Xiaomi smartphone owners often encounter intrusive interface elements that appear in folders on the desktop, these so-called “recommendations” are advertising blocks that offer to install new games or applications, and for many users, this becomes a source of irritation, especially when they accidentally open extra pages.
Fortunately, MIUI and the new HyperOS shell make it easy to manage these settings, so you don't have to be an IT expert to get rid of visual noise, you just have to know where the switch is in the settings menu.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the process of disabling ads in folders, and also touch on the adjacent settings that will help make your smartphone cleaner.
Why Xiaomi folders appear advertising
Xiaomi is known for selling its devices at a minimal margin on iron, and to offset costs and generate additional profit, the manufacturer introduces advertising modules into the system, one of which is the application folders on the desktop.
When you create a folder by combining multiple icons, the default feature is Recommended. It uploads content from the Internet, analyzing your preferences or simply showing popular apps in the region, which is not a virus, but a regular shell feature.
But this "help" often leads to a decrease in interface performance, and the smartphone has to spend resources updating its news feed and rendering banners, which not only removes ads, but can also slightly speed up the opening of folders.
⚠️ Attention: Ad units can be updated dynamically. If you see that after you turn off the setting, the ads still appear, check the Internet connection when you open the folder - sometimes the content is cached.
It's important to understand the difference between system recommendations and application-specific notifications, and we're talking about Xiaomi's built-in mechanism that's integrated into the launcher, and removing third-party software isn't going to help, because the source of the ads is the shell itself.
Preparation for changing system settings
Before making changes, make sure your smartphone is at least 20-30% charged.While the process of turning off ads is safe and does not require rebooting, accidentally turning off the screen while navigating the menu can be confusing.
Also worth checking is the version of your operating system: The path to settings in MIUI 12, MIUI 13, MIUI 14 and the new HyperOS may differ slightly in the name of the items, but the logic remains the same. Updating software often changes the location of the switches.
☑️ Ready to set up
It is recommended to remember in advance where you have folders with applications. If the desktop is littered with shortcuts, it may make sense to audit and remove unused programs before you configure the display of folders.
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Take a screenshot of the current location of the icons before cleaning, which will help you quickly restore the usual structure of the desktop, if you accidentally remove the excess.
Step-by-step instruction: disabling recommendations
The most effective way to remove ads is to use a global switch in your system settings, which works for all folders at once, so you don't have to configure each one separately.
First, unlock your smartphone and find any folder with apps on your desktop. Click on it to open. In the window that opens, look at the top of the screen or the top right corner, where the optional options are usually located.
However, a more reliable path is through the system menu. Go to Settings, then find the Desktop (or Home Screen) section. In some firmware versions, this item may be called Additional within the desktop settings.
The algorithm of actions is as follows:
- 📱 Find the recommendation (or get recommendations).
- 🔘 Press the switch to turn grey (off).
- 🔄 Return to your desktop and check folders – ads should disappear.
If you don't find this item in the specified location, try searching in the Passwords and Security section → Special Opportunities → Data Access. Sometimes the system asks for permission to access the network for the recommendation function, and disabling this access also helps.
Set up the display for each folder separately
In some cases, global disabling may not work for all folder types, especially if you're using third-party themes, so you have to manually configure each element.
Open the folder that has the ad left in it. At the top of the folder window (right or left, depending on the version of MIUI), there should be a gear or three dots indicating the settings of that particular folder. Click on this icon.
In the menu that opens, look for Recommended. It's likely to be active. Turn the switch to off. After that, the contents of the folder will be updated, and the advertising icons will disappear.
⚠️ Note: If you use a third-party launcher (for example, Nova Launcher or Lawnchair), the settings of the Xiaomi system folders will not apply, since you no longer use the standard interface.
Repeat the procedure for all the folders where you notice intrusive sentences. This can take a few minutes if you have many categories of applications, but the result is worth it. A clean interface promotes better concentration.
It is worth noting that after updating the firmware settings may reset. periodically check the status of the switches, especially after major security updates or a transition to a new version of Android.
Comparison of disabling methods in different versions of MIUI and HyperOS
Xiaomi's interfaces are constantly changing. What worked in MIUI 11 can be hidden deeper in HyperOS. Below is a table to help you navigate the differences.
| Shell version | Switch location | Title of paragraph | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIUI 11-12 | Inside the folder (cogwheel) | Recommendations | Configured for each folder separately |
| MIUI 13-14 | Settings → Desktop | Recommendations in folders | Global shutdown for all folders |
| HyperOS 1.0 | Settings → Desktop | Recommendations | Strict control may require resetting |
| Global ROM | Settings → Passwords and security | Special opportunities | Data access is often required |
As you can see from the table, in new versions, the company is trying to unify the process, bringing control to general settings, but in Chinese versions of firmware (CN ROM), advertising can be more aggressive and require additional actions.
What if the “Recommendations” item is not on the menu?
Additional ways to clean the interface
When removing recommendations in folders, don’t forget about other sources of advertising. Xiaomi’s system offers many ways to monetize, and blocking one channel does not guarantee complete silence.
It is also recommended to disable the msa service (MIUI System Ads), which is a system process responsible for displaying ads in many embedded applications. To do this, go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Data Access and find msa in the list, denying it access to the network.
- 🚫 Turn off personalization of ads in your Mi Account.
- 📉 In the "Security" app, disable receiving recommendations.
- 🎵 In the app "Music" and "Video" remove the boxes from the item "Receive recommendations".
A comprehensive approach will make the use of the smartphone as comfortable as possible, and you will notice that the device has become a little more responsive, as it will stop constantly downloading background advertising content.
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Cleaning out ads requires not only disabling recommendations in folders, but also restricting network access for system services such as msa and miui daemon.