How to disable MSA on Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro: the full guide

Owners of Xiaomi devices often face intrusive advertising that appears in the most unexpected places of the interface. Owners of the popular Redmi Note 9 Pro model are no exception, since the MIUI shell by default contains many marketing modules. One of the main culprits of this phenomenon is a system process called msa, which is responsible for displaying advertising materials.

Disabling this component not only removes annoying banners, but also significantly reduces the load on the processor, which has a positive effect on battery life. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to safely deactivate msa without obtaining superuser rights.

It's worth noting that the procedure requires care, because some steps may not be available the first time, but by following the algorithm below, you can effectively clean up your smartphone's software environment from unnecessary "junk." Let's start to consider all the necessary actions in detail.

What is MSA and why to turn it off

MSA stands for MIUI System Ads, which is a direct indication of the functionality of this component. It is a system application built into the MIUI shell, whose main task is to collect statistics about user actions and display advertisements. On the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro device, this process can consume significant resources in the background.

Many users mistakenly believe that removing or stopping this service will disrupt the smartphone.In fact, msa is not critical to the functioning of the Android operating system or the phone's basic functions.

⚠️ Note: Before making changes to your system settings, it is recommended to back up important data to eliminate any risk of loss of information.

The main reason you should consider disconnecting is to increase privacy, and msa is constantly analyzing your actions to form personalized offers, and locking that mechanism gives back control of your personal data to the owner of the gadget.

Preparation of Redmi Note 9 Pro for settings

Before you start manipulating services, you need to perform a number of preparatory steps, which will ensure the stability of the process and prevent possible errors when switching switches in the menu. For the Redmi Note 9 Pro, the standard preparation procedures used for most devices based on MIUI are relevant.

First of all, make sure your device is connected to a stable Wi-Fi network. While we won’t be downloading large amounts of data, a stable connection is necessary to synchronize changes in Xiaomi’s cloud services. Also check the battery level – it should be at least 30-40%.

• 📱 Unlock your smartphone screen and make sure you’re on the home screen.
• 🔌 Connect your device to a Wi-Fi network for stable service operation.
• 🔋 Check the battery power so that the phone doesn’t turn off during the process.
• 📂 Close all heavy applications running in the background.

An important step is to update all system components to the current version. Sometimes older versions of security services may block access to the necessary settings. Go to the update menu and check for new packages for your version of MIUI.

Disabling Advertising through Account Settings

The first and easiest step is to deactivate personalized advertising at the account level.This action does not remove the msa service completely, but significantly reduces the amount of data received. For the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro, this is the most secure way.

You need to go to the settings section that deals with passwords and security, and this is the key switch that controls data collection for marketing purposes, and the interface may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the logic remains the same.

Find the item responsible for “Get recommendations” and disabling this feature tells the system that you do not want to see personalized content, and then msa loses the main source of data for targeting.

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If the Receive References switch doesn’t turn off immediately, try turning off the internet, unchecking the box, and then turning the network back on.

Note that changes may not take effect immediately, it takes some time for the system to update the profiles on the server, and in some cases, it may be necessary to restart the Redmi Note 9 Pro device to apply the new settings.

Management of MSA Service in the Security Application

The most effective way to combat intrusive banners is through the built-in Security app, where the main levers of system processes, including msa, are concentrated.

Open the Security app (green shield icon). In the upper right corner, click on the gear icon to enter the settings. Here you will need to find the section related to authorization and privacy.

In the list of services, find msa. Next to it will be a switch. Your task is to turn it off. The system will warn you that some functions may stop working correctly, but for the average user this does not have negative consequences.

Often, the "Disable" button becomes active only after a certain time (usually 10 seconds), a MIUI security mechanism designed to make life difficult for the user, just wait for the countdown to finish and confirm the action.

If you turn on the msa service again after you turn off, repeat the procedure. Sometimes you need to perform the action 2-3 times in a row to finally accept the changes, this is a well-known feature of the behavior of the firmware on the Redmi Note 9 Pro.

Set up system applications to block

Even after the main service is disabled, some embedded applications can continue to show content, and to maximize the impact, you have to customize each of them individually, and it takes a little time, but the result is worth it.

First of all, look at the Music and Video app, which often hide points in their settings about getting recommendations and displaying banners, and turning them off makes the interface clean and minimal.

⚠️ Warning: When disabling features in system applications, make sure you don’t disable key features you use daily, such as online playlists.

Next, go to the Downloads and Explorer app, where news or promotion notifications can also be active, and search the About section or settings in the menu, and uncheck any checkmarks associated with recommendations.

Don't forget to check your theme settings. GetApps Theme Store is also a source of notifications. Go to your user profile inside the theme store and turn off all kinds of push notifications and personalization.

Additional methods and access restrictions

For advanced users, there are more radical methods, such as the use of ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to completely remove or freeze the msa packet at the system level, but it requires a connection to a computer and certain skills.

The command line allows you to execute pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.ads.adservice, which forcibly stops the service for the current user. On the Redmi Note 9 Pro, this method shows high efficiency.

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.msa.global

It's important to understand that when you reset the device to factory settings, all changes made through ADB or manually to the menu will be lost. The msa process will return to active state and the procedure will have to be repeated. This is normal behavior of the MIUI security system.

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An integrated approach, combining disabling in settings and individual cleaning of applications, gives the best result in the fight against advertising.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)