How to remove ads on Xiaomi phone in the Gallery

Owning a Xiaomi or Redmi smartphone is often marred by one unpleasant feature, intrusive advertising that appears in the most unexpected places, including the System Gallery. Many users are faced with a situation when after watching a photo or video at the bottom of the screen, a banner pops up that prevents them from enjoying content. This is not a bug, but part of the company's marketing strategy to keep prices affordable by monetizing the user experience.

Fortunately, MIUI and the new HyperOS provide flexible tools to customize the interface, so you don't have to have superuser rights or flash the device to get rid of visual noise, but you just need to do a few things in a consistent way in the system settings to get the interface back clean.

In this article, we will go into detail about all known ways to deactivate ad units. We will look at both standard methods through Mi Account settings and deeper system changes. Gallery is just one component, and often the solution lies in disabling the global recommendation service.

The nature of the appearance of advertising blocks in the interface

Advertising in system applications is created by the built-in MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which is a system process that collects data about your preferences and displays targeted offers. Even if you don’t notice explicit banners, the process can run in the background, consuming resources.

In addition, Android 11, 12, 13 and 14, which builds Xiaomi shells, have changed its permissions policy, and some apps may request access to an overlay (over other windows), allowing them to display content on top of the Gallery. MIUI from third-party pop-up windows.

⚠️ Note: If the ads only appear when you open certain sites or after installing dubious applications, the problem may not be in the Xiaomi system, but in a virus or malware.

Understanding the mechanism of your advertising ID is also important: the system uses your device's unique code to pick up ads, resetting or disabling that ID is the first step to privacy, and without that, any other settings may be less effective.

Disabling Personalization and MSA Services

The most effective way to combat intrusive offers is to disable the MSA service. This system component is responsible for loading and displaying ads in all built-in applications. The process of disabling requires care, since the system can repeatedly ask your decision.

To start, go to your device's settings menu, find a section called Password and Security or Additional, depending on the shell version, and you'll need to find Data Access or Special Features inside, where all system services are listed.

In the application list, find msa. Click the switch to deny access to the network. The system will alert you that some features may stop working, and will start a countdown timer for 10 seconds. You need to wait until the time ends and click Disable.

• 🔍 Often the switch returns to its original position the first time – this is normal, repeat the procedure. 2-3 once.
• 🔒 To disable it may require confirmation via fingerprint or pattern lock.
• 📱 On some versions MIUI The path may be different: Settings → Annexes → All applications → msa.

In parallel with the MSA disablement, it is recommended to remove the tick from the Receive recommendations item. This option is located in the Settings menu → Password and Security → Privacy → Advertising Services. Disabling this option tells the system that you do not want to see personalized advertising based on your activity.

Settings inside the Gallery app

Even after global services are disabled, the Gallery app itself may have its own built-in content display settings, and in newer versions of MIUI and HyperOS, developers often hide these options deep in the menu or disguise them as “helpful recommendations.”

Open the Gallery app and go to Profile or click on the menu icon (three dots or gears). Select Settings. Here you may be interested in the option to Show recommendations or Glance tape (if active). Make sure that all switches related to news, advertising and tips are in the "Off" position.

It's also worth checking the Mi Cloud settings.Sometimes banner ads may come through synchronized albums or promotions from Xiaomi partners. Disabling sync of ad albums will help clear the tape.

If you use the Glance feature or live newsfeed wallpaper, they can also be a source of banners. Turn them off in the lock screen settings to exclude this intrusion vector.

Managing permissions and access to the network

Modern versions of Android allow you to control in detail which apps have access to the Internet. It is a powerful tool that allows you to turn a smart phone into a device that does not consume advertising traffic. For the Gallery, access to the network is often not critical if you do not use cloud storage.

Go to Settings → Applications → All apps. Go to Gallery. Click Other Permits or Data Use. Here you will see the Wi-Fi switch and Mobile Internet. Disabling both will prevent any ad modules from loading.

⚠️ Note: Disabling access to the network for the Gallery may disrupt the Memories function or sync with Mi Cloud. If you use the cloud, leave Wi-Fi only, but turn off mobile Internet.

Also worth checking is the permissions for the system application Content Recipient (MAB), which is often responsible for uploading images to the recommendation feed, and restricting its network access rights significantly reduces the amount of debris in the system.

Don't forget to check the Security Permits. This app has broad rights and can display ads in the form of "memory clearing" or "acceleration." It also has a Receive Recommendations section in its settings that you need to deactivate.

Using DNS to Block Advertising

If standard methods don’t help or you want to block ads in all apps at once, including browsers and games, use DNS (Private DNS). This method does not require the installation of third-party software and works at the network connection level.

In the phone settings, find the Connection and Sharing or Wi-Fi section. DNS (Private DNS). Select the hostname of the provider DNS And you can type in the address of a trusted blocker, and the most popular and proven option is AdGuard.

dns.adguard.com

Once you enter the address, save the settings. The system can interrupt the Internet connection for a second, after which all requests to the ad servers will be blocked, and this is a universal solution that works even if the ad came through an update of the system component.

• 🚀 DNS-blocking speeds up page loading, as the browser does not waste time loading banners.
• 🛡️ This method protects against tracking your activity with advertising trackers.
• ⚙️ The setting is applied globally and does not require Root rights.

However, it is worth remembering that DNS does not block ads if they are embedded in the application code itself (for example, promotional materials from Xiaomi itself), in such cases only the combination of DNS and disabling system services helps.

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If the internet stopped working after the DNS change, try to register an alternative address: dns-family.adguard.com. It also blocks ads, but has stricter filters, including blocking adult sites.

Additional System Limitations

For advanced users who want to achieve perfect cleanliness, there are deeper methods: they involve disabling system applications via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting the phone to the computer, but gives you complete control over the system.

With the command line, you can completely freeze or delete ad packets, such as com.miui.misys or com.miui.personalization. However, this method requires caution: removing critical system components can lead to unstable device operation.

Before using ADB, make sure to make a complete backup of the data. If you are not sure about your actions, it is better to limit yourself to the software methods described above. Data security is always more important than not having one banner.

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB-commands to remove system applications can cause a loss of warranty or "bricking" of the smartphone if you make an error. Use this method only if you understand the consequences.

An alternative to manually working with ADB is to use special utilities like Universal Android Debloater.They provide a graphical interface and tag secure to remove applications, which reduces the risk of user error.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Removing Advertising Requires a Comprehensive Approach: Disabling MSA, Restriction of access rights for applications and use DNS-Filtering gives the best result.