Users of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face intrusive ads that appear while watching videos in the standard Mi Video player.This is not a bug, but part of the company's business model to keep device prices low, but for many owners it becomes a serious irritant, interrupting watching movies or commercials.
Fortunately, there are several effective ways to get rid of these inserts: some methods require only changing the settings in the menu, others require more profound intervention in the system. In this article, we will cover all the current options, from simple switches to advanced methods of blocking traffic.
It's worth noting that the effectiveness of the methods can vary depending on the version of the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS. We have prepared a universal guide that covers most scenarios, the main thing is to act consistently and carefully read the descriptions of each step.
Settings inside the Mi Video app
The first and most obvious step is to check the player's own built-in options, and developers sometimes hide personalization or recommendation switches deep in the menu, so to find them, open the app and click on the "Mine" tab in the bottom right corner of the screen.
Then you go to the settings by clicking on the gear icon, and you should look for items related to “Get recommendations” or “Personalized advertising,” and disabling these options can reduce the amount of content you show, although it does not guarantee that all banners disappear completely.
Also worth noting is the About section, which in some versions of the shell, repeatedly tapping the logo or app version can activate a hidden developer menu where additional switches appear, but this method does not work smoothly on new versions of the software.
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If you didn’t find an ad switch in the app’s settings, it means that the content is loaded by the MSA system service, not the player itself.
It's important to understand that standard settings often limit targeting, but don't completely remove the video inserts themselves, so we're moving on to more powerful methods that affect system services.
Disconnection of MSA (MIUI System Ads)
Xiaomi’s primary advertising source is MSA (MIUI System Ads), a process that gathers data about your actions and streams advertising content into system applications, including video players, a key step in the battle for a clean interface.
To start, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. In the list, find msa (may be called “Recommendations” or “Advertising Service”). Click on it and select the “Disable” option. The system will try to dissuade you by showing a 10 second countdown timer.
After the timer has expired, press the confirmation button. If the system has made an error or refused to shut down on the first attempt, repeat the procedure 2-3 times.
☑️ Checking the shutdown MSA
In parallel with the MSA, it is recommended to disable the service mab (MIUI Ads Browser), which is also responsible for advertising modules. The process is identical: find in the list of applications, go to properties and click "Disable" to reduce the overall level of digital noise in the system.
⚠️ Attention: After the service is disconnected MSA News feeds may stop updating in desktop widgets or in the Security app, which is normal behavior because they are tied to a single ad engine.
Using DNS to Block Advertising
One of the most effective and secure methods that does not require root rights is DNS (Private DNS) configuration, which allows you to block advertising requests at the network connection level without affecting the integrity of system files.
Go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → DNS. The default value is “Auto.” Select “DNS Host Name” (or “Manual”) and enter the trusted blocker address. The most popular and proven option is the dns.adguard.com server.
Once you enter the address, save the settings. The system can interrupt the Internet connection for a second to apply new parameters. Now all requests to known ad servers will be blocked before the content reaches the screen of your smartphone.
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Use of the DNS-filtering is the most versatile method, working not only in Mi Video, but also in the browser, games and other applications.
The advantage of the method is that if a site or service stops working correctly, you can always return your DNS settings to the original position ("Auto" or "Disabled").
Managing permissions and network access
If you don't want to use DNS-You can try to restrict access rights for the video player app itself, and the logic is simple: if the application doesn't have access to the Internet, it won't be able to download the commercial.
But there's a caveat: if you're watching online videos through an integrated directory, you need to access the network, but if you're playing files that are stored in your phone's memory or on your phone. SD-map, no Internet player. Go to Settings → Annexes → All applications → Video.
Find Traffic Control or Data Use, where you can completely deny the app access to mobile internet and Wi-Fi, and then the ad modules will not be able to communicate with the server.
Another option is to restrict permissions, and in the Permissions menu, disable access to App Listing and Action Tracking, which will limit the collection of data about your browsing habits, which indirectly affects the frequency of ad appearance.
| Method | Efficiency | Difficulty | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSA shutdown | Tall. | Low. | Newsfeed goes missing |
| Setting up the DNS | Maximum | Medium | It can slow down some websites. |
| Network lockdown | Medium | Low. | Online functions do not work |
| ADB-team | Tall. | Tall. | Risk of error in removal |
Advanced Method: Removal via ADB
For experienced users who are not afraid of the command line, there is a method of forced removal of advertising components through USB debugging (ADB), which allows you to uninstall system packages that are usually hidden from the user.
First, activate Developer Mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and click 7 times on the MIUI Version or OS Version field. Then, in the advanced settings, turn on USB Debugging.
Connect your smartphone to your computer, install drivers and the ADB utility. To remove the advertising module, enter the command:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.misysYou can also remove the set of recommendations:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.browserWhat to do if your phone stops seeing your computer?
This method requires caution: removing critical system components can cause the interface to work in an unstable way. Always check the name of the package before typing a command into the console.
Alternative video players
If the system settings seem too complicated or risky, the easiest solution is to install a third-party video player.The Google Play store offers a variety of great alternatives that are ad-free and support more formats.
Popular options include VLC for Android, MX Player or Nova Video Player.These apps often have a more user-friendly interface, support for subtitles, and the ability to customize control gestures.
After installing the alternative player, the system can continue to open video through the standard Mi Video. To fix this, go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Three dots in the corner → Other settings.
In the Default Apps section, select Video Playback and specify the player you have installed. Now, when you click on any video file in the file manager, the selected application will run without ads.
Using third-party software is a trade-off: You lose integration with the Xiaomi gallery (in some versions), but get a clean browsing experience and often better decoding performance.