users often forget that even after disabling ads in the system, cached data can display old banners for a while, so after making changes, it is recommended to completely close the application through the Task Manager and start it again.
Cleaning up from advertising in standard applications
In addition to system services, ad units are integrated directly into standard utilities such as Explorer, Music, Themes and Downloads, each with its own independent recommendation switch that must be disabled separately to achieve maximum effect.
In the File Manager app, you have to click on the menu (three bars), select Settings, and find About. Inside this hidden menu, there is often a Receive Recommendations switch that you need to turn off, a similar situation is observed in the Themes app, where the profile settings also feature the option to display promotional materials.
The Downloads application is a little different, opening the menu, clicking on Settings, and removing the tick from Show Recommended Content. The music player and video player have a similar algorithm, so look for the About or Advanced Settings section inside the app’s menu.
Hidden advertising modules
Don’t ignore any of the pre-installed applications, as even a calculator or voice recorder in certain versions of firmware can access the network and display pop-ups. Careful inspection of each utility guarantees complete sterility of the interface.
Notification and wallpaper carousel management
One of the most annoying features is the Glance, which constantly changes the image on the lock screen and often displays banner ads disguised as beautiful photos. It is impossible to remove this app completely, but you can turn off its functionality.
Go to the lock screen settings and find the wallpaper carousel section. Inside, you need to turn off the wallpaper carousel switch. It is also recommended to go to the wallpaper settings themselves and turn off the "Get content" option to prevent new images from being loaded.
Also, check the general notification settings for system applications. Often, the ads come in the form of push notifications from Mi Video or Mi Browser services. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification Management and disable notifications for any suspicious system services you do not use.
⚠️ Note: When disabling system browsers and services, make sure you have an alternative browser installed (such as Chrome or Firefox), otherwise links from some applications may stop opening.
Regularly checking the list of apps with the right to send notifications will help keep the smartphone clean.The update system can sometimes return some default settings, so periodically monitor this section.
Disabling personalized advertising through ID
Even after disabling all visible sources of advertising, the smartphone continues to collect data about your actions to generate an advertising ID, which is used to target content, and it must be reset or restricted to increase privacy.
To do this, go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Privacy. Find Advertising Services. Here you will see the option “Personalized Ads” that you should disable. It is also recommended to click the “Reset Advertising ID” button to break the link with previously collected data.
This measure will not eliminate ads entirely if you use free third-party apps, but will make the ad impressions less intrusive and more random, an important step for those who value their digital privacy.
Resetting your ID is especially important when selling a device or transferring it to another user so that the new owner doesn’t receive ads based on your preferences.
Table: Comparison of methods of disabling advertising
For ease of perception, we have organized the main methods of combating advertising content into a single table, which will help you quickly navigate which actions should be taken first and which are of auxiliary nature.
| Method of disconnection | The affected component | Efficiency | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSA shutdown | Systemic advertising service | High (principal source) | Low. |
| Security setting | Systemic cleaner | Medium (remove banners in the application) | Low. |
| Disabling recommendations in annexes | Conductor, Themes, Music | High (locally) | Medium (takes time) |
| Resetting advertising ID | Google and MIUI Services | Medium (reduces targeting) | Low. |
| Shutting down the wallpaper carousel | Lock screen | High (for lock screen) | Low. |
Using a combination of all these methods gives the best result. You should not rely on just one switch, since advertising integration in MIUI is distributed across many modules.
Additional measures and use of DNS
For advanced users who want to achieve maximum results, there is a method of blocking advertising at the network connection level using the use of the Internet. DNS-This method allows you to block requests to ad servers before they reach your smartphone.
One of the most popular and reliable solutions is using AdGuard DNS. To connect, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS (or Private DNS). In the settings field, specify the address: dns.adguard.com.
dns.adguard.comAfter saving the settings, all applications and browsers on the device will begin to filter traffic through this server, which will block the download of most banner ads even in those applications where you can not turn off recommendations by regular means. DNS-The server will become unavailable, some sites or applications may stop downloading content.
⚠️ Attention: Use of third-party DNS-servers may slow down page opening speeds on some networks or cause problems with accessing local carrier resources.
This is the most radical and effective method, but it requires an understanding of how the network works. If you notice problems with the Internet, just return the setting of the Private DNS to the position "Auto" or "Disconnected".
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Integrated approach including shutdown MSA, customization of applications and use DNS-filter, guarantees a complete absence of advertising in the system Xiaomi.