Xiaomi Lock screen Ads: 7 Reasons and 5 Ways to Delete It Forever

You pick up a Xiaomi smartphone, you unlock the screen, and instead of the usual time or wallpaper, you see a bright ad for an app, a game or a promotion, and it's annoying, especially if it hasn't been done before. Why is it happening? 90% of the time, it's not viruses that are to blame, but the built-in MIUI features that the company activates to monetize.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible causes of ads on the Xiaomi lock screen, from legitimate MIUI services to potentially dangerous scenarios, how to distinguish system advertising from malicious advertising, what settings are responsible for its display, and what to do if standard methods do not help, and at the end, a checklist for quickly removing ads and answers to frequent questions.

Spoiler: Most of the time, you can fix the problem in 5 minutes through your phone's settings, but there are hidden traps, like ads coming back after updates or resets, and we'll tell you how to avoid that.

1. Legal sources of advertising: what allows Xiaomi

Xiaomi openly states that some of the features of MIUI include advertising, as stated in the user agreement.

• 📱 Service “Recommendations” MIUI» — shows banners on the lock, in the application menu and in the settings.
• 🎁 Affiliate offers – advertising games, services Xiaomi (for example, Mi Pay or Mi Cloud).
• 🔄 Software updates – sometimes accompanied by advertising of new features.
• 🌍 Local services – in some regions (India, China) advertising is active by default.

Importantly, these ads are not viruses, they're built into firmware and they're managed through settings, but you can turn them off, and we'll talk about that in the How to Remove Ads section.

Since 2022, Xiaomi has been actively testing new monetization formats, for example, in some versions of MIUI 13/14, ads can appear even when swiping down on the home screen. It's not a bug, it's a feature - but it can also be deactivated.

2. Hidden settings MIUI: where to hide advertising

Even if you've turned off all the obvious options, the ads can continue to show, because there are hidden triggers in MIUI that activate the banners.

Personalized Ads are especially insidious, and even if you turn off all other settings, they can still collect data and display ads through Google services, and to block them completely, you need to:

1. Go to Settings → Google → Advertising.
2. Turn off advertising personalization.
3. Reset your advertising ID (option in the same menu).

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If after the shutdown, the ad returned, check the MIUI update. Sometimes after the update, the settings are reset.

3. Viruses and malicious applications: how to distinguish from system advertising

If the ad appears suddenly, is accompanied by a redirect to the browser or shows suspicious sites (gambling, adult content) - this is a sign of infection. MIUI:

• ⚠️ It appears even when the Internet is turned off (cached malicious advertising).
• ⚠️ Redirects to Google Play to suspicious apps.
• ⚠️ Shows pop-ups on top of all apps.
• ⚠️ Accompanied by increased battery consumption or traffic.

The most common sources of infection:

1. Pirates. APK-Files (especially modified games).
2. Applications from unknown sources (Settings → Security → Unknown sources)
3. Fake “optimizers” or “cleaners” of memory.

⚠️ Warning: If an ad appears when the screen is locked (before entering the password) it is 100% virus. MIUI It never shows up on a fully locked device.

To check your phone for viruses:

1. Install Malwarebytes or Dr.Web Light from Google Play.
2. Run a deep scan.
3. Remove any threats you find.
4. Check the list of installed applications for suspicious ones (Settings → Applications → Application Management).

4. Step-by-step instruction: how to remove ads on the lock screen

If the ads are system (not a virus), follow this algorithm.It is suitable for all Xiaomi models on MIUI 12/13/14, including Redmi, POCO and Black Shark.

Step 1: Disabling MIUI recommendations

1. Open the settings → Memory → Recommendations.
2. Turn off the slider "Show recommendations."
3. In the same menu, click Clear Data.

Step 2: Blocking Personalized Advertising

1. Go to Settings → Google → Advertising.
2. Turn off Personalized Advertising.
3. Click on “Reset Advertising ID”.

Step 3: Cleaning up the Google Cache

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Google Play Services.
3. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.

Step 4: Virus Check (if there is still advertising)

Use Malwarebytes or Kaspersky Mobile for deep scanning. Delete any threats you find.

Step 5: Resetting settings (extreme case)

If nothing works, reset (Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset) before you save the data – the reset will delete all files and applications!

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After resetting, do not restore the backup through MI Cloud – it may contain ad settings.

5.Why Ads Return After Updates

Many users complain that after the MIUI update, the ads appear again, because:

• 🔄 New versions MIUI Reset some settings by default.
• 📦 Google Service Updates May Include New Advertising Mechanisms.
• 🛠️ Xiaomi is testing new monetization formats (for example, advertising in Control Center).

To avoid this:

1. After each update, check the recommendations settings.
2. Turn off auto-update MIUI (Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → ⚙️ → Auto-update).
3. Use alternative firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.EU) where the ads are removed at the code level.

⚠️ Note: If you use custom firmware (unofficial), ads may be due to integrated modules. Check forum reviews before installing (e.g., forum reviews, 4PDA or XDA Developers).

6. Alternative methods: from root rights to changing firmware

If standard methods don't work, you can go further, and these methods require technical skills, but they are guaranteed to take away advertising forever.

Method 1: Root rights + removal of system applications

With Magisk or TWRP, you can remove the system components responsible for advertising:

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.systemAdSolution

It is also recommended to remove:

• com.xiaomi.midrop (advertising in Mi Drop)
• com.miui.analytics (collection of statistics)
• com.miui.cloudservice (cloud services with advertising)

Method 2: Installation of custom firmware

Xiaomi.EU or LineageOS firmware completely removes ads and unnecessary services.

• ❌ Loss of warranty (if the phone is under warranty).
• ❌ Risk of “bricking” when installed incorrectly.
• ❌ Some features (such as Mi Pay) may not work.

Method 3: Blocking Advertising through DNS

You can block advertising domains at the network level:

1. Install AdGuard or Blokada.
2. Activate. DNS-filtering with an easylist.
3. Manually add domains: ad.mi.com tracker.miui.com data.mistat.xiaomi.com

7. Frequent Mistakes: What NOT to Do

When trying to remove ads, users often make mistakes that only make the problem worse.

• 🚫 Install Google Play cleaners – many of them show ads themselves.
• 🚫 Disabling Google Services Could Break Apps.
• 🚫 Resetting your phone without a backup – the risk of losing data.
• 🚫 Use the unknowns ADB-Teams can damage the system.

Also not worth it:

• ❌ Believing promises to 'totally remove ads' for money is a scam.
• ❌ Disable all notifications – you will miss important messages.
• ❌ Install MIUI from dubious sources - the risk of viruses.

⚠️ Warning: If you see advice like, "Disable com.android.systemui," ignore it. It's a critical system process, and turning it off will cause your phone to lose its performance.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions