How to disable spam on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face intrusive advertising that appears in the most unexpected places of the system. Pop-ups, banners in standard applications and notifications about “viruses” can turn using the gadget into a real test. Fortunately, the shell of MIUI and HyperOS allows you to customize the system in detail and completely get rid of this digital noise.

Ad units are built in by developers at the system process level, but they can be safely deactivated without obtaining root rights. It does not violate the warranty and does not require complex reprogramming of the device. It is enough to go through several sections of settings in succession to return the smartphone to the clean and fast interface that it was originally designed.

In this article, we’ll look at all the effective ways to combat spam, from disabling the MSA system service to setting up built-in browsers. You’ll learn which apps are responsible for displaying ads, how to block notifications from questionable cleaning services, and what network settings will help filter traffic, resulting in a device that works exclusively for you, not for advertisers.

Disabling system advertising through MIUI settings

The first and most important step is to disable the system’s main advertising module, known as MSA (MIUI System Ads), which is the process responsible for collecting data about your behavior and showing targeted ads in the interface, and without it, other measures may not be effective enough.

First, you go to the settings menu and find the password and security section, and there's a switch that formally allows you to opt out of receiving personalized recommendations, but it's not enough to turn it off, because you're going to have to wait 10 seconds to simulate the complexity of the process, and then you have to confirm the action.

Importantly, MSA may try to reboot after a reboot. If you see a notification saying, "MSA failed to disable," just repeat the procedure again. Usually, on the second or third attempt, the system permanently blocks this process, and it is also worth disabling the adjacent mdapp service, which often works in tandem with the ad module.

⚠️ Attention: After disconnection MSA The system may take 5 to 10 minutes to apply changes and stop background processes. Don't panic if the first banner appears immediately after setting up.

Additionally, in the same section, "Passwords and Security," it is recommended to disable the "Receive recommendations" function. This will remove the prompts in the application folders and on the desktop, which often lead to partner sites or the GetApps app store. A clean desktop is the key to productive work without unnecessary visual debris.

Set up standard Xiaomi applications

Advertising integrations are deeply embedded in Xiaomi’s standard suite of utilities: Explorer, Music, Video, Themes, and even the Security app can stream partner content, and to clean them up, you need to go into each app’s settings separately and find the appropriate switches.

In the Security app, which many people use to clean the cache, ads often pop up after the scan is done. To fix this, open the app, click on the settings gear in the upper right corner and find "Get recommendations." Disabling this option will remove the news feed and banner ads from the scanner interface.

The same thing happens with the Topic app, and it also has a "Show Ads" or "Recommendations" option in its settings that needs to be deactivated, which is especially important because it has high system rights and can display notifications over other windows. In the Music and Video app, you need to remove the "Show Ads" box in the content settings section.

Be sure to check the settings of the Downloads app. It is often through this app that hot offers notifications enter the system. In the download menu (three dots in the corner), select the settings and turn off the "Show recommended content" option. This will prevent pop-ups when you download files from the Internet.

Blocking ads in the browser and notifications

The built-in Mi Browser browser is one of the main sources of spam if it is not configured correctly. By default, it can provide news feeds and advertising notifications. To minimize their impact, go to your browser settings, select the Privacy and Security section, and enable pop-up blocking.

However, the best solution for users who want complete peace of mind is to install a third-party browser, such as Brave, DuckDuckGo or Vivaldi. These browsers have built-in mechanisms for blocking trackers and engine-level advertising, which allows not only to speed up the loading of pages, but also protect personal data from collection.

Notifications from sites deserve special attention. Often we allow sites to send notifications ourselves, and then we do not know how to get rid of them. Go to Settings → Notifications and Status bar → Notification Management. Find your browser (or application that spams), select Other Notifications and turn off access for specific sites or completely.

Also check for permissions for applications. In Settings → Apps → All apps, select a suspicious app (often games or utilities for lights / calculators), go to Notifications and disallow them. Many free apps earn from displaying ads in the form of push notifications, even when the application is closed.

Using DNS to filter traffic

One of the most effective and elegant ways to remove ads from all apps and browsers is to use a private DNS filtered, which requires no additional software installation and works at the network connection level, cutting off requests to known ad servers.

To set up, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS. Select the option “Host Name of the DNS provider” and enter the address: dns.adguard.com. After saving the phone can lose the connection to the Internet for a second, and then reconnect with the protection already turned on.

Using AdGuard DNS allows you to block ads not only in the browser, but also inside many games and applications where they load dynamically. It is a universal solution that works even in cases where disabling MSA did not give 100% result.

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If some applications (e.g., banking or carrier) have stopped working after turning on a private DNS, temporarily return the setting to Auto or Off. Some services may block work through third-party DNS.

Cleaning up malicious applications and viruses

If the ad appears as pop-ups on your desktop at random and you can't identify the source, it's likely that a malicious app has settled on the device, often masquerading as system processes or not having an icon on the menu.

To find the culprit, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. scroll through the list carefully. Look for apps without a name or with a transparent icon (usually at the bottom or at the top of the list). Also look for apps with suspicious names like Flash Player, Clearer, Battery Saver that you didn’t knowingly install.

⚠️ Warning: If you find an app without an icon, don't just try to open it. Immediately click on it to enter the menu and select "Delete." If the delete button is inactive, first disable the app and then delete it.

In difficult cases, when a virus blocks the input to settings, try to start the phone in Safe Mode. To do this, press the turn off button, and when the "Stop" icon appears on the screen, pinch and hold it with your finger for a few seconds. The system will suggest going to Safe Mode. In this mode, only system applications work, which will allow you to safely remove the malicious software through the standard application manager.

For prevention, installing a reliable antivirus, such as Malwarebytes or Dr.Web Light, and conducting a full scan is recommended, and these ilets are able to find hidden miners and Trojans that may be invisible to the built-in MIUI scanner.

Additional measures and resetting of settings

If none of these methods have been able to eliminate spam completely, it may be deep system files or update conflicts, and more radical but effective methods can be used, one of which is to disable MIUI Daemon through the developer settings, although newer versions of Android have limited access to this.

The most effective way to guarantee 100% clean system is a complete reset to factory settings (Wipe & Reset).Be sure to back up important data to the Mi Cloud or computer before that. When reset, select the option "Clear all data", which will delete not only files, but all installed applications along with their cache and possible virus residues.

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Full reset is the only guarantee of removing deep-seated viruses and ad modules if manual cleaning doesn't help.

After a reset, take the time to restore all applications from the backup at once. Install programs gradually, checking the behavior of the system. Often spam is returned by users themselves, restoring the backup of the infected application. Be selective in choosing software sources and download applications only from a trusted Google Play store.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)