Xiaomi smartphone owners often face an obsession with the system to upgrade on its own. For the Redmi 7A, which is based on the Snapdragon 625 processor, this can be a serious problem. Newer versions of the MIUI shell often prove too heavy for the iron of the past, leading to reduced performance and rapid battery discharge.
Users want to keep the firmware stable, where the device runs fast and smoothly. However, the MIUI Updater system is set to automatically load and install packets by default. If you don't take action, the phone can restart itself at night and you'll find a braking interface in the morning.
In this article, we will discuss all the available ways to block updates, learn how to disable notifications, block system services, and even block access to Xiaomi servers at the router or host level, which will allow you to fully control the software of your gadget.
Why you should limit automatic updates to Redmi 7A
Modern versions of Android and the MIUI shell are increasingly resource-intensive. Redmi 7A was released in 2019, and its hardware is no longer up to date with new builds. Forced installation of new software can turn a responsive smartphone into a slow device.
In addition, new firmware versions often include ad modules or change the logic of energy saving. Many users note that after an upgrade, the battery starts to drain much faster. Disabling auto updates is the only way to guarantee the current stable build of the system without risk of degradation.
Another important aspect is the loss of rights to Root or unlocked bootloader. Automatic update can "patch" security holes that are used to modify the system, or even lock the device if the bootloader was unlocked in a non-standard way.
Basic setup via developer menu and notifications
The first step to controlling the system is to turn off visual notifications and check the developer's settings. It doesn't give you a 100% guarantee, but it reduces the chance of an accidental installation. Go to Settings → About Phone and find the version of MIUI.
Click the shell icon 7-10 times in a row until you see the words "You're a developer." Then you'll see a new option in the settings menu called "Additional" or "Extended Settings" and you'll find the "Developer" section.
Inside the developer menu, scroll down to Auto Update System. Make sure the switch is off. You should also turn off the "Update over Wi-Fi" option if it's present separately.
☑️ Basic system setup
Next, remove the annoying notifications. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Find System Update (or MIUI bootloader) on the list. Go to Notifications and uncheck all ticks. Now the system will not be able to bother you.
Disabling Updater and bootloader system services
The deeper method involves forcing the system processes that load packets to stop, and it requires caution because it affects system components, and you'll need access to application management.
Open Settings → Applications → All Apps. In the upper right corner, click on three dots and select Show System Processes. In the list that appears, look for Updater and bootloader.
For each of them, do the following: click Stop, then Clear the data and Clear the cache. After that, go to the Permissions (or Other Permits) section and deny access to the network, files and autorun.
⚠️ Attention: After the smartphone reboot MIUI This method is effective as a temporary measure or in combination with other blocking methods.
If you have a superuser (Root) right, you can use the Freezer or Titanium Backup app to freeze those components completely, and normally, the system will try to run them, but without the network permissions, the process will be interrupted.
What does Updater data cleanup do?
Blocking through hosts and DNS (Advanced Method)
The most reliable software method is to block the phone from accessing Xiaomi update servers, using a hosts file that redirects requests to nowhere, and editing this file will require root rights or ADB mode.
The essence of the method is to add strings that link the domain names of the update servers to the local address 127.0.0.1. The phone will think that the server is inside it, and the connection will not take place.
- 📱 update.miui.com – the main check server
- 📱 update.intl.miui.com – International server
- 📱 http.ovpn.miui.com – an auxiliary service
- 📱 api.ad.xiaomi.com – promotional tracks updates
If you have Root access, use a file manager with system permissions (such as Root Explorer). Open the file /system/etc/hosts and add the above lines to the end of the file. Save the changes and restart the device.
In case of absence of root rights, you can use the application DNS Changer or set up DNS in Android 9 settings+. Give me an address. DNS-servers that filter ads and trackers (e.g. dns.adguard.com) will also block the way to servers. MIUI.
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Use the Hosts Editor app to safely edit the hosts system file without the risk of damaging the text structure manually.
Using ADB to disable components
The Android Debug Bridge (ADB) method allows you to disable system applications without obtaining root permissions, a safe way, since applications are not deleted, but only “freeze” for the current user.
To start, turn on USB debugging in the Developer Menu. Connect your phone to your computer with a cable. On your PC, open the command line in the ADB folder and enter a command to check the connection:
adb devicesOn the screen of the smartphone will request debugging permission — press OK. After successful connection, execute the command to disable the update service:
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.updaterIf the command is successful, the System Update app will disappear from the installed list or become inactive. To return everything back, use the pm command instead of the disable-user command.
| ADB Team Team | Action. | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| pm disable-user...updater | Disables the update app | Low. |
| pm clear...updater | Clears the data and cache | No. |
| pm uninstall...updater | Removes it for the current user | Medium. |
| pm enable...updater | Turns the app back on | No. |
Blocking at the router level
If you don’t want to make changes to the phone itself, you can block access to Xiaomi servers at the home router level, which will prevent you from downloading updates while the phone is connected to your Wi-Fi network.
Go to the router settings (usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1).Look for Parental Control, URL Filter or Blacklist. Add the update server domains (the list is in the hosts file section) to the blacklist.
Now, when connected to a home network, Redmi 7A simply cannot reach the version-check server, which is the perfect way for those who are afraid to get into the system files of the phone.
⚠️ Note: This method only works within your home network. 4G/5G The lock is removed and the phone can be updated.
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The combination of methods (ADB + DNS) gives you almost 100% guarantee that the Redmi 7A will remain on the current firmware version forever.
Possible problems and solutions
Sometimes, after all the manipulations, the phone may again start offering an update, this happens when the user accidentally clears the data of the Google Play Services application or resets the network settings, in which case the verification process is restarted.
If you notice that the update icon has reappeared, repeat the Updater stop procedure, and check if the system components of Google Play Services themselves have updated, which can initiate version checks of other applications.
In rare cases, only a complete network reset helps. Go to Settings → Advanced Settings → Restore and Reset → Reset your Wi-Fi, mobile Internet and Bluetooth settings. This will not affect your personal data, but will update your network configurations.