How to turn off ads in the Xiaomi Gallery: the complete guide

Users of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often encounter intrusive banners in system applications, and it is especially annoying to see ad blocks in the standard Gallery, where they block viewing photos or offer to install unnecessary games. This is part of the company’s strategy to monetize budget devices, but for many owners, such “savings” become a headache.

Fortunately, MIUI and the new HyperOS provide flexible tools to customize the interface, so you don't have to be a programmer or get root rights to clear the screen of unnecessary visual noise, but you just need to change a few parameters in the hidden settings menu of the system and the specific application.

In this article, we will take a closer look at all possible methods for eliminating ads, from official switches to advanced methods through DNS and ADB. We will look at current ways for the latest firmware versions, as the location of menu items often changes after major updates.

The Nature of Advertising Integrations in MIUI and HyperOS

Ads in system applications are not a virus or a random bug; they are built-in features of the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which is responsible for displaying personalized content. The system analyzes your actions to suggest relevant (according to algorithms) applications or products. However, this approach often disrupts the user experience, forcing you to look for ways to deactivate.

It is worth noting that depending on the firmware region (Global, European, Chinese), the amount of advertising can vary significantly, and in the Chinese versions of MIUI, the integration of marketing elements is most developed, whereas European builds are usually cleaner, but also contain advertising modules by default.

Disabling this feature does not affect the stability of the operating system. You simply prevent a particular service from downloading and displaying media content from third parties. It is important to understand the difference between in-system advertising and advertising in a browser or third-party applications - the methods of dealing with them are different.

Basic Disconnection through MSA Settings

The first and most important step is to disable the main advertising recommendation service, and without this, all other settings may not be effective as the central module will continue to initiate requests to the company’s servers.

First, you need to get into the authorization and privacy menu. The path may vary slightly depending on the shell version, but the logic remains the same. Open Settings, then go to Passwords and Security (or Advanced Settings in older versions).

In the list of system services that opens, find msa. Switch the slider to an inactive position. The system will warn you that some functions may stop working, and suggest waiting 10 seconds before you try again. This is the standard protection against accidental shutdown.

⚠️ Warning: After the first click of the Stop or Turn off button, the system may not respond instantly. Don't panic or restart the phone. 10 (s) and press the switch button again. 3-4 Attempts to finally stop the service.

A successful shutdown is confirmed by the slider disappearing or returning to a turned off state without repeated requests. If the slider itself returns to the "On" position, then you have an active Internet connection that allows the service to restart, in which case it is recommended to temporarily turn off Wi-Fi and mobile Internet before performing the procedure.

Set-up of recommendations in the annex Gallery

Even after the global MSA service is disabled, the Gallery app itself can have its own internal content display settings, and in the new versions of MIUI 14 and HyperOS, these settings are placed in a separate section, accessible through the user profile or the About menu.

Open the Gallery app and click on the profile icon (usually a person icon or an avatar in the top corner). Select Settings or About. Here you are interested in the Recommendations or Receive recommendations section. Make sure that this switch is off.

💡

If you can't find the settings inside the app, try pressing the Gallery icon on your desktop for a long time, selecting About and going to the settings from there. In some builds, the path to configuration is hidden there.

It's also worth checking the display settings in the Overview or For You tab, which is often where the cards show up with news, funny pictures, or suggestions to install other apps from the developer, and disabling this feature will make the interface clean, leaving only your personal photos and videos.

It is important to distinguish between banner ads and functional prompts. The system may suggest creating a collage or video from selected photos - this is not an advertisement, but a useful function of AI. The ad unit is usually marked with the word "Advertising" or contains the logo of a third-party brand.

Disabling Advertising Personalization in the System

There is another layer of settings that governs how your data is used for targeting, and even if you have disabled banner displays, the system can continue to collect information about your interests, and to protect your digital privacy, you need to change your personalization settings.

Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Privacy. Go to Ad Services. Here you will see the Ad Personalization switch. You must turn it off. You should also click Reset the Ad ID to clear the accumulated profile.

After changing these settings, it is recommended to close the Gallery application completely through the Task Manager and open it again, which ensures that the new configurations are applied correctly and the cache of the advertising modules is cleared.

💡

A comprehensive approach, including disabling MSA, settings within the application and resetting the advertising ID, gives a 100% guarantee that there is no built-in advertising in the Gallery.

Using a private DNS to block

If standard methods do not help or you want to guarantee to block advertising in all applications, not just in the Gallery, use the Private DNS method. This method does not require the installation of third-party software and works at the network connection level.

You will need a reliable address. DNS-One of the most popular and proven options is AdGuard. DNS. Its address is easy to remember and enter into the settings of the smartphone.

Go to Settings. → Connection and Sharing (or Additional Settings) Find Private DNS (Private DNS). Select the mode "Host Name of the provider" DNS» (or “Manually”) and enter the following line:

dns.adguard.com

Save your settings. Now all your device traffic will go through the filter server, not only will it remove ads in the Gallery, but it will also clear banners from the Chrome browser, games and other applications that use standard ad networks.

⚠️ Note: When using Private DNS Some apps or sites may not work properly if they rely on ad trackers for analytics. If you notice problems with certain services, just return the setup. DNS in Auto or Off mode».

The advantage of this method is that it's versatile, and you don't have to look for customizations for each Xiaomi application. DNS-filtering is not antivirus and does not protect against phishing sites, it only blocks requests to known advertising domains.

Advanced Methods: ADB and System Limitations

For experienced users who are not comfortable with standard methods, there is the option of removing advertising components through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting a smartphone to a computer and having basic command-line skills.

The essence of the method is to “freeze” or remove the system packages responsible for advertising, without obtaining root rights. Before starting work, you must enable debugging by USB in the “Developers” menu.

Connect your phone to your PC, install drivers and ADB-In the command line, enter a command to remove the package of advertising recommendations:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.misys

You can also remove or disable the com.miui.personalization package, which is responsible for the themes and personalization, often containing advertising modules. Be careful: removing system components can lead to unstable shell operation if you remove the excess.

This method is considered “nuclear” and is recommended only to those who understand the consequences of their actions. In most cases, the settings described in the previous sections are enough to achieve a clean interface without risking disrupting the integrity of the system.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)