Users of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face intrusive banner ads that appear in system applications. This is a fee for the affordable cost of the device, but it is not necessary to put up with permanent pop-ups in the gallery, conductor or when locking the screen. Modern shells MIUI and HyperOS provide enough tools to minimize digital noise.
The process of disabling does not require obtaining superuser rights or reflashing the device to the global version. It is enough to go through several menu items consistently to significantly clear the interface of marketing content. In this article, we will examine all known ways of blocking ads, from built-in switches to more advanced methods of setting up DNS.
It's important to understand that you can't completely remove ad units without deep system intervention, but you can effectively disable them, reset advertising identifiers, deactivate recommendation services, and use your smartphone for personal use, rather than as a platform to showcase products.
Disabling the MSA System Service
The centerpiece of the advertising ecosystem in the MIUI shell is MSA (MIUI System Ads), which is the process that loads and displays banners across the interface, and the first step to cleanliness is to disable this component, although the system will prevent this from happening.
You first need to go to your smartphone settings and find the password and security section, and the path may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the logic remains the same, and you need to find Access to Data or Permissions, which lists all the apps that have access to the Internet.
- 📱 Find the msa app in the list and click on it.
- 🚫 Switch the "Network Data" slider to the "Switched off" position».
- ⏳ The system will give you a countdown timer (usually 10 seconds) and try to convince you to leave the access.
- ✅ Click the “Disable” button again, ignoring warnings.
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If the “Disable” button is inactive or the timer is reset, try turning off the internet (Wi-Fi and mobile network) before performing the procedure and then turning it on immediately after confirmation.
After the MSA service is disabled, ads in standard applications should disappear or appear much less frequently. However, this process does not remove the application completely, but only limits its network activity. In some cases, the system may try to reactivate the service after a major shell update.
☑️ Checking the shutdown MSA
Set up personal recommendations
Even after the MSA service is turned off, many embedded apps continue to offer “recommended content,” which can be news, videos, or store offers that are not formally direct advertising but take up useful screen space, and you need to manage these settings in each application separately.
The most common recommendations users encounter are in the Security, Conductor and Music app, each with a hidden switch that is activated by default, such as clicking on the gear icon in the top right corner and finding the "Receive recommendations" item in the Security app.
Similar actions are required for other system utilities. In Explorer, you need to go to the Review tab, click on the menu (three bars) and select Settings, which also hides the option to Get recommendations. In the Themes app, a similar switch is in the About Me section or in the general profile settings.
⚠️ Note: Disabling recommendations in one application does not disable them in others. You will have to go through the list of main system utilities manually, since there is no single global switch for all Xiaomi services.
And remember to put folders on your desktop, too. If you combine icons into folders, the system can display "Recommended Apps" at the bottom, and to remove that block, you just open the folder, click on the name of the folder, and then turn off "Recommended Apps" in the menu that appears.
Cleaning the lock screen and wallpaper
One of the most annoying forms of content-imposing is the Wallpaper Carousel (or Glance on global firmware), which constantly changes the wallpaper on the lock screen, adding sponsor logos and news feeds, and can be removed through standard personalization settings.
Go to Settings → Lock screen (or Wallpaper and personalization). Find the option "Wallpaper carousel" or "Glance" and put the switch in an inactive state. After that, when you lock the screen, only static wallpapers selected by you manually will be displayed, without advertising slides.
It’s also worth checking the theme settings. Some third-party themes, even free ones, may have built-in ads in the notification bar or on the lock screen. If you notice strange banners after changing the design, try returning a standard Classic or Default theme.
- 🖼️ Open the lock screen settings.
- 🔄 Find the section "Carousel wallpaper».
- 📴 Turn off the function "Enable the carousel».
- 🗑️ If necessary, remove the images loaded with the carousel from the gallery.
And it's important to note that once the carousel is turned off, the old images can be left in the gallery in a separate album, and they can be deleted, they're not system files, and that will free up extra space in the memory of the device.
Blocking Advertising through DNS (Private DNS)
The most effective method, which works not only in the system, but also in the browser and some games, is to use a private DNS filtered, which redirects requests to ad servers to nowhere without downloading content to the device.
To implement this method, you do not need third-party applications. MIUI There is a built-in function "Private" DNS» (Private DNS). It's on the way of settings. → Connection and sharing → Private DNS. Select the mode "Host Name provider" DNS» Enter the address of the verified filter.
dns.adguard.comOnce you save your settings, the phone can lose its Internet connection for a few seconds, and then restore it with filtering enabled. This method blocks most known ad networks without slowing down the browser, unlike installing it. VPN-applications.
What to do if the DNS is not working?
Use of the DNS-Filtering has its own peculiarities: sometimes sites that are themselves ad networks may stop opening (which is normal), but in rare cases, there may be problems with accessing certain services. If you notice that some application has stopped working, try to temporarily disable it. DNS.
Comparison of blocking methods
There are many ways to combat intrusive content, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. The best method depends on your technical literacy and goals. Below is a table that helps you compare the main approaches.
| Method | Efficiency | Difficulty | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSA shutdown | Tall. | Low. | Minimum |
| Private DNS | Maximum | Medium | It doesn't. |
| Set-up of applications | Medium | Low. | It takes time. |
| ADB team | Maximum | Tall. | Risk of error |
As you can see from the table, a combination of methods yields the best result: disabling MSA removes system advertising, and DNS filters out external traffic; manually configuring applications eliminates residual “recommendations.”
For advanced users, there is another method, which is to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to completely remove ad packages, which requires a connection to a computer and input special commands, which carries risks to the stability of the system if used inappropriately.
⚠️ Attention: Use of teams ADB Removing system components can cause a smartphone or a “bootloop” (cyclic reboot) to function unstable, and use this method only if you know exactly which packet to remove.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
Will the ads return after the MIUI update?
Is it safe to use AdGuard DNS?
Can I remove the Mi Browser app?
Why do ads appear in apps that aren’t on the list?
Does the ad cut affect the phone?
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A comprehensive approach, including disabling MSA, setting up DNS and manually cleaning recommendations, allows you to turn a budget Xiaomi into a device with a clean interface comparable to stock Android.
To sum up, anti-advertising on Xiaomi is a one-off procedure that takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. Private DNS setup is the most versatile solution that works on top of all other methods and filters traffic throughout the device. Regularly checking settings after updates will help maintain a comfortable environment.
Use your shell as efficiently as possible. Manufacturers provide flexible customization tools, and using them wisely allows you to forget about intrusive marketing by focusing on tasks. Your smartphone should serve you, not advertisers.