Why Xiaomi Phones Have So Much Advertising: 7 Real Reasons and Ways to Fight

If you’ve ever used a Xiaomi smartphone, you’ve probably noticed how aggressively the device displays ads, from banners in settings to pop-up notifications in system applications. Many users perceive this as an obsessive “trick” of the brand, but in fact, there is a whole range of business decisions, technical features and even cultural nuances behind the ads. In this article, we’ll not only explore why Xiaomi is so actively implementing advertising in its devices, but also show how to minimize its impact on your experience.

To be clear, Xiaomi advertising is not a random or a developer error; it is a deliberate strategy that allows the company to keep prices affordable. However, for users accustomed to “pure” Android, this amount of advertising can be a serious irritant. Next, we will look at all aspects of this phenomenon — from economic to technical — and give practical recommendations on how to make working with a smartphone more comfortable.

Xiaomi’s Economic Model: Why Advertising is an Inseparable Part

The main reason for the advertizing in Xiaomi devices is because of their business model, which is that they position themselves as a manufacturer of affordable high-end technology, but to keep prices low, they need to make up for the losses, and advertising plays a key role here.

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 is from targeted ads embedded in MIUI firmware, compared to Apple or Samsung, which has a 5 to 10 percent share of that revenue.

• 💰 Low margin on iron: Xiaomi sells smartphones at almost cost to take over the market.
• 📊 User monetization: The more people use devices, the more data there is for targeted advertising.
• 🌍 Global expansion: Advertising helps cover the cost of entering new regions (e.g. Europe or Latin America).

Interestingly, in China, Xiaomi’s home market, there is much less advertising in smartphones, because the company’s main revenue is from the sale of smart devices for the home (Mi Ecosystem), while in global markets where competition is higher, advertising is becoming the main source of after-sales profit.

2.Technical reasons: how advertising is built into MIUI

Advertising in Xiaomi is not limited to banners in the browser or apps, but is integrated at the MIUI firmware level, which makes it particularly intrusive.

• 📱 System applications: Advertising is built into Browser, Music, Weather, Themes and even Settings.
• 🔔 Push Notifications: Come from Mi Account, GetApps and partners (e.g. AliExpress or Booking.com).
• 🔄 Firmware updates: New versions MIUI often add new ad units (e.g., in Charge Control or Game Mode).
• 🕵️ Data collection: MIUI Analyzes user behavior to show more relevant ads.

It's particularly frustrating that some of the ads can't be turned off by standard means. → It's about the phone or pop-ups when you connect to Wi-Fi, and that's because some of the ad modules are sewn into the system. APK-Files (e.g. com.miui.systemAdSolution).

⚠️ Note: Some “instructions” on the Internet suggest removing system APK-This can cause device failure or problems with updates. It is better to use official methods or alternative firmware (for example, Xiaomi.eu).

3. Regional differences: why there are fewer ads in China

Users in Europe or India often wonder why there are almost no ads in the Chinese versions of MIUI, as Xiaomi adapts its strategy to each market:

• 🇨🇳 China: The main income is the sale of smart devices (Mi Band, robot vacuum cleaners), so advertising in smartphones is minimal.
• 🇮🇳 India: Advertising is aggressive as the market is highly competitive and users are price sensitive.
• 🇪🇺 Europe: Advertising is smaller than India but more than China due to strict data protection laws (GDPR).
• 🇷🇺 Russia/CIS: Advertising is present in full as the market is considered to be “developing” with low solvency.

In China, Xiaomi also works with local services (WeChat, Alipay, Baidu) that are themselves monetized through their ecosystems, and in global markets, the company has to rely on its own ad networks, which leads to so many banners.

4.How Xiaomi gets around the restrictions: tricks with user agreement

Many users are unaware that by agreeing to the user agreement when they first turn on a smartphone, they automatically allow Xiaomi to display personalized ads, and the wording in the agreement is often written in such a way that the average user does not notice them.

For example, the “Personalized Recommendations” section (Settings → Privacy → Personalized Recommendations) includes options by default:

• 📍 Geolocation for Targeted Advertising;
• 🔍 Analysis of search queries in the browser;
• 📱 Collection of data on application use.

Moreover, even if you don’t want to personalize, Xiaomi will still show ads that are just less relevant, as stated in clause 3.5 of the standard agreement (see Settings → About Phone → User Agreement).

⚠️ Note: If you bought a Xiaomi smartphone with your hands or through an unofficial seller, chances are that the previous owner has already agreed to all the permissions. In this case, there will be even more advertising. Resetting to factory settings does not always help - some settings are tied to your Mi Account account.

5. How to disable advertising: official and informal ways

The good news is that most of the ads on Xiaomi can be turned off without rooting. Here is a step-by-step guide for global firmware (MIUI Global):

Step 1: Disable personalized advertising

Go to Settings → Privacy → Personalized recommendations and deactivate all switches. This will reduce the number of banners targeted.

Step 2: Prohibit notifications from advertising services

Open Settings → Notifications → Manage Notifications and Turn Off Alerts for:

• GetApps (Xiaomi app store)
• Mi Browser (browser)
• Mi Video (video player)
• Cleaner (system optimizer).

Step 3: Remove or freeze unnecessary applications

Some system applications (GetApps, Mi Music, Mi Pay) can be removed through Settings → Applications → Application Management. If the Remove button is inactive, use the ADB command:

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.xiaomi.mipicks

This will remove GetApps for the current user without root rights.

Step 4: Alternative firmware

If you are not satisfied with the amount of advertising, consider the firmware from the community:

• 🌍 Xiaomi.eu – European firmware without advertising (requires unlocking the bootloader);

💡

If you don’t want to mess with firmware, install an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher) and a browser (Chrome or Firefox) that will reduce the amount of system advertising by 60-70%.

Myths and Reality: What Really Works and What Doesn't

There are many anti-advertising tips on the Internet at Xiaomi, but many of them are either outdated or simply not working.

Another common myth is that “Xiaomi only shows ads in budget models.” In fact, there are ads in flagships (Xiaomi 13 Pro, Mix Fold 3), just less than in Redmi or POCO. This is due to the fact that owners of premium devices are more likely to buy additional services (such as Mi Cloud), which reduces the need for aggressive monetization.

💡

The only sure way to get rid of advertising forever is to install custom firmware (e.g. Xiaomi.eu) or switch to another brand. All other methods have a temporary effect.

7. Xiaomi Alternatives: Which Brands Don't Impose Advertising

If you’re finally fed up with Xiaomi ads, but you don’t want to waste time on firmware and customization, consider alternative brands with “clean” Android:

• 🤖 Motorola: Nearly stock Android, minimal advertising. Budget models - Moto G.

If you are attached to the Xiaomi ecosystem (e.g., using the Mi Band or smart home), the best option is to buy flagship models (Xiaomi 14, Mix Fold 4), which have much less advertising and the iron justifies the price.

Also worth noting is POCO, a sub-brand of Xiaomi that is marketed as “enthusiasts”: POCO F5 or POCO X6 Pro models have less advertising than Redmi, but it doesn’t disappear completely.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)