Xiaomi Advertising: How to Remove Forever (7 Proven Methods)

You turned on a Xiaomi smartphone, and instead of the usual time and notifications on the lock screen flaunts a bright banner advertising a loan, game or promotion in the online store? It is not a virus or a system failure - this is how aggressive monetization of the branded shell MIUI works. The manufacturer integrates advertising modules even in the basic elements of the interface, including the screensaver, to compensate for the low price of devices.

The problem affects almost all models, from the budget Redmi Note 12 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra. Advertising can appear on the lock screen, in the notification menu, in branded applications (Mi Browser, Mi Video, Themes) and even in the settings. The good news is that it can be disabled without root rights and complex manipulations. Bad – some methods require disabling system services, which can affect the operation of push notifications from banks and instant messengers.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to remove ads from the screensaver of Xiaomi, from simple (through settings) to radical (disabling mSA and Analytics services).

Why is there an advertisement on Xiaomi?

The reason is the company’s monetization policy: Since MIUI 10 (2018), Xiaomi has been actively implementing advertising modules in system applications and interfaces, this applies to all regions, including Russia and the CIS countries, where smartphones are sold at minimal prices.

• 📱 Lock screen: banners at the bottom or instead of wallpaper, advertising notifications.
• ⚙️ System applications: Themes, Mi Browser, Mi Video, Security.
• 🔔 Notification Panel: “Recommendations” from Xiaomi (e.g., “Install this app").
• 🔍 Search in Settings: Advertising Links in Results.

Technically, the ads are loaded through the system services com.miui.systemAdSolution (responsible for banners on the screensaver) and com.xiaomi.midrop (shows "recommendations"). These modules are built into the firmware and updated through Google Play or Xiaomi servers, so even after manual removal they can return.

It's important to understand that screensaver ads are not viruses. Antiviruses (Dr.Web, Kaspersky) are not Detect threats because they are legitimate MIUI features. However, their behavior often resembles an adver: banners open a browser without permission, consume traffic and drain the battery.

⚠️ Note: If the ads appear inside third-party apps (for example, Instagram or YouTube), the problem is not Xiaomi, but the software itself).

Method 1: Disabling Advertising through MIUI Settings (the easiest one)

Starting with MIUI 12, the manufacturer added an option to disable ads on the screensaver - although it hid it deep in the menu. The instructions are relevant for all modern models (Redmi Note 13 Pro+, Xiaomi 14, POCO F6, etc.):

1. Open the Settings → Lock screen.
2. Switch to Additional Settings (or Lock screen settings in older versions).
3. Find the Advertising Recommendations option (or Show Recommendations) and turn off the slider.
4. Return to the basic lock screen settings and check the lock screen style option – select the No Recommendations option.

If there are no Advertising Recommendations, try an alternative path:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In search, type msa (without quotes) and select com.miui.systemAdSolution.
3. Tap Disable (if the button is inactive, click Stop first).

This method works on 70-80% of devices, but it has drawbacks:

• 🔄 After updating MIUI settings may reset.
• 📵 Some banners (such as those from Mi Browser) will still appear.
• 🔧 On the old versions (MIUI 11 and below) option may not be available.

Method 2: Clearing the cache and system application data

Banners are downloaded and stored in the cache of system services, disabled their display, residual files can continue to show. To completely remove the ads, you need to manually clear the data of key applications:

Once cleaned, restart your phone, and if the ads are gone, but they're back, then the system services have reloaded the banners, and if you do that, you can only turn off the automatic update of the apps:

1. Open Google Play → Settings → Auto-Update apps.
2. Choose Not to Update Automatically.
3. Go back to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
4. Find the Google Play Store and turn off auto-update for it.

⚠️ Note: Clearing the data from com.android.browser will remove all bookmarks and history. If you use a standard browser, pre-export bookmarks to the file.

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If after cleaning the cache, the advertisement still appears, try changing the region of the phone to Europe (Settings) → Additionally. → Region: B. EU-Firmware advertising is less due to strict data protection laws.

Method 3: Disabling mSA and Analytics (radical method)

If previous methods failed, you'll have to disable the system services responsible for downloading ads: mSA (Miui System Ads) and Analytics (statistics collection), which is the most effective method, but it has side effects:

• ❌ Push notifications from some applications (especially banking) will stop working).
• ❌ Sync with Mi Account (cloud, backups) may break).
• ❌ Certain functions MIUI (Smart Help” will stop working.

If you are prepared for these consequences, follow the instructions:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (Tap 7 times)
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB debugging.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and execute commands via ADB: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.systemAdSolution adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.xiaomi.mipicks adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.xiaomi.midrop
4. Reset the device.

To check that services are disabled, enter the command:

adb shell pm list packages -d

The list should include lines from com.miui.systemAdSolution and com.xiaomi.mipicks.

If ADB is not available, you can manually disable services through Settings → Applications, but this will require unlocking the bootloader (which voids the warranty).

Method 4: Installation of alternative firmware (for advanced)

If you're willing to take drastic measures, you can get rid of advertising completely by installing custom firmware without Xiaomi system services.

• 🌍 MIUI EU — European version of firmware without advertising (but requires unlocking the bootloader).
• 🤖 LineageOS or Pixel Experience – “clean” Android without branded services.
• 🛡️ Xiaomi.eu – modified MIUI remote-advertising.

The installation process shall include:

1. Unlock the bootloader via Mi Unlock Tool (requires a Mi Account binding and a wait of 7-15 days).
2. Installation of custom recavery (TWRP or OrangeFox).
3. Firmware via fastboot or recovery.

Cons of the method:

• ⚠️ Loss of warranty (unlocking the bootloader is not officially supported).
• 🔧 Risk of "bricking" of the device in case of error.
• 🔄 Repeated firmware after official updates required.

⚠️ Note: On new models (Xiaomi) 13/14, Redmi Note 12/13) Unlocking the bootloader has become more difficult due to anti-Rollback protection. Before firmware check the compatibility of your model in the forum 4PDA or XDA Developers.

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Installing custom firmware is the only way to get rid of advertising forever, but it is only suitable for power users. For most, it is enough to turn off services through ADB.

Method 5: Using ad blockers (without root)

If you don't want to dig into the settings, you can install a third-party ad-blocking app. The best options for Xiaomi are:

To block ads on the screensaver Xiaomi recommended AdGuard with settings:

1. Install AdGuard from Google Play.
2. Enable modules: AdGuard Advertising Filter AdGuard Surveillance Filter Annoying Ads Filter
3. Activate DNS Protection and select AdGuard DNS server.
4. In Settings → Applications → Special Access → VPN allow AdGuard to work without restrictions.

This method blocks up to 90% of ads, including banners on the screensaver, but does not eliminate the reason – Xiaomi system services will continue to load advertising modules in the background.

Method 6: Resetting the phone to factory settings

If the ad appears after the MIUI update or installing third-party apps, a full reset will help, which deletes all user data but returns the system to a "pure" state:

1. Back up important data (Settings → About Phone → Backup).
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Choose Delete all data and confirm the action.
4. After the reboot, do not restore data from the backup – this can return advertising modules.

After discharge:

• 📵 Don’t connect your Mi Account (or create a new one).
• 🔧 Turn off ads immediately through Settings → Lock screen.
• 🔄 Turn off automatic update of system applications.

The downside of the method is that you will lose all data and the ads may return after the next MIUI update.

Method 7: Calling for Xiaomi Support (Official Method)

If none of these things worked, you can try to get Xiaomi support, and in some cases, they remotely disable the ad modules for a particular device.

1. Open the Support app (or download it from Google Play).
2. Select Contact Support → Lock screen.
3. Describe the problem: "On the lock screen displays ads, please turn off the advertising modules for my device."
4. Attach a screenshot of the screensaver with advertising.
5. Send a request and wait for a response (usually 1-3 days).

Chances of success: ~30%. Support can say no, citing company policies, or offer to reset your phone, but in some cases (especially for warranty devices), they do meet.

⚠️ Note: If you bought the phone from unofficial stores (such as AliExpress), Xiaomi support may refuse assistance due to regional restrictions. → The phone. → Status of guarantee.

FAQ: Frequent questions about advertising on Xiaomi