How to remove ads on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face intrusive ads that appear in system applications.This is a fee for the affordable cost of devices, but many users prefer to get rid of visual noise. Modern shells MIUI and HyperOS provide built-in mechanisms to minimize marketing impact, but they are often hidden in the depths of the menu or scattered in different sections.

Turning off ads completely doesn't require root rights or complex reflashing. You just need to go through the settings of each system component that is responsible for displaying content. Advertising ID is a key tracking tool, and resetting or disabling it is the first step to cleanliness of the interface. It's important to understand that some changes may affect the performance of personalized recommendations, but for most users this will not become critical.

In this guide, we will look at all the current ways to block unwanted content on current firmware versions. We will touch on the settings of MSA, system applications, browser and even hidden developer parameters. Xiaomi periodically changes the location of items, so the instructions are compiled with the latest interface updates.

MSA Disconnection: The Main Source of Advertising

The main source of system advertising is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which is responsible for loading and displaying banners in standard utilities. To block it, you need to find the appropriate item in the application management menu. Note that the system will insist on leaving the service on, offering discounts or coupons.

The shutdown process requires care, because the deactivation button only becomes active after the countdown timer has expired, so that the user does not accidentally abandon the ad integrations. If you are determined to clean the system, follow the algorithm:

• 📱 Go to Settings and select Password and Security.
• 📱 Find the access to personal data (or "Special permissions" option»).
• 📱 In the list, find the msa service and switch the switch to an inactive state.
• 📱 Wait until the countdown is completed (usually 10 seconds) and confirm the action with the Access recall button.

If you fail to turn off the service the first time, try to repeat the procedure 3-4 times. Sometimes the company's servers may be temporarily unavailable, which causes an error when trying to revoke permissions. After successful disabling of the MSA, the number of pop-ups should be drastically reduced.

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If the "Revocation" button is inactive even after the timer, turn off the internet (Wi-Fi and mobile data) and try again. This often bypasses the server check.

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The MSA service is not removed completely, but stopping it blocks the download of new advertising modules to system applications.

Set up personalization and advertising ID

In addition to the MSA service, the ad-targeting function is an ad ID that allows the company's algorithms to analyze your actions and select relevant ads, which makes ads less personalized, but doesn't completely eliminate them, but when combined with other methods, it produces tangible results.

To manage these parameters, you need to go to the security and privacy section, where you can not only disable personalization, but also completely reset your current identifier, which is the equivalent of installing a new device for advertising networks.

• 🔒 Open Settings and go to Password and Security.
• 🔒 Select Privacy and scroll down to the Advertising Services section.
• 🔒 Turn off the option of Advertising Personalization.
• 🔒 Click Reset Advertising Identifier to generate new code.

Also worth checking is Mi Account settings. User profiles often retain permissions to receive recommendations. Go to your Mi Account settings, select "Mi Credit" or "Mi Video" (if installed), and turn off autoload videos and personalized recommendations in the respective menus.

Removing Advertising in System Applications

Even after the MSA is disabled, some embedded apps can continue to display banners unless their individual settings are ticked off. Explorer, Cleanup, Music and Themes are the main candidates for validation.

Start with the Security and Cleanup app. Often, the ads appear immediately after the system scan is completed. To fix this, open the app, click on the settings gear in the upper right corner and find Receive recommendations. Put it inactive. Similar actions must be repeated for the Music app (the Mine tab → settings → advanced settings) and Themes (profile → settings).

The Explorer deserves special attention, and in it, the advertisements can appear as news cards on the start screen.

1. Open the Explorer app.
2. Click on the menu (three bars) and select Settings.
3. Go to the About section of the app.
4. Find and disable the option to receive recommendations.

Cleaning the Mi Browser browser and applications News

Xiaomi’s standard browser and the Mi Video/Mi News app are among the most aggressive sources of content, often bringing news feeds and promotional material to the home screen or as notifications, and thankfully, they can be turned into minimalist tools.

In the News app (often with a colored letter or Mi logo icon), you click on the profile avatar or three dots in the corner, go to the settings and find the Content Settings section. You should turn off all the switches related to personalization and push notifications. If you don't need the application, it's easiest to delete or hide it in the folder.

For the Mi Browser browser, the procedure looks like this:

• 🌐 Launch your browser and click on three dots (menu).
• 🌐 Go to Settings. → Main page settings.
• 🌐 Turn off the news feed or recommendations option.
• 🌐 In the "Notifications" section, prohibit the display of promotional materials.

It is also recommended to install a third-party browser (such as Chrome, Firefox or Brave) that does not have built-in advertising from the smartphone manufacturer, and make it the default application for opening links.

⚠️ Attention: News can disguise itself as a system process. If you try to delete or disable the system can warn you of possible instability. Ignore these warnings, the phone will not suffer from the functionality of the phone.

Blocking Advertising Through DNS (Method for Advanced Advertising)

The most effective way to remove ads not only in apps, but also in games and browsers is to use a private DNS filtered, which redirects requests to ad servers to nowhere, preventing content from loading, and it works at the network connection level.

You don’t need third-party apps to implement this method. Android (since version 9) has a built-in “Private DNS” feature. One of the most popular and reliable servers is AdGuard DNS. It is free for personal use and does not require the installation of additional software.

Instructions for setting:

1. Open the phone settings.
2. Go to Connect and Sharing (or “Additional Features”/Wi-Fi) section.
3. Find the Private DNS (Private DNS) option.
4. Select the DNS Host Name (manual) mode.
5. In the input field, please write the address: dns.adguard.com
6. Save the settings.

After settings are applied, it is recommended to restart the smartphone, if the Internet is lost, then the address is entered with an error or the server is temporarily unavailable. DNS in "Auto" mode. DNS-Filtering may slightly increase network response time, but for most users it will remain invisible.

Disabling notifications and push services

Often, ads don't come in the form of banners inside apps, but as intrusive push notifications in the curtain. The source can be both system services and installed games. There is a notification management center to control this flow of data.

Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification management. Go through the app list. Pay special attention to apps with names like Xiaomi Service, Mi Store, GetApps. In their settings, turn off Marketing Notifications, Recommendations, and Activity categories.

You should also turn off the automatic creation of folders on the desktop, where the system dumps new applications. This is done in the desktop settings: Settings → Desktop → remove the tick from the item Create folders automatically.

⚠️ Note: If you disable notifications for system services (such as Mi Store), you will no longer receive information about app updates. Periodically check for updates manually through GetApps or Google Play.

Remember that some apps may ask permission to show notifications when you first start. Always read pop-ups carefully and choose “Disallow” if the application is not a messenger or email client.

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The comprehensive approach (disabling MSA + DNS + application settings) allows you to remove 95-99% of all advertising in the Xiaomi system.