How to permanently remove advertising on Xiaomi smartphones: system and hidden methods

Xiaomi smartphone owners regularly encounter one of the most annoying features of MIUI firmware, the annoying ads that appear in the settings menu, on the lock screen, in system applications and even in notification panels, and the problem is relevant for budget models (Redmi 9A, Poco M3) and for flagships (Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Mix Fold 3).

In this article, we'll look at all the ways you can remove ads, from basic MIUI settings to radical methods like disabling system services through ADB or installing custom firmware. It's important to understand that some methods require unlocking the bootloader or superuser rights, which can affect warranty. We'll highlight these cases separately. We'll start with the simplest and most secure solutions.

1. disable personalized advertising in MIUI settings

The first step is to deactivate the collection of data for targeted advertising, which will not remove all banners, but will reduce their number and make them less intrusive. MIUI 12–14:

1. Open Settings → Google → Advertising.
2. Click Reset Advertising ID and confirm the action.
3. Go back to the basic settings, find the Memory → Cleanup section.
4. Slap the icon. ⚙️ in the upper right corner and disable the Recommendations option.

Check your Mi Account settings:

• 🔍 Go to Settings. → Xiaomi account → Mi Cloud.
• 📱 Disable Data Synchronization and Personalization of Services.
• 🛡️ In the Privacy section, deactivate Personalized Recommendations.

Why doesn't it always work? Because Xiaomi uses multiple channels to display ads, some of the banners come through Google services (disables in the first paragraph), and some through Miui's own servers (requires additional action), if after this manipulation, the ads remain, move to the next section.

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After resetting the advertising ID, restart your smartphone – this will speed up the application of changes.

2. Manual disabling of advertising in system applications

Many of Xiaomi’s standard programs (Mi Browser, Mi Video, Music, Themes) have built-in ad modules, which can be turned off individually:

Important: Even after you turn off your settings, the Mi Browser app can still have a “news feed” advertisement on the home page, so to remove it, install a third-party browser (like Firefox or Kiwi Browser) and make it the default browser.

Another source of advertising is home screen widgets, remove all unnecessary widgets (weather, news, promotions) and replace them with minimalist alternatives, such as using AccuWeather or Yr.no instead of the standard Xiaomi weather widget.

Remove widgets from the main screen|Disable recommendations in Mi Browser|Deactivate Autoplay in Mi Video|Remove Notifications from Security App-->

3.Using ADB to Deeply Disable Advertising

If manual settings haven't helped, it's time to move on to more radical methods. - Android Debug Bridge (ADB) It allows you to disable the system components that are responsible for displaying ads, which does not require root, but requires a computer and a computer. USB-cable.

Instructions for Windows/macOS/Linux:

1. Download ADB Tools and unpack it into a separate folder.
2. On your smartphone, activate Developer Mode (7 times tap the MIUI version in Settings → About phone).
3. Enable USB debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
4. Connect your phone to your PC and type in the command line (in the folder with ADB):

adb devices

(Your device should appear. If not, install Xiaomi USB Drivers.)

adb shell pm hide com.miui.systemAdSolution

adb shell pm hide com.xiaomi.ab

These commands disable two key components responsible for integrating advertising into MIUI. Once executed, restart your smartphone. The effect will be noticeable in 5-10 minutes.

⚠️ Note: Disabling system packages through ADB This can cause some features to function unstable (such as registration themes or cloud backups).If you notice a failure, return it back to the adb shell pm uninstall command. -k --user 0 name(s) of the package (replace with the original name).

4. Removal of advertising through superuser rights (root)

If you're willing to take drastic measures, getting root rights will give you access to the complete removal of ad modules, which is suitable for advanced users, because:

• 🔓 Requires unlocking the bootloader (resets all data!).
• 🛡️ Cancellation of the guarantee (if it is still valid).
• 🔄 It can cause some features to fail (e.g. Mi Pay or Face Unlock).

To remove ads from root, use the AdAway or Blokada app (with Hosts enabled) which blocks ad domains at the system level, and the alternative is to manually delete packets via Titanium Backup or Root Explorer:

/system/priv-app/MiuiSystemAdSolution


/system/app/Analytics




/system/app/MiuiDaemon

Warning: Deleting system files without a backup can lead to bootloop (locked boot).Always create a backup through TWRP before making changes!

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Root rights give you maximum control over the system, but you need to be careful. For most users, the methods in Section 3 (ADB) are sufficient.

5. Installation of custom firmware without advertising

The most radical way to get rid of advertising is to reflash your smartphone on alternative firmware.

• 📱 LineageOS – “clean” Android without unnecessary add-ons.
• 🔄 Pixel Experience – firmware with Google Pixel interface.
• 🛡️ MIUI EU — modified MIUI Advertising-free and Chinese-based.

The installation process shall include:

1. Unlock the bootloader via Mi Unlock Tool (requires an account to be linked to Mi and wait 7-15 days).
2. Installation of custom TWRP Recovery.
3. Formatting data, system, cache sections.
4. The firmware of the selected build and GApps (if you need Google services).

Advantages of custom firmware:

• ✅ No advertising at the system level.
• ✅ Regular security updates.
• ✅ Ability to fine-tune the interface.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi features (e.g, IR Blaster for control equipment or Always-on Display may not work correctly on custom firmware. Before installing, check the compatibility of your model on the forum XDA Developers or 4PDA.

6. Alternative methods: VPNs and blockers

If you don't want to interfere with system files, you can block ad domains at the network level.

• 🌍 VPN Ad-blocking: AdGuard VPN, Proton VPN (with NetShield option, 1.1.1.1 from Cloudflare.
• 🛡️ Local Blockers: Blokada (works without root), DNS66 (changer DNS-server).
• 📡 Change of change DNS: Use it. 1.1.1.3 (Cloudflare Family or 94.140.14.14 (AdGuard DNS) customized Wi-Fi/mobile.

Example of AdGuard VPN configuration:

1. Download the app from Google Play.
2. Enable the option of blocking ads in the settings.
3. Select a server with minimal ping (e.g., Russia or Netherlands).
4. Activate a VPN and check for no ads in the Mi Browser or Security App.

The downside of this method is increased battery consumption (VPN runs in the background) and possible slowdown of the Internet on some sites, but it does not require any intervention in the system and is reversible.

7 What to do if the ad returns after the MIUI update

Xiaomi regularly releases updates that can restore disabled ad modules, if after the update banners appeared again:

1. Repeat the steps in Section 3 (disconnect via ADB).
2. Reverse to the previous version of MIUI (if the update brought more advertising than features).
3. Turn off automatic updates in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → ⚙️ → Auto-update.
4. Use the Mi Flash Tool to manually firmware the stable version (e.g. MIUI 13 instead of MIUI 14 if it has less advertising).

Follow the news on thematic forums – users often share information about “ad” updates. For example, in MIUI 14.0.4 for Redmi Note 11, many people noticed an increase in the number of banners in the Security App.

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Before updating MIUI, always read reviews on 4PDA or XDA to discuss hidden changes, including ad modules.

FAQ: Frequent questions about advertising on Xiaomi