Xiaomi smartphones have long proven to be great value for money, but users are often annoyed by intrusive advertising. Especially unpleasant when banners or offers appear directly on the lock screen, preventing quick access to notifications and time. This problem is relevant for most MIUI and HyperOS shells, since the built-in services are set to display content by default.
Fortunately, the system provides flexible customization tools that allow you to completely clean the interface of unnecessary visual noise. You do not need to have superuser rights or reflash the device to achieve the desired result. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to remove ads on the Xiaomi lock screen using standard settings and system applications.
It's important to understand that the display mechanisms may vary slightly depending on the version of the operating system and the region selected when first turned on. However, the basic principles remain the same: find and disable the appropriate switches in the personalization and security menu. Let's move on to a detailed discussion of the algorithm of actions.
Disabling the “Recommendations” function in screen settings
The main source of advertising carousels and offers on a locked screen is a feature called “Recommendations” or “Wallpaper Carousel”, which is the service that loads pictures with news and advertising instead of static images. To start fighting for a clean screen, you should go to the basic settings of your smartphone.
Find the look section that's called "Always on screen and lock screen" or just "lock screen" on different versions of the firmware. Inside this menu, you'll need to find a item related to the carousel or recommendations, often called the wallpaper carousel or lock screen recommendations.
Once you go to the menu, you'll see a switch that activates the display of content, which needs to be put in an inactive position, and the system can warn you that the functionality will be limited, but to achieve the goal of removing ads, this must be done.
- 📱 Open Settings and go to the Lock Screen section.
- 🚫 Find the wallpaper carousel and turn off the tumbler.
- 🔄 If there is a item Get recommendations, also uncheck it.
- 💾 Check the result by blocking the screen with the power button.
☑️ Checking screen settings
It’s worth noting that in some regions, such as India or Indonesia, the menu may look different, and if you don’t find the items listed, try changing the region in your smartphone settings to “Russia” or “Germany”, where the default number of ads is minimal.
Setting up the “Security” application and cleaning the cache
Another source of pop-ups and banners is the System Security app, which has its own recommendation settings, which are often duplicated on the lock screen or appear immediately after unlocking, and this component needs to be “cleaned” to completely fix the problem.
Open the Security app, which usually has a green shield icon. Click on the gear icon in the upper right corner to get into the settings. Here you are interested in the "Get recommendations" section. Disable this option to stop the app from loading advertising content.
⚠️ Warning: After disabling the recommendations in the Security app, be sure to clear its cache.This will remove the already downloaded banner ads that may be displayed from memory.
To clear the cache, go to your phone's settings, select "Apps," search in the "Security" (or Security) list, and click "Clear Data" -> "Clear Cache." This action is secure and won't delete your personal files or the Quarantine virus base.
Also, in the Security settings, check the Virus Status option, and if it has the option to “Get definition updates” enabled, leave it as it is security, but make sure that related options like “Recommendations” are turned off.
Managing Permits for MSA System Services
The MSA acronym hides MIUI System Ads, a system service that delivers ads in the entire shell, and although it rarely displays banners directly on the lock screen, its activity provokes advertising in other places, which together creates a sense of “clutter” of the system.
To limit its impact, find the MSA app in the installed program list, go to Permissions and turn off Internet access (Wi-Fi and mobile data), and without network access, the service will not be able to download new advertising modules.
In addition, in the MSA app itself (if it runs) or in the Ads & Privacy section of the phone’s general settings, you can revoke consent to receive personalized ads, which will not remove the ads completely, but will make them less intrusive and more random.
- 🔍 In the search for settings enter MSA and go to the app.
- 📡 Disable network access at the Permission point.
- 📉 Find Advertising and Privacy in General Settings.
- ✅ Turn off the option of Advertising Personalization.
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If the system requires a password when trying to disable the MSA, wait 10 seconds and press "Disable" again. Sometimes you need to repeat the action 2-3 times before the service agrees to disconnect.
Therefore, it is recommended to periodically check its status or use the more radical methods described below, if standard ones do not help.
Change of region and language settings
Xiaomi’s advertising policy is highly dependent on the geographic region specified in the settings. In countries like India, ad integration is built in as deeply as possible. Changing the region to European or Russian often allows you to automatically disable many aggressive marketing functions.
Go to Settings -> Additional -> Region. Select a country, for example, Russia, Germany or the United States. After changing region, the phone may need to reboot or simply apply new profile settings.
In some cases, changing the language of the system also helps: switching from Russian to English (USA) and back again can shake up system services and reset some advertising identifiers, although this is less effective than changing the region.
| Region | Advertising level | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| India | High-pitched | Not recommended |
| Russia | Medium/Low | Optimally. |
| Germany | Low. | Recommended |
| USA | Medium. | Permissible. |
After changing the region, be sure to recheck the lock screen settings, as some menu items may have been renamed or reappeared with new default values.
Use of third-party launchers and themes
If built-in methods fail to completely get rid of advertising elements, you can resort to installing a third-party launcher. Launcher is a shell that replaces the standard desktop and lock screen with an alternative one.
Popular launchers like Nova Launcher, Microsoft Launcher or Smart Launcher completely ignore the system settings of the MIUI lock screen, offering their own, clean interface. Once such an application is installed and assigned to its main, Xiaomi's standard lock screen will cease to display.
However, it is worth considering that third-party launchers can consume more battery resources and do not always integrate perfectly with the system gestures, and they do not replace the lock screen for calls or alarms, since these functions remain at the system level.
⚠️ Note: When installing a third-party launcher, give it all the necessary permissions, otherwise it may not earn correctly or constantly offer to return to the standard launcher.
You can also try changing the theme to completely black or minimalist through the Themes app, and sometimes the ad units are part of a specific theme, and simply changing the design to standard or third-party solves the problem.
Additional Personalization Settings
The latest versions of HyperOS and MIUI 14 have added additional personalization layers that may also include ad modules, and it is recommended to check the Personalization section in the general settings of the phone.
Often hidden are switches for Recommended Content, Popular Apps, and other services that upload data from the Internet, which not only remove ads, but can also have a positive impact on interface speed and autonomy.
Don't forget to also look at the widget settings. If you have News or Hot Theme widgets installed on your lock screen or desktop, they're also sources of ad traffic. Remove them or replace them with static watch and weather widgets.
What to do if the advertisement returns?
A comprehensive approach, including disabling recommendations, changing the region and limiting the rights of system services, guarantees almost complete absence of advertising in your smartphone.
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The combination of disabling MSA, changing region and clearing the security app cache gives a 99% guarantee of removing ads.