Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often encounter intrusive marketing content that appears at the most inopportune moment. Especially annoying in-game ads that interrupt the passage process or pop up between levels.This is not a bug, but part of the MIUI and its successor HyperOS, designed to monetize budget devices.
Fortunately, the system gives users enough tools to minimize or completely shut down this flow of information, so you don't need to have a super-user license or a complicated reflash of the device, but you just need to change a few settings in the menus in a sequence.
In this article, we will discuss all known ways to combat banner ads, and we will touch on both the global settings of the Mi Account and the point-based disabling of ads in specific system applications, which often serve as triggers for pop-ups in games.
The Nature of Advertising Integrations in MIUI and HyperOS
The main source of annoying banners is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which is responsible for collecting user preferences and displaying targeted advertising in standard applications, and runs in the background, consuming resources and periodically launching advertising modules.
The second layer of integration is the system applications themselves: Calendar, Downloads, Security, Music, and even File Manager can contain built-in ad units. In games, ads often do not come from the game itself, but are an overlay from the system recommendation service.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling system services completely may affect some personalization features, but for most users, disabling them may affect the functionality of some personalization functions. MSA It is not expected to have any negative impact on the stability of the system.
Understanding the structure of advertising helps to effectively combat it, and instead of manually closing every pop-up banner, we will remove the source of their appearance, which will make using Xiaomi smartphones much more comfortable.
Disabling Advertising through Mi Account Settings
The first step to take is to change the privacy settings on your account, a global action that tells the company's servers that you don't want to see personalized content, and it takes no more than a minute.
To start, open the standard Settings app and go to Password and Security. In some firmware versions, this item may be simply called Security or be located in the Accounts menu.
In the list that opens, find the Receive current recommendations switch. Put it inactive. The system will require you to confirm the action and wait 10 seconds. After confirmation, press Stop.
- 📱 Open the smartphone settings.
- 🔒 Go to the Password and Security section.
- 📉 Find the access point to personal data.
- ❌ Turn off the slider Get recommendations.
This procedure is critical because it shuts down the main channel of communication with the ad server, and without this step, other actions may be less effective as the MSA service will try to restore the connection.
Management of MSA System Service
MSA is a key component that needs to be put to sleep. It has built-in protection against accidental removal, so just turning it off is not enough. You need to turn off automatic start-up and revoke permissions.
Go to Settings → Applications → All applications. In the list, find the application msa (MIUI System Ads). If the search does not give results, make sure that the display of system processes is enabled (three dots in the corner of the screen).
Inside the app menu, find the Permissions or Other Permissions section, and you'll need to find AutoStart and disable it, and check Internet Access and disable the connection if that option is available in your shell version.
☑️ Checking settings MSA
Once you turn off autostart, go back a step to the app menu. Click Stop and then Revoke. The system will delay the time by showing the countdown timer. Wait until the end and confirm the action.
It is important to perform the revoking procedure several times in a row (2-3 times) if the button is not pressed the first time or a network error appears.
Cleaning up advertising in system applications
Even after the MSA is disabled, some apps may continue to display banners if their individual settings do not remove the appropriate ticks, which are often used during games or in the background.
Consider the main sources of noise. Security often shows ads when you clear memory or check for viruses. Go to the app, click on the gear in the corner, and find Receive recommendations by turning it off.
In Downloads, ads can appear in the recommendations section. Open the app, click three dots in the corner, select Settings, and remove the tick from Show recommended content.
The table below summarizes the main applications and ways to disable advertising in them:
| Annex | The path to adjustment | What to turn off |
|---|---|---|
| Conductor | Menu → Settings → About the application | Receive recommendations |
| Music. | Settings → Advanced settings | Displaying Advertising, Recommendations |
| Topics | Profile → Settings | Showing Advertising, Auto Update |
| Calendar | Settings → Accounts | Receive recommendations |
Remember that after updating the firmware settings may reset, periodic check of these points will help clean the interface.
Hidden advertising modules
Disable personalization in Google Play
Advertising in games often comes not only from Xiaomi, but also from the Google Play platform itself.If you see banners immediately after the game launches or in the Google Play Store, it is worth limiting the personalization of advertising from Google.
Open the Google Play Store app, click on the profile avatar in the top right corner. Go to Settings, then select General and Ad Settings.
Here you need to activate the switch Disable Ad Personalization. It is also recommended to click Reset Ad ID. This will not remove the ads completely, but will make it less intrusive and relevant to your actions in games.
- 🛍️ Open the Google Play Store.
- 👤 Click on the profile icon.
- ⚙️ Select Settings → General. → Advertising settings.
- 🚫 Enable "Disable Advertising Personalization".
This measure is particularly effective in conjunction with the MSA shutdown, creating a double barrier to marketing algorithms.
Using DNS to Block Advertising
The most radical and effective method that works at the network level is to use a private DNS filtered, which blocks requests to known ad servers, preventing banners from loading in games and the browser.
You don’t need to install third-party apps. In modern versions of Android (starting with version 9), this feature is built into the system. Go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS (the path may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI).
Select the DNS Host Name (or Private DNS provider hostname) mode. In the input box, type in the address: dns.adguard.com. Save settings.
dns.adguard.comThis method blocks ads in almost all applications, including free games, but if you use public Wi-Fi networks in malls or hotels that require browser authorization, the DNS can temporarily block the login page, in which case it can be temporarily disabled.
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Use flight mode for quick check: turn on DNS, run a game with a known ad, and if the banner doesn’t load, the method works.
⚠️ Attention: When using private DNS Some applications (such as carriers or corporate networks) may not work properly. If you have problems with the Internet, return the settings. DNS "Automotive".
Additional methods and limitations
There are also methods involved in disabling the Joyose app, which is responsible for collecting statistics and (push) notifications often associated with games.Its disabling can improve performance in games, but will deprive you of some gaming features, such as acceleration through the Game Turbo.
For advanced users, a method of removing system applications via ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is available. This requires connecting to a PC and executing commands. For example, removing the com.miui.misys package can help, but it is risky and can lead to system instability.
We do not recommend removing system components if you are not sure about your actions, but limit yourself to the settings described above, as they are safe and reversible.
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The combination of disabling MSA, customizing recommendations in apps, and using AdGuard DNS gives 99% of the result in the fight against advertising.