How to Remove Recommendations in Xiaomi Video: The Complete Guide

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face intrusive advertising and recommendations that appear in the standard Mi Video player. Instead of just opening a file, the user is forced to see online movie banners, subscription offers and pop-ups. This is not only annoying, but also distracting from the main content, forcing them to look for ways to deactivate these features.

The developers of MIUI and its new version of HyperOS are embedding these elements to monetize free devices. Fortunately, the system allows you to turn off most ad modules manually, you don't need superuser rights or complex scripts, you just need to go through the settings menu items of the application itself consistently.

In this article, we will discuss how to clean the player interface from unnecessary visual noise, we will look at standard methods of disabling, working with system resolutions and alternative solutions for those who want a completely sterile viewing experience.

Why are recommendations appearing in Mi Video

The main reason for the intrusive content is the company’s business model: by selling high-cost-performance smartphones, the manufacturer offsets costs with service advertising. In the Mi Video app, this is implemented through the Online Services feature, which is active by default on all devices shipped with global firmware.

Algorithms analyze your preferences, browsing history, and even location to suggest what the system thinks is relevant videos, often resulting in a home screen of the player displaying a recommendation feed instead of a list of your files, which you can’t scroll through until you stop at the ad blocks.

It is important to understand the difference between system notifications and built-in ads. While the former can be blocked through the Android notification center, the latter are part of the layout of the Video Player app itself, which is why standard disabling notifications does not completely solve the problem.

⚠️ Attention: Disabling the network functions for the application completely may make it impossible to play online content if you use the built-in movie directory.

Basic settings through the application menu

The first and most effective step is to turn off online content directly in the player's settings, which allows you to hide the recommendation tab and leave only local files. First, start the Mi Video app and go to the "My" tab (the little man icon in the bottom right corner).

Next, you need to find the settings gear, which is usually located in the upper right corner of the screen. In the menu that opens, look for the item related to online features or recommendations. In different versions of MIUI, it can be called differently, for example, "Online Services" or "Recommendations".

Once you find the right switch, put it in an inactive state, and the system can request confirmation of your actions, warning you that the content will stop updating, and agree, because that's what we need for a clean interface.

It is worth noting that in some regions the interface may differ. If you do not immediately find the right item, try to change the region in the general settings of the smartphone. Go to Settings → Additional settings → Region and choice of country like India or the USA sometimes changes the set of options available in system applications.

Managing permissions and network access

A more radical but highly effective method is to deny the application access to the Internet, because the recommendations are loaded dynamically, the lack of a server connection makes them impossible to display, which ensures that even when you update the application, ads will not return.

To implement this, go to the Android system settings. Find the Apps section, then select Video (or Video) from the list. Inside the app menu, find Data Control or Data Use.

Here you need to turn off mobile internet and Wi-Fi, and then the app can only play back files stored in the device's memory, and any attempts to download a banner or video preview will be blocked at the system level.

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Annexes → All applications.
• 📺 Find the standard video player in the list.
• 🚫 Select "Data Control" and uncheck Wi-Fi and Mobile Network.

This method is especially useful for users who use the phone as a media center for a local movie library, and you will no longer see pop-ups suggesting that you install other apps or watch trailers for new products.

Disabling MIUI Advertising Personalization

Even by disabling recommendations in the player itself, you can continue to receive personalized ads at the shell level.The MIUI system has a global setting that collects data about your device use to target ads.

To limit data collection, open your smartphone's general settings and search for "Password and Security." In the security menu, select "Access to Personal Data" or "Special Features." Here, find the msa service (MIUI System Ads) and turn it off.

The system will insist that you leave an ad by running a countdown timer (usually 10 seconds) before allowing the shutdown, and you have to wait that time out and confirm the action, a defense mechanism against accidental shutdown, which, however, is easily bypassed.

Use of third-party players

If the regular methods seem too complex or not effective enough, the best solution is to install an alternative video player. Third-party developers often offer more flexible settings and completely lack the system advertising Xiaomi.

Popular apps like VLC for Android, MX Player or Nova Video Player support all modern video and audio formats, and they can read network folders, have built-in codecs, and let you customize the interface for yourself.

In addition, third-party players often become the default player. When you try to open a video file from the file manager, the system will ask how to open the file. When you select a new application and check the "Always" box, you will forget about the Mi Video interface forever.

⚠️ Note: When installing third-party applications from unknown sources, make sure you download them. APK-files only from official developer sites or trusted stores, such as the Google Play Store.

Hiding system applications

For those who want to visually remove the icon of a standard application, there is a method of hiding it, which does not remove the player from the system, but makes it invisible on the menu and on the desktop, which is useful so that it does not accidentally run.

The MIUI shell has a built-in Hiding Apps feature. To activate it, go to Settings → Apps → Hide Apps. In the list that opens, find the Video and activate the switch.

After that, to access hidden applications, you will need to make a special gesture on the desktop (usually fingers apart) and enter a password, which will create an additional layer of protection against the accidental launch of “heavy” system software.

Cache cleaning and resetting settings

Sometimes, after updating the firmware, the old ad settings can stick, in which case a complete cleaning of the application data helps, which will return the player to a state of "from the store", and you will have to go through the procedure of disabling recommendations again.

Go to the Video app information via your phone's settings. Select Memory, then click Clear and select All Data. Note that this will also reset your browsing history and your recently opened files.

Once cleaned, launch the app. When it first starts, it may again request permission to access the Internet or personalize, read all pop-ups carefully, and uncheck items that contain the words "recommendations," "advertisements" or "online services."

• 🗑️ Open the Settings. → Annexes → Video.
• 💾 Go to the "Memory" section and click "Clear everything".
• 🔄 Run the app again and turn off online functions again.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

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A comprehensive approach, including disabling online services in the application itself and banning access to the Internet, guarantees complete elimination of advertising in Mi Video.