How to turn off ads in Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro: the full guide

Redmi series smartphones have long established themselves as market leaders in terms of price and performance, but users often face intrusive marketing content. Owners of the Redmi Note 8 Pro model, which runs on the shell of MIUI, regularly notice pop-ups in system applications, banners when unlocking the screen and recommendations in standard utilities. This is a fee for the affordable cost of the device, but the situation can be corrected by software methods.

Completely removing advertising debris requires a consistent approach, because there is no single "Disconnect Everything" button in the system, you have to go through several hidden or disparate settings menus to block all channels of commercial content, and ignoring this process makes using a modern gadget into constant interaction with intrusive offers.

In this article, we will discuss in detail the algorithm of actions that will clean the interface of your Redmi Note 8 Pro from unnecessary visual noise. We will touch on the settings of system services, browser configuration and work with personalized recommendations. Following the instructions will take no more than 15 minutes, but the result will significantly improve the comfort of the device.

MSA Disconnection: The Main Source of Advertising

The centerpiece of Xiaomi’s advertising ecosystem is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) system application, which is responsible for loading and displaying most banners in standard applications such as Explorer, Music or Themes. Without first disabling this service, further manipulation may not be effective, as the system will automatically download new content.

To start, you need to go to the application management menu. Find the installed software component called msa and open its properties. You need to switch the "Receive recommendations" tube here, but the system may require you to wait 10 seconds before confirming an action. If you receive an error message or the timer does not start, just try again in a few minutes - the company's servers are often overloaded, and you can not always turn off the service the first time.

It's important to understand that MSA is very integrated into the MIUI shell, so it's impossible to completely remove it without root rights and can lead to unstable system operation. We just forbid it from performing its primary function of showing ads, and once this procedure is successfully performed, the number of pop-ups should be reduced by 80-90%.

⚠️ Attention: When the service is disconnected MSA The system may request confirmation of an action several times or issue a connection error. Do not delete the application completely if you do not have experience with the application. ADB, Otherwise, you risk disrupting the system components.

Set up personalized recommendations

Even after the primary service is turned off, the so-called recommendation mechanisms remain in the system, they analyze your actions and offer content that the algorithms think you might be interested in. In Redmi Note 8 Pro, these settings are scattered across sections, and they need to be manually disabled in each particular application.

First, go to the general security settings. Open the Security app, click on the gear in the top right corner, and find "Receive recommendations." Make sure the switch is inactive. A similar operation should be performed for the Themes app: go to the user profile (human icon), select Settings, and disable all options related to personalization and auto-update.

• 📱 Annex "Themes": Profile → Settings → Disable "Personal recommendations" and "Show ads".
• 🔒 Security appendix: The gear → Disable "Receive recommendations".
• 📂 Conductor: Menu (three stripes) → Settings → About settings → Disable "Receive recommendations".
• 🎵 Music: Menu → Settings → Advanced settings → Disable "Showing Advertising".

Don't ignore the settings in the standard Mi Browser if you use it. It also tends to stream news feeds and ad units. Go to your browser settings, find the Privacy and Security section and disable personalization. This will make the results cleaner, although it does not guarantee a complete absence of commercial content on the sites visited.

Eliminating Advertising When Unlocking the Screen

One of the most annoying features for many users is the Wallpaper Carousel, which automatically changes the background image on a locked screen, periodically showing banner ads or suggestions to install affiliate apps. On the Redmi Note 8 Pro, it can consume additional battery power and Internet traffic.

To get rid of this, go to Wallpaper in the system settings. Find wallpaper carousel and click Turn it off. If you have a more recent version of MIUI installed, the path may look like Settings → Lock screen. It's also worth checking if Carousel Mode or similar is activated.

Once the carousel is turned off, the lock screen will only display static wallpapers that you chose yourself, not only removing ads, but also can have a positive effect on the autonomy of the device, as the background loading of heavy images over the network will stop.

⚠️ Warning: Wallpaper carousel can automatically turn on again after a major system update. MIUI.

Cleaning Notifications and PUSH-Sending

Advertising in Xiaomi often comes in the form of push notifications from system applications.Mi Credit, Mi Video, Mi Music and others can send messages about sales, new products or just entertainment content. These notifications appear in the curtain and interfere with work, creating the illusion of activity.

To combat this phenomenon, there is a universal method through notification settings: pin your finger on any ad notification that comes in and select "Notification Settings." The system will suggest either disabling notifications for this application completely or limiting their display. For system services, the best option is to choose a complete disablement.

Also worth checking is the Notifications and Status Bar section in the general settings, where you can manage LED lighting behavior and sound signals, and disabling the Recommendations in this section will prevent pop-ups with optimization tips, which are often disguised ads.

• 🔕 Long press: Press the notification → Settings → Prohibit notifications.
• ⚙️ Global settings: Settings → Notifications and status bar → Deactivate "Recommendations".
• 📉 Cache Clearing: Periodically clear the cache of the "Security" and "Themes" apps through the storage menu.

If the ads continue to come from unknown apps that you haven't installed, check the installed list. Sometimes hidden miners or ad units are added to the phone along with the useful software; and remove any suspicious apps with or without an icon.

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Use Do Not Disturb at night so that third-party app advertising notifications don’t wake you up with vibrations or sound, even if you haven’t had time to turn them off.

Browser settings and ad blockers

System settings eliminate built-in shell advertising, but do not protect against banners on visited websites. Standard browser Mi Browser or Chrome without additional settings will show ad units on the pages. For comfortable surfing on Redmi Note 8 Pro, you need to use specialized tools.

The most effective solution is to install a browser with a built-in blocker, such as Brave, DuckDuckGo or Firefox with add-ons. If you prefer to stay in the Google Chrome ecosystem, you can prescribe a browser that is not a browser. DNS-server with ad filtering in network settings, which will block the loading of ad domains at the connection level.

For advanced users, there is a method to set up a private DNS. Go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS. Select “DNS Provider Host Name” and type in dns.adguard.com. This simple step will cut off a significant portion of advertising across all applications and browsers that use the network’s system settings.

dns.adguard.com

Use of the DNS-filtering does not require the installation of additional software and has little impact on the speed of the Internet connection. However, it is worth remembering that some sites may not display correctly or ask to disable the blocker to access the content.

Resetting the advertising identifier and privacy

Every Android and MIUI device has a unique advertising ID that marketing companies use to track your interests and target ads, and resetting that ID periodically breaks the link between your actions and your advertising profile.

To reset, go to Passwords & Security → Privacy → Advertising Services. Here you will see the Reset Advertising ID button. Click on it and confirm the action. It is recommended to do this once every few months to maintain a high level of privacy.

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Regularly resetting your advertising ID doesn’t completely remove ads, but it does make them less personalized and intrusive as advertisers lose their history of your preferences.

Also in this section, you should check permissions for applications, many programs request access to location, contacts and microphones without real need, and restricting access rights reduces the amount of data that can be used for targeting.

In conclusion, the Redmi Note 8 Pro’s comprehensive setup makes it a clean and fast tool without unnecessary visual noise. While Xiaomi leaves advertising as part of the business model, the company provides enough tools to control it, and checking settings regularly after updates will help maintain a comfortable environment.