How to remove ads from your phone Android Xiaomi: Guide

Xiaomi smartphone users often face intrusive banner ads that appear in system applications, folders, and even on the desktop, a phenomenon that has become a kind of fee for the affordable cost of devices running on the shell of MIUI or the new HyperOS. However, visual noise and constant notifications are not necessary, since most channels of content distribution can be blocked manually.

The process of cleaning the interface requires several actions to be performed in sequence in different sections of the settings menu. System advertising is built deep into the logic of the operating system, so there is no simple switch to turn off everything. You will have to go through key configuration points to achieve clean workspace and improve the performance of the gadget.

In this guide, we will look at all the known ways of blocking, from disabling system services to configuring third-party tools, while your data security will not suffer if you follow the instructions carefully.

Disabling the MSA system service

The primary source of pop-ups and banners in the interface is the MSA (MIUI System Ads) system application, which collects data about your actions and generates personalized advertising results, and the first step to a clean screen is to force the component to stop and revoke permissions.

First, you need to find the appropriate item in the settings menu. The path may be slightly different, but most often it is at Settings → Passwords and Security → Data Access. In the application list, find msa and switch the slider to off. The system will require you to confirm the action with a countdown timer of 10 seconds.

⚠️ Warning: If you get a network error message after clicking Cancel (or Revoke), don't panic. This is standard behavior for a system trying to protect an ad module. 3-5 once in a row until a successful revocation of rights is reported.

After successful MSA shutdown, it is also recommended to limit the background operation of this process. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications, find in the msa list and select Autostart. Make sure the switch is turned off. This will prevent the service from running hidden after the device is restarted.

This is evidenced by the absence of banners in standard folders and when unlocking the screen. However, the ad engine may have other names in different versions of firmware.

Set up personalization and advertising identifiers

Even after the main service is turned off, the phone still has mechanisms that collect statistics and show targeted offers, such as the User Experience Program and advertising identifiers, which allow the system to analyze your habits and tailor content to your interests.

To stop this data collection, go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Privacy. Find the User Experience Improvement Program and turn it off. It’s also worth checking the Advertising ID settings, which are often in the Advertising or Special Features menu depending on the Android version.

It's important to understand the difference between personalization and functionality. Disabling telemetry doesn't affect the performance of the main applications, but it can make some recommendations in the GetApps theme store less accurate. For many users, this is an acceptable fee for not being followed.

• 🔒 Disable User Experience in the Privacy section to stop collecting statistics.
• 📉 Reset the advertising ID to break the link with the accumulated interest profile.
• 🚫 Stop personalizing ads in Google settings (Settings) → Google → Advertising).

After making changes, the system may require a restart, restarting the device will fix the new privacy settings and permanently stop the background data collection processes.

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Use Do Not Disturb or Second Space mode to create a clean environment without unnecessary notifications and ad integrations.

Cleaning up Xiaomi’s standard apps

Advertising integrations are deeply embedded in the standard set of utilities from the manufacturer: Explorer, Music, Video, Cleanup and Security — all of these applications can display banners in their interfaces. Fortunately, most of them have hidden switches to disable recommendations.

Start with the Security app, which is often the main source of pop-ups. Open the app, click on the settings gear in the top right corner. Find the "Get recommendations" item and turn it off. It's also worth turning off the "Add Security shortcut to desktop" option if it's active.

The File Manager application uses the same logic: Click on the menu (three bars), select Settings → About, and then quickly click 5-6 times on the app version icon to activate the hidden menu where the Recommendations switch appears.

Don't forget to check the Downloads app and theme store. The Themes section often imposes paid wallpaper and fonts through pop-ups. Disabling recommendations in the user profile will significantly clean up the directory interface.

⚠️ Warning: After updating the firmware, the application settings may reset to factory ones. Periodically check the specified items so that the ads do not return.

Blocking Advertising in Mi Browser

Xiaomi’s standard browser is known for its aggressive advertising policy, not only showing banners on the homepage, but can also send push notifications with news and offers. For comfortable surfing, you need to make deep adjustments or consider alternatives.

To start, open your browser and go to settings (a human icon or three bars). Find the Privacy and Security section. You need to activate the Ad Blocker feature. This is a basic filter that hides banners on visited sites, but does not remove your browser's own ads.

Next, go to the Home Page Settings or News Feed section, disable all content sources such as Popular, News and Video. The start page should be as empty as possible. Also, in the general settings, find Receive Notifications and disable (push) messages from the browser itself.

If the built-in tools don’t help clean the interface completely, it makes sense to use third-party solutions. Alternative browsers like Via, Brave or DuckDuckGo have a stricter privacy policy and don’t embed ad units into the interface.

• 🛡️ Enable the built-in blocker in the Mi Browser privacy settings.
• 📰 Turn off all news feeds and widgets on the homepage.
• 🔕 Prevent the browser from sending push notifications in the Android system settings.

Use of the DNS-filtering (which will be discussed below) also effectively blocks ad domains inside the browser, making its use safe even without built-in filters.

Using DNS to block the world

The most effective and versatile method of removing ads is the use of private DNS. This method works at the network connection level, blocking requests to known ad servers even before the content is loaded on the device, which allows you to remove ads not only in applications, but also in games and browsers.

To set up, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS (or “Private DNS” in settings search). Select “DNS Provider Host Name” (or “Manual”). In the box that appears, you must enter the address of the blocker server. The most popular and reliable option is the AdGuard DNS service.

dns.adguard.com

Enter the specified line in the field and save the settings. The system automatically redirects everything. DNS-AdGuard filters that cut off ad trackers, which require no additional applications and have little impact on Internet speed.

It is worth noting that using a third-party DNS can render some specific operator services or corporate networks inoperable, but for home Wi-Fi and mobile internet, this method is the gold standard for advertising protection.

Once the private DNS is enabled, it is recommended to restart the smartphone, which will ensure that the DNS cache is reset and the new rules apply to all active connections.

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Set up a private DNS (dns.adguard.com) is the most powerful way to remove ads in all applications without installing additional software.

Additional methods and third-party solutions

If the standard methods and DNS-The filtering process is not complete, and more radical measures can be taken, and the installation of specialized blocking applications, such as AdGuard (full version from the developer's website) or Blokada, allows you to create a local solution. VPN-traffic-filtering tunnel.

These applications create local VPN-It's an interface that allows all the traffic of the device to pass through, unlike a paid one. DNS, They can filter. HTTPS-Intra-app traffic by cutting out ad blocks directly from the page code or server response, which requires the application to be given permissions.

Another option is to use modified versions of system applications or install custom firmware (such as Xiaomi.eu), where the ads are cut at the system build level.

• 📱 Install AdGuard from an official source to filter traffic in apps.
• 🔓 Consider installing Xiaomi.eu firmware to completely remove ad modules.
• ⚙️ Use it. ADB-commands to remove system ad packages (requires PC). For advanced users, a method of removing advertising packages through ADB (By connecting the phone to a computer, you can execute a command for a uninstall package com.miui.misys or similar, but this requires high qualifications and can lead to unstable system operation. ⚠️ Note: Removal of system components through ADB or obtaining Root rights can lead to the “bricking” of the device or disrupt the operation of banking applications (Google) Pay/Samsung Pay may stop working. Risks of custom firmware Xiaomi.eu's unofficial firmware installation requires unlocking the bootloader, which resets the data and can void the warranty, but gives a clean system without ads. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Is it safe to turn off the service? MSA? Yes, outage MSA It's a system service that's solely responsible for displaying ads, and stopping it won't cause any disruption to calls, messages, or major applications, will the ads come back after the system update? High probability. MIUI or HyperOS system settings can be reset to factory values. it is recommended to save this instruction and check the settings MSA And personalization after every major upgrade. Will factory reset help? Factory reset (Settings) → The phone. → Resetting) will return all ad settings to their original state, meaning that the ad will start to appear again. MSA and settings DNS. Can I remove standard Xiaomi apps? Without root rights, you can't completely remove system applications, you can only disable them. To completely remove them, you need to use a computer and tools like ADB AppControl or similar, which requires caution. Why does the ad appear in folders on your desktop? This is a function of the MIUI launcher. To remove it, (long press) on the folder, click on the folder name and turn off the option "Recommended" or "Promoted apps" in the menu that appears.