How to permanently remove YouTube ads on Xiaomi Mi TV 4S: from DNS to alternative apps

Advertising on YouTube on Xiaomi Mi TV 4S has become a real problem for many users: rollers 15-30 seconds before the video, banners in recommendations and pop-ups spoil the entire viewing experience. Especially annoying that even with a paid YouTube Premium subscription on the TV, ads can continue to show due to geolocation restrictions or app versions.

In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to remove ads on Xiaomi TV 4S, from simple DNS settings to install modified clients. All methods are tested on MIUI TV 3.0-4.5 firmware and do not require root rights. Importantly, some solutions may violate YouTube’s terms of use, so use them at your own risk.

If you’re tired of interrupting movies with in-app ads or want to protect kids from off-target banners, choose the method below. We’ll also explain why the standard YouTube app on Xiaomi TV behaves differently than on smartphones, and how to get around it.

1.Blocking Ads Through Changing DNS on Xiaomi TV 4S

The safest and most reversible way is to redirect. DNS-The way you do this is to ask the TV to the servers that filter the ad domains, and it doesn't require you to install any additional applications, and it works at the network level.

On Xiaomi Mi TV 4S, you can change the DNS in two ways: through Wi-Fi settings or manually for a specific connection. We recommend using public DNS from AdGuard or NextDNS, as they specialize in tracking and advertising blocking.

Step instructions:

1. Open Settings → Network and Internet → Wi-Fi.
2. Select your network and click on Additional Settings (or "Edit").
3. Scroll to IP Settings and select Static.
4. In the DNS 1 field, enter 94.140.14.14 (AdGuard), in DNS 2 - 94.140.15.15.
5. Save the settings and restart the TV.

⚠️ Attention: After the change DNS Some services (such as Netflix or Disney)+) They may give you a geolocation error, and then return the standard ones. DNS or use alternative addresses:

• 🔹 NextDNS: 45.90.28.167 (blocks YouTube ads, but can slow down)
• 🔹 CleanBrowsing: 185.228.168.168 (soft filtering)
• 🔹 Google Public DNS: 8.8.8.8 (without filtration, for rollback)

Make sure the TV is connected to Wi-Fi|Open YouTube and check for no ads before video|Try running a video from the middle (advertisements may only appear at the beginning)|If you have any ads, try another one. DNS-server-->

2. Install modified versions of YouTube (SmartTubeNext, Vanced)

The official YouTube app on Xiaomi TV doesn’t support ad blocking, but there are open-source alternative clients, the most popular being SmartTubeNext and YouTube Vanced (the latter is no longer updated, but runs on older firmware).

SmartTubeNext is a YouTube fork with remote advertising, background playback and other Premium features.It can be installed on Xiaomi Mi TV 4S via Send Files to TV or ADB. Importantly, the app requires periodic updates as YouTube blocks unofficial customers.

Step-by-step instructions for SmartTubeNext:

1. Download the latest version of APK from the official website (choose the option for Android TV).
2. Transfer the file to your TV via Send Files to TV (application from Xiaomi) or via USB.
3. Enable installation from unknown sources: Settings → Applications → Security → Unknown sources.
4. Install an APK and open the app, and when you first start it will request access to your Google account.
5. In SmartTubeNext settings, turn off Show Ads and Sponsored Integrations.

⚠️ Attention: Installation of modified APK This could lead to a ban on YouTube to minimize the risk:

• 🔹 Don’t log into your primary Google account – use a secondary account.
• 🔹 Do not update your SmartTubeNext via Google Play.
• 🔹 Periodically clean the app cache (Settings) → Annexes → SmartTubeNext → Clear the cache).

3. Use of a browser with an ad blocker

If you don't want to mess with DNS or third-party APKs, you can watch YouTube through a browser with an ad-blocking extension. The Xiaomi Mi TV 4S has Mi Browser installed by default, but it doesn't support extensions. You can install Firefox or Kiwi Browser (via APK) instead and use uBlock Origin.

Instructions for Firefox + uBlock:

1. Download APK Firefox for Android TV from APKMirror.
2. Install it on your TV (see the Unknown Sources section above).
3. Open Firefox, go to about:config and enable extensions.webextensions.sideloading.
4. Download uBlock Origin for Firefox in.xpi format and transfer the file to your TV.
5. In Firefox, open about:addons, click “Cogs → Install Add-on from File” and select the downloaded.xpi.
6. Restart your browser and open m.youtube.com.

✅ Pros of the method:

• 🔹 No risk of banning a YouTube account.
• 🔹 All types of advertising are blocked, including banners in recommendations.
• 🔹 You can use other extensions (for example, Dark Reader for dark theme).

❌ Cons:

• 🔸 No background playback.
• 🔸 YouTube's mobile interface is less convenient for TV.
• 🔸 Possible lags when scrolling (depends on the TV model).

💡

If YouTube is slowing down in your browser, turn on the option to Use Turbo Mode (compresses traffic) in Firefox settings or reduce the video quality to 720p manually.

4. Disable personalized advertising in your Google account

This method won’t remove ads completely, but it will reduce the number and make them less intrusive. YouTube shows fewer ads if personalization is disabled in Google account settings.

How to do this:

1. On your computer or smartphone, open myaccount.google.com.
2. Go to Data and Personalization → Advertising Settings.
3. Turn off the Personalized Advertising switch.
4. Scroll down and click Disable ads based on your activity and information.
5. Save the changes and restart the TV.

Once you disable personalization, YouTube will display ads based on your country, not your browsing history, and this won’t remove it completely, but will reduce the number of rollers from 30 to 5 to 10 seconds.

⚠️ Note: This method only works for Google accounts that are not linked to YouTube Premium. If you have an active subscription, ads may continue to appear due to the region-specific link (for example, in Russia, even Premium users see some of the ads).

5. Resetting the TV to factory settings (extreme case)

If none of the methods worked, and YouTube ads have become unbearable, you can try resetting the Xiaomi Mi TV 4S to factory settings, which will remove all installed apps, accounts and settings, but sometimes helps to get rid of “built-in” advertising in system services.

How to reset:

1. Open Settings → About TV → Reset settings.
2. Select to erase all data (you will need to enter) PIN-code, if it is installed).
3. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot (it will take 5-10 minutes).
4. After turning on, skip the initial setting and check YouTube right away.

⚠️ Attention: Reset will remove:

• 🔹 All installed applications (including SmartTubeNext).
• 🔹 Linked accounts Google, Netflix, Prime Video.
• 🔹 Settings Wi-Fi, brightness, sound and ambilight.

If the ads disappeared after the reset, the problem was in the cache or application conflict. If not, try a combination of methods (e.g. DNS + SmartTubeNext).

💡

Factory reset is a nuclear option, only use it if other methods have not worked, and be sure to back up important data (e.g. screenshots of screen settings).

6. Alternative methods: VPN and router

If you're willing to go for more sophisticated manipulations, you can set up ad blocking at the router level or via a VPN, which is suitable for advanced users.

Option 1: VPN with ad filtering

Some of them VPN-Services (like ProtonVPN or Windscribe) have built-in tracking and advertising locks to use on Xiaomi. TV 4S:

1. Install. VPN-TV app (for example, Windscribe via APK).
2. Connect to a server in a country where YouTube displays less ads (e.g. Germany or France).
3. Enable the Block Ads option in the VPN settings.

Option 2: Set up the router

If your router supports third-party software installation (such as DD-WRT or OpenWRT), you can configure ad blocking for all devices on the network:

• 🔹 Install Pi-hole or AdGuard Home on your router.
• 🔹 Add YouTube Advertising Domains to the Blacklist (a list can be found on GitHub).
• 🔹 Set up. DHCP-router server to distribute filtering DNS device-wise.

⚠️ Attention: Blocking at the router level can disrupt other services (e.g. online banking or instant messengers). Before setting up, check whether your router is compatible with alternative firmware.

💡

VPN And routers block ads for all devices on the network, but they can slow down the Internet. DNS-filtering.

FAQ: Frequent questions about removing ads on Xiaomi TV 4S