Xiaomi’s modern smartphones offer an impressive array of features for an affordable price, but they pay with built-in advertising and intrusive services. MIUI and the new HyperOS shell are set to actively promote content by default, manifested in pop-ups, banners in folders and automatic application installation, which is annoying to many users who want a clean interface without unnecessary information noise.
Fortunately, the architecture of the Android operating system allows you to manage these processes with enough flexibility, if you know where the switches are located, you don't need super-user rights or complex technical manipulations to significantly reduce the amount of advertising debris, you just need to go through key settings sections consistently and disable specific services responsible for personalization and recommendations.
In this article, we will take a look at all the available methods for blocking intrusive content, from standard system settings to more advanced methods through ADB. We will look at how to prevent automatic installation of games and programs, as well as how to remove advertising in standard utilities such as Explorer or Music.
Disabling MSA Service and Personalized Advertising
The centerpiece of Xiaomi’s advertising ecosystem is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which is responsible for collecting your preferences and displaying targeted ads across the interface. The first and most important step in the fight for cleanliness is to deactivate it, although the system will try to dissuade you from doing so.
You first need to go to the settings menu and find the password and security section. The path may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the logic remains the same. You need to find Advertising Services or MSA Service. Once you switch the slider to the "Off" position, you'll have a countdown timer that offers 10 seconds before you confirm the action. It's a psychological barrier that you just have to wait out.
⚠️ Attention: After the service is disconnected MSA Some embedded apps may continue to display banners because they use their own monetization mechanisms, but the number of pop-ups will drop dramatically.
In parallel with disabling the main one, removing the checkmark in the personalized recommendations section will prevent the system from analyzing your actions to select advertising offers, which is usually located in the same security section or in the Privacy section, disabling this feature does not affect the operation of the basic services, but only stops collecting statistics for marketing purposes.
Configure the Tools folder and desktop
One of the most prominent areas for hosting recommended content is the standard Tools folder on the desktop. By default, unnecessary app shortcuts such as Mi Video, Mi Music, or third-party games that the system offers "for you" are often added to it. You can remove these shortcuts by simply dragging them out, but to prevent them from reappearing, you need to change the folder settings.
Click on the ellipsis inside the folder or pinch the empty space on the desktop and select the settings. Here you should find the Recommendation option or Receive recommendations and turn it off. This action will stop the automatic addition of new icons to the folder. It is also recommended to check the settings of the desktop itself in the general menu of system settings, where you can disable Wallpaper Carousel, a service that often replaces wallpaper with advertising images when you lock the screen.
- 📱 Press the blank area of the screen and select Settings to access the desktop settings.
- 🚫 Find the Recommendations switch inside the folders and turn it off.
- 🗑️ Manually remove all unnecessary shortcuts by dragging them into the cart or clicking “Delete».
- 🔄 Turn off automatic updates to widgets if they broadcast news feed.
Importantly, in the newer versions of HyperOS, the desktop settings interface has been slightly modified, and some options could move to the "Advanced" section. If you don't see the switch right away, carefully study all the available subsections of the launcher settings menu. A clean desktop is not just aesthetics, but also a processor resource saving, as background recommendation processes will stop consuming RAM.
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If you don’t use the standard Xiaomi launcher, install a third-party, such as Nova Launcher or Lawnchair. This will completely save you from folders with recommendations and wallpaper carousel.
Managing permissions and auto-launch applications
Many pre-installed apps continue to run in the background, consuming battery power and transmitting data even if you don't use them. To effectively disable recommended and unnecessary apps, it's not enough to simply remove their label from the desktop; you need to limit their rights and prohibit automatic start-up with the operating system.
Go to the Apps section of the system settings, and you'll have to go through the installed software list. For every suspicious or unused application (e.g., WPS Office, Booking.com, AliExpress), you'll need to do a series of things. First, click Stop, then Permissions, and revoke all unnecessary rights, especially access to location, contacts, and microphone, to prevent the collection of personal information.
| Annex | Recommended action | Risk of removal | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIUI Browser | Clear the data, disable notifications | Low (there are alternatives) | Reduced traffic and advertising |
| GetApps | Disable Auto Update, Disable Notifications | Low. | Termination of garbage installation |
| Mi Video / Music | Clear the cache, ban work in the background | Medium (needs your own player) | Battery savings |
| Analytics | Withdraw all consents, stop all consents | No. | Enhancing confidentiality |
Pay special attention to GetApps. This is Xiaomi’s own app store, which often provides intrusive notifications about “necessary” updates or new games. Go to its settings (usually available through an in-app profile) and disable all kinds of notifications, app auto-updates and personalization. This is a critical step for silence in the notification system.
☑️ Application security check
Cleaning Standard Applications: Explorer, Music, Video
Even after global advertising has been turned off, individual system applications can continue to display banners. Standard utilities such as Explorer, Music, and Video often have their own built-in monetization mechanisms, and to remove ads from them, you need to go to the settings of each application separately.
In the Explorer app, click on the menu (three bars) and select Settings. Find About or just scroll down to the Guidelines section. There will be a switch that you need to turn off. Similar to the player situation: in music and video settings, look for Online Services, Guidelines or Get Content. Disabling these features will leave apps working to play local files, but remove inserts and news feeds.
⚠️ Note: In some regions or firmware versions, the ad switch may not be available in standard apps, in which case the only solution is to install alternative apps from Google Play, such as: VLC Video or Solid Explorer for Files.
Also, remember to check the Notifications section in the settings of these applications. Often it is through push notifications that the system reports hot new products or promotions. Completely banning notifications for system media applications is normal practice for a user who prefers third-party software or simply does not need a constant information flow from the manufacturer.
Using Private DNS to block ads
One of the most effective and elegant ways to get rid of advertising at the level of the entire operating system is to use the Private function. DNS (Private DNS). This method does not require the installation of additional applications and works at the network connection level, blocking requests to known ad servers.
To implement this method, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing (or “Connections”) → Private DNS. The default mode is Auto or Disabled. Select the DNS provider hostname option and enter the address of one of the verified locking services, such as dns.adguard.com. Once you save the settings, the phone may require a reboot or simply reconnect to the network.
dns.adguard.comThis simple step allows you to filter a significant part of advertising traffic not only in the browser, but also inside some applications that use standard advertising SDKs. However, it is worth understanding that this method is not a panacea: it will not remove Xiaomi’s own advertising, which is downloaded from the domains of the company itself, but will perfectly cope with third-party advertising in games and free programs.
What if the Internet stopped working after the DNS change?
Advanced method: Disconnection via ADB
For users who want to get the most out of their computer, there is a method to remove system components through USB debugging and the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) utility, which allows you to remove or freeze applications that are not removed by standard means, including some system advertising services.
Before starting the procedure, activate the developer mode. To do this, quickly click seven times on the build number in the About Phone section. Then, in the Developer Menu, turn on USB Debugging. Connect the smartphone to your computer, install the drivers and the ADB platform. With the command adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 <name packet>, you can delete components. For example, the com.miui.misys package is responsible for some of the system advertising, but its removal requires caution.
⚠️ Attention: Use ADB Removing critical system packages can cause unstable phone performance or cyclic bootloop. Always specify the purpose of the packet before removing it and make a full data backup.
There are handy ADB graphics shells like Xiaomi ADB/Fastboot Tools or Universal Android Debloater that make the process easier. They automatically define your device model and offer a list of safe apps to remove. Using these tools significantly reduces the risk of error compared to manually typing commands into the console, making the method accessible even to inexperienced users.
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The ADB method gives maximum control over the system, allowing you to remove even what is hidden from the ordinary user, but requires the presence of a PC and attentiveness when performing operations.