MI Picks on Xiaomi Redmi: a full guide to the recommendation function in the MIUI

Have you ever noticed strange banners on your Xiaomi Redmi screen offering to install apps, watch videos, or buy products? MI Picks – Xiaomi’s personalized recommendation system built into the shell MIUI. Many users confuse it with advertising, but in fact it is a complex mechanism for analyzing your preferences, which works based on machine learning algorithms.

Function MI Picks appeared in early versions. MIUI, but out MIUI It's been more aggressive and visible on 12 and subsequent updates, and today it's integrated not only into the launcher, but also into system applications like Browser, Music, and even Settings. MI Picks, can it be completely turned off, and why Xiaomi so insistently offers us “useful” content.

What is it? MI Picks and Why Xiaomi Needs It

MI Picks is a recommendation system that analyzes your behavior on your smartphone and offers content that may interest you, essentially the equivalent of Google Discover or For You in the App Store, but with one key difference: MI Picks is deeply integrated into the shell itself MIUI It works even without installing additional applications.

Main objectives MI Picks:

• 📱 Xiaomi wants you to spend more time in the ecosystem MIUI, They did not switch to third-party services.
• 💰 Monetization: Part of the recommendations are affiliate offers (for example, discounts on AliExpress or promotions in the Mi Store).
• 🔍 Personalization: Algorithms learn from your actions to offer more relevant content.
• 📊 Data Collection: Anonymized statistics help Xiaomi improve its services (and possibly sell analytics to third parties).

It is important to understand that MI Picks isn't just advertising. The system is really trying to be useful: for example, it might suggest installing a photo editing app if you open a gallery often, or showing news about gadget discounts if you've recently searched for them in a browser. However, many users find these recommendations intrusive, especially when they appear in the most unexpected places – for example, in the notification bar or on the lock screen.

Where recommendations come from MI Picks on Redmi

MI Picks can be displayed in different parts of the interface MIUI. Here are the main places where you can find these recommendations:

The most intrusive recommendations usually appear on the lock screen and in the notification bar, for example, you might see a banner asking you to install a game you've never been looking for, or news about a smartphone you're not interested in. MI Picks are sometimes wrong about your preferences.

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If you see a recommendation you don't like, click on the three dots in the corner of the card and select "Not Interesting." This will help the algorithm better understand your preferences.

How to turn off MI Picks on Xiaomi Redmi: step-by-step instructions

If you are annoyed by the recommendations MI Picks, you can turn them off, either in whole or in part. MIUI and the smartphone, but the overall scheme looks like this:

1. Disabling recommendations on the lock screen:

Go to Settings. → Lock screen → Additionally. → Recommendations on the lock screen and disable the slider. On some models, the path may be different: Settings → Lock screen → Lock screen settings → Recommended content.

2. Removal of the widget MI Picks from the home screen:

Press your finger on the "Recommendations" widget (or "MI Picks") and drag it to the basket that appears at the top of the screen.If the widget is not removed, try first to turn it off in the theme settings: Settings → Theme → Widgets.

3. disabling personalized notifications:

Go to Settings. → Notifications → Additional settings → Personalized recommendations and disable all sliders. MIUI 14/15 This paragraph may be referred to as “Recommendations of the system".

Limitation of data collection:

To the algorithms MI Picks get less information about you, go to Settings → Confidentiality → Special permits → Personalized recommendations and disable access for all applications.

⚠️ Note: Some Redmi models (especially in the Chinese market) have a full shutdown option. MI Picks may not be available, and in this case, only custom firmware installation or use will help. ADB-commands to remove system applications.

MI Picks and privacy: What Xiaomi knows about you

To offer personalized recommendations, MI Picks analyzes a lot of data about your behavior:

• 📱 Installation history (which programs you download and delete).
• 🔍 Search queries in the system browser and launcher.
• 📍 Location data (if geo-services are included).
• ⏱️ App usage time (how much time you spend on social media, games, etc.).
• 🛒 Shopping at the Mi Store and products viewed.
• 📧 Activity in mail and instant messengers (if access is allowed).

Xiaomi claims that all data is anonymized and not shared with third parties without your consent, but the company’s privacy policy includes clauses that allow you to share aggregated information with partners to “improve services.” This means that your preferences can be used for targeted advertising not only in the MIUI, But also in other Xiaomi ecosystem services (e.g. Mi Home or Mi Fit).

If you are concerned about privacy, we recommend:

1. Disable data collection in Settings → Confidentiality → Personalized recommendations.
2. Use alternative launchers (e.g. Nova Launcher) that are not integrated with the MI Picks.
3. Limit access to geolocation and contacts for system applications.

MI Picks vs. Google Discover: What are the differences in Redmi recommendations?

Many users are confused MI Picks with Google Discover, a personalized news service from Google. While their tasks are similar, there are key differences:

Main advantage MI Picks – it works even without Google services, which is relevant for Redmi on Chinese firmware or devices without Google services GMS (Google Mobile Services: Google Discover has more advanced personalization algorithms, however, as it has access to a huge array of user data (search, mail, maps, etc.).

If you use Redmi with global firmware, both services can work in parallel, sometimes resulting in duplicate recommendations, in which case it makes sense to leave only one of them (for example, Google Discover, if you are actively using Google services).

Problems with MI Picks: bugs, glitches and how to fix them

Despite the utility, MI Picks sometimes fails. Here are the most common problems and ways to solve them:

• 🔄 Recommendations not updated: Clear the app's cache MIUI System in Settings → Annexes → Application management → If it doesn't work, check your Internet connection.
• 📵 Too much advertising: Turn off personalized recommendations in the privacy settings (see section above). ID In Settings → Google → Advertising (if there are Google services).
• 🚫 Can't turn it off. MI Picks: Some firmware (especially Chinese) do not have an option.The solution is to install an alternative launcher or use it. ADB disable.
• 🔋 MI Picks consumes battery: Check battery consumption in Settings → Battery → Use of the battery if MIUI System or Personal Assistant consume a lot of energy, limit their activity in the background.
• 📱 Chinese language recommendations: This happens if the smartphone region is set as China. Change the region to global in Settings → Additionally. → Region.

⚠️ Attention: If after the shutdown MI Picks recommendations keep popping up, check if your Redmi has additional apps like Mi Browser or Mi Video installed, which can show banners too. Uninstall or disable them through your app settings.

If none of the methods helped, you can try resetting the settings. MIUI It's up to the factory (don't forget to back it up!) and 90% of the time, it solves the problem of intrusive recommendations.

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MI Picks are not a virus or malware; they are a legitimate function. MIUI, And it's governed by the system settings, and if the recommendations come up even after you've turned it off, it's probably a third-party application or a bad firmware problem.

Alternatives MI Picks: What apps can you use instead

If you don't like it. MI Picks, but you want to receive personalized recommendations, you can use alternative services:

• 🌐 Google Discover: Built into Google launcher and offers news, videos and content based on your activity on Google services. GMS.
• 📰 Microsoft Start: An app with news and personalized feed. Available on Google Play.
• 📱 Nova Launcher + TeslaUnread: Combination of custom launcher and plugin to display notifications and recommendations.
• 🛒 AliExpress / Amazon: If you are interested only in shopping recommendations, you can use the official applications of these sites.
• 🎵 Spotify/YouTube Music: For music recommendations, these services work better than the built-in Mi Music app.

The main advantage of alternatives is that they are not integrated into the system and can be completely removed or disabled at any time, and many of them (such as Google Discover) have more transparent privacy settings.

If you prefer a minimalist interface without recommendations, consider installing custom firmware like Pixel Experience or LineageOS. MI Picks and other "chips" MIUI, But require unlocking the bootloader and technical skills.

FAQ: Frequent questions about MI Picks on Xiaomi Redmi