Ownership of Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones is often marred by intrusive visual noise. Users are faced with banner ads in system applications, pop-ups after installing programs and recommendations in desktop folders. It is not a bug, but part of the company’s business model to keep hardware prices affordable. However, the MIUI ecosystem and the new HyperOS provide tools to minimize this interference, if you know where to look.
Complete shutdown requires a comprehensive approach, because there is no single "Stop All Ads" button, and you have to go through multiple menus sequentially, disable personalization, and limit Internet access for system services. MSA shift DNS-This is a server that blocks up to 99% of the system-level advertising traffic, and in this article, we'll take each step in detail so that your smartphone becomes a handy tool again, not an ad storefront.
Disabling system advertising in the Security application
The central element of permissions and cleanup management in the MIUI shell is the Security app, which most often displays promotional offers when scanning the system or cleaning the cache. To remove banners, you need to change the settings of the application itself, not just close the pop-up window.
Open the Security app and click on the gear icon in the top right corner of the screen. In the menu that opens, find Receive recommendations (or “Recommendations”) and put the switch into an inactive state. This action will prevent the app from displaying news feeds and advertising blocks on the service’s home screen.
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After disabling recommendations, the Security interface will become much cleaner, and the speed of the virus scanner can increase slightly due to the lack of downloading advertising content.
Additionally, check the cleaner settings. In the same Security settings menu, look for the Cleanup section. Make sure that it disables any options related to news or acceleration through third-party services. Some versions of the shell also have a separate Show Ads switch directly in the phone's main settings menu, which affects all system utilities.
Advertising personalization in your Mi Account
Global ad settings are tied to your digital profile in the manufacturer ecosystem. Even if you haven't logged in manually, the first time you activate your smartphone, you often create a temporary or local profile that collects data for targeting. Disabling personalization won't take away the ads completely, but it will make them less relevant and frequent.
Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Access to Personal Data (or Privacy). You can find Advertising Services here, and you will see the Personalized Ads switch on the Advertising Switch, which you should turn off. You should also click Reset Advertising ID to break the link to your previously collected interest data.
It's important to understand the difference between personalization and the display mechanism itself. If you turn off personalization, you won't stop showing ads, but the algorithm will stop using your search history and geolocation to match content. This is an important step to preserve digital hygiene and data privacy. In some regions, this item may be called "MSA settings" or be inside the "Authorization and Security" menu.
Blocking of the MSA system advertising module
A key component of the system's advertising distribution is MSA (MIUI System Ads), a system application that is not removed by standard methods, but can be forcibly stopped and restricted, and MSA blocking is the most radical and effective way to combat intrusive banners.
To start, find the MSA app in the list of all programs. You can do this through Settings → Applications → All applications. Once you find MIUI System Ads, go to its properties. First of all, turn off network access: press Data Use and disable connection via both Wi-Fi and mobile networks. Without the Internet, the module will not be able to download advertising content.
☑️ Checklist of lockdown MSA
Once the network is restricted, you need to revoke the user agreement. In the MSA application card, find Revocation. The system will warn you that this may affect the operation of certain functions, and will start a countdown timer (usually 10 seconds). Click Revoke. If the network error occurred on the first attempt or the timer did not work, try repeating the procedure 2-3 times - this is a common feature of shell operation.
⚠️ Note: After the license is revoked, the application MSA It can automatically reactivate the next system update or reboot, and periodically check the status of this service, especially after major updates. MIUI.
Disabling Advertising in Standard Applications
Advertising integrations are deeply embedded in standard software: browser, explorer, music and themes. Each of these applications has its own hidden settings that need to be configured separately, ignoring this stage will leave loopholes for content to be displayed even when the MSA is blocked.
Start with File Manager. Open the app, click on the menu (three bars) and select Settings. Find the About app or Information section. Often there is a "Receive recommendations" or "Show ads" switch that you can turn off. In newer versions of the explorer, this item may be immediately in the main settings menu called "Recommendations".
Hidden settings of Mi Brother
Then we go to the Theme Store. Open the app, click on the profile avatar or three dots in the corner, select Settings. Turn off the options to Show Ads, Personal Recommendations and Auto Update Themes (if you don't use them). Also worth a look at the Music and Video app: their settings (often under Advanced Settings or About) also have ad recommendation switches that are active by default.
Using a Private DNS to Block Advertising
The most powerful method, which works at the network connection level, is the use of a private DNS (Private DNS), which requires no third-party applications to be installed and blocks requests to known ad servers before they reach your device, a one-stop solution for the entire Android 9 and higher system.
To activate, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing (or “Additional Settings» → «Privacy.“.Look for the item Private. DNS (Private DNS). The default is "Auto" or "Disabled." Select hostname of the provider. DNS (Private DNS In the field that appears, enter the address of a trusted blocker, for example: dns.adguard.com.
dns.adguard.comOnce you enter the address, the system will check the connection. If the address is entered correctly, you will see the confirmation, and the Internet will continue to work. If the address is wrong, the network may disappear. This method effectively cuts ads in most applications and browsers, but it will not help against ads that are sewn directly into the code of system windows (for example, in Downloads or when you unlock), because they use system domains.
⚠️ Attention: When using private DNS Some applications (such as carrier services or enterprise portals) may stop correctly determining your location or work slower. DNS auto-mode».
Table: Comparison of blocking methods
To make anti-ad strategy easier to choose, we have compiled a comparative table of basic methods, each with its own advantages and disadvantages depending on your smartphone model and firmware version.
| Method | Efficiency | Complexity | Impact on the system |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| MSA Disabled | High | Medium | Minimum, Reactivation Possible |
| Private DNS | Very High | Low | May slow down some sites |
| Application settings | Medium | Low | Requires manual configuration of each application |
| ADB-team | Maximum | Tall. | Requires PC, risk of errors when deleting |
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The combination of methods (DNS + Disable MSA + Application Settings) gives the best result, completely clearing the interface of visual noise.
If you're ready for more complex manipulations, you can use your computer and USB debugging (ADB) to completely remove or freeze system packages. However, for most users, a bundle of the first three is enough. Remember that after major Android or MIUI updates, some settings can reset to factory values, so it makes sense to recheck a month after the update.