How to permanently disable pop-up chats and ads on Xiaomi

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face an intrusive situation: while using the device, a window suddenly appears with the suggestion to “get a coupon”, “check security” or “install an application” These are so-called pop-up chats that are part of the company’s aggressive marketing policy, which overlap the work interface, interfere with reading and annoy users accustomed to pure Android.

Fortunately, MIUI and the new HyperOS provide flexible tools to control these processes, so you don't have to be a programmer to remove visual noise, but you just have to go through multiple settings menus in sequence to block the source of the MSA (MIUI System Ads) and other system services responsible for displaying advertising content.

In this article, we will take a look at all the possible ways to fix the problem. We will look at both standard methods through privacy settings and more advanced options for power users. Completely disabling the MSA service is a key step to getting rid of 90% of system advertising. Follow the instructions carefully to make your gadget comfortable.

The Nature of Advertising Windows and System Notifications

Understanding where advertising comes from helps you fight it better. There are several sources in the Xiaomi ecosystem that can generate pop-ups, most commonly built-in system applications like Security, Explorer, Music or Downloads, which have their own recommendation settings that are enabled by default.

Another source is what's called push notifications from pre-installed services, which can come even when the application is closed, and users often confuse them with viruses, but in fact, it's a legal, if very unpleasant, way to monetize devices, and the company subsidizes the cost of iron by showing ads.

Also worth mentioning are third-party apps that can masquerade as system processes. If you installed some kind of “memory cleaner” or “battery accelerator” from the Play Market, it can generate its own pop-up chats. It’s important to be able to distinguish MIUI system ads from third-party malware.

MSA Disconnection: The Main Source of Advertising

MSA (MIUI System Ads) is the primary system process for collecting user data and displaying banner ads in the interface, and disabling it is the most effective way to combat intrusive marketing. However, Xiaomi has made this process more difficult by adding a waiting timer and additional confirmations.

To access the service, you need to go to your account settings. Find Settings → Passwords and Security → Access to Personal Data. In the list that opens, find the msa line. The switch next to it needs to deactivate. The system will alert you to the consequences and start a countdown of 10 seconds.

When the time has expired, click the "Revoke" button. It is important to know that this may not work the first time. Often there is an error "failed to withdraw consent." In this case, just repeat the procedure 2-3 times in a row. Usually, on 3-4 attempts, the server misses the request and the service will stop.

⚠️ Attention: After disconnection MSA Some personalization features may not work properly, such as the theme of the design may be reset to the standard, and the smart recommendations in the music service will disappear.

Setup of system applications: Security and Explorer

Even after the global MSA service is disabled, individual applications can continue to show recommendations if their internal settings activate the appropriate item. The first thing to do is check the Security app. This is a system tool that scans the device and often suggests that you speed up the phone while showing ads.

Open the Security app, click on the settings gear in the top right corner, find the "Get recommendations" item and turn it off, and look inside the app's settings for "Clean up" and remove the "Get recommendations" box from the "Get recommendations" box, which will remove banner ads from the memory cleanup process.

A similar procedure is required for the Explorer app, go to its settings (usually through the O menu or three dots), find the Settings section, and turn off the Receive Recommendations option, which will prevent pop-ups from appearing when viewing files.

💡

If you can’t find “Get recommendations,” try switching your smartphone region to a country where advertising is prohibited by law, such as the Netherlands or Germany, which often hides unnecessary menu items.

Also, be sure to check the downloads settings, which often shows a pop-up prompting you to install another app immediately after you download the file. In the bootloader settings, turn off the “Show recommended content” option.

Managing Notifications and Blocking Push Messages

Sometimes the ads come in the form of regular notifications in the curtain, which, when clicked, open the browser or app store. To stop this flow, you need to manage notification rights for each suspicious application. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification management.

Here's a complete list of apps that can display information on the screen. Go through the list and look at system services like Mi Video, Mi Music, Apps, Themes, and you can customize behaviors in detail for each of them, allowing only important notifications or disabling everything.

Pay special attention to the application “Get feedback” (MAB), which is often used to collect statistics, but can also serve as a channel for advertising. boldly turn off notifications for all services that have the words “Analytics”, “Feedback” or “MSA” in the name.

Limiting Advertising Identifier and Personalization

To make the ads less intrusive and less targeted (based on your interests), you need to reset the advertising ID, which won't take away the ads completely, but will make them random and less sticky.

Go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Privacy → Advertising Services. You need to activate the “Disable Ad Personalization” switch. Immediately after that, click “Reset Ad ID.” The system will create a new random number and your profile will be cleared.

Also in this section, check the settings for "Special Opportunities." Sometimes ad modules use screen availability to render over other windows, and if you see an unknown app with access rights, you better turn it off.

⚠️ Note: Resetting the advertising ID is not a one-time procedure. For maximum effect, it is recommended to perform this reset periodically, for example, once a month, especially if you notice an increase in pop-ups.

Blocking Advertising through DNS (Advanced Method)

If standard methods have not completely eliminated pop-up chats, you can use a network-level lock. DNS over HTTPS or using a private DNS allows you to filter traffic and block requests to known ad servers.

In your smartphone settings, find Connection and Sharing → Private DNS. Select DNS Host Name and enter the address of a trusted ad blocker. One of the most popular and effective is dns.adguard.com.

dns.adguard.com

Once you save your settings, the phone may need to reboot or reconnect to the Wi-Fi/mobile network, a method that blocks ads not only in system applications, but also in the browser, as well as in many games and free apps.

💡

Using a private DNS (AdGuard) is the most radical and effective method of combating pop-up ads, which works at the device level, not at the individual application level.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)