Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face intrusive banner ads that appear when viewing photos, a problem that is especially relevant for users who are actively using the standard app to edit and view media files.
Fortunately, Xiaomi has provided several ways to minimize or completely eliminate ad integrations in system applications. Disabling ads does not require complex technical knowledge or obtaining superuser rights. In this article, we will discuss all available methods, from simple settings to more advanced solutions.
It’s important to understand that the interfaces of the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS may be slightly different, but the logic of the system services remains similar. We’ll look at the current ways for modern versions of firmware so that you can enjoy viewing photos without unnecessary visual noise.
Disabling MSA service in system settings
The main source of ad integrations in Xiaomi devices is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) system service, which is responsible for collecting user preferences and displaying targeted advertising in standard applications, including the Gallery. The first and most important step is to disable this service through the authorization menu.
To do this, you need to go to the Security Settings section. Find Passwords and Security and select Data Access or Authorization and Security. From the application list that opens, find msa and switch the slider to an inactive position. The system will alert you that a service shutdown may affect some features.
After switching the switch, a countdown timer lasts 10 seconds will appear. After this time, you need to press the Stop button. If you failed to turn off the service the first time and you received an error message, repeat the procedure 3-4 times in a row. Often Xiaomi servers are overloaded, and with several attempts the request for disconnection is successful.
⚠️ Note: After disabling the msa service, the ads will not disappear instantly.The system takes time (from 15 minutes to 24 hours) to update the configuration files on the device.
It is worth noting that on some global firmware versions, the service name may differ or be hidden.In this case, look for processes with names containing the words Ad, Service or Recommendation. Disabling system services is a safe operation and does not lead to loss of personal data or disruptions of the work of the smartphone.
Customize personalized recommendations in the Gallery
Even after the main advertising service is disabled, the Gallery app itself may still have built-in recommendations, often masquerading as “Interesting”, “Recommended” or popping up when the photo is edited, and you need to change the settings of the app itself to remove them.
Open the Gallery app and go to the user profile or settings, which are usually in the upper right corner of the screen (human icon or gears). Find the Settings section and scroll through the list to Receive recommendations or Personalized recommendations. Turn off this switch.
This menu may also include the option to display ads, make sure that they are deactivated, and new versions of HyperOS can be set to a separate section called About Service or Privacy Policy, where you can also find the switches that are responsible for the content.
- 📱 Open the Gallery app and click on the profile avatar.
- ⚙️ Go to the Settings menu at the bottom of the screen.
- 🚫 Find and turn off the option to receive recommendations.
- ✅ Check if the banner with the offer to subscribe to cloud services has disappeared.
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If you can’t find the settings inside the app, try pressing the empty space on the Gallery’s home screen for a long time – sometimes the context menu opens this way.
It’s important to distinguish between ads and functional prompts. Functional prompts may appear when new editing features are first launched, but they are not usually third-party banner ads. Disabling recommendations completely makes the interface cleaner and speeds up the application as it stops loading advertising content in the background.
Using DNS to Block Advertising
A more radical but highly effective method is the use of private DNS-This method allows you to block advertising requests at the network connection level without requiring the installation of third-party software.
To set up, go to Settings of your smartphone, select Connection and Sharing (or Wi-Fi and Internet). DNS (Private DNS). The default is "Auto" or "Disconnected." Select hostname of the provider. DNS Enter the address of a trusted server that blocks ads.
dns.adguard.comOnce you enter the address, save the settings. A smartphone can lose its connection to the Internet for a second, after which the network will recover. Now all requests to known ad servers will be blocked. This is a universal solution that works on most devices running Android 9 and above.
| Parameter | Default value | Recommended value | The effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| DNS mode | Auto/Disconnected | Provider host name | Activation of manual settings |
| Server address | - | dns.adguard.com | Locking down trackers |
| Impact on speed | Standard. | Minimum | Websites can load a little faster |
| Security | Standard. | Elevated | Encryption DNS-request |
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Using a private DNS is the most reliable way to remove ads not only in the Gallery, but throughout the Xiaomi system without installing additional applications.
It should be remembered that some free applications may stop working correctly if their functionality is tied to the display of advertising, but for the System Gallery, this method is completely safe and does not violate the integrity of the software.
Disconnecting Mi Video and Mi Music
Advertising in the Xiaomi Gallery often comes not directly from the photo app itself, but through related media services such as Mi Video and Mi Music.These apps have deep integrations with the system and can stream banner ads into the Gallery interface, especially in the Video sections or when creating collages.
To eliminate this source of irritation, you need to find and disable the services that are responsible for the operation of these players. The process is similar to turning off MSA. Go to the Passwords and Security menu → Access to data. In the list, find the processes miui.video, miui.player or music.
Turn off the network sliders for these services. If the system requires confirmation, agree. After that, ads related to video content and music recommendations will stop loading, which is especially true for users who use third-party players like VLC or MX Player.
- 🎵 Find the process related to Mi Music in the list of services.
- 🎬 Disable data access for the Mi Video service.
- 🔄 Restart the device to apply changes.
- 🖼️ Check the gallery for banner ads.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling network services for Mi Video and Mi Music will cause these apps to stop downloading album covers and online content.
If you are actively using standard Xiaomi players and you need online content, this method may be less preferable to you, in which case you can limit yourself to turning off recommendations within the application players themselves, without completely blocking their access to the Internet.
Cleaning up data and resetting the settings of the Gallery
Sometimes banner ads can get stuck in the app cache or canned into local configuration files. If you turn off all services but the ads still appear, a complete cleanup of the Gallery app data will help, and this will not delete your photos, but reset the display settings.
Go to Settings → Applications → All Apps. Find Gallery in the list. Click Clean (or Memory) and select Clean Everything. Then open the Gallery again, and it will look like the first time you run it.
In some cases, cleaning up MIUI Daemon or Analytics data also helps, and these components collect usage statistics and can store temporary files with advertising modules, and the cleaning procedure is identical: find them in the application list, go to memory and clean the data.
☑️ Checklist for full cleaning
Once the Gallery settings are reset, the system may suggest that you turn on the recommendations again, so be careful and immediately uncheck the boxes, which will establish a "clean" profile of the application usage.
Alternative solutions and third-party galleries
If the built-in Xiaomi Gallery continues to annoy with its obsession even after all the settings, it makes sense to consider installing an alternative app.Third-party galleries often run faster, have richer functionality and are guaranteed to contain no Xiaomi system advertising.
One of the best solutions is Google Photos, which is pre-installed on most devices and offers unlimited storage (in compressed quality), powerful object and face search, and great editing tools. Another popular option is Simple Gallery (or its forks, since the original was purchased), which is minimalist and open source.
For users who care about speed and no extra features, apps like AGallery or 1Gallery can be used to minimize battery life and open instantly, and installing a gallery will completely ignore the standard application.
How to make a third-party gallery the main default?
Using third-party software is not only a way to get rid of advertising, but also an opportunity to access new features that Xiaomi did not implement in its standard application. RAW-Formats or Advanced Metadata Management.