Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often encounter mysterious entries in the Traffic Consumption menu or in the list of working applications. One of these processes is GLGM. This combination of letters raises many questions, since a standard search in Google or Yandex does not always give a clear answer in Russian.
In fact, GLGM is a system component of the MIUI shell (or HyperOS) that is responsible for interacting with the company’s servers to provide localized content. In simple terms, it is “connected” between your device and Xiaomi’s global services, which uploads news, app recommendations in the GetApps store and other personalized information.
Many users notice that this process can consume battery power or transmit data in the background. It is important to understand that this is not a virus or malware, but a regular part of the operating system. However, depending on privacy settings and personal preferences, the functionality of GLGM can be limited or completely disabled.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling system processes may affect widgets, news feeds and recommendations. Before making changes, make sure you understand the consequences.
Technical purpose of the GLGM process
The GLGM process (often identified in the system as part of the com.xiaomi.glgm package or related to the MSA – Miui System Ads) performs the function of collecting and processing data for targeted advertising and personalization. When you unlock the screen or open the browser, this module can request relevant data to display banners or news.
In Xiaomi’s technical documentation, this component is often disguised as generic system service names, and its main purpose is to keep the content relevant in system applications, for example, if an advertising recommendation appears in a Security or bootloader app, it is often the hidden service that is responsible for delivering it.
- 📡 Provides synchronization of advertising identifiers with servers.
- 📥 Downloads data for the tape "Carousel wallpaper" and widgets.
- 📊 Analyze the use of applications for statistics.
It is worth noting that on global firmware versions (Global ROMs), GLGM activity is usually lower than on Chinese versions, where aggressive marketing is built deeper into the system.
The Impact of GLGM on Autonomy and Traffic
One of the main reasons for the interest of users in GLGM is its effect on battery life. Although the process itself consumes little power, its frequent awakenings in the background can lead to a noticeable discharge, especially on older models of smartphones with small batteries.
If you notice that the smartphone is heating up in standby mode or quickly discharged at night, it is worth checking the data usage statistics. Often GLGM tries to send a usage report or download a new advertising package, which causes a spike in the activity of the processor and radio module.
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For accurate diagnosis, use the built-in Battery → Energy Consumption menu, sorting the list by operating time in the background.
If you have a limited Internet bundle, GLGM background activity can come as a surprise at the end of the month, especially if high-quality media content (video, images) is enabled.
- 🔋 Increased battery discharge in standby mode.
- 📉 Unexpected Mobile Traffic Consumption.
- 🌡️ Local heating of the case without active user actions.
It is important to distinguish between normal system operation and failure: If the GLGM process consumes more than 5-10% of the charge per day, this may indicate a software conflict or the need to reset ad settings.
Where to find GLGM in the smartphone settings
To manage the GLGM process, you need to know where it hides in the confusing MIUI settings menu. The path may vary slightly from one shell to another, but the logic remains the same: system services hide in privacy and special features sections.
Most often, the component is on a system ad path, you'll need to go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Access to Personal Data. Here's a complete list of apps that have access to the various functions of the phone.
Settings → Passwords and security → Access to personal data → msaIt is the msa (Miui System Ads) package that is the “host” for the GLGM process. By disabling Internet access for msa, you actually block the work of GLGM. It is also worth checking the “Accessibility” section, where GetApps or MIUI Daemon can be active.
| Settings section | Access path | Targeted process |
|---|---|---|
| Access to data | Passwords and security → Access to personal data | msa |
| Advertising | Passwords and security → Access to personal data | MIUI Daemon |
| Special opportunities | Additionally. → Special opportunities | GetApps / GLGM |
| Authorization | Settings → Mi Account → Cloud | Synchronization |
Remember that menu item names can vary depending on the interface language and Android version. If you don't find a match, look for similar system services.
☑️ Activity check GLGM
Instructions for shutting down the process
If you decide that you don't need personalized advertising, and that you don't need power savings over news widgets, you can deactivate the GLGM process, and the safest and most effective way is to turn off the Internet access for the msa system component.
To start, go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Access to Personal Data. Find the msa app in the list. Switch the slider to “Switched Off.” The system will alert you that some features may stop working – confirm the action by clicking “Stop for 10 seconds” (or just “OK”).
⚠️ Note: When you disable msa, you may temporarily disappear the possibility of authorization in some Xiaomi system applications.
Next, you should disable ad personalization. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Access to Personal Data → msa (or a separate item “Advertising Services”) and find the “Receive recommendations” switch.
- 🚫 Disable network access for msa.
- 🚫 Disable network access for MIUI Daemon.
- 🚫 Turn off “Receive recommendations” in the ad settings.
Once these steps are done, the GLGM process will stop receiving data from the Internet, which will effectively stop its activity, the smartphone will become “silent”, and battery consumption in standby mode should decrease.
What to do if the msa slider does not turn off?
Using ADB for Advanced Users
For those who are not afraid of the command line and want to guarantee to remove or freeze the GLGM process, there is a method using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting the smartphone to the computer and the presence of drivers.
First, you need to turn on Developer Mode. To do this, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click 7 times on “MIUI Version.” Then, in the “Additional” → “Development by USB” menu, activate “Debugging by USB”.
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.xiaomi.msatExecuting this command will disable the system advertising package. For a deeper cleaning, you can use the Xiaomi utility. ADB/Fastboot Tools, which has a graphical interface and allows you to safely remove system debris, including processes related to the system. GLGM.
It is important to understand the risks: removing critical system components through ADB can lead to unstable firmware. Use the pm disable-user command instead of complete removal, so that in case of problems, everything can be easily returned by the pm enable command.
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Using ADB gives you maximum control, but you need to be careful. Always check the name of the packet before you turn it off.
Possible problems and solutions
After GLGM is disabled, users may experience a number of changes in the interface, most notably Wallpaper Carousel widgets, which may stop updating or displaying a black screen, which is expected behavior because the content source has been blocked.
Notifications from the GetApps system app store may also stop coming in, and if you use this store for updates, you will have to manually check them, and in some cases, you may need to reboot your device to apply all the changes.
- ❌ Stop updating wallpaper on the lock screen.
- ❌ Disappeared recommendations in the application folders.
- ❌ The voice assistant has stopped working (in rare cases).
If the phone starts to behave incorrectly (suspend, restart) after the process is turned off, return the access settings to the original state. Most often, problems arise when removing components that are still used by other system services.
⚠️ Note: If you use a corporate profile or special applications to manage your device (MDM), Disabling Xiaomi system services could disrupt their operation.