Advertising in the Xiaomi Explorer: causes of appearance and ways to remove

You open File Manager on your Xiaomi smartphone to find a document or a photo, and instead of the usual interface, you see bright banners offering to install games, apply for a loan or buy goods on AliExpress. The situation is annoying - especially if you paid for the phone as a "clean" device without unnecessary software. Why is this happening?

The fact is that Xiaomi’s Mi File Manager is integrated into the MIUI shell and is part of the company’s ecosystem, and Xiaomi, like many other Chinese manufacturers, monetizes its devices not only through sales, but also through advertising in system applications, and not only on budget models, banners can appear even on the flagships of the Xiaomi 13 or Redmi Note 12 series.

In this article, we will discuss:

• 🔍 Why advertising appears in the conductor – the logic of the work MIUI and Xiaomi’s business model.
• 📱 What models and versions MIUI Infected: A complete list of “suspicious” devices.
• ⚙️ How to disable banners through settings – official and hidden ways.
• 🛠️ Alternative File Managers – What to Install Instead of Standard.
• ⚠️ Risks of removing system applications – why not delete com.mi.android.globalFileexplorer without preparation.

1.Why Xiaomi is embedding ads in system apps

The main reason is the model of coinizacji, Xiaomi sells smartphones at a price close to the cost (or even lower), offsetting losses by:

• 💰 Advertising integrations – banners in MIUI, Push notifications from partners (AliExpress, games, financial services).
• 📦 Pre-installed apps – many of them cannot be removed without root rights (e.g. Mi Video, Mi Music).
• 🌍 Service ecosystems – cloud storage Mi Cloud, payment system Mi Pay, theme store.

According to Xiaomi’s 2022-2023 reports, “Internet services” (including advertising) account for up to 30 percent of the company’s total revenue, meaning that one in three dollars a brand earns comes not from sales of technology but from displaying banners to users, and it makes sense that Explorer, one of the most visited apps, has become a target for advertisers.

Xiaomi also actively cooperates with Chinese partners (such as Tencent, Alibaba) who pay for hosting their services in MIUI, for example, banners with loans or online games often lead to the platforms of these companies.

⚠️ Note: Advertising in the Explorer may vary by region: In China, users are shown banners of local services (for example, WeChat Pay), and in global firmware - partners Xiaomi in the West (Google Play, Amazon, AliExpress).

2.Which Xiaomi models and MIUI versions are infected with ads

The problem affects all devices on MIUI 11 and newer, but it is especially pronounced in the following cases:

It is important to understand that even if you bought a smartphone in the official Xiaomi store in Russia or Europe, global firmware is a good idea (EEA) It also contains ads -- just smaller than the Chinese version. MIUI Banners can appear even where they were not before.

Check your version of MIUI in the Settings menu → About Phone → MIUI version. If there is a CN at the end of the name (for example, MIUI 14.0.5 CN), then you have Chinese firmware with the maximum amount of advertising.

3. How to disable ads in Xiaomi Explorer by official means

Before resorting to radical measures (removal of system applications or flashing), try to disable banners through the MIUI settings. The methods do not work on all models, but in 60-70% of cases help reduce the amount of advertising.

Method 1: Disabling personalized advertising

1. Go to Settings → Google → Advertising.
2. Turn off the option of personalized advertising.
3. Return to Settings → Additional → Special Opportunities → Advertising Services.
4. Turn off References and Personalized Services.

Method 2: Resetting the advertising ID

This method causes the system to “forget” your preferences and reduces targeted impressions:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Click 7 times on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode.
3. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
4. Find the Reset Advertising ID and confirm the action.

Method 3: Disabling recommendations in the conductor

In some versions of MIUI, you can remove banners directly in the file manager settings:

1. Open the File Manager (File Manager).
2. Stick to three points (⋮) top-right → Settings.
3. Find the Recommendation or Show Offers option and turn it off.

⚠️ Note: On some devices (e.g. Redmi 9s) MIUI 12) there may be no option to disable advertising in the conductor, in which case proceed to alternative methods.

4. Radical methods: removal of system applications and flashing

If the official ways haven't worked, there are riskier options: Removing system applications or flashing them to a custom version of MIUI can take away ads forever, but they need caution.

Method 1: Remove Mi File Manager from ADB

This method does not require root rights, but removes the standard conductor (you will have to install an alternative).

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.mi.android.globalFileexplorer

Once you've done the command, the standard conductor will disappear, and so will the advertising.

• 🚨 It will not be possible to open files from some system menus (for example, from a gallery).
• 🔄 After resetting settings or updating MIUI The app could come back.
• 📱 In some models (POCO F3, Xiaomi 11T) This leads to errors in the work. MIUI.

Method 2: Install custom firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.eu)

Xiaomi.eu is a modified version of MIUI without ads, pre-installed Chinese apps and unnecessary services.

• ✅ No banners in the conductor, settings, notification center.
• ✅ Weekly updates with bug fixes.
• ✅ Support for all functions MIUI (including the camera NFC).

There are, however, downsides:

• ⚠️ Requires unlocking the bootloader that resets the phone.
• ⚠️ Xiaomi warranty is cancelled.
• ⚠️ Some models may not work with Google Pay or Widevine L1 (no HD Netflix).

If you decide to flash it, use only official sources (for example, the XDA Developers forum or the Xiaomi.eu website).

5. Alternative File Managers for Xiaomi

If you don't want to risk the system, the easiest way to get rid of advertising is to install a third-party guide.

Once you have installed the alternative explorer, you can disable notifications from the standard File Manager so that it does not interfere with:

1. Press the Explorer icon on the home screen → Information about the application.
2. Tap Notifications. → Turn off all switches.

💡

If you are using MiXplorer, turn on the option to Replace System Explorer in your settings, which will allow you to open files from other applications directly in it.

6.Why you shouldn’t remove system applications without preparation

Many users who encounter ads try to remove com.mi.android.globalFileexplorer via root or ADB. However, this can lead to serious problems:

• 🔄 Disruption of work MIUI: Some features (such as file sharing over Mi Share or backup) will stop working.
• 📱 Update errors: the system can “forget” settings or reset wallpaper after an update.
• 🚨 «Fitting device: on some models (Redmi Note 8 Pro, POCO X3) removal APK leads to hanging on the logo.

If you do decide to remove the explorer, first back up through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset or using TWRP (if there is root).

Also note that after resetting or updating MIUI, remote applications can recover automatically. To avoid this, use tools like Universal Android Debloater (requires a PC and debugging over USB).

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Removing system applications is a last resort, and 90% of the time, it is enough to disable ads in settings or install an alternative conductor.

7. Frequent Questions About Advertising in Xiaomi Explorer