How to permanently remove ads on the screen lock Xiaomi: proven methods

Ads on Xiaomi’s lock screen are one of the most annoying features of MIUI firmware, which the manufacturer stubbornly refuses to remove even in new versions. Pop-up banners with games, promotions and offers not only spoil the look, but can also slow down the unlock of a smartphone by 0.3-0.8 seconds – critical for those who are used to using the phone quickly. Worse, standard settings often hide the options of disabling or return ads after updates.

In this article, we will look at all the current ways to remove ads, from official (via the settings menu) to radical (using ADB and third-party utilities). The methods are tested on the Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12, POCO F5 and other models with MIUI 12-14, including global and Chinese versions of firmware. If you are tired of intrusive banners, read on and choose the appropriate option.

Why does Xiaomi display ads on the screen lock?

Xiaomi officially describes advertising as “personalized recommendations,” but it’s actually part of its monetization strategy.

• 💰 Partner revenue: banners bring in millions of dollars annually (according to Xiaomi reports for 2022-2023).
• 🌍 Regional differences: China has less advertising (due to local laws), and more in global firmware.
• 📱 MIUI Advertising is integrated into system applications (com.miui.systemAdSolution, com.xiaomi.midrop).
• 🔄 Updates: After firmware updates, ad settings may be reset.

Interestingly, even flagship models (Xiaomi 14 Ultra, MIX Fold 3) are not immune to advertising – its availability depends not on the price of the device, but on the version of MIUI and the region. For example, in European firmware banners are less common than in Indian or Russian.

Method 1: Disconnect via standard MIUI settings

The safest method is to use built-in system options, which is suitable for most models, but may not work on Chinese firmware (China ROM) or older versions of MIUI (below 12.5).

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings → Lock screen.
2. Switch to Additional Settings (or Lock Screen Settings in new versions).
3. Find the Recommendations item on the lock screen (or Personalized Recommendations) and turn off the slider.
4. Go back and check the Notifications section on the lock screen, which may also be hiding ads under the guise of “important messages.”

If there is no recommendation, try an alternative path:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search, type msa (this is the system application com.miui.systemAdSolution).
3. Open its settings and turn off autostart, and remove permissions to show notifications.

Important: Some firmware (Redmi 9A, POCO M3) may lose weather or calendar on the lock screen after the ad is turned off. This is normal – widgets are tied to the same system process.

Method 2: Using ADB to Deep Shut Down

If standard settings don't work, you'll have to plug in ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires a computer, but it's guaranteed to remove ads at the system level, and it even works on China ROM.

Step-by-step:

1. Download Google’s Platform Tools and unpack it into a 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, open the command line in the adb folder and do:

adb shell pm hide com.miui.systemAdSolution


adb shell pm hide com.xiaomi.midrop




adb shell pm hide com.android.browser # to block ads in the browser

After the reboot, the ads will disappear. To get it back, replace hide with unhide.

⚠️ Note: On some models (Xiaomi) 12T, Redmi K50) After the pm hide command, system notifications (for example, low battery charge) may disappear:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.systemAdSolution

Method 3: Installation of third-party launchers

If you don't want to go through the settings, you can just replace the standard lock screen with an alternative one.

• 📱 Nova Launcher + Sesame Lock Screen (Payable solution with flexible configuration).
• 🔒 AcDisplay – Minimalist lock screen without ads.
• 🌈 Always On Edge – for devices with Always-On Display (e.g. Xiaomi 13).
• 🛡️ LockScreen by AppLocker – Blocks System Banners.

The downside of the method: third-party launchers can increase battery consumption by 5-10% (according to GSMArena tests), but you will get not only a clean screen, but also additional features like fast access to applications or customization of wallpaper.

Example of settings:

1. Install Nova Launcher from Google Play.
2. Download the Sesame Lock Screen module (requires administrator rights).
3. In Nova settings, select Lock Screen → Sesame.
4. Turn off the system screen in Settings → Security → Lock screen → Style (select “No”).

💡

Before installing a third-party launcher, back up your lock screen settings through Settings → Additional → Backup. This will help you quickly get everything back if something goes wrong.

Method 4: Manual removal of system applications (root)

For advanced users who are ready to get root rights, there is a radical method – removing advertising modules directly, which is the most effective way, but also the most risky: wrong actions can lead to a “brick” (breakdown) of a smartphone.

What needs to be done:

1. Unlock the bootloader through the official Xiaomi website (requires an account binding Mi).
2. Install custom recovery (TWRP) and get root through Magisk.
3. With Root Explorer or ADB, delete the folders: /system/priv-app/SystemAdSolution/system/app/MiuiDaemon
4. Reset the device.

Advantages of the method:

• ✅ Advertising disappears forever, even after updates.
• ✅ The system is speeded up (released to 100-150 MB of RAM).
• ✅ You can remove other unnecessary applications (Mi Video, Mi Music).

⚠️ Attention: On models with Dynamic RAM Expansion (Xiaomi 12S Ultra, Redmi K60) Deleting system files can cause errors in virtual memory.Before the procedure, disable this function in Settings → Additionally. → Memory.

Method 5: Alternative firmware (Custom ROM)

If you're willing to go to extreme lengths, you can completely replace MIUI with custom firmware without advertising.

• 🌍 Pixel Experience – Pure Android with Google Updates.
• ⚡ LineageOS - lightweight and stable firmware.
• 🔥 ArrowOS – with advanced privacy settings.
• 📱 Xiaomi.eu – modified MIUI without advertising (only for Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO).

Installation process:

1. Unlock the bootloader (as in method 4).
2. Install TWRP or OrangeFox Recovery.
3. Download the firmware from the official website (for example, Pixel Experience).
4. In recovery, make Wipe. → Format Data, then go through it. ZIP-firmware.

Pros:

• 🚀 No advertising at all (including system applications).
• 🔄 Regular security updates.
• 🛡️ More control over permits.

Cons:

• ⚠️ Loss of warranty (if the device is under warranty).
• 📵 There may be problems with the camera or NFC (on some models).
• 🔋 Reduced Autonomy Time by 10-15%.

💡

Custom ROM is the only way to get rid of ads forever, but is only suitable for power users. For beginners, it's better to use ADB or third-party launchers.

What if the advertisements returned after the update?

System updates to MIUI often reset ad settings to avoid:

1. Turn off automatic updates: Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → ⚙️ → Auto-update (off)
2. Use the update blocker via ADB: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.updater
3. Install App Ops (requires ADB) and block com.miui.systemAdSolution.

If the ad did show up:

• 🔄 Repeat the steps from Method 1 or 2.
• 📥 Check if a new app has been installed (Mi Browser, GetApps are often updated automatically).
• 🛡️ Use Blokada or AdGuard to block ad domains (ad.mi.com, tracker.ai.xiaomi.com).

FAQ: Frequent questions about advertising on Xiaomi