How to remove news on Xiaomi: disabling advertising in MIUI and HyperOS

Owners of modern smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO often face intrusive content, which the system offers by default. After updating the firmware or when the device is first turned on, the user may find that the swipe to the left opens the news aggregator feed, and the browser displays recommendations that are not relevant to the search query. This is part of the MIUI ecosystem and the new HyperOS, aimed at retaining the user’s attention, but for many it becomes a source of irritation and unnecessary traffic.

Fortunately, developers have left the ability to fully deactivate these features, returning the device to a minimalist and clean look. Turning off the news feed does not require root rights or complex software, just carefully examine the settings of specific applications. In this article, we will analyze in detail every news source, from the widget on the home screen to the system browser and security application.

The process of cleaning the interface may vary slightly depending on the shell version and regional firmware. The switch is in an obvious place somewhere, and you need to search through additional menus. We will look at the current ways for the most common versions of MIUI 12, 13, 14 and the latest HyperOS, so you can tailor the instructions to your gadget.

Disabling the news feed on the desktop

The most prominent source of noise is the Cards or Google Discover widget, which appears when you swipe to the left of the first screen, which is embedded in the launcher and activated by default, and you need to go to the desktop settings to remove it, not the general settings of the smartphone.

Press the blank area of the screen or pinch the two fingers to go into editing mode. In the lower right corner (or top, depending on the version), find the Settings button or gear icon, and that's where the switch that displays the left screen with news is hidden.

• 📱 Open the desktop editing menu with a long tap or pinch.
• ⚙️ Click on the Settings icon in the corner of the screen.
• 🚫 Find the item “News Feed”, “Cards” or “Google Discover” and turn it off.

Once you turn off, swipe left will stop calling the news feed, and you will immediately be taken to the first desktop. If you have a global firmware version installed, there may be a Google feed that you can also turn off in the same menu by selecting No or No Ribbon.

Cleaning up the Mi Browser browser from recommendations

Xiaomi's standard browser is often the main source of advertising, as it is set to display the news feed on the homepage by default. Even if you rarely use it, it can consume resources in the background. To turn it into a pure surfing tool, you need to change several settings in its settings.

Open the Browser app and click on three dots or profile icons in the bottom menu. Go to Settings. Here you are interested in the Home Page or News Feed. Different versions of the shell may call this item differently, but the essence is one: find the source of the content and turn it off.

⚠️ Note: In some versions of the browser, to completely disappear news, you may need not only to turn off the switch, but also to clear the app cache through the smartphone settings.

It’s also worth checking the Privacy and Security section inside the browser, which often hides the option “Receive notifications” or “Personalized recommendations,” and disabling these features will prevent pop-ups with sensational headlines.

If you prefer minimalism, consider setting up a “Empty” or “Classic” homepage, which ensures that when you start up, the browser won’t load heavy graphical blocks with news, which is especially true with slow mobile internet.

Setting up the Security Application

The Security system application is another hidden channel for delivering advertising content. The Explorer tab or the recommendations section within the cleaning application often contains articles and videos that the system considers useful. You can remove them, but the path to settings is less obvious here.

Run the Security app and find the gear icon in the top right corner, which is the input to the settings of the app itself, not the system. Scroll down to Get Recommendations or Advertising Notifications, and the switch is likely to be active by default.

Once you have turned off the ads in the settings, return to the home screen of the Security app. If you still see the news feed, try pinching the news area with your finger or finding the Remove/Hide button in the corner of the widget. Some versions of MIUI require additional confirmation through a pop-up.

Removal of Mi Video and Mi Music widget

Xiaomi’s multimedia apps, such as Mi Video and Mi Music, are also prone to aggressive content promotion, and their launch screens often feature a “Recommended You” feed, which is effectively a news feed with trailers and clips, which can be removed in two ways: by completely removing the apps or disabling the feature in their settings.

If you don't use standard players, the easiest way is to delete them. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find Mi Video or Mi Music and click Delete. This won't affect your personal files, they will remain in memory and will be opened through other players.

If you can't delete it (apps are system-based and don't delete it), go to their settings. Usually, the gear icon is in the user profile or in the three-dot menu. Look for "Online Services," "Show online content," or "Recommendment Tape," and disabling this option will make the application interface empty and functional.

Global System Advertising Disconnection (MSA)

For advanced users who want to remove not only news, but also advertising identifiers, there is a service MSA (MIUI System Ads), disabling this system component significantly reduces the amount of pop-up ads in embedded applications, although it does not remove news feeds completely.

Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Data Access. Search for “msa” (or “MIUI Daemon” in some versions) in the app list and deny him access to Wi-Fi and mobile data. The system will warn you that this may affect work, but for the average user the consequences are not noticeable.

Also, disable ad personalization. In the Passwords and Security menu, look for Advertising Services or Privacy → Advertising IDs. You need to turn off Personalized Ads and, if possible, reset your advertising ID.

• 🔒 Go to password and security settings.
• 📡 Find the “msa” app in data access and turn off the internet.
• 📉 Turn off personalization of ads in the corresponding menu.

⚠️ Attention: When disconnected MSA The system may request confirmation of the action several times, claiming that it is dangerous, and insist on your choice and wait for the timer (usually 10 seconds) to expire to the Stop button becomes active.

Specificity of the new shell HyperOS

With HyperOS, Xiaomi began to change the structure of menus and the names of some items. Logic remained the same, but the visual design and location of the switches changed. In the new shell, more attention is paid to widgets that can be completely removed from desktops.

In HyperOS, newsfeed is often integrated into an About Me widget or widget center, and to remove it, (long-pressing) from the blank space of the screen, select Add widgets or Settings of widgets, where you can control the visibility of information blocks.

HyperOS also has a more subtle setup of the ad blocker in the built-in browser, which can now automatically hide elements on pages that are defined as banner ads, making reading news online more comfortable without the need to install third-party blockers.

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Use the “Ad-free” theme or minimalist themes from the Themes store, which often have hidden disablement settings for system widgets.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

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Complete cleaning of the Xiaomi interface requires a comprehensive approach: setting up the launcher, browser, security applications and system advertising services.