How to permanently remove ads on Xiaomi smartphone: the complete guide

Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO have long been popular for their value for money, but many users are facing one unpleasant feature: aggressive advertising in system applications. Banners appear in the settings menu, on the lock screen, in the file explorer and even in notification panels, and the problem is relevant for both budget models (Redmi 9A, POCO M3) and flagships (Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Mix Fold 3).

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can disable ads on Xiaomi smartphones, from standard MIUI settings to radical methods using ADB and custom firmware. It’s important to understand that some methods may require unlocking the bootloader or superuser rights, which is not warranty, so let’s start with the safest options and gradually move on to advanced ones.

Why is there so much advertising on Xiaomi?

Xiaomi openly claims that some of its revenue comes from advertising in the MIUI ecosystem, keeping prices lower than those of its competitors, but since the release of MIUI 12 and more recent versions (MIUI 13/14, HyperOS), advertising integrations have become even more aggressive:

• 📱 Lock screen: banners with offers of games, credits and promotions.
• ⚙️ Settings: Advertising in the "Subjects", "Security", "Cleaning" section".
• 📁 Explorer: Banners at the bottom of the screen when viewing files.
• 🔔 Notifications: push-advertising from system applications (Mi Video, Mi Browser).
• 🎮 Game mode: proposals to install new games.

Most of the ad modules are built into system applications (com.miui.systemAdSolution, com.xiaomi.midrop), which cannot be removed without root rights, but can be disabled or restricted through settings and additional tools.

Method 1: Disabling personalized advertising in MIUI

The easiest and safest method is to disable the personalization of ads in your Mi Account settings, which won’t remove all banners, but will significantly reduce their number:

1. Open Settings → Xiaomi account.
2. Go to Mi Account. → Account settings.
3. Choose Advertising → Personalized recommendations.
4. Turn off the "Personalized Advertising" slider.
5. Go back and turn off Interest-Based Ads.

After that, the system will stop collecting data about your actions for targeted advertising, but banners in the explorer and on the lock screen may remain — they are removed in other ways.

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If you don’t have a Mi Account, register it through Settings → Xiaomi Account → Sign in/Sign up. Without an account, some ad settings will not be available.

Method 2: Manual disabling of advertising in system applications

Many Xiaomi apps have their own ad settings that can be manually disabled.

After disabling these settings, restart your smartphone.Adverts in the listed apps should disappear, but banners on the lock screen and in notifications may remain.

Method 3: Using ADB to Deeply Disable Advertising

If standard methods don’t work, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a tool for debugging Android devices, which does not require root rights, but requires connecting your smartphone to your computer.

Attention! Incorrect ADB commands may disrupt the system.

1. Download and install ADB Tools on your computer.
2. Turn on your smartphone Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times to activate the developer mode).
3. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable “Debugging by USB”.
4. Connect your smartphone to your computer and confirm access to debugging on your phone screen.
5. Open the command prompt (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) in the folder with ADB and type:

adb shell pm hide com.android.browser


adb shell pm hide com.miui.systemAdSolution




adb shell pm hide com.xiaomi.midrop




adb shell settings put global captive_portal_detection_enabled 0

These teams:

• 🔍 Disable the system application of advertising (com.miui.systemAdSolution).
• 🌐 Block Mi Browser (if you don't use it).
• 📡 Disable the check of the captive portal (removes advertising when connecting to Wi-Fi).

After you've done the commands, restart your smartphone. Ads should disappear from most system locations. If you want to return everything back, use the command:

adb shell pm unhide com.android.browser

Method 4: Remove ads through hosts file editing (without root)

Another effective method is to block Xiaomi ad servers through editing the hosts file, which does not require root rights, but requires the use of an ADB or a special application.

Importantly, this method can block not only ads, but also some system updates. If after the changes, Xiaomi services stopped working, return the original hosts file.

1. Download AdAway (requires USB debugging enabled).
2. Connect your smartphone to your computer and execute the command:

adb shell su -c "mount -o rw,remount /system"


adb push hosts /system/etc/hosts




adb shell su -c "mount -o ro,remount /system"

Or use a ready-made hosts file for Xiaomi (you can download here).

• 📵 ad.mi.com – the main advertising server.
• 📵 tracker.ai.xiaomi.com – statistics collection.
• 📵 sdkconfig.ad.xiaomi.com – settings for targeted advertising.

After applying the hosts file, clear the cache to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Google Play Services → Storage → Clear the cache.

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Editing a hosts file is one of the most effective ways to block ads without root, but after the MIUI update, changes can be reset.

Method 5: Install custom firmware (for advanced users)

If you're willing to take drastic measures, you can install custom firmware without advertising.

• 📱 Xiaomi.eu: official firmware MIUI, But without advertising or Chinese services. OTA-update.
• 🤖 LineageOS: "clean" Android without unnecessary apps.
• 🔥 Pixel Experience: firmware with Google Pixel interface. Requires unlocked bootloader.

Installation process:

1. Unlock the bootloader through the Mi Unlock Tool (requires a wait of 7-14 days).
2. Install TWRP Recovery for your model.
3. Download the firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.eu) and transfer it to your smartphone.
4. Download to TWRP and run the firmware (Wipe → Install → Reboot).

⚠️ Attention: installing custom firmware deprives of warranty and can lead to unstable operation of the device. TWRP Mi Cloud.

Method 6: Using Third-Party Ad Blockers

If previous methods seem complicated, you can use third-party ad-blocking apps.The best options for Xiaomi are:

For maximum efficiency:

1. Install Blokada or AdGuard.
2. Enable the lock system applications in the settings.
3. Add to the blacklist the domains ad.mi.com, tracker.ai.xiaomi.com.

These applications work as local applications. VPN, Therefore, they do not conflict with the main VPN-joining.

Method 7: Reset to factory settings (extreme case)

If the ads are after the MIUI update or installing third-party apps, you can try the factory reset, which will delete all user data, but return the system to a "clean" state.

How to reset:

1. Back up your important data (Settings → System → Backup).
2. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Select "Erase all data."
4. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.

⚠️ Warning: After a reset, do not log in to Mi Account immediately – first turn off personalized ads in the settings, otherwise banners may return.

If the ads remain even after the reset, the problem is in the version of MIUI. In this case, only the custom version firmware (method 5) or contacting Xiaomi support (it is unlikely that they will help).

FAQ: Frequent questions about advertising on Xiaomi

Now you know all the ways to combat advertising on Xiaomi smartphones, start with the simplest methods (disable settings) and move on to more complex ones if you need to. If you have any questions about a particular model, check the name in the comments, and we will help you find the best solution.