Xiaomi smartphone owners often face an intrusive situation where folders with unknown games or utilities appear on the desktop, so-called proposed applications that MIUI automatically downloads and advises to install, a policy that has irritated many users who are used to a clean interface without unnecessary garbage.
Fortunately, the modern MIUI shell and its successor, HyperOS, provide the flexible tools to manage this process, so you don't have to have superuser rights or refashion the device to clean up the mess, but you have to configure a few hidden parameters in the system services.
In this article, we will discuss all the methods that allow you to permanently get rid of obsessive sentences, we will consider both standard settings and more advanced methods through ADB, if the standard methods are not effective enough for your model.
The nature of the appearance of advertising and unnecessary applications
Xiaomi’s recommendation mechanism is tied to the MSA (MIUI System Ads) system service, which collects your preferences and generates lists of “useful” software that algorithms think you might like, often preinstalled on the system but hidden until the service decides to activate it.
Most of these programs are affiliate projects or ecosystem developments that the company is looking to promote, and turning off this feature not only cleans the desktop, but also significantly reduces the load on RAM and CPU, as background processes stop analyzing your actions.
⚠️ Note: Complete removal of system components through ADB This can lead to unstable operation of some functions. MIUI. Use advanced methods only if you are confident in your actions and have made a backup of data.
It is worth noting that the location of the switches may differ in different versions of the shell, and if you do not find an item on the menu, try searching for the settings by entering keywords like "advertisements" or "msa".
Disabling the MSA Recommendation Service
The first and most important step is to deactivate the primary service responsible for targeted advertising. Without disabling the MSA, any other manipulations may be temporary, as the system will periodically check status and return default settings.
To start, you need to go to the device settings menu. Find the Passwords and Security section and select Access to Personal Data. In the list that opens, find msa and put the slider inactive.
The system will give a warning that some functions may stop working correctly, which is the standard shell reaction, and you have to press the "Disable" button and wait 10 seconds, then confirm the action by re-pressing.
☑️ Checking the shutdown MSA
Sometimes you can't turn off the service the first time. MIUI can simulate a delay or produce a network error, in which case you repeat the procedure 3-4 times in a row until you see a message about a successful shutdown, which is a well-known feature of the protection of the ad module.
Setting up the security system and cleaning the cache
The second front-end component that generates suggestions is the built-in Security app, which scans the device and periodically issues recommendations for "acceleration" or "cleanup", while also inserting links to install games.
To remove these notifications, open the Security app. Click on the three dots in the top right corner of the screen and go to Settings. Here you are interested in Receive recommendations. Uncheck this box.
Then go back to the main settings menu of the Security app and look for Advanced Settings, there may also be a Recommendation option that you need to deactivate, which will stop pop-ups suggesting you install antiviruses or optimizers.
| MIUI component | Function | Where to turn off | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSA | Systemic advertising | Access to personal data | High (principal source) |
| Security | Cleaning and advice | Application settings | Medium (pop-ups) |
| Music. | Recommendations of tracks | Music settings | Low (player only) |
| Downloads. | News and files | Loading settings | Low (in the file folder) |
After changing the settings, it is recommended to clear the cache of the modified applications. Go to Settings → Apps → All applications, find Security and click Clear Cache. This will force the service to reread the configuration files without the old advertising keys.
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After disabling advertising, it is recommended to restart the smartphone so that all system services update their statuses and stop the background loading of advertising modules.
Managing embedded applications and folders
Even after you turn off your ads, you may still have folders on your desktop with names like Game, Apps, or Recommended, often with shortcuts leading to the GetApps store. Sometimes you can't remove the folder in the standard drag and drop method.
To remove these items, go to Settings → Desktop. Find the Recommended App Folder option or Wallpaper Carousel and turn it off. This will hide the widgets that Xiaomi uses to promote content.
If your device has system applications you don’t use (e.g. Mi Video, Mi Browser), you can turn them off. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, select an unnecessary service, and click Disable or Delete if the system allows.
⚠️ Note: Do not attempt to remove system components that you do not know the purpose of (e.g. System Services, Mi Account) and this may result in a download error or resetting of settings.
In some cases, shortcuts may come back after a system update, which is because when a major MIUI update resets the configuration files, you have to repeat the MSA disabling procedure after each major firmware update.
Using ADB for deep cleaning
If standard methods did not help to remove a particular application, you can use the tool. ADB (Android Debug Bridge: This method requires connecting your smartphone to your computer via a computer. USB-cable and basic knowledge of working with the command line.
First, activate debugging mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and press the MIUI build number 7 times. Then, in the Additional → For developers menu, turn on USB debugging.
Connect your phone to your PC and execute a command to delete the packet. For example, to remove the global GetApps store, the command will look like this:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.mi.global.shopTo remove the standard Mi Browser browser, the command is used:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.browserThis method removes the application only for the current user without affecting the system partition.It is safe and allows you to return the application back with the cmd package install-existing command if something goes wrong.
List of safe packet removal
Setting up the GetApps app store
Xiaomi's own app store, GetApps, is the main distribution channel for the software that you offer, and even if you don't use it, it works in the background and sends notifications, and its settings also require attention.
Open the GetApps app, go to the profile (human icon) and select Settings. Here you need to find the Auto Update app section and switch it to Wi-Fi Only mode or turn it off completely if you prefer manual control.
There's also a Notification in the store settings, and disable all kinds of push notifications, including "Recommendations," "Shares," and "Updates," which will stop banner ads appearing in the notification curtain.
- 📱 Open GetApps and go to Profile.
- 🔔 Go to the settings and find the notification section.
- ❌ Remove all checkmarks from the "Recommendations" and "Promotions".
- 💾 Check your auto-update settings and select “Do not update automatically".
After this, the store will no longer be intrusive. However, remember that you can not completely remove GetApps without root rights or ADB, since this is a system application.
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Comprehensive disabling of advertising requires processing three zones: the MSA system service, the Security application and the GetApps store settings.