Modern Xiaomi smartphones are famous for their value for money ratio, but users are often annoyed by intrusive marketing built into the shell of MIUI or the new HyperOS. Banners can appear in standard applications, when unlocking the screen or even while using third-party software. This is not just visual noise, but a system feature that developers have turned on by default to monetize inexpensive devices.
Fortunately, there are many effective ways to eliminate this irritant completely without having to get a Root-right. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to turn off advertising in system components, block ad servers through DNS settings, and remove banners from popular applications.
You don't have to be a skilled programmer to clean up the interface, and all of the methods described below are validated on current firmware versions and don't require complex hardware, and the key is to follow each step of the instruction so that no advertising source is active.
Disabling system advertising in security settings
The first and most important step is to deactivate the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which is responsible for downloading and displaying advertising content on the system. Without disabling this component, all other settings may not be effective, as the system will constantly try to get new banners from the manufacturer's servers.
You first go to the smartphone settings menu and find the password and security section, and there's a key switch that controls the ad recommendations, and then you go to Access Data, and in the app list that opens, you find msa, and you turn off the web access slider.
⚠️ Attention: When trying to disconnect MSA The system can show a window several times asking you to wait 10 seconds before confirming. This is an artificial delay designed to make the user abandon their intentions. Just wait for the timer to end and press OK».
Once you have disabled network access for msa, it is also recommended to deny Internet access to other analytics-related system services. In the same Data Access menu, find the MIUI Daemon and Analytics app if they are on the list, and also disable data transfer for them. This will prevent you from collecting statistics about your activities.
☑️ Checking the ad-off
The effectiveness of this method is that you block the communication channel between the phone and the ad server, and even if an application tries to download a banner, it can't do it without the permission to use the mobile Internet or Wi-Fi, which you just took from the system process.
Customization of personalized recommendations in the system
In addition to the MSA service, there is a separate mechanism called Recommendations in the MIUI and HyperOS shell, which is responsible for the appearance of advertising carousels on the desktop, in folders and in the lock menu, and disabling this feature returns the interface to its original, clean look.
To remove ads, go to Settings and in the search bar at the top, type in the word “advertising” or “recommendations.” The system will itself suggest the desired menu item, usually called Advertising Services or Personalized Recommendations. When you enter this section, you will see the main switchboard, which you need to translate to the “Open” position.
- 📱 Turn off personalization of advertising in global system settings.
- 🔒 Prohibit the use of advertising ID for targeting.
- 🗑️ Clear the data of advertising services through the application menu.
It’s also worth checking the settings of specific widgets. For example, the Glance widget often broadcasts advertising images on the lock screen. To turn it off, go to Settings → Always on screen and lock → Wallpaper Carousel and select No or turn off the feature completely.
It's important to understand the difference between personalization and the presence of advertising itself. Even if you turn off personalization, the ad units may remain, but become less relevant. So it's critical to find the Get Recommendations switch in each system application, which we'll discuss below.
Cleaning up from advertising system applications
Ads are built into almost every standard Xiaomi app, and to get comfortable, you have to go through each and manually turn off the recommendation display, which takes a few minutes, but it's worth it.
Start with Explorer. Open it, click on the menu (three bars) and select Settings. Find About or Receive recommendations and turn it off. Similar situation with the Music app: go to settings, find the Advanced Settings section, and uncheck the box from Show Ads.
The Topics app is where ads are most common. Open the app, go to profile (human icon), then to Settings. Here you need to find the Show Ads switch and deactivate it, and you should also disable Auto Themes to avoid unexpected interface changes.
| Annex | The path to settings | What to turn off |
|---|---|---|
| Security | Settings (cogs) → Get recommendations | Receive recommendations |
| Downloads. | Three points → Settings → About the service | Receive recommendations |
| Cleanup | Settings (cogs) → Get recommendations | Receive recommendations |
| Mi video | Profile → Settings → General | Online recommendations |
Don't forget to check Calendar and Task Manager. In Calendar, you need to go to the settings and turn off "Get Subscription Recommendations," and Task Manager, you have a similar setting, and after you do that, the interface will be much cleaner.