Advertising in the standard gallery Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco has become one of the most annoying features of the MIUI firmware. Banners under photos, recommendations of “interesting” pictures and pop-up offers sometimes occupy up to 30% of the screen, preventing a comfortable viewing of personal photos.
Compounding the problem, with each update to MIUI 12/13/14, the algorithms for displaying ads become more aggressive, and the standard settings for disabling them are often reset or hidden deeper in the menu. This article will help remove all ad units from the gallery without root rights, using both official methods and workarounds for different versions of the firmware. We tested all methods on models from the Redmi Note 10 Pro to Xiaomi 13 Ultra — the results are summarized in the comparison table below.
Why Xiaomi Gallery is getting ads
The root of the problem lies in Xiaomi’s business model: the company makes money not only from selling devices, but also from integrated advertising in branded services. com.miui.gallery is one of the key applications that show:
- 📢 Banners under albums ("Recommended wallpaper", "Top photos of the week")
- 🔍 Download Mi Video or Mi Community Pop-ups
- 🖼️ Advertising pictures masquerading as user photos (often marked "Sponsor")
- 🎯 Personalized offers based on analysis of your pictures (recognition of places, objects)
Technically, the ads are loaded via MSA (Mi Service Analytics) and Miui Ad Framework services, and even if you turn off the impressions in the settings, some banners may return after:
- 🔄 Firmware updates (especially major versions) MIUI)
- 📱 Resetting the device
- 🔧 Resetting the settings of the Gallery application
Method 1: Disabling Advertising through MIUI Settings (Official Method)
The safest, but least effective way is to use the built-in system options, which are suitable for users who do not want to interfere with system files. MIUI 12.5–14:
- Open the Gallery app and tap on the three dots in the upper right corner.
- Select Settings → General settings.
- Scroll down to the Recommendations section and disable:
About the programme
hidden settings of the developer
Disable Ads
⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Poco) F4 s MIUI 13.0.6) the "Show ads" item may not be available.
☑️ Preparing for the Advertising Disconnection
Method 2: Blocking Advertising through MSA (Mi Service Analytics)
MSA is responsible for collecting analytics and displaying targeted ads, and disabling it will remove most banners not only in the gallery, but also in other system applications (Mi Music, Mi Video, Themes).
- Go to Settings → Memory → Autoboot.
- Find the MSA (or Mi Service Analytics) list and turn off auto-start.
- Go back to the basic settings, select Applications → Application Management.
- In the search, type in the MSA, open the application page and:
Reset the device.
💡 Useful advice: After the shutdown MSA function MIUI They may not work properly (for example, weather in the curtain of notifications) to return them, just turn on the service auto-start again, but leave the permissions blocked.
| Method | Efficiency | Risks. | Reboot required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallery settings | ⭐⭐ (cleans 30-40% promotion) | No. | No. |
| MSA shutdown | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (cleans 80-90%) | Weather widgets can break | Yes. |
| ADB-team | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (scavenge 100%) | Resetting when updating MIUI | Yes. |
| Outside galleries | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (no advertising) | Loss of MIUI functions (editor, cloud) | No. |
Method 3: ADB-commands to remove ads completely (without root)
For advanced users who are ready to connect a smartphone to a PC, there is a method using Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which blocks advertising identifiers at the system level.
- Turn on Developer Mode: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (shap 7 times)
- Activate USB Debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
- Download ADB Tools and unpack it on PC.
- Connect the phone to your computer and execute in the command line:
- Enter the commands one by one:
🔹 How to transfer data:
- Install a new gallery from Google Play.
- In the settings of the standard Xiaomi gallery, export your albums to the DCIM/Exported folder.
- In the new gallery, import photos from this folder.
- Turn off the auto-run of the standard gallery in Settings → Memory → Auto-boot.
⚠️ Note: When using third-party galleries, you will lose access to the:
- 🖌️ Built-in photo editor with effects MIUI.
- ☁️ Automatic synchronization with Mi Cloud (manual export required).
- 📱 Quickly viewing photos through the notification curtain.
Method 5: Editing System Files (for Advanced)
If you have root access or an unlocked bootloader, you can manually remove the ad units, which is 100% effective, but you need to be careful.
- Install Root Explorer or FX File Manager.
- Follow the path:
- Delete or rename (add.bak) files:
Clear the cache and gallery data in the application settings.
Reset the device.
💡 Useful tip: Before deleting system files, make a backup copy through TWRP team:
adb backup -apk -obb -shared -all -f backup.ab💡
Editing system files without root is fraught with device brilliance, and use this method only if you understand the risks and know how to restore firmware through Fastboot.
What to do if the ad returns after the update
MIUI updates often reset user settings, returning ads.
- Turn off the automatic gallery update:
- Use the DNS blocker:
Tasker
:
- Trigger: "System Event → Software Update."
- Action: “Complete ADB-commands” (from Method 3).
🔹 If the adverts reappeared:
- 🔄 Repeat the steps from Method 2 (disconnection) MSA).
- 📧 Write in support of Xiaomi with the requirement to disable advertising (spoiler letter template).