Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face intrusive behavior of the MIUI operating system or the new HyperOS. Periodic notifications about the release of a new version of the firmware can be annoying, especially if you prefer the stability of the current build or fear the appearance of new bugs. The update system is designed to aggressively suggest the user to switch to the current version, sometimes even downloading the package in the background without the owner’s knowledge.
Complete and final disabling of updates requires a comprehensive approach, since this cannot be done using standard settings menu methods. You will have to use hidden developer menus, disable system downloaders and possibly change network settings. Below we will look at proven methods that will help you stop automatic downloading and installing packages.
Keep in mind that blocking updates deprives you of access to important security patches and new features. However, for power users who control the firmware process manually or use customized recavers, this step is a must. Let's take a step-by-step algorithm to completely isolate the smartphone from the update servers.
Disconnection through the menu "Advanced settings"
The first and easiest step, which is available to any user without obtaining root permissions, is in the menu of the Update application itself. The standard shutdown path in the general system settings does not work here, since the switch is often absent or hidden there. You need to open the Settings application, select About phone and click on the system version (for example, MIUI 14 or HyperOS 1.0).
In the update window that opens, you'll see the system logo, and in the top right corner of the screen, there's a three-dot menu, and if you click on it, you'll see "Update Options," which is where the key setting that many users are looking for is hidden, and you need to uncheck "Auto Update" (or "Download automatically"), which will prevent the system from downloading service packs over Wi-Fi in the background.
However, even after that check is removed, the system can continue to send notifications that the new version is ready to install, because checking for updates remains active, and to completely calm the system, you will need to perform additional steps to stop system services, which we will talk about in the next sections, so far you have only banned the background loading of heavy data packets.
⚠️ Note: Removing the Auto Update tick does not delete the installation file that has already been downloaded. If the system has managed to load the package before you take action, you will need to manually locate and delete the firmware file in the device's memory to free up space.
Stopping the Updater system application
To get deeper, you need to tap directly into the system application that controls the update process, which is called MIUI Updater, or simply System Update. It's hard to find in the standard application list because it's hidden, but you can access it through settings. Go to the Apps menu → All apps → click three dots in the corner → System applications.
In the list that appears, look for the Update (or MIUI Updater) option. Once inside, select the Remove Updates option. This action will roll back the update component to the factory version, removing any accumulated data or cache. Next, click Stop. This will temporarily stop the service, but after the smartphone restarts, the process can start again.
To prevent the service from automatically restarting, in the same menu, click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select "Other Permissions." Here you need to find "Outstart" and disable it. It is also recommended to disable the permission to work in the background if such an option is available in your version of the shell, this will create an additional barrier to unwanted activity.
☑️ Checking Updater stops
The effectiveness of this method varies depending on the version of Android and regional firmware. On global versions of shells, the system may be more persistent and try to reactivate the service when connecting to the network.
Blocking through the developer settings
There is a lesser-known method that allows you to prevent automatic installation of updates at the logic level of the system, which requires you to activate the developer menu if it is not already enabled. Go to Settings → About phone and quickly click 7-10 times on the MIUI version (or OS version) until the message appears "You are a developer".
After activating the menu, go to Additional → For Developers. Scroll down to the updates section. You need to go to Automatic System Update. In some firmware versions, this switch may be called something else, such as "Check Updates When Booting." Make sure the slider is off.
Also on the developer menu, you should pay attention to the item “Do not turn off the screen when charging” – it is not related to the topic, but often adjacent to the desired settings. Find an option related to the behavior of the system when connecting to Wi-Fi. Disabling the update check here ensures that even with Wi-Fi, the network will not be used to survey Xiaomi servers for new versions of the software.
What if there is no item in the developer menu?
Using DNS to block servers
The most effective and radical way is to block the access of the application updates to the Internet at the level of the Internet. DNS. The smartphone accesses specific domain names of Xiaomi servers to verify versions. If we redirect those requests to nowhere, the update process will not physically start. DNS» (Private DNS), available in Android 9 and higher.
Go to Settings → Connection and Sharing (or Wi-Fi) → Private DNS. Select DNS Host Name (or Manual) Mode. In the input box, you must specify the address of the ad blocker, which also overlaps the domains of telemetry and updates. A popular and reliable option is to use dns.adguard.com.
However, to specifically block update servers, you can use more specific addresses if your router or local server is located in the same location. DNS-The server supports redirection, but within a single device, it's easier to use AdGuard. DNS, Because it blocks known analytics and update domains by default, once you save the settings, the phone may lose connection to some Google or Xiaomi services, but the update system is guaranteed to stand up.
| Locking method | Efficiency | Difficulty | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shutting down autoboot | Low. | Minimum | Safe. |
| Stopping the annex | Medium | Medium | Possible reset after rebooting |
| Developer menu | Medium | Low. | Depends on the MIUI version. |
| Private DNS | Tall. | Low. | The widgets may not work. |
⚠️ Attention: When using private DNS (For example, dns.adguard.com may stop working weather widgets, Mi Video or Mi Music news feeds, as they also use blocked domains.
Delete downloaded update files
Even if you successfully disabled all services, the phone could still have a previously downloaded installation file, which takes up 2 to 5 GB of disk space, and can pop up periodically in notifications saying "Install Now." To finally clean the system, you need to find and delete this file manually.
Update files are usually stored in a hidden folder. downloaded_rom. To access it, you will need a file manager with access to system folders, for example, MI File Manager (standard) or third-party Total Commander. In the standard conductor, go to the root folder of internal memory. downloaded_rom.
Inside, you’ll see a file with the.zip extension and a name containing the firmware version (e.g., a file with a name, update.zip or miui_GLOBAL...zip). If the system resists and writes "not enough rights", try renaming the folder. downloaded_rom into downloaded_rom_old Or create an empty file with a name at the root of the memory downloaded_rom (without extension), which sometimes blocks the system from creating a new folder for downloads there.
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If the standard file manager does not see the folder downloaded_rom, Connect your phone to your computer in file transfer mode (MTP) and delete the file through Windows Explorer or macOS. This often bypasses Android access restrictions.
Hiding the update icon and notifications
Sometimes users are annoyed not by the process itself, but by visual noise: a red dot on the settings icon or a permanent pop-up. If you don't want to completely block updates, but just want to hide them, you can use the method of "freezing" notifications. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification Management.
Find the System Update app on the list. Inside the notification settings, disable all categories: Update Available, Download Complete, and others. This will remove visual spam, but will not stop the technical verification process. You can also hide the red dot (badge) on the Settings app icon if your version of the launcher allows you to manage badges individually.
Another tricky way to change the date on your device is to set the date a year in the past. When you try to check for updates, the server will return a security certificate error (SSL), as the time on the phone and server will vary greatly. This is a temporary measure that is suitable if you urgently need to get rid of the notification right now, but it will disrupt the messengers and browsers.