Poco X3 smartphone owners often experience intrusive ads that suddenly appear on top of the interface or in system applications. This phenomenon is typical of the MIUI shell, which by default contains many built-in ad modules. Users notice that windows pop out when unlocking the screen, during calls, or even at random times when the phone is in your pocket.
The reason lies not only in viruses, but also in Xiaomi’s legal but annoying system services, where aggressive marketing is built into firmware to monetize budget devices, and luckily most of these elements can be safely disabled through hidden settings or the installation of special security profiles.
In this article, we will discuss all methods of combating intrusive content: from basic privacy settings to advanced disabling system processes through ADB. You will learn to distinguish system advertising from malware and return your gadget to a clean interface without unnecessary costs.
The nature of advertising windows in MIUI
The main source of pop-ups is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) service, which is responsible for collecting user data and targeting advertising in standard applications. Unlike viruses, it is part of the operating system and is not deleted in the usual way without losing warranty or complex flashing.
And the ads are often streamed through standard tools like Explorer, Music, Themes and Security, and developers are stitching ad SDKs into the code of these apps, so locking just one source won't work.
It is worth mentioning separately. PUSH-Notifications from third-party applications: Many user-installed programs request permission to display notifications and use this to display banners, often even when the application is closed.
⚠️ Warning: If windows appear several times per minute and are redirected to a browser to strange sites, you probably installed a malicious application from an unreliable source.
Disabling system advertising through settings
The first and most important step is to turn off ad personalization. This won’t remove windows completely, but it will make them less frequent and more relevant, and stop collecting data about your activities. To do this, go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Access to personal data.
In the list that opens, find msa and switch the slider to “Off.” The system will require you to wait 10 seconds, then prompt you to confirm the action. Press “Revoke” and repeat the procedure 3-4 times, as Xiaomi servers may not accept the request the first time.
Then you have to turn off the recommendation in each system application separately, and it will take time, but it will guarantee the result. Go to the Topics app, click on the profile icon and select Settings, where you want to remove the tick from "Receive recommendations."
Do the same thing in the Music, Video and Explorer apps, and look for the Settings or gear icon where you can find the Receive Recommendations or Show Ads option.
☑️ Checklist of ad-shutdown
After you've done all the steps, restart the device. This is necessary to apply the system-level changes.
Setting up the application Security and Cleaning
One of the main sources of pop-ups is the built-in antivirus and memory cleaner. Every time you clear the cache, the Poco X3 can display an ad banner. To get rid of this, open the Security app.
Click on the gear icon in the top right corner of the screen. Find the "Receive recommendations" section and turn it off. It's also recommended to go to the "Clean up" section inside the app's settings and remove the tick from "Show ads after cleaning."
Often users confuse system advertising with notifications from the Security app itself. They may report "viruses" or "risks" when none exist. This is a marketing ploy. Turn off notifications from this app entirely through the Settings menu → Notifications and Control Center → Application Notifications → Security.
⚠️ Note: Do not install third-party “accelerators” or “antiviruses” from the Play Market on Poco X3. Built-in protection MIUI It works more efficiently, and third-party software will only add a new portion of pop-up advertising.
Blocking ads in the browser and push notifications
A common reason for windows is to subscribe to site notifications in your browser, and you could accidentally click "Allow" on some resource, and now it will spam you with notifications even in a browser that is turned off. Open Chrome or the standard Mi Browser browser.
Go to your browser settings, look for Site Settings or Notifications. From the list of permitted sites, find suspicious resources and delete them or disable notifications. The best way to reset all permissions is to factory.
For full protection, it is recommended to install an ad blocker that works at the level of the DNS, So, for example, AdGuard or Blokada, these apps are local. VPN-tunnel and filter traffic without skipping advertising requests to servers.
- 🛡️ Install AdGuard from the official website (not from the Play Market, there is a stripped down version).
- 🛡️ Activate the defense. DNS Select the AdGuard Default server.
- 🛡️ Turn on the filter. HTTPS for a deeper analysis of traffic.
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Use Brave or Firefox with uBlock Origin addon installed for maximum comfort when surfing without ads.
Search and Removal of Miner Viruses
If the ad windows appear chaotic, cover the entire screen and the phone starts to heat up or discharge quickly, you may have encountered a miner or Trojan, and these programs often disguise themselves as useful utilities: flashlights, QR scanners, photo editors.
Check the list of installed applications. Go to Settings → Apps → All applications. Carefully examine the list. Viruses often don’t have a name (empty name) or icons, or masquerade as system processes with similar names, such as “System Service” instead of “SystemUI”.
If you find a suspicious application, delete it immediately. If the Delete button is inactive, then the application has administrator rights. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Privacy → Special Features (or “Device Administrators”) and revoke the rights of the suspicious object.
| Symptoms. | Probable cause | Method of decision |
|---|---|---|
| Windows when unlocked | MSA/MIUI Service | Disabling MSAs and Recommendations |
| Browser windows | Push notifications of websites | Clearing browser permissions |
| Windows on top of any applications | Virus/Trojan | Search in the list of applications and removal |
| Advertising in games | Built-in monetization | Blocking through DNS/AdGuard |
Advanced method: Disconnection via ADB
For users who want to ensure that all system components associated with advertising are removed, there is a method of disabling packages via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting a smartphone to a computer.
First, you need to activate the developer mode. Go to Settings. → About the phone and quickly press 7 times on the item "Version" MIUI". Then in the extended settings, turn on "Debugging by USB".
Connect your phone to your PC, install ADB drivers, and execute a command to disable the com.miui.misys or com.miui.analytics package. This will require caution, as removing system components may disrupt some features.
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.misysUsing this method, you can remove ads at the process level that you can't disable through the interface, but once you reset the settings to the factory, all the changes will be lost.
⚠️ Note: Disabling system packages through ADB, A packet name error can cause a cyclic reboot of a Poco device. X3.
List of deactivation packages
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The safest and most effective way is to completely disable recommendations in each application and install them. DNS-filter, method ADB Use only if you are confident in your actions.