Why Xiaomi has a lot of advertising: reasons and solutions

Users of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often encounter intrusive banner ads that appear in system applications.This can be annoying, especially if you just bought a device and expected a clean interface.However, behind this phenomenon lies a clear business model that allows the company to sell powerful hardware at a minimal price.

Unlike many competitors, who put a huge markup in the cost of the gadget, Xiaomi initially chose a strategy of low margin sales of devices. In fact, the company sells smartphones at almost cost, and the main profit is obtained from Internet services and, as a result, advertising integrations. Understanding this logic helps to calm down the ad units, although it does not make their presence less intrusive.

In this article, we will discuss in detail the technical reasons for the appearance of advertising, explain why it is built into system applications, and give step-by-step instructions for turning it off. You will learn which services are responsible for displaying banners and how to set up your Android smartphone for comfortable work without unnecessary visual noise.

The economic model of the company and the cost of devices

The main reason why Xiaomi has a lot of advertising is because of the philosophy of founder Lei Jun, who says that the net profit from selling hardware should not exceed 5%, which means that you buy flagship features at the price of a budget device of competitors, but the “payment” for this generosity is the user’s attention to advertising integrations.

Ads in MIUI and the new HyperOS shell are not random bugs, but a full-fledged monetization tool, where developers are embedding ad modules into system utilities like Explorer, Music, Themes, and even lock menus, keeping the entry threshold low for customers around the world, especially in emerging markets.

Xiaomi’s ad algorithms also use user behavior data to target, which adds value to the ads for its partners, and if you’re not willing to put up with that, there are several levels of fighting it, from simple tweaks to advanced techniques.

⚠️ Warning: Complete removal of advertising components through system commands (ADB) This can cause some system applications to run in an unstable way. Use radical methods only if you are confident in your actions.

System applications-sources of advertising

Xiaomi’s shell advertising content is generated and displayed through dedicated system services, and the main engine of the ad machine is the MSA (Mi System Ads) service, which collects data and initiates banner displays in various corners of the interface.

Besides MSA, Other built-in apps are responsible for advertising, such as the Security app, which often offers to clean up garbage while showing recommended games or products. The Mi Browser browser by default has a news feed oversaturated with advertising articles, and the launcher can offer “hot” applications on the desktop.

Below is a table of the main system components that most often broadcast advertising content:

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Disabling the MSA service is a key step, but for full effect, you need to configure each application separately.

It's important to understand that you can't just remove these apps in the standard way, because they're part of the firmware, but you can deactivate them or restrict them through settings. In new versions of HyperOS, the company is trying to make the process of disabling more transparent by adding switches directly to the ad settings menu.

Global settings of the MSA advertising service

The first and most important step in the fight for a clean interface is to disable the main advertising service. Without this action, all other settings may not be effective, as the MSA will constantly try to download new advertising modules. The process is simple, but requires care, since the system may try to “persuade” you to leave the ads on.

To start, go to your device's settings menu, and you'll need to find a section called Password and Security or Advanced Settings, depending on the version of MIUI. Inside this section, look for Personal Data Access or simply Advertising.

In the list that opens, find msa and switch the switch to "Switched off." The system will warn you that some features may stop working, and will suggest waiting 10 seconds before confirming. Click "Stop." If you fail the first time, repeat the procedure 2-3 times - this is a known feature of the interface.

After disabling the MSA, it is also recommended to disable advertising personalization. Go to Settings → Password and Security → Privacy → Advertising Services and turn off Personalized Advertising. This will not remove the ads completely, but will make them less intrusive and unrelated to your interests.

Setup of built-in Xiaomi applications

Even after the main service is disabled, individual apps can continue to show content if their internal settings activate the appropriate options.Each app in the Xiaomi ecosystem has its own Get Recommendations switch, which is often turned on by default.

Start with the Explorer app. Open it, click on the menu (three bars) and select Settings. Find Receive recommendations and turn it off. The same procedure should be done for the Music, Video, Themes and Security apps. In each of them, look for the Settings section and the switches with the words "Recommendations" or "Show ads."

Pay special attention to GetApps (formerly Mi Store) app, which is the official app store that aggressively promotes games and software. Go to Profile → Settings → Notifications and disable all kinds of push notifications, including Recommended Apps and Promotions.

⚠️ Note: In some regions (e.g. India or Russia), the application set may differ. If you didn't find the application on the list, it may not be preinstalled in your firmware version.

If you use Mi Browser, go to Settings → Privacy & Security and turn off all options related to personalization and recommendations. However, the best solution is to install an alternative browser, such as Chrome or Firefox, that is not integrated into the system as deeply.

Notifications and "Wallpaper Carousel"

One of the most annoying sources of visual noise is the Glance, which replaces the standard lock screen photo with a set of images with news and inlays, which consumes traffic and battery, constantly updating content.

To get rid of this, go to Settings → Lock screen. Find wallpaper carousel and turn it off completely. After that, the lock screen will return to the static image you choose, which will also speed up the unlocking of the device.

The second front is notifications from system applications, and often Xiaomi sends notifications about “hot new products” or “use tips,” which can come from the Security app or the system launcher.

To turn them off:

• 🔔 Open the Settings. → Notifications and status bar → Management of notifications.
• 📱 Find the Security app in the list and disable notification categories that are not critical (e.g., Recommendations»).
• 🧹 Do the same with the Cleaner and Downloads app».

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Use Do Not Disturb or Sleep mode in the notification settings to automatically jam all advertising fluffs at night when they are most annoying.

Also worth checking the launcher settings is to tap and hold your finger on the empty desktop, select Settings, and find the Carousel or Guidelines section. Turn off all options related to displaying news or offers on the home screen.

Advanced methods: ADB and third-party utilities

If standard methods didn't work, or if you want to be guaranteed to remove ad modules, you can use developer tools. The most reliable way is to use the ADB command line from your computer, which allows you to remove system applications that are not deleted in the usual way.

To do this, activate the developer mode on the phone (7 times click on the MIUI version in the About Phone menu), enable debugging over USB and connect the smartphone to the PC. Using the adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.misys command (the name of the package can vary), you can deactivate advertising services at the user level.

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.msa.global


adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.analytics




adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.browser

There are automated tools like Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools or Universal Android Debloater, which provide a GUI to select the components you want to remove, and are safer than manually entering commands, as the program usually warns of critical system processes.

⚠️ Note: Removing system packages through ADB This can cause a loss of warranty or build-up of the device when critical components are removed. Always check the description of the package before removing it!

After the ADB procedure, it is recommended to restart the device, the ads should disappear completely, including pop-ups in standard applications, but remember that when reset to the factory settings, all changes will be canceled and the procedure will have to be repeated.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)