If you own a Xiaomi, Redmi or a smartphone POCO, You may have encountered unexpected banners in system applications, pop-up notifications about "special offers" or even advertising directly in your phone settings. MIUI system level, and its appearance, frequency of occurrence and even content depend on the region, device model and OS version.
In this article, we will take a closer look at exactly what Xiaomi firmware ads look like on different devices (from the budget Redmi Note to the flagship Xiaomi 14), where they appear most often, and what can be done to minimize their impact on the user experience. It is important to understand that this is not about viruses or third-party applications, but about the legitimate monetization of the brand shell, which the company has been actively using since 2018.
We analyzed user reviews, test devices with different versions. MIUI 12/13/14 And even global/Chinese firmware, to show real screenshots and examples, if you want to know why ads appear even after you reset or how they differ from one another. POCO And Redmi, read on.
1. Where exactly does the ad appear in Xiaomi firmware: all possible places
Advertising in MIUI It's not limited to one or two places, it's integrated into dozens of system elements. Here's a complete list of the places where users are most likely to encounter advertising materials:
- 📱 Lock screen: banners at the bottom of the screen (for example, offers from Mi Store or partners).
- ⚙️ Phone Settings: Advertising in About Phone, Topics or Security.
- 📂 File Manager: Banners at the top of the screen when opening folders.
- 🔍 Search by system: advertising links among search results.
- 📱 Launcher (main screen): offers widgets (e.g., "Mi Band discounts").
- 📲 Notification Center: push notifications from msa (Mobile Services Ads).
- 🎵 Music player: banners at the bottom of the screen or between tracks.
- 📷 Gallery and camera: offers of cloud storage or photo editors.
Advertising is particularly aggressive in Chinese firmware (e.g., in Chinese, MIUI CN), where banners can take up to 30 percent of the screen on some menus (MIUI Global) there's less advertising, but it's still there. For example, in Redmi Note 12 with MIUI 14 Users Complain Advertising in Settings → Additionally, where instead of useful options are displayed banners with games.
Interesting fact: on devices POCO (for example, POCO X5 Pro) ads are much less likely to be advertised thanks to brand policies, but they still slip into Themes and Mi Video. In Xiaomi Pad 6, ads can appear even in the multitasking menu!
2. How does advertising in Xiaomi firmware look: real examples with photos
To avoid confusing system ads with viruses or bugs, here are visual examples of how it looks on different devices, all screenshots taken on clean firmware without root rights or third-party modifications.
Banners on the lock screen
The most visible type of advertising is the banners at the bottom of the lock screen, which appear even when the phone is locked, and are often disguised as system notifications.
- 🛒 Offers from the Mi Store (e.g. 20% off Mi Band 8").
- 🎮 Mobile gaming advertising (often from Tencent or NetEase).
- 💳 Bank offers (in some regions – credits or cards).
Visually, it looks like a translucent panel with a picture, a header and a "Learn More" button, and the colors are tailored to the theme, so the banner will also be dark against a dark background.
2.2 Advertising in the settings of the phone
One of the most annoying places is the settings menu, and ads can appear:
- 📊 In the About Phone section (banner with a suggestion to update the firmware or buy accessories).
- 🔒 Security (Mi Security antivirus advertising or VPN).
- 🎨 In Topics (offers of paid themes or wallpapers).
The screenshot below is an example from the Redmi Note 11 with MIUI 13, where the game banner is displayed in the settings PUBG Mobile:
Screenshot of advertising in settings (clickable)
2.3. pop-up notifications (push-advertising)
The most intrusive type is push notifications from msa (Mobile Services Ads), which come as regular notifications but lead to advertising pages.
- "🔥 50% off Redmi Buds 4 headphones today!"
- "🎁 Get 10GB of cloud storage for free! (links to Mi Cloud).
- "📱 Is your phone slow? Clean up your memory with Clean Master!"
Distinguish them from the usual notifications by the msa icon (white square with the blue letter "a") and the link to ad.mi.com in the notification information.
| Type of advertisement | Wherever he comes | Example of appearance | Can I turn it off? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banners on lockdown | The bottom of the lock screen | Semi-transparent panel with picture and button | Yes (in lock screen settings) |
| Advertising in settings | Sections "About the phone", "Subjects", "Security" | Banner with a game/application offer | Partially (depending on region) |
| Push notifications | Notification centre | Notice from msa with advertising text | Yes (disable permissions for msa) |
| Advertising in the file manager | The top of the screen when opening the folder | Banner with a cloud storage offer | No (only via ADB) |
Important: on devices with Chinese firmware (MIUI CN) Ads can take up to 50% of the screen in some menus, whereas in global versions they are less aggressive.
3.Why does the ad appear even after the settings are reset?
Many users complain that after a hard reset (full reset) advertising in the MIUI It's because the ad modules are embedded in the system applications, not part of the user data:
- 📦 Pre-installed apps: Mi Browser, Mi Video, Mi Music and others have built-in advertising SDK (For example, from Google AdMob or Xiaomi MSA).
- 🔄 Updates MIUI: Even after a reset, the system automatically downloads the latest versions of system applications that may contain new advertising modules.
- 🌍 Regional settings: in some countries (India, Indonesia, Russia) advertising is more active due to partnerships with local services.
- 📡 Xiaomi Services: Mi Service Framework (msa) is responsible for targeted advertising and restores its settings after a reset.
For example, after resetting Xiaomi Redmi 10, the user will again see ads in Settings. → This is because it is part of the system. APK-com.android.settings file that is not deleted when you wipe data.
⚠️ Note: If you buy a used Xiaomi smartphone with Chinese firmware (MIUI CN), Be prepared for the advertisements to be in 2-3 more than in the global version. MIUI Global can help, but requires unlocking the bootloader.
Another nuance: on devices with MIUI 14 and newer ads can adapt to your actions, for example, if you often open the File Manager, the system will show banners with cloud storage or memory cleaners.
4. How to disable ads in Xiaomi firmware: working ways
You can't completely remove ads without root rights or firmware, but you can reduce them by a lot. Here are proven methods, sorted by effectiveness:
4.1. Disabling personalized advertising
This will reduce the number of targeted banners:
- Go to Settings → Google → Advertising.
- Turn off the option of personalized advertising.
- Reset the Advertising Identifier (button at the bottom of the screen).
This method works for ads shown through Google AdMob, but does not affect banners from Xiaomi. MSA.
Disabling notifications from msa
To stop receiving push ads:
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Find it. MSA (Mi Service Framework).
- Disable notifications and turn off auto-start.
On some devices (POCO X3 Pro, Redmi Note 11) This app may be called MiuiDaemon.
4.3 Use. ADB deep-switch
For advanced users, there is a way to disable advertising through ADB (rootless):
adb shell pm hide com.miui.systemAdSolution
adb shell pm hide com.xiaomi.midrop
adb shell pm hide com.miui.msa.globalThese commands hide the system applications responsible for displaying ads. MIUI They'll have to be re-launched.
Turn off personalized advertising in Google settings|
Prohibit notifications for MSA (Mi Service Framework)|
Remove or disable Mi Browser, Mi Video, Mi Music|
Use a third-party launcher (Nova, Apex)|
Update MIUI Up to the latest version (sometimes reduces advertising)|-->
Transition to custom firmware
The radical, but most effective method is to install custom firmware without advertising, for example:
- 📱 LineageOS (completely pure Android).
- 🔄 Xiaomi.eu (modified) MIUI publicity).
- 🛡️ Pixel Experience (like the Google Pixel interface).
This will require unlocking the bootloader (fastboot oem unlock), which will reset all data on the phone.
⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI 14 and newer Xiaomi blocks some ADB-If you've got the adverts coming back after you've done the commands, try using Shizuku. + AppOps for Manually Disabling Permissions.
5. Comparison of advertisements in different versions MIUI Xiaomi models
The amount and aggressiveness of the ads depend on the firmware version, region and device model, and we tested several devices and made a comparison table:
| Model of the device | MIUI version | Type of firmware | Advertising level (1-10) | Where it appears most often |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi 13 Pro | MIUI 14 | Global | 3/10 | Lock screen, Topics |
| Redmi Note 12 | MIUI 14 | Global | 6/10 | Settings, File Manager, Push Notifications |
| POCO X5 Pro | MIUI 14 (POCO) | Global | 2/10 | Only in Themes and Mi Video |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | MIUI 13 | China (CN) | 9/10 | Everywhere, including the multitasking menu |
| Redmi 10A | MIUI 12.5 | Global | 5/10 | Lock screen, Settings → The phone. |
The table shows that:
- 📱 Flagship models (Xiaomi 13, Mi 11) have less advertising in global firmware.
- 💰 Budget smartphones (Redmi Note, Redmi A-series) are “loaded” with advertising more.
- 🇨🇳 Chinese firmware (MIUI CN) contain a maximum of advertising – up to 10 banners per day.
- 🔄 POCO — The most “clean” sub-brand Xiaomi in terms of advertising.
💡
On devices with MIUI 14 advertisements are less than MIUI 12, but it has become more “smart” – adapts to user behavior.
6. Myths and truths about advertising in Xiaomi firmware
Around the commercials in MIUI There's a lot of rumors going around:
❌ Myth 1: Advertising only appears in Chinese firmware"
✅ Truth: Advertising is also in global firmware (MIUI Global, just smaller. For example, in the Redmi Note 11 with MIUI 13 Global banners appear in Settings → Topics and on the lock screen.
❌ Myth 2: “After the update” MIUI Advertising is getting bigger"
✅ In some cases (for example, when updating with the MIUI 12 on MIUI 13) the advertising really got bigger. MIUI 14 Xiaomi has reduced the number of banners in the main menus, moving them to less noticeable places (for example, in Mi Video).
❌ Myth 3: Advertising can be removed forever without root"
✅ Truth: You can't completely remove ads without root or custom firmware, even after you've disabled all permissions and usage. ADB Banners can return after system updates.
❌ Myth 4: Xiaomi sells user data to advertisers"
✅ The truth is that Xiaomi does collect anonymous data about device usage (which apps you open, how often), but does not sell personal information, as confirmed by the company's privacy policy.
❌ Myth 5: POCO no advertising"
✅ Truth: On devices POCO There's less advertising, but there is. POCO X4 Pro banners appear in Themes and Mi Video, but you can turn them off via settings. POCO Launcher.
💡
If you see ads on Google Chrome or other third-party apps, it’s not Xiaomi’s fault – check your browser settings or remove suspicious extensions.
7. Alternative ways to combat advertising (without root)
If you do not want to unlock the bootloader or use ADB, There are several legal ways to reduce the amount of advertising:
Use of a third-party launcher
Install an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher or Apex Launcher) to remove ads from the home screen and app menus. This won’t remove banners from the settings, but it will make the interface cleaner.
Replacement of system applications
Some apps (Mi Browser, Mi Music) can be replaced with analogues without advertising:
- 🌐 Instead of Mi Browser → Google Chrome or Firefox.
- 🎵 Instead of Mi Music → Spotify or VLC.
- 📺 Instead of Mi Video → MX Player or Kodi.
After replacement, disable or uninstall the original Xiaomi apps (if the system allows).
Adjustment DNS lock-out
Change. DNS-server in Wi-Fi or mobile network settings:
- 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare) – blocks a portion of advertising domains.
- 94.140.14.14 (AdGuard DNS) — It is specifically optimized for blocking advertising.
This won’t remove all banners, but it will reduce the number of push notifications from msa.
Disabling the "Recommendations" in MIUI
In some versions MIUI You can turn off the recommendations:
- Go to Settings. → Main screen screen.
- Turn off the option to Show recommendations or App Vault.
This will remove the advertising widgets from the main screen.
⚠️ Note: Some "advice" on the Internet suggest removing system APK-file TWRP It can cause a bootloop or update problems. It's better not to experiment without experience!