Advertising on the lock screen Xiaomi: the complete guide to disabling

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often encounter intrusive content that suddenly appears on a locked display, such as news, app offers or banners that overlap wallpaper, which annoys and reduces the usability of the device, turning unlocking into a routine with mandatory viewing of ads.

The main source of the problem is the built-in wallpaper carousel service, which is activated by default in the shell of MIUI and HyperOS. System applications like GetApps or MIUI Demo can also be responsible for displaying advertising materials. Understanding which component generates content is the first step to a clean system.

In this guide, we will discuss all known methods for eliminating unwanted notifications: you will learn how to disable personalized recommendations, manage system services permissions, and block network-level ad trackers. Follow the instructions consistently to completely clear the interface.

The nature of advertising on a blocked screen

Ad blocking on Xiaomi is not a virus in the classical sense, but a regular monetization function of the company. It is important for a manufacturer to make money not only from selling iron, but also from the service ecosystem. So you have embedded modules in the firmware, such as MSA (MIUI System Ads), which analyze your actions and show targeted offers.

Most often, users activate the wallpaper carousel feature themselves when they first set up a smartphone or update the system without noticing the ticks on the menu. This service replaces the static picture on a slideshow with news and advertising inserts. A key feature is that even after the carousel is turned off, background processes can continue to load content if you do not block Internet access for system services.

⚠️ Warning: Don’t rush to reset your phone to factory settings when the banner first appears. 95% of the time, the problem is solved by changing the settings in the security or personalization menu, and a full reset will only temporarily hide the symptom if you don’t turn off account sync.

And third-party apps that are not from the official store, but downloaded from the browser, can generate ads, and they embed their modules on top of the system lock windows, and it's important to distinguish MIUI system ads from third-party malware.

Disabling the wallpaper carousel in the settings

The most common source of banners is the wallpaper carousel service, and to remove it, you have to go to personalization settings, and the path may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI or HyperOS, but the logic remains the same.

Go to the settings menu and find the Always on screen and lock or lock screen section. Here you are interested in the wallpaper carousel. Click on it to reveal additional service management options.

• 📱 Find the switch “Enable wallpaper carousel” and put it in an inactive position.
• 🗑️ In the menu that opens, the button “Clear Data” or “Delete Content” often appears – be sure to use it.
• 🔄 Check the “Update Frequency” option and set the “Do Not Update” value if a full shutdown is not available.
• 🚫 Turn off the option “Receive recommendations” or “Show promotional materials».

After these actions, the lock screen should become static, but if the ads continue to appear, perhaps the second layer of protection is activated, Advanced Settings, where additional sponsored content switches are hidden.

Block system advertising through MIUI settings

Even after the carousel is turned off, other sources of advertising, such as recommendations in folders or widgets, may remain in the system, and to eliminate them, you need to disable global recommendations in account and system settings.

Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Access to Personal Data. This is a list of all apps. Find the MSA (MIUI System Ads) list and turn off the access slider. The system will alert you to the danger of turning off — ignore the warnings and wait 10 seconds until the "Disable" button is active.

Next, you need to disable ad personalization. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Privacy → Advertising Services. Here you need to deactivate the option “Personal Advertising” and reset the advertising ID, which will deprive the system of the ability to tailor content to your interests.

⚠️ Attention: When you turn off the msa service, the button may not respond the first time. This is the shell protective mechanism. You press "Disable", wait for the countdown, and if the system has an error, try again. 3-5 once in a row, the successful execution of the team.

Also worth checking is the Security app settings. Open it, click on the settings gear in the corner, and find "Get recommendations." Disabling this option will remove ads from the antivirus scanner and memory cleaner, which often starts automatically.

Set up DNS to block ads at the network level

The most effective method that works even if you miss a switch in the settings is to block advertising domains at the DNS level. This method does not require installing third-party applications and works for the entire system.

Modern versions of Android (starting with version 9) have a built-in Private DNS feature that allows domain name requests to be redirected through a secure server that filters ad traffic, and AdGuard DNS is a great service for that.

Follow the following steps:

1. Open Settings → Connection and Sharing (or “Other Connections”).
2. Find the Private DNS (Private DNS) option.
3. Select the option “DNS Host Name” (manually).
4. Enter the address: dns.adguard.com
5. Save the settings.

Once you turn on this setting, the phone can lose the Internet for a few seconds, and then connect again, and all requests to known ad servers will be blocked, which will remove banners not only on the lock screen, but also inside most free apps and games.

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Use of private use DNS It also improves security when connecting to open Wi-Fi networks in cafes and airports, encrypting your data. DNS-request.

Managing Permits and System Applications

Sometimes ads are broadcast by specific system applications, such as GetApps (Xiaomi app store), Mi Video or Mi Music, and even if you don’t use them, they can run in the background.

Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. Find it in the GetApps list. Click on it and select “Disable” or “Stop.” Then go to “Notifications” and disable all types of notifications, especially “Ads and Offers.”

A similar procedure should be carried out for applications:

• 🎵 Music (Mi Music) – often shows recommendations on a locked screen.
• 🎬 Video (Mi Video) - source of banners in the notification curtain.
• 📂 Conductor – can offer news at the bottom of the screen.
• 🧹 Cleanup – Security Module with Intrusive Tips.

If you don’t use standard Xiaomi players or browsers, you can completely remove them or “freeze” them through ADB, but for the average user, it is enough to simply turn off notifications and access to data in the background.

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Disabling notifications in each system application separately is a time-consuming, but the most reliable way to spot-clean the interface from specific spam.

Solving Intrusive Notification Problems

There are times when the ads don't come from system services, but from randomly installed garbage-busting applications that masquerade as system processes, which may not have icons on the menu, but hang in the list of running tasks.

To figure out the pest, wait for the ad to appear. Don't close it right away, but press the Menu button (three bars or a square) to open a list of running apps. Find a window with an ad and see which app it belongs to. If the name is weird or there is no icon, it's a virus.

Removal of such programmes:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Sort the list by installation time or find an app without an icon (usually at the end or beginning of the list).
3. Click on the suspicious item and select “Delete”.
4. If the delete button is inactive, click on Other Permissions and turn off the Display over Other Windows right.

Once the malware is removed, it is recommended to scan the phone with the built-in antivirus in the Security app to make sure there are no residual files left.

⚠️ Warning: If the ad appears immediately after the screen is turned on, before unlocking, and you can not get into the menu - this is a sign of a deep implementation of the miner or Trojan.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)