How to remove ads on the lock screen Xiaomi

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often encounter intrusive content that appears at the most inopportune moment. Especially annoying is the ads on the lock screen that block notifications and require unnecessary actions to unlock the device. This is not a system bug, but a built-in monetization feature designed to reduce the cost of the gadget for the end user, but for many it becomes the main disadvantage of MIUI.

Fortunately, the developers have left the option of completely disabling this functionality, although they have hidden the settings quite deeply, and you can remove banner ads through the standard settings menu, and using more advanced methods for older versions of firmware. In this article, we will discuss in detail all ways to clean the interface from unnecessary garbage.

It's important to understand that the ways to set up the MIUI and HyperOS shells may be slightly different, but the logic of system applications remains the same. We'll look at universal solutions that will help you get back a clean lock screen and improve the comfort of your smartphone.

The nature of advertising in MIUI and HyperOS

The introduction of adverts on a locked screen is linked to a system service that can be called differently in different regions, globally known as Glance or Lock Screen Magazine, which was originally conceived as a way to display beautiful wallpaper with a news feed, and quickly evolved into a tool for displaying commercial offers.

System algorithms analyze your preferences to show more relevant ads, but often they are just random banners of apps or games. System advertising is built into the shell at the level of Google services and Xiaomi's own services. Disabling one component may not have full effect if related services are activated.

Users often confuse the standard lock gallery with a virus. However, this is a legitimate part of the software. MIUI allows you to flexibly configure this aspect, but by default, the settings are focused on maximum interaction with the content, not on the user's privacy.

⚠️ Note: Complete removal of system components through ADB This can cause your phone to work unstable. Use only proven methods of disconnecting through the settings menu described below.

Disconnect Glance and Lock Screen Magazine

The first and most effective step is to deactivate the built-in wallpaper carousel service, which is most often responsible for the appearance of advertising slides immediately after clicking the on button, and in newer versions of firmware, this component may be called Glance or remain under the name Lock Screen Magazine.

To find the right option, go to Settings → Lock screen. Here you need to find the item responsible for Wallpaper Carousel or Glance. The interface may differ depending on the regional version of the firmware (Global, Russia, EEA). If you see the switch "Enable wallpaper carousel", just put it inactive.

In some cases, simply switching the switch is not enough. The system may require you to confirm the action or go to an additional menu to clear the cache. Once the function is disabled, the lock screen will return to the static image you set yourself.

• 📱 Go to the settings and select “Block screen».
• 🚫 Find the option “Wallpaper Carousel” or “Glance” and turn it off.
• 🗑️ If necessary, clean the data of the "Wallpaper Carousel" application in the application menu.
• 🔄 Restart the device to apply changes.

If the standard path doesn't work, you may have a specific version of MIUI that's scattered around, so try searching for settings by typing the word "Glance" or "Carousel," which will instantly get to the right section, bypassing long menu searches.

Setup of notifications and system applications

Often, the ads don't come from the lock itself, but from system applications that have the power to display notifications on a locked screen, such as MIUI Browser, GetApps (formerly Mi Store), Mi Video or Mi Music, which aggressively promote content, if not restrict their rights.

You need to manually check the permissions for each suspicious system application. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find a browser or app store in the list, go to Notifications, and disable all categories, especially those labeled as Marketing or Recommendations.

Also worth looking at is MSA (MIUI System Ads), which is the main demon of the advertising system, and turning it off significantly reduces the number of pop-ups throughout the system, including the lock screen, find the msa application in the list of system processes and turn off the Receive Recommendations switch.

Use of Developer Mode and ADB

For advanced users who want to securely remove ads on the Xiaomi lock screen, there is a method through USB debugging. This method requires connecting the smartphone to a computer and using the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) toolkit, which allows you to disable system packages that do not have a “Delete” button in the regular menu.

First, activate the developer mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on the MIUI build number seven times. After the message "You've become a developer" appears, go back to the settings menu, find the "Additional" section and open the "Developers" section. Activate the USB debugging switch.

Connect your phone to your PC with a cable. On your computer, in the command line (terminal), execute a command to remove or freeze an advertising service. Most often, you need to influence the com.miui.misys or com.miui.systemAdSolution package.

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.systemAdSolution

This command does not delete the file physically, but makes it inactive for the current user. The system stops running the ad module, and the banners disappear. If the result does not suit you, you can always return everything back with the adb shell pm enable com.miui.systemAdSolution command.

⚠️ Be very careful when typing commands. ADB. Disabling critical system services (not related to advertising) can lead to a cyclical phone reboot (bootloop).

Restriction of background activity and access to the network

Another effective way to combat intrusive content is to ban Internet access for system applications that are responsible for advertising, and the logic is simple: if an application cannot connect to a server, it cannot download and display an ad banner.

MIUI has a built-in firewall. Go to Security → Antivirus (or immediately to the security menu). Find Network Access (or Network Connections) and displays a list of all the applications with the option to choose the type of network (Wi-Fi and Mobile Data).

Search for ad-related apps: msa, Mi Browser, GetApps, Gallery (often containing ad widgets) and uncheck both types of connections for these programs, and then they can run locally, but they can't download online content.

• 🔒 Open the Security app on your desktop.
• 📶 Select "Network Access" or "Network Connections».
• 📵 Find the msa app and uncheck the Wi-Fi boxes and 4G/5G.
• ✅ Repeat the procedure for GetApps and Themes.

This method is especially useful for older smartphone models that no longer receive security updates but continue to receive ad modules. Traffic restriction reduces the battery and processor load as background services stop constantly polling servers.

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Use DNS (Private DNS) to block ads at the network level. In the connection settings, specify the address dns.adguard.com - this will block most known advertising trackers without installing additional applications.

Solving problems with older versions of MIUI

Owners of devices that are left on older versions of Android and MIUI (such as MIUI 10, 11 or early versions 12) may find that standard switches do not work or are missing, in which cases advertising is often implemented through an update to the system components of Google Play Services or the app store itself.

For these devices, it is recommended to roll back key app updates. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find Wallpaper Carousel or Security. Click three dots in the corner and select Remove Updates. This will return the app to the factory version, which may be less aggressive in terms of advertising.

Also worth considering is installing a third-party launcher.While this doesn't take ads completely off the system, it replaces the lock screen and desktop with pure counterparts where there's no room for Xiaomi widgets. Popular options are Nova Launcher, Lawnchair, Microsoft Launcher.

⚠️ Note: After removing updates to system applications, do not enable auto-update in the GetApps store, otherwise the system will download the ad module again.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

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A comprehensive approach, including disabling Glance, limiting application rights and blocking network access for advertising modules, guarantees complete disposal of banners on the lock screen.