Why Xiaomi is getting ads: 7 hidden reasons and ways to disconnect

You just bought a new smartphone Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ Mi TV or TV TV Q2 75," you're happy about the clean interface, and suddenly a banner pops up on the lock screen with a promotion on AliExpress, and in the settings you have a suggestion to install TikTok. Where does this ad come from if you haven't downloaded anything? It's not about viruses and your negligence: It's a feature of the branded shell. MIUI Xiaomi ecosystems.

The manufacturer integrates ad units at the system level to monetize cheap devices. According to Counterpoint Research, up to 30% of Xiaomiโ€™s revenue comes from advertising and services, which keeps prices lower than those of competitors.

  • ๐Ÿ” Where exactly does advertising appear in Xiaomi devices (spoiler: not only in apps)
  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ What settings are responsible for displaying ads and how to disable them
  • ๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ Can you remove ads forever without root rights and third-party programs?
  • โš–๏ธ Is it legal in terms of the user agreement?

1. Where exactly is the ad in Xiaomi shown

Advertising on Xiaomi devices is not limited to the browser or social networks, it is built into the operating system itself and appears in the most unexpected places.

  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ Lock screen: Banners at the bottom of the screen (for example, Mi Store promotions or games)
  • โš™๏ธ System settings: Security or Xiaomi Akcounts may offer to install applications
  • ๐Ÿ“‚ File Manager: in the Downloads folder or when opening images
  • ๐ŸŽต Music player: banners on the playback screen (e.g., "Try Mi Music Pro")
  • ๐Ÿ“บ Mi TVs TV/Poco TV: Advertising in the main menu, when switching channels or in the Mi Home app
  • ๐Ÿ”„ Notification Center: push messages from Xiaomi with suggestions (e.g., โ€œInstall Mi Browser for quick surfing")

The ads on the lock screen are especially annoying, even when the phone is lying idle. For example, on Redmi 12, banners can occupy up to 20% of the bottom of the screen, blocking time or notifications. On Xiaomi TVs, ads are often embedded in the launcher: When you turn on the device, you will be offered to buy a subscription to Mi. TV+ Or install Netflix (even if it's already installed).

๐Ÿ“Š Where you are most annoyed by Xiaomi ads?
On the lock screen
In the system settings
In the file manager.
On the Mi TV. TV
Notifications.

2.Why Xiaomi is embedding ads in devices

The main reason is the monetization model, which Xiaomi describes itself as a company offering โ€œpremium features at affordable pricesโ€ to keep devices (like Poco) low-cost. X6 Pro is cheaper than the analogues from Samsung on 30-40%), manufacturer compensates for losses by:

Source of incomeShare in revenue (2023)Examples
Selling devices~60%Smartphones, TVs, laptops
Internet services (advertising)~25%Banners in MIUI, push notifications, affiliate programs
IoT and accessories~10%Smart lamps, robot vacuum cleaners, fitness bracelets
Other services~5%Cloud storage, Mi Credit (microloans)

According to Xiaomiโ€™s 2023 report, revenue from advertising and Internet services grew by 18% compared to 2022, due to the expansion of sales geography (especially in Europe and India) and an increase in the number of active users. MIUI (More than 500 million people. The more devices, the more ads you see.

The second factor is partnerships, such as Xiaomi, which works with:

  • ๐Ÿ›’ AliExpress and Lazada (banners with goods on the lock screen)
  • ๐ŸŽฎ Tencent and Garena (Game Turbo mobile game ads)
  • ๐Ÿ“บ Netflix and Disney+ (TV subscriptions)
  • ๐Ÿ’ณ Mi Credit (microloans in the Finance app)

In 2026, Xiaomi began testing dynamic advertising in the menu of Mi TVs TV, It's customized to the user's interests based on your browsing history, for example, if you watch sports often, the system will display banners offering to buy a subscription on the site. DAZN match TV.

From a legal point of view, Xiaomi does not violate the law โ€“ all the terms are spelled out in the User Agreement. MIUI (When you first turn on the device, you are asked to accept the conditions where:

โš ๏ธ Note: Xiaomi reserves the right to display personalized ads and recommendations based on your activity on the device. Disabling part of the advertising modules may affect the functionality of some services.

But there are nuances:

  • ๐Ÿ“œ In Europe (from 2022) Xiaomi obliged to provide an option to fully disable personalized ads due to GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).
  • ๐ŸŒ In Russia and the CIS there is no complete shutdown โ€“ you can only reduce the number of impressions.
  • ๐Ÿ”ง In China, advertising MIUI Not much, as local law strictly regulates data collection.

In 2021, Xiaomi came under investigation in India for collecting user data without explicit consent, and the company had to issue a patch that allowed telemetry to be turned off, but the ad modules remained, confirming that the manufacturer could technically remove banners, but did not want to lose revenue.

What happens if you abandon the user agreement?
When you withdraw from the agreement MIUI It blocks access to key features like Xiaomi account, cloud storage, themes, and some system applications, and you can actually use the phone without syncing data or updating.

4. How to disable advertising in Xiaomi smartphones (step-by-step instructions)

You can't remove ads completely without root rights, but you can reduce the amount of ads you use. MIUI 14/15 (Relevant to Redmi, Poco, Xiaomi 2020-2026 release).

Disabling advertising on the lock screen

  1. Go to Settings โ†’ Lock screen.
  2. Select Additional Settings โ†’ Advertising on the lock screen.
  3. Turn off the slider Show recommendations.
  4. In the same menu, turn off Get interesting facts (this is also an advertising module).

4.2. Removal of advertising in system applications

For each application, the settings are individual:

  • ๐Ÿ“ File Manager: Settings โ†’ About the programme โ†’ Delete "Recommendations".
  • ๐ŸŽต Music: Settings โ†’ Additionally. โ†’ Deactivate "Show recommendations".
  • ๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ Security: Settings โ†’ Advertising โ†’ Turn off all sliders.
  • ๐ŸŒ Mi Browser Browser: Settings โ†’ Confidentiality โ†’ Disable "Personalized Advertising".

โ˜‘๏ธ Check before disabling advertising

Done: 0 / 4

4.3 Disable push notifications from Xiaomi

To stop receiving spam notifications:

  1. Open Settings โ†’ Notifications and Status bar.
  2. Select Notification Management.
  3. Find System Notifications in the list and disable:

โš ๏ธ Warning: Once system notifications are disabled, you will not receive security update alerts. To avoid missing critical patches, manually check the software versions once a month in Settings โ†’ The phone. โ†’ Updating the system.

5. How to remove ads on Xiaomi TVs (Mi) TV, Poco TV)

Xiaomi TVs are more integrated than smartphones, and they appear:

  • ๐Ÿ“บ On the main screen (banners at the bottom or right)
  • ๐Ÿ” Search (advertising results from above)
  • ๐ŸŽฌ In the Mi Video app (film and series offers)
  • ๐Ÿ”„ In the center of notifications (push messages about new functions)

To reduce the amount of advertising:

  1. Go to Settings. โ†’ Accounts and security โ†’ Advertising.
  2. Turn it off.

Settings โ†’ Applications โ†’ Application Management

Mi Home

Mi Video

To remove all advertising on Mi TV need:

  • ๐Ÿ”ง Install an alternative launcher (for example, ATV Launcher or Wolf Launcher).
  • ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Disable system applications through ADB (requires PC and debugging USB).
  • ๐Ÿ“ฆ Install an ad blocker at the router level (e.g., Pi-hole).

๐Ÿ’ก

If after the adverts are turned off in Mi TV Some features (such as voice search) are missing, try resetting your Smart settings TV to factory: Settings โ†’ The device โ†’ Data reset: This will bring back system applications but remove unnecessary updates that may have added ads.

Radical methods: root, ADB custom-made

If system settings don't work, there are still advanced methods that require technical knowledge and can lead to loss of warranty.

6.1. Disabling advertising through ADB (rootless)

The way it works MIUI 12-15 And it allows you to disable the ad modules at the system level:

  • ๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ Computer with installed ADB Tools.
  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ Included Debugging USB on the phone (Settings) โ†’ The phone. โ†’ Version. MIUI โ€” Tap 7 times, then return to the additional โ†’ For developers).
  • ๐Ÿ”Œ USB-cable (preferably original).

Commands to execute in ADB Shell:

adb shell pm hide com.miui.systemAdSolution


adb shell pm hide com.xiaomi.midrop




adb shell pm hide com.miui.analytics




adb shell pm hide com.xiaomi.market

These commands are off:

  • ๐Ÿ“ต The main advertising module systemAdSolution.
  • ๐Ÿ“ค Mi Drop Analytics (collects file transfer data).
  • ๐Ÿ“Š Statistics collection system Analytics.
  • ๐Ÿ›’ Mi Market (app store with advertising).

โš ๏ธ Note: Once you disable com.xiaomi.market, you will not be able to update system applications through the standard store.Use APKMirror or Aurora Store to manually install updates.

Installation of custom firmware (requires unlocking of the bootloader)

If you are willing to sacrifice the guarantee, you can install firmware without advertising:

  • ๐Ÿ”„ LineageOS โ€“ pure Android without Xiaomi services.
  • ๐Ÿ“ฑ Pixel Experience โ€“ firmware with an interface like Google Pixel.
  • ๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ MIUI EU โ€” modified MIUI advertising-free (but with bugs).

Installation process:

  1. Unlock the bootloader via Mi Unlock Tool (requires Xiaomi account binding and waiting) 7-30 days).
  2. Install TWRP Recovery (Castom Recovery)
  3. Sweep through the selected firmware and GApps (Google services).

๐Ÿ’ก

Installing custom firmware will void the warranty and may result in a device "brick." Before the procedure, check the firmware compatibility with your device's model on the forum XDA Developers or 4PDA.

7. Alternative methods: blockers and DNS

If you do not want to dig into the settings, you can block advertising at the network level:

7.1 Ad Blockers for Android

  • ๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ Blokada โ€“ blocks advertising domains without root rights.
  • ๐Ÿ”’ AdGuard โ€“ It works like this. VPN, filter.
  • ๐ŸŒ DNS66 โ€” alter DNS-servers.

For Mi TVs, TV fit:

  • ๐Ÿ“บ SmartTubeNext is an alternative YouTube client without ads (installed via YouTube). ADB).
  • ๐Ÿ”Œ Pi-hole โ€“ a network blocker based on Raspberry Pi (blocks advertising on all devices on the network).

7.2. Modification DNS device-wise

You can manually prescribe. DNS-servers that filter advertising:

  1. Go to Settings. โ†’ Wi-Fi.
  2. Click on your network โ†’ Change the network โ†’ Additional settings.
  3. Select Static. IP and write:

For Mi TVs, the way is different:

Settings โ†’ Network and Internet โ†’ Network settings โ†’ Manual connection โ†’ DNS

๐Ÿ’ก

Change of change DNS It does not remove ads completely, but reduces the number of banners on the 60-80%. For maximum effect, combine this method with disabling advertising in the settings MIUI.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi advertising

โ“ Why After Updating MIUI Advertising has increased?
With every new version MIUI (particularly MIUI 12 on MIUI 15) Xiaomi is adding new advertising modules, for example, in MIUI 14 banners appeared in the Control Center, and in MIUI 15 Weather and Calendar ads, and to remove new banners, check your settings after each update.
โ“ Can I return the advertisement if it disappeared after the shutdown?
For that, go to Settings. โ†’ The phone. โ†’ Settings reset. Select App Settings Reset (not a full reset!) After the reboot, the ads will return, but you will have to reset the permissions for the applications.
โ“ Is it true that Xiaomi sells my data to advertisers?
No, Xiaomi does not sell personal data (names, phones, addresses), but the company collects anonymous statistics: ๐Ÿ“Š What apps do you use most often. ๐Ÿ•’ Activity time in the device. ๐Ÿ“ Approximate location (by IP). ๐Ÿ›’ Mi Store purchase history (if an account is linked) This data is used to show targeted advertising. โ†’ Confidentiality โ†’ Special permits โ†’ Use data.
โ“ Why do I and a friend have different number of ads on the same phone?
The number of impressions depends on: ๐ŸŒ Region: Europe and the US have less advertising due to local laws. ๐Ÿ“ฑ Device models: flagships (such as Xiaomi 14 Ultra) have fewer ads than budget Redmis. ๐Ÿ”„ Versions MIUI: More advertising in global firmware than in Chinese. ๐Ÿ‘ค Account activity: if you use Xiaomi services frequently (Mi Cloud, Mi Store), the system shows more targeted banners.
โ“ Are there Xiaomi models without advertising?
Yeah, but there aren't many: ๐Ÿ“ฑ Xiaomi for the European market (firmware) MIUI EE) โ€” There is almost no advertising because of GDPR. ๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ Chinese versions (firmware) MIUI CN) โ€” There is advertising, but only in Chinese. ๐Ÿ† Flagship models (Xiaomi) 13T Pro, Xiaomi 14) โ€” less advertising than in Redmi/Poco. ๐Ÿ“บ Mi TVs TV Pro โ€“ they do not have ads in the main menu (unlike budget Mi) TV To buy a device without advertising, look for the model name letters EE (For example, Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G EE).