How to turn off ads on Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro: the full guide

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face intrusive marketing that is built right into the MIUI shell. The Redmi Note 9 Pro, despite its excellent features, is no exception to the rule. The system periodically displays banner ads in standard applications, folders and even system notifications. This is not a bug, but a feature of the MSA service (MIUI System Ads), which is activated by default.

Fortunately, you can remove annoying banners without getting super-user permissions or flashing the device. The process requires care, because the settings are scattered across different menus. The key is to turn off the MSA system service, not just shutting down notifications from specific applications. If you skip this step, the ads will come back again.

In this article, we will take a look at each step of clearing your system of marketing content, and we will go through security, personalization and system applications settings, and by following the instructions, you will make your Redmi Note 9 Pro comfortable and clean.

Disabling the MSA system service

The most important step is to deactivate the main module that is responsible for displaying ads, which has a complex system of protection against disconnection, so you need to act consistently. First you need to find a component in the list of applications.

Go to the Settings menu, then select the App. Next, click All Apps. In the upper right corner of the screen is the magnifier icon or three dots — click on them and select Show System Apps. In the list that opens, find an app called msa.

Click on the service name to open its properties, and here you will find the first surprise: the "Disable" button will be inactive for the first 10 seconds, an artificial delay designed to prevent an important system component from accidentally shutting down.

When the timer runs out, the button will be active. Press it. The system will give you a warning that some functions may be disrupted. Ignore it and confirm the action. But it doesn't end there.

⚠️ Attention: When you try to shut down, you may see a pop-up asking you to wait 10 seconds or refuse. If you press "Refuse", the process will stop. You have to wait for the countdown to finish and press "Disable" again».

Often, the first time you turn off the MSA, the system will say, "Failed to turn off." This is normal behavior of the MIUI shell. Just repeat the shutdown procedure 3-5 times in a row until you have a message about successful deactivation.

Security setting and cleaning

Once the core module is disabled, you should go through the built-in utilities that also broadcast advertising content, and the first thing to do is to go with the Security app, which is deeply integrated into the system and often offers "useful" recommendations.

Open the Security app. Click the gear icon in the top right corner to enter the settings. Find Receive recommendations and put the switch inactive, which will remove the promotional offers in the main virus scanner window.

Then go back to the main menu of the Security app. There's a Cleanup feature. Click on it, then go to the Cleanup settings (usually the gear icon or three dots), find the Receive recommendations option and turn it off as well.

Remember to check the Memory Acceleration section inside the same app. Often there's a recommendation switch hidden there too. In Redmi Note 9 Pro, these settings can be set up in different tabs, so carefully study all the menus with a tripod.

• 🛡️ Open the Security app through the shield icon.
• ⚙️ Click on the gear settings in the corner of the screen.
• 🚫 Find and turn off the switchboard "Get recommendations».
• 🧹 Go to the “Cleanup” and there also disable the recommendations.

Removing Advertising in Standard Apps

Xiaomi’s standard suite of programs (Conductor, Music, Downloads, Themes) also contains built-in banners, and disabling ads requires a customized approach for each application.

Start with Explorer. Open it, click on the menu (three bars) and select Settings. Find About or Get References and turn it off. In some versions of MIUI, this item is hidden in the About sub-menu.

Go to the Music app. Open the player, click on the menu and select Settings. In the "More" section or immediately in the list, find the "Show Ads" item. Uncheck it. It's also worth turning off "Recommendations" in the "Tape" section.

Downloads is also a bit of an intrusive app. Open it, click three dots in the corner, and select Settings. Find the option to Show Recommended Content and deactivate it, which will remove banners from the main download page.

Disabling personalized advertising in the system

MIUI collects data about your activities to create an advertising profile, and disabling this feature will not only increase privacy, but also remove some of the targeted ads.

Go to the general smartphone settings. Scroll down to Password and Security. In this section, look for the "Access to Personal Data" or "Privacy" subsection.

You need to find Advertising Services. Click on it. A window will open where the Personal Advertising switch will be activated. Turn it off. This action will reset your advertising ID.

Ibid., under Password and Security, look for Authorization and Restore. Search the system services list for msa and disable authorization for it, which will create an additional barrier to running ad modules.

• 🔒 Go to “Password and Security” in the settings.
• 📉 Find the section "Advertising Services».
• ❌ Turn off the option of “Personal Advertising».
• 🔄 Reset the advertising ID if such a button is available.

Cleaning the desktop and folders

One of the most annoying features of the Redmi Note 9 Pro is the ads inside the folders on the desktop, and when you open the app folder, you can see recommendations for installing games or programs at the bottom.

To remove this, open any folder on your desktop. Click on the folder name (to enter title editing mode) or just open it. In some launcher versions, you click on three dots inside the open folder and select "Folder settings."

In the menu that opens, find the Recommended switch. Turn it off. Then the banners at the bottom of the folders disappear. If you have a Wallpaper Carousel widget, it's also better to remove or disable it in the lock screen settings, as it is a source of constant traffic and advertising.

Also, check the settings of the desktop itself. Press and hold your finger on the blank spot of the screen, select Settings. Scroll down and make sure that all items related to Guidelines or Tape are disabled.

⚠️ Note: After the system update, folder settings may get lost. Check this item periodically, especially after major updates. MIUI.

Blocking Advertising in Mi Browser

Xiaomi’s standard browser is known for its aggressive policy of displaying news and advertising, and if you use it, you need to change the settings inside the app itself.

Open Mi Browser. Click on the bottom menu button (three bars) and select Settings. Find the Privacy and Security section.

In this section, activate the Ad Blocker switch, which is a built-in feature that cuts banners on websites quite efficiently. Also, in the main browser settings, find the "Get recommendations" item and turn it off to clear the news feed.

For a deeper cleaning of your browser settings, go to the Notifications section and prevent notifications from all sites. This will prevent pop-ups from various resources.

💡

Instead of a standard Mi Browser browser, it is better to install third-party solutions such as Chrome, Firefox or Brave, which do not have built-in Xiaomi system advertising and better protect privacy.

Summary table of actions

For convenience, all the necessary steps to disable ads on the Redmi Note 9 Pro are summarized in a single table.

💡

Complete removal of advertising requires a comprehensive approach: you can not just disable one service, you need to check the settings of each system application separately.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)