Users of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face intrusive advertising not only in system applications, but also inside the popular video service. Unlike desktop versions, mobile Android has a stricter security policy, which makes it difficult to install blockers directly into the system.
There are several levels of problem solving: from simple change DNS-It is important to understand that the official YouTube client does not have a built-in button to disable ads without a Premium subscription. Therefore, all the methods described below are based on bypassing the standard mechanisms of displaying banners and video inserts.
In this article, we will discuss the technical details of the work of advertising trackers in the shell of MIUI and HyperOS. You will learn how to configure a personal DNS to block sponsored domains, what permissions are required for the operation of local filters and why some methods may stop working after updating the service Google Play.
Personal DNS Method: Network-level blocking
The most effective and safe way that does not require Root rights is to use the “Private” function. DNS» (Private DNS), This method redirects requests to ad servers to a special filter that simply does not return content, leaving the main video intact.
To implement it, you will need a trusted server address, such as AdGuard DNS. Unlike installing third-party applications, this method works globally for the entire smartphone, including browsers and other programs. However, it is worth considering that aggressive filtering can sometimes block useful interface elements or slow down the loading of pages.
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Use dns.adguard.com for basic protection, but if the video stops loading, try the AdGuard family of alternative servers.
To activate the function, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS. Select the option “Host Name of the DNS Provider” and enter the server address. Once saved, the system will reconnect the network, and the ads will disappear in most cases.
☑️ Set up a Private DNS
Use of modified YouTube clients
If networking methods don’t give 100% of the result or you want to get advanced functionality (background play, picture in picture), it is worth considering installing alternative clients. The most popular solution is the YouTube ReVanced project, which is a patcher for an official application.
The installation process requires the original download APK-A specific version file and patching it through a special manager, which allows you to insert ad blockers, sponsor blocks into the application code and disable tracking of user actions. It is important to download tools only from official repositories on GitHub to avoid malicious code.
⚠️ Warning: Installing modified applications requires permission to install from unknown sources. APK-files, as this gives access to the system.
Once you have installed a modified client, the original YouTube app is better off disabling or removing updates so that the system doesn't try to automatically update it to a version where patches don't work.This will ensure stable operation without sudden crashes following background updates to Google Play Services.
Why does YouTube Music require a patch?
Local lock through filter applications
For advanced users who don’t want to change DNS-server is global, there are applications that create local VPN-The leader in this niche is AdGuard for Android, which filters all incoming and outgoing traffic by checking it against updated lists of advertising domains.
Unlike conventional DNS, these programs can analyze the contents of data packets and block specific elements within applications without disrupting other network services. However, running a VPN can increase battery consumption, since the processor constantly processes network requests.
To properly operate the filter, you must provide the application with special permissions in the Settings → Applications → Access Control menu. It is also recommended to add the filter application to the power saving exception list so that the MIUI system does not close its process in the background.
Set up a lock at the router level
If you use home Wi-Fi frequently, the best solution is to set up filtering on the router side, which will remove ads on all connected devices, including Smart TVs and tablets, without having to configure each gadget separately.
In modern routers, especially those that support OpenWrt or Keenetic firmware, you can write the addresses of advertising servers in the hosts file or use built-in DNS-This reduces the load on the smartphone processor, because the filtering takes place on the external device.
The disadvantage of the method is that it is not functional when using mobile Internet, so this option is suitable as an addition to the main methods, providing comfort when watching video at home, where heavy content is most often used in high resolution.
| Method | Difficulty | Impact on the battery | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private DNS | Low. | No. | Tall. |
| Customer Mod (ReVanced) | Medium | No. | Maximum |
| Local VPN (AdGuard) | Low. | Average. | Tall. |
| Router filter | Tall. | No (on the phone) | Only Wi-Fi. |
System limitations of MIUI and HyperOS
Xiaomi shells are known for aggressively optimizing background processes. If you use ad blocking apps that work in the background (like a local VPN), the system can force them to shut down to save energy.
To prevent this, you need to go to the battery settings and select the "No Limits" mode for the selected application. It is also useful to lock the application in memory by swiping down the menu of running tasks and pressing the lock. This is a signal to the system not to unload the process from RAM.
⚠️ Note: When updating the firmware MIUI Access and energy saving settings can be reset to factory settings. After each major update, check the status of your filtering applications.
In addition, new versions of HyperOS have enhanced security mechanisms that can warn of a “potentially dangerous connection” when using third-party DNS. This is a standard system response to encrypting traffic through an unverified server, which can be ignored if you are confident in the source of the DNS.
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The aggressive energy saving of MIUI is the main reason why ad blockers stop working hours after launch.