How to permanently remove ads on Xiaomi Mi 9: 7 working ways

Xiaomi Mi 9 smartphone owners often face intrusive system advertising that appears in the settings menu, on the lock screen and even in standard applications. Despite the fact that MIUI offers rich functionality, integrated advertising modules can significantly spoil the user experience, especially in global and Chinese firmware, where advertising is built-in at the system level.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can disable ads on the Xiaomi Mi 9, from basic MIUI settings to radical ADB and custom firmware methods. You’ll learn how to remove ads without root rights, which apps are responsible for displaying banners, and what to do if ads return after an update. Importantly, some methods require caution, as improper actions can lead to a loss of warranty or unstable device operation.

Why is there an advertisement on Xiaomi Mi 9?

Advertising in MIUI is part of Xiaomi’s business model, which allows the company to reduce the cost of smartphones through affiliate programs.

📱 System applications: MIUI System Ads, Msa (Mobile Services Framework), Analytics.
🔧 Settings menu: banners in the section "Recommendations", "Subjects", "Security".
🔒 Lock screen: Advertising notifications and partner widgets (e.g. AliExpress or local services).
📦 Standard utilities: "Weather", "Music", "Files", "Browser".

Chinese firmware has a much higher advertising profile than global firmware (EEA/EU) because it targets the local market with aggressive monetization, but even on European versions of MIUI, ads can be displayed after updates or resets.

⚠️ Note: Some methods of disabling advertising (for example, removing system ads) APK through ADB) Xiaomi services, such as cloud storage or contact sync, may be disrupted. Backup to Settings before making changes → Additionally. → Backup.

Method 1: Disabling Advertising in MIUI Settings

The safest and most official method is to use the built-in MIUI options, which are suitable for users who do not want to risk the stability of the system.

Steps to shut down:

Go to Settings → Xiaomi account.
Select Advertising (or Personalized Ad Recommendations in English).
Turn off the slider Personalized advertising.
Go back to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
Find the Msa app (or MIUI System Ads), open its settings and turn off Show Notifications.

This method removes most of the ads, but does not guarantee 100% results – some banners may remain in the themes menu or on the lock screen.

Disable personalized ads in your Xiaomi | account

Remove permissions from the Msa| app

Disable notifications from MIUI System Ads|

Reboot your phone to apply changes-->

Method 2: Removing Advertising Services through ADB

If system settings don’t work, you can remove ad modules using Android Debug Bridge (ADB).This method does not require root rights, but will require connecting the phone to your computer.

Instructions:

Activate Developer Mode on Xiaomi Mi 9: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times on the MIUI version until the notification "You are a developer" appears.

USB debugging

Settings → Additional → For Developers

ADB-tools

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


adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.xiaomi.midrop




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




adb shell pm hide com.android.browser

These commands remove the main advertising services and the MIUI browser, which often displays banners.

⚠️ Note: Removing com.miui.analytics may disrupt phone usage statistics, but will not affect basic features.If you have problems with updates after deleting, restore the application with the command: adb shell cmd package install-existing com.miui.analytics

Banners in settings |

Advertising on the lock screen |

Notifications from system applications |

Advertising in standard utilities (Weather, Music)|All options.-->

Method 3: Using third-party utilities (without root)

If ADB seems complicated, you can use specialized ad-blocking apps.The best options for Xiaomi Mi 9 are:

🛡️ Blokada – Blocks Advertising Domains at Level DNS. It does not require ruts, but may conflict with VPN.
🚫 AdGuard filters traffic and removes banners in apps. There's a free version with restrictions.
🔍 App Inspector – helps you find hidden advertising modules in the system APK.

Example of Blokada setup:

Download the app from the official website (not from Google Play!).
Activate. VPN-module in the Blokada settings.
Select the EasyList + EasyPrivacy lock list.
Manually add domains: tracker.miui.com data.mistat.xiaomi.com sdkconfig.ad.xiaomi.com

These utilities block up to 90% of ads, but can slow the Internet speed and conflict with banking applications.

💡

Before installing third-party blockers, check if your bank or messenger is using it (for example, SberBank Online or WhatsApp) VPN-In that case, add these applications to the blocker exceptions.

Method 4: Switching to custom firmware (for advanced)

If you are willing to take drastic measures, installing custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience) will completely remove all MIUI advertising modules.

🔓 Unlocked bootloader (violates warranty!).
📥 Established TWRP Recovery.
🛠️ Experience with firmware (risk of “bricking” the phone).

Step-by-step:

Unlock bootloader through the official Xiaomi tool (requires an account and wait 7-30 days).
Install TWRP for Mi 9 (model cepheus) via fastboot: fastboot flash recovery twrp.img fastboot boot twrp.img
Download LineageOS 20 (Android 13) from the official website.
In TWRP, run Wipe → Advanced Wipe (select Dalvik, System, Data, Cache).
Install firmware and GApps (if you need Google services).

Firmware	Android version	Pluses	Cons
LineageOS	13	Clean Android, no ads, regular updates	No MIUI chips (for example, themes), camera bugs are possible
Pixel Experience	13	Google Pixel-like interface optimized for performance	Less customization than in LineageOS
Xiaomi.eu	14 (MIUI)	It retains all MIUI features, but without advertising	Unofficial firmware, there may be problems with OTA-update

⚠️ Note: After installing custom firmware, you can not return the official MIUI The return will require a full flashing through the Mi Flash Tool with the unlocked bootloader.

Method 5: Disabling Advertising through Hosts Editing

Another effective method is to block ad domains through a hosts file, which works without root rights, but requires the use of ADB or specialized applications.

Instructions:

Download the current hosts file (select the option with ad blocking).
Connect Xiaomi Mi 9 to PC and execute the command: adb push hosts /sdcard/
Install the Hosts Go app from Google Play.
In the application, select Import from file and specify the path to the downloaded file.
Activate the lock in the application settings.

This method blocks ads at the DNS level, but it can conflict with some apps (e.g. YouTube or TikTok).

What if the hosts file is reset after rebooting?

If the ad blocker disappears after the reboot, the system restores the standard hosts. Solutions: 1. Use the Hosts Go application with the option "Reset Protection". 2. Install Magisk and the Systemless Hosts module (requires root). 3. Replace hosts through ADB after each MIUI update.

Method 6: Resetting the phone to factory settings

If the ad appears after updating or installing third-party apps, a full reset can help, which will delete all user data, but return the system to its original state.

How to perform the reset:

Create a backup of important data (photos, contacts, messages).
Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
Choose Delete all data and confirm the action.
After the reboot, do not restore data from the MIUI backup – this can return advertising modules.

After the reset, immediately disable personalized ads in your Xiaomi account settings and do not install suspicious apps.

⚠️ Note: On Chinese firmware, resetting can return all ad modules to their original state. ADB-Removal of services (Method 2).

💡

Factory reset is a last resort, and use it if other methods have not worked, or if the phone has become unstable after experimenting with the settings.

Method 7: Alternative launchers and shells

If the ads mostly appear on the home screen or in the app menu, you can install a third-party launcher.The best options for Xiaomi Mi 9:

🌐 Nova Launcher – flexible setup, no advertising, gesture support.
🔄 Lawnchair – open launcher with an interface like Google Pixel.
⚡ Hyperion Launcher – Optimized for performance, minimalist design.

After installation:

Assign the new launcher as standard in the application settings.
Disable the MIUI system launcher: adb shell pm hide com.miui.home
Configure to hide unnecessary system widgets (e.g., “Recommendations”).

This will not remove the ads completely, but will significantly reduce their visibility in everyday use.

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing ads on Xiaomi Mi 9

❓ Why After Updating MIUI commercials return?

MIUI updates often restore remote ad modules. To avoid this: Before updating, back up your list of blocked domains (if you use hosts or Blokada). After updating, re-run ADB commands to delete com.miui.systemAdSolution and com.miui.analytics. Disable automatic MIUI updates in Settings → About Phone → System Update.

❓ Can you remove advertising without a computer?

Yes, but with limitations. Use: Blocking apps (Blokada, AdGuard), Manually disabling notifications from Msa and MIUI System Ads, changing the launcher to Nova Launcher or Lawnchair, however, to completely remove system advertising services will require ADB or root.

❓ Are Ad Blockers Harming the Battery?

Third-party blockers (e.g. Blokada or AdGuard) run via VPN, which can increase battery consumption by 5-15%.To minimize the impact: Turn off the blocker when it is not needed (e.g. at night); Use "low power mode" in the blocker settings; select applications with optimized power consumption (e.g. AdGuard consumes less than Blokada).

❓ How to Check Which Apps Show Ads?

To find sources of advertising: Install App Inspector from Google Play. Open the app and go to the Running Apps tab. View the list of active processes - look for names like com.miui.systemAdSolution, com.xiaomi.midrop, com.miui.analytics. ADB-Adb shell dumpsys package | grep "com.miui"

❓ Is it legal to remove Xiaomi advertising modules?

Legally: Disabling personalized advertising in settings is allowed – this is the official MIUI option. Removing system APKs through ADB does not violate the law, but can be considered a violation of Xiaomi’s license agreement (risk of loss of warranty). Using custom firmware is allowed, but deprives of the right to official support. In most countries, modifying your own device is not punishable by law, unless it affects the rights of third parties (for example, bypassing DRM).