Home screen Xiaomi pop-up ads: how to remove forever

You just unlocked the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5 Pro, and the front screen is already getting in the way of annoying banners with games, credits or “beneficial” offers? It’s no coincidence that ads are built into the MIUI brand shell at the system level. Even after resetting or installing blockers, it comes back in a few days. In this article, we will analyze all possible sources of advertising on Xiaomi and how to turn them off, from standard settings to hidden features for power users.

To make matters worse, the manufacturer is actively monetizing its shell, and in recent versions of MIUI 14/15, the ad modules have become even more aggressive, masquerading as system notifications, weather widgets or even app icons, and we tested all methods on current models (2022-2026) and selected only working solutions - without "advice" like "buy a premium version."

Why Advertising Appears on Xiaomi’s Home Screen

In 90% of cases, the source of advertising is built-in MIUI services that cannot be removed by standard means.

• 📱 Launcher MIUI — The main screen with the application icons, which is sewn up with ad units that are downloaded from Xiaomi servers.
• 🌍 Weather widget – even if you haven’t installed it, it can be automatically added when you update your system.
• 🔄 Recommendations (com.miui.systemAdSolution) – analyzes your actions and shows “personalized” banners.
• 📦 Pre-installed apps (Mi Browser, Mi Video, GetApps) – even if you don’t use them, they work in the background.

Interestingly, the European version of MIUI (EEA) has less advertising due to local data protection laws, and if your smartphone is purchased in Russia or Asia, the probability of banners appearing is 3-4 times higher, and the ads are activated after:

• 🔄 Updates to the system (especially before the MIUI 14+).
• 📥 Install applications from GetApps or third-party sources.
• 🔧 Resetting settings to factory (advertising modules return with firmware).

⚠️ Note: If the ad appears even in a locked state (on the lock screen), it is a sign of a virus or a fake application, in which case the standard methods will not help - a full diagnosis of the system is required.

Method 1: Disabling Advertising in MIUI Settings

So, to start with, the simplest one is the built-in shell options, and even if they don't completely eliminate ads, 70 percent of users will be able to cut the amount of ads.

Go to Settings → Password & Security → Autostart and turn off Autostart for the following applications:

• Mi Browser (com.android.browser)
• GetApps (com.xiaomi.mipicks)
• Mi Video (com.miui.video)
• Cleaner (com.miui.cleanmaster)

Next, open Settings → Applications → Application Management and for each of the above:

1. Click on the three dots in the top corner → “Disable notifications”.
2. Select "Limit background activity."
3. In the "Rights" section, disable access to Warehouse, Contacts and Locations.

Now we move on to the launcher settings:

1. Click the empty space on the home screen → “Screen settings”.
2. Turn off the "Recommendations" option (or "Show suggestions" in new versions).
3. Remove the Weather widget (if any) – it often uploads ads under the guise of “useful information.”

Disable autostart for Mi Browser, GetApps, Mi Video|Bann notifications and background activity |Remove the Weather widget from the home screen |Disable "Recommendations" in the launcher settings-->

Method 2: Remove system applications (without root)

If the standard settings don’t work, you’ll have to manually remove the ad modules, and you don’t need root access, just the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) tool that’s part of the Android SDK.

First, turn on the USB debugging:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click on MIUI Version 7 times until the notification “You are a developer!” appears.
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Activate "Debugging by" USB" and “Unlocking” OEM".

Now connect your phone to your PC and execute commands in the command line (or Terminal on Mac/Linux):

adb shell


pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.systemAdSolution




pm uninstall --user 0 com.xiaomi.mipicks




pm uninstall --user 0 com.android.browser




pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.video




pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.cleanmaster




pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.weather2

These commands will only remove apps for your user (without affecting system files), so after the reboot, the ads will disappear. If a package is not deleted, skip it, which means that it is protected in your version of MIUI.

⚠️ Note: On some models (Xiaomi) 13T, Redmi K60) After such removal, the weather widget or other functions may disappear. If you need them, use alternative launchers (about them below).

Method 3: Use of an alternative launcher

If the ad is built into the MIUI launcher itself, the only radical way is to replace it with a third-party.

To install an alternative launcher:

1. Download it from Google Play (links in the table).
2. After installation, click Home and select the new launcher as Default.
3. In the new launcher settings, disable all options related to "recommendations" or "news".

Important: Even after the launcher changes, the ad can remain in the system notifications (curtain). To remove it there, go to Settings → Notifications → Additional → Advertising Notifications and turn off all switches.

Nova Launcher|Lawnchair|Hyperion|Microsoft Launcher|Standing on standard-->

Method 4: Blocking Advertising Through DNS

If the ad is downloaded from Xiaomi servers, it can be blocked at the network level by changing the DNS-It's not going to remove banners completely, but it's going to cut them by 40 to 60%.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Connections and Sharing → Private DNS.
2. Select "Private DNS Host Name".
3. Enter one of the addresses: dns.adguard.com (blocks ads and trackers) dns.nextdns.io (with setting the rules) 1.1.1.3 (Cloudflare with blocking malicious sites)

Save and restart the phone.

For more flexible customization, use the AdGuard app (not to be confused with the browser!):

1. Download AdGuard (free version is enough).
2. Enable "DNS Protection" in the settings.
3. Activate the filters: 🛡️ AdGuard Base filter 🛡️ AdGuard Mobile Ads filter 🛡️ EasyList China (specially for the MIUI)

⚠️ Attention: Change DNS This can cause problems with access to some Xiaomi services (such as Mi Cloud or Find Device).If after setting up the system functions stopped working, return the standard ones. DNS or add the domains api.mi.com and account.xiaomi.com to the exceptions of AdGuard.

Method 5: Manually delete advertising files (for advanced ones)

If you're willing to take risks, you can manually delete the files responsible for displaying ads, which requires root rights or access to TWRP (custom recovery).

First, back up important data, as careless actions can lead to bootloop ( looped download).

List of files and folders to delete (use Root Explorer or FX File Manager):

• /system/app/SystemAdSolution is the main advertising module.
• /system/priv-app/MiuiDaemon is an analytics service.
• /data/data/com.miui.systemAdSolution is a cache of banner ads.
• /system/media/theme/default/com.miui.home.launcher – templates with ads in the launcher.

After removal:

1. Clean the cache in Settings → Storage → Cleanup.
2. Reboot your phone to recovery mode and select "Wipe Cache Partition".
3. If the phone doesn’t boot, restore deleted files from the backup or reflash MIUI through the Mi Flash Tool.

💡

Before deleting system files, check if they are in your firmware. Some folders may be missing or have other names (for example, HyperOS uses MiuiAdService instead of SystemAdSolution).

Method 6: Flashing on custom firmware (extreme case)

If none of these methods worked, you'll have to replace the firmware completely with a non-advertising version.

• 📱 LineageOS – pure Android without unnecessary modules.
• 📱 Pixel Experience – firmware with Google Pixel functionality.
• 📱 Xiaomi.EU – modified MIUI without advertising (but with the risk of blocking the account).

Firmware process:

1. Unlock bootloader through the official Xiaomi tool (account binding is required).
2. Install TWRP for your model (instructions on XDA Developers).
3. Download the firmware from XDA or Xiaomi.eu.
4. Reboot to TWRP and execute "Wipe → Format Data" (this will delete all data!).
5. Install the firmware through Install and restart.

Warnings:

• ⚠️ Phone Warranty Burns After Unlocking Bootloader.
• ⚠️ Certain functions (e.g, NFC or IR-blaster) may not work properly.
• ⚠️ Xiaomi.EU firmware sometimes blocks Mi Accounts for “unofficial software".

💡

Firmware reflashing is the last chance to remove ads, but it is only suitable for power users. For most, there are only 1-4 ways from this article.

What to do if the advertisement is back

Even after all the manipulations, the adverts may reappear after the system update.

• 🔄 Turn off automatic updates MIUI In Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Three points. → Settings.
• 📵 Freeze system applications via App Quarantine (required) ADB).
• 🔍 Check your phone for viruses with Malwarebytes or Dr.Web Light.
• 🛡️ Use a firewall (such as NetGuard) to block access to ad domains (ad.mi.com, tracker.ai.xiaomi.com).

If ads appear in specific apps (such as Mi Browser or GetApps), remove them via ADB (as in Method 2) or replace them with analogues:

FAQ: Frequent questions about advertising on Xiaomi