Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners often face intrusive ads that appear in the most unexpected places of the interface. Pop-up pictures, banners in folders and full-screen advertising in system applications are the result of the built-in MSA marketing module (MIUI System Ads). Although the company positions this as a way to reduce the cost of devices, for many users, this experience with the shell becomes an annoying factor.
Fortunately, MIUI and the new HyperOS provide enough tools to eliminate visual noise completely or partially. The process of disabling does not require root rights or complex reprogramming, but it requires care, since the settings are scattered across different menus. In this article, we will discuss in detail all methods of blocking intrusive content.
It is worth noting that completely removing advertising modules may require not only changing settings, but also disabling Internet access for certain system services. A critical step is to disable msa service in the Password and Security menu, since it is responsible for most pop-ups. We will look at both standard methods and more advanced ways to clean the interface.
Disabling system advertising through account settings
The first and most important step is to deactivate the receipt of personalized recommendations from Xiaomi itself, a basic level of protection that must be passed before setting up individual applications. Without this step, other actions may be less effective as the system will continue to try to show you content.
First, you need to go to the basic settings of your device. Find the Password and Security section and scroll down to Privacy. This is where the switch for collecting data for advertising is hidden. You need to find the option to Receive recommendations and move the slider to an inactive position.
After the switch is turned off, the system will require the system to wait 10 seconds before confirming the action. This is an artificial delay designed to discourage users from turning off the feature. Press the Turn off button when the timer expires. It is also recommended to go to the Mi Account settings and turn off the synchronization of advertising identifiers.
⚠️ Note: After disabling the recommendation service, the interface of some system applications (such as Music or Themes) may temporarily display empty areas instead of banners until the cache is fully updated.
You also need to check your security settings. In the Security app, go to the settings (cog icon) and find Receive recommendations. Make sure it's also off, and this will prevent news feeds and inserts from appearing in the memory cleaner app itself.
Management of MSA Service and System Processes
The MSA (MIUI System Ads) service is the main engine of shell advertising, and even after disabling recommendations in an account, this process can continue to work in the background, trying to download content, and to ensure a guaranteed result, you must deny this service access to the network or forcibly disable it.
To find this service, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. In the upper right corner, click on three dots and select Show System Services. In the list, find the msa app. Go inside and click Turn off ads (or Disable) if that option is available in your firmware version.
If the shutdown button is inactive or not, use the traffic restriction method. In the same app menu, find Activity Control or Traffic Consumption. You need to prevent the msa app from using both mobile data and Wi-Fi. This will prevent the ad module from downloading images even if the process is running.
☑️ Shutdown checklist MSA
Also worth looking at is the data analysis unit, which is responsible for collecting usage statistics, which are often used to target ads, and the procedure for turning it off is similar: find it on a list of system applications, deny access to the Internet, and if possible, turn it off completely, which will not only improve the cleanliness of the interface, but also the autonomy of the device.
Configure built-in applications: Explorer, Music, Downloads
Xiaomi system utilities often contain their own ad modules, independent of global settings. Each component requires a separate check. Start with the Explorer app, which often shows banner ads at the bottom of the screen when viewing files.
Open Explorer, click on the menu (three bars) and select Settings → About. Here you need to find the Receive Recommendations switch and turn it off. After that, the banner at the bottom of the screen should disappear. Similar actions should be repeated for Music, Video and Themes applications.
In the Downloads app, ads can appear as pop-ups when you finish downloading a file. Go to the bootloader settings, find Show recommended content and deactivate it. This will remove pop-ups with suggestions to download games or applications.
| Annex | The path to adjustment | What to turn off |
|---|---|---|
| Conductor | Settings → About the programme | Receive recommendations |
| Music. | Settings → Advanced settings | Showing advertisements |
| Downloads. | Settings (three dots) | Recommended content |
| Security | Settings (cogs) | Receive recommendations |
⚠️ Note: In some regions (such as India or Europe), menu item names may vary slightly, but the logic remains the same – look for the words “Recommendations”, “Ads” or “Promotions».
Also check the Themes app. Even if you don’t actively use it, it can display ads on the home screen. Go to the user profile (human icon) → Settings and disable all items related to personalization and advertising.
Blocking ads in the browser and notifications
Users often confuse Xiaomi’s system ads with ads from sites they accidentally subscribed to. If you have images with news, promotions or virus warnings, it’s not a virus, but authorized notifications in the Chrome browser or MIUI Browser.
To clean up your Chrome browser, go to Settings → Site Settings → Notifications. You will see a list of sites that have the right to send you messages. Ruthlessly delete any suspicious addresses or click Clear and Reset. This will instantly remove pop-ups from the web.
If you use a standard MIUI Browser, the situation is similar: go to your browser settings, find the Privacy and Security section and turn off Receive Notifications. It is also recommended to install a third-party ad blocker, such as AdGuard, which can filter traffic at the device level.
How to distinguish system advertising from viral?
It is important not to confuse advertising notifications with system messages about memory or updates. System notifications usually come from the Security or Software Update app, while advertising spam has a browser icon or an unknown app.
Specifics of working with the HyperOS shell
With the release of the HyperOS shell, which gradually replaces MIUI, the menu structure has changed, but the way the ad modules work has remained similar, but the new system has more flexible privacy settings, combined into a single control center.
In HyperOS, ad settings are often placed in a separate subsection within the privacy menu. When you first turn on your phone, the system may suggest that you turn on Personalized Service, which is consent to display ads. If you are already using the device, check Settings → Additional → Special Features.
There may be a Content Service item or something like that, you have to turn it off, and there's a change in the way widgets work in HyperOS, and if you have images pop up on your desktop, check the widgets installed, and some of them (like Horizon or newsfeeds) load ads by default.
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Use the "Second Space" function to check. Create a second user without a Mi Account being linked. If the ads don't show up, then the problem is with your main profile settings or subscriptions.
HyperOS users also note that after major updates, privacy settings can be reset to factory ones, so after each firmware update, it makes sense to recheck the items described in the previous sections of the article.
Radical methods and the use of DNS
If the standard methods don't help remove pop-ups completely, you can use more powerful tools. DNS-This will block the loading of ads in all applications at once, including those that do not have disable settings.
To do this, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS. Select the DNS Host Name option and type in the address: dns.adguard.com. Save settings. Now all ad traffic will be blocked at the network level.
Another radical method is to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to remove system packets, which requires connecting the phone to a computer, and the command to remove the ad module is as follows:
adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.msa.globalThis command will remove the msa packet for the current user. The phone won't stop working, but the ads will disappear. However, be careful: removing the wrong system components can lead to unstable device operation. Use this method only if you are confident in your actions.
⚠️ Attention: Before use ADB-Deleting system components can lead to a cyclic bootloop in rare cases.
After applying any radical methods, it is recommended to perform a full reboot of the device so that the changes take effect and the system cache is cleared of old advertising identifiers.
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Combination of service shutdown MSA, privacy settings in applications and use DNS-Filtering gives 100% result in elimination of pop-up ads.