Owners of budget and mid-budget smartphones of the Chinese brand often face intrusive banner ads in system applications. This is a fee for the affordable cost of the device, but Xiaomi provides users with tools to disable most of them. It is difficult to completely get rid of all banners, but it is quite possible to minimize their number to an acceptable level.
Advertising integrations are built into the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS at a deep level, often masquerading as system notifications or recommendations. To effectively combat them, you need to consistently go through key settings and disable personalization in each system application. Ignoring these settings will lead to advertising debris continuing to appear in folders, when you unlock the screen and in the standard browser.
In this guide, we will not only discuss standard methods through the smartphone menu, but also more advanced methods, including blocking through DNS and disabling system services, which will allow you to make using your smartphone comfortable and safe, eliminating accidental clicks on links and collecting data about your preferences.
⚠️ Warning: Before making changes to system settings or disabling services, make sure you understand the consequences of your actions. Disabling critical system processes can lead to unstable interface performance.
MSA Disconnection: The Main Source of Advertising
The main engine of the advertising system in Xiaomi devices is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which is responsible for loading and displaying banners in standard utilities. To remove ads, the first thing you need to do is find and deactivate this component in the authorization and security menu.
Go to your phone settings, select Passwords and Security, and find Access to Personal Data. From the app list that opens, find msa and put the switch to an inactive state, and the system will alert you that some features may be compromised, and start a countdown of 10 seconds.
After the timer has expired, press the Stop button. It is important to understand that the service may not turn off the first time due to software errors or process "protection." If the switch returns to its original position, repeat the procedure 3-4 times in a row until successful completion.
- 📱 Open "Settings» → «Passwords and security».
- 🔒 Go to “Access to Personal Data».
- 🛑 Find the msa list and turn off access.
- ⏳ Wait for the timer to end and confirm the action.
After the MSA is turned off, the number of ads in the system will be significantly reduced, but banners will remain in specific applications that require separate configuration, a step that is fundamental to cleaning the interface.
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The MSA service is responsible for system advertising, but not for ad tracks in the browser or third-party applications, so this step alone is not enough to completely clean up.
Setup of system applications: Security, Downloads, Cleanup
Even after the main service is disabled, individual utilities can continue to show recommendations and news. Each standard application has its own Receive References switch, which must be deactivated manually.
Open the Security app, click on the gear in the top right corner to enter the settings, find the Receive References item and turn it off, and you can remove unnecessary virus or optimization notifications that are often advertising-related.
Then go to the Downloads app. Click three dots in the corner of the screen, select Settings, and find the Recommended Content section. Translate the slider to Off. Similar steps must be repeated for the Cleaner app if it is placed in a separate module in your firmware version.
- 🛡️ In “Security” turn off “Get recommendations».
- 📥 In Downloads, remove the tick from Show Recommended Content».
- 🧹 In “Cleaning” find and deactivate a similar item in the settings.
- 📂 In the “Conductor” also check the settings for the presence of a paragraph about recommendations.
Keep in mind that the interfaces of different versions of MIUI may differ, but the logic remains the same: look for the gear settings within each system application and look for the words “recommendations” or “news”.
Why is the ad coming back?
Removing Advertising in a Standard Browser
The built-in Mi Browser (or just Xiaomi’s “Browser”) is one of the most aggressive sources of ad traffic. Not only does it show banners on the homepage, it can also embed ads into news feeds. To turn it into a surfing tool without too much noise, follow these steps.
Launch your browser and go to the menu by clicking on three bars or dots. Select Settings, then Privacy and Security. Here you need to find Ads and switch the Ads Slider to Off. It is also recommended to disable ad personalization.
Additionally, you should clear the widgets from the start page. In the browser settings, find the Home Page or Appearance section and select the Classic option or simply disable the display of news and popular sites. This will make the browser launch instant and clean.
If you use this browser all the time, it makes sense to also enable a built-in ad blocker if such an option is available in your version, or install an extension to block trackers.
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Consider an alternative: instead of setting up a regular browser, it’s easier to install Chrome, Firefox or Brave, which by default do not contain advertising integrations from the smartphone manufacturer.
Blocking Advertising through DNS (Private DNS)
The most effective method that works globally for all applications and browsers is to set up a private one. DNS-This method redirects requests to ad servers to nowhere, blocking the loading of banners at the network level.
To implement this method, go to “Settings» → «Connection and Sharing (or Advanced Settings in older versions) Find the "Private" option. DNS» (Private DNS). Select the mode "Host Name of the provider" DNS» and enter the address of a special server, for example, dns.adguard.com.
Save your settings. Now all your device traffic will be filtered, and you'll notice that ads are missing not only in system applications, but in many games and third-party programs, but be careful: if that server stops working, the Internet on your phone may go missing.
dns.adguard.comIf you have a connection problem, just return your DNS settings to Auto or Off mode, which is safe and reversible at any time.
☑️ Checking the settings DNS
Table: Comparison of blocking methods
To make it easier for you to navigate your methods, we have prepared a summary table that will help you choose the best cleaning strategy depending on your goals and level of training.
| Method | Efficiency | Difficulty | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSA shutdown | Tall. | Low. | Minimum |
| Set-up of applications | Medium | Medium | Absent. |
| Private DNS | Maximum | Low. | Depends on the server. |
| ADB team | Maximum | Tall. | It requires caution. |
As you can see from the table, the combination of disabling MSA and using a private DNS gives the best result with minimal effort.Using ADB requires a computer connection and having certain skills.
Advanced Level: Removal via ADB
For users who want to achieve perfect system cleanliness, there is a method of removing advertising components through USB debugging and a computer, which allows you to physically remove the packets responsible for advertising from the system.
You'll need to turn on developer mode, activate USB debugging, and install ADB drivers on your PC. Once you've connected your phone, command to remove com.miui.misys or other ad modules. Be extremely careful: removing the wrong packages can lead to a device building.
This method is not recommended for beginners, as it requires an accurate knowledge of packet names for your particular Redmi or POCO model.
- 💻 Connect your phone to a PC with installed ADB.
- 🔌 Enter the adb shell command to access the shell.
- 🗑️ Use the command pm uninstall -k --user 0.
- 🔄 Restart the device to apply changes.
Remember that after resetting to factory settings, components removed through ADB may return, as they are part of the system image.
⚠️ Attention: Use ADB There are risks to the commands, removing the system components necessary for the shell to work. MIUI/HyperOS, This can cause a cyclical reboot of the phone.