Xiaomi smartphone users often face intrusive marketing that is built into the shell of MIUI. Owners of the Redmi 8 Pro, despite the budget of the device, deserve a clean interface without unnecessary visual noise. Advertising can appear in the most unexpected places, from folders on the desktop to system applications.
In this article, we will discuss proven methods to completely get rid of banner ads and pop-ups. We will touch on both standard system settings and more advanced ways to lock through the DNS. This will allow you to use your smartphone with maximum comfort, without being distracted by offers to install the next game or buy goods.
It's worth noting that aggressive marketing is a fee for the affordable price of a device, but it can and should be turned off.The process does not require super-user rights (root) and is safe to guarantee. Below are steps to completely clean up the Redmi 8 Pro system of advertising debris.
Disabling the MSA system advertising service
The main source of intrusive offers is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) system application, which is responsible for collecting data about your preferences and showing relevant advertising in the interface, and to stop this activity, you need to find the appropriate item in the authorization settings.
Go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Authorization & Review. In the list that opens, find msa and put the switch to an inactive state. The system will warn you of the consequences, suggesting that you wait 10 seconds, after which you press the recall button.
⚠️ Warning: The recall button may be inactive on the first attempt. If it does, just wait a few seconds and try again. 2-3 Once the system allows you to disconnect the service.
After successful authorization revocation, background data transfer for advertising purposes will cease, but for the changes to take effect, it is recommended that the device be fully restarted, an action that is fundamental to all subsequent privacy settings.
☑️ Checking the shutdown MSA
It is important to understand that disabling the MSA does not remove the application completely, as it is system-based, but blocks its functionality by displaying ads. In some versions of MIUI, the name of the process may differ slightly, but the search logic remains the same - the authorization section.
Advertising parameters in the system
In addition to the main service, Xiaomi has a separate switch to get personalized recommendations, and even if the MSA is disabled, this option can continue to collect data for analytics, and it must be manually deactivated to achieve full results.
To do this, follow the Settings path → Passwords & Security → Privacy → Advertising Services. Here you will see the option “Get recommendations.” Make sure the slider is turned off. This will prevent the system from using your data for targeted advertising.
It’s also worth checking the settings for specific system applications that are often screwed by pop-ups, such as Explorer, Music and Video, each with its own settings menu, where “Get recommendations” or “Show ads” are often hidden.
- 📂 In the Explorer application, go to the settings and turn off "Recommendations».
- 🎵 In Music, go to the settings. → «Advanced settings» → Remove the box from “Show advertising».
- 🎬 In the video (Mi Video) click on the profile → setting → Turn off “Online Recommendations” and “Autostart Video».
This detail is necessary because each application in the MIUI ecosystem functions as a separate module with its own monetization rules, and the global MSA shutdown does not always overlap local settings within these programs.
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Check system application updates periodically, and after a major MIUI update, the ad settings may reset and you will have to repeat the procedure.
Removing Advertising in Standard Applications
The standard Mi Browser browser and the Security app are the most common sources of pop-ups when you unlock your screen or clear your memory. Security often displays ads after you finish scanning.
To remove banners in Security, open the app, click on the settings gear in the top right corner, and find "Get recommendations." Disable it. You can also turn off notifications from this app in the general system settings if they annoy you.
In Mi Browser, the situation is similar. Go to your browser settings, select Privacy & Security, and turn off ad personalization. A more radical but effective method would be to install an alternative browser, such as Chrome or Firefox, and remove the standard one, if the Redmi 8 Pro model allows you to do so without losing functionality.
| Annex | The path to adjustment | What to turn off |
|---|---|---|
| Security | Settings (cogs) | Receive recommendations |
| Downloads. | Three points → Settings | Show recommended files |
| Topics | Profile → Settings | Showing Advertising, Auto Update |
| Music. | Settings → Additional | Showing ads |
Why is the ad coming back?
Remember that the Themes app is also a powerful source of visual noise, and you can turn off auto-update and personalized recommendations in its settings, which will significantly clean up the design store interface.
Blocking Advertising Through DNS
The most effective method that works at the network level is using a private DNS. This method allows you to block advertising requests even before they reach your Redmi 8 Pro.
Go to Settings → Connection & Sharing → Private DNS (in some versions of MIUI, the path can be Settings → Wi-Fi → Private DNS). Select the DNS Host Name (or Manual) mode and enter the address:
dns.adguard.comOnce you enter the address, save the settings. Now all traffic going through known ad servers will be blocked, not only for Xiaomi system advertising, but also for banners in the browser and some applications.
⚠️ Attention: Use of third-party DNS It can cause some applications that are tightly tied to ad trackers to fail. If you notice problems with certain programs, just return the settings. DNS auto-mode».
The advantage of the DNS method is that it does not load the phone processor, unlike the application-blockers. the battery of the Redmi 8 Pro will be more economical, and the speed of the Internet will not suffer, since the lock is at the request level.
It’s worth noting that this method doesn’t block ads inside YouTube or Instagram apps, as it loads from the same domains as useful content, but for system advertising and web banners, it’s the perfect solution.
Cleaning Up Notifications and Push-Up
Users often confuse system advertising with intrusive notifications from installed applications. Vibration and beeps can be as annoying as banners. Notification management in MIUI allows you to flexibly configure which apps have the right to disturb the user.
Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Application Notifications. This is a complete list of all installed programs. Go through the list and turn off notifications for those applications that you do not care about: games, stores, news aggregators.
Pay special attention to the section “Advertising Notices”: newer versions of MIUI have a feature that automatically flags suspicious notifications as promotional and hides them, and make sure that this feature is activated in the notification settings.
- 🔕 Disable notifications for the system application MIUI Daemon, unless it is used for debugging.
- 🛍️ Block notifications from stores like AliExpress or Amazon if you don’t expect delivery right now.
- 📰 Desktop news widgets are often a source of debris.Remove them or disable them in the widget settings.
There is also a hidden Notification Frequency setting that allows you to limit the number of pop-ups from one app per hour, which is useful for instant messengers that don’t require an instant response.
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Controlling notifications is not only a convenience, but also a significant battery saving, as the screen lights up less often.
Regularly reviewing installed apps will help identify the “culprits” of pop-up ads. If the ads appear while you are on the desktop, chances are culprit is some newly installed free application with aggressive monetization.
Radical methods and resetting settings
If none of the above methods worked and the ads continue to appear, it is possible that an ad virus or unwanted software has penetrated the system, in which case a deeper cleaning is required, the first step is to search for suspicious applications without an icon or with strange names.
Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Study the list carefully. Look for apps without a name or with a shell icon. Often viruses disguise themselves as system processes. If you find one, delete it immediately.
In the extreme case, when the virus is deeply integrated or the settings are critically confused, a full reset to factory settings will help.Be sure to back up important data before that, as all information from the phone will be deleted.
Settings → About the phone → Reset settings → Erase all dataAfter reset, take your time to restore all applications from the backup at once. First set up the system, turn off the ads as instructed above, and only then install the necessary programs, which ensures the system is clean.
⚠️ Warning: Resetting to factory settings will delete all your photos, contacts and files. Make sure you have an up-to-date copy of the data in the cloud or on your computer before starting the procedure.
Remember, the Redmi 8 Pro is a device with certain characteristics, and overloading the system with unnecessary background advertising processes can significantly slow down its operation.