How to permanently remove recommendations in the Xiaomi gallery: from advertising to “Remember this day”

Gallery ads, “Recommended” signs, pop-up notifications “Remember this day” and automatically created albums – with these “chips» MIUI Every second owner of Xiaomi, Redmi or Poco is facing a problem, and the manufacturer positions them as “helpful hints”, but in practice they only clutter the interface, eat up traffic and annoy users. Worst of all, after firmware updates, the settings are reset, and recommendations return as if nothing had happened.

This article provides a comprehensive guide to removing all types of recommendations from the Xiaomi gallery, including hidden settings that are not documented in the official reference.We will analyze the methods for different versions of MIUI (12 to 14), take into account the features of Chinese and global firmware, and show how to block the background processes of the gallery so that recommendations do not appear even after the reboot.

If you're tired of the gallery becoming a publicity platform, and the system albums (Screenshots, Downloads, Documents) are duplicated with the words "Recommended" - you're in the right place. All methods are tested on current models (Xiaomi 13T, Redmi Note 12 Pro+, Poco F5) and do not require root rights. Let's start with the simplest and end with radical measures for the most persistent cases.

1. Disabling recommendations through gallery settings

The first and most obvious way is to use the built-in options of the Gallery app, and unfortunately, Xiaomi regularly moves these settings around the menu, and in some regional firmware they are completely hidden. MIUI 14 and MIUI 13.

To remove the main types of recommendations:

1. Open the Gallery app (the camera icon).
2. Slip along three horizontal lines (menu) in the lower right corner.
3. Select "Settings" (cog icon).
4. Go to the “Recommendations” or “Smart Tips” section (the name depends on the firmware version).

There are a few switches waiting for you here. Attention: some points may not be available in the global firmware.

• 🔴 «Show recommendations" - the main switchboard responsible for all types of prompts.
• 📅 «Remember this day" - notifications about old photos (the most annoying element).
• 📸 «Automatic albums – creating folders “Screenshots”, “Documents”, etc.
• 🌐 «Advertising banners" - if there is such a point (in Chinese firmware is often found).

After you turn off, restart your smartphone. If the recommendations are still there, your version of MIUI ignores these settings (as it happens in firmware for India or Russia), in which case move on to the next method.

2.Reset gallery settings to factory

If the standard settings don't work, try resetting the gallery to factory settings, which will delete all custom albums and sorting settings, but return the app to a virgin state where recommendations may disappear.

Instructions:

1. Open the phone's "Settings."
2. Go to “Applications” → “Application Management”.
3. Find the gallery in the list and tap it.
4. Select “Storage” → “Clear Data” and “Clear Cache”.
5. Confirm the action (a data deletion warning will pop up).

Once reset, reset the gallery. Importantly, this method doesn't delete the photos themselves, but it can erase:

• 📁 User Albums (e.g., "Vacation 2023»).
• 🔖 Favorite Photos (unless they are synced to Mi Cloud).
• ⭐ Display settings (sorting by date/size).

If that didn't work, it's a deeper problem, perhaps because the recommendations are embedded in the firmware itself (especially in the Chinese versions of MIUI), and if that doesn't work, it's only to turn off the background processes or replace the gallery with a third-party one.

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Before you dump the gallery, export important albums: open the album → “More” (three dots) → “Export” The tag file will be saved in the MIUI/Gallery/Backup folder.

3. Disabling background gallery activity

Xiaomi Gallery continues to work in the background even after closing: scans new photos, uploads ads and generates recommendations, and to stop this, you need to limit its activity through battery settings and permissions.

Do the following:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Gallery.
2. Tap "Permissions" and turn off: 📡 «Autostart (prevents starting when the phone is turned on). 🔄 «Background activity (stops scanning of the photo in the background). 📶 «Mobile data (blocks the download of advertising over the Internet).

"Battery."

"Battery optimization"

"Limit background activity"

These actions will not remove the gallery, but will make it “passive”: it will only work when the user launches directly, and the downside is that some functions (such as automatic sorting by date) may stop working.

If after these manipulations the gallery started to “glut” (does not update photos, does not show thumbnails), return the permissions back and try the next method.

4. Installation of an alternative gallery

If all the previous methods didn't work, you just have to replace the standard gallery with a third-party one, which is a radical solution, but it's guaranteed to get rid of Xiaomi's recommendations.

To make a third-party gallery the default app:

1. Install your chosen gallery from the Play Market.
2. Open “Settings” → “Apps” → “Default Apps”.
3. Slip the Gallery and select a new app.

Note: After the gallery is replaced, some MIUI functions may not work properly.

• 📱 Lock screen: photo miniatures will stop updating.
• 🔄 Fast file transfer: may not see photos.
• 📸 Camera: The saved photos will be opened in the new gallery.

Download an alternative gallery from Play Market|

Backup of important albums |

Check compatibility with the Android | version

Disable Auto-Update of Standard Gallery-->

5. Radical methods: Disconnection through ADB

If you are ready to go to extreme measures, you can completely disable the system gallery through the ADB (Android Debug Bridge.This will remove the app for the current user, but won't affect system files.The method works on all versions. MIUI and does not require root rights.

Instructions:

1. Turn on USB Debugging on your phone: Go to Settings → About Phone → tap 7 times on MIUI Version to activate Developer Mode. Return to Settings → Additional → Developer → Turn on USB Debugging.

cmd

Terminal

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.gallery

Reboot the phone.

Once completed, the gallery will disappear from the application menu, and all photos will remain in place (they can be viewed through the file manager or a third-party gallery).

⚠️ Note: This method disables all gallery functions, including viewing photos through other apps (such as WhatsApp or Telegram). To return everything back, use the command: adb shell pm enable com.miui.gallery

If the camera is slowing down after the gallery is turned off, install any alternative gallery (even if you don't plan to use it) to restore communication between the system components of MIUI.

6.Block recommendations via DNS or firewall

The recommendations and ads in the gallery are downloaded from Xiaomi servers over the Internet, and if you block access to these servers, the prompts will stop appearing.

Method 1: Change the DNS

• Go to "Settings» → «Wi-Fi (or "Mobile Network»).
• Tap on the current network → “Change the network” → “Additional settings”.
• Choose «DNS» → «Manually" and enter: 🔒 1.1.1.3 (Cloudflare with malicious sites blocked). 🔒 94.140.14.14 (AdGuard DNS).

Method 2: Use a firewall

Apps like NetGuard or Blokada can block gallery access to ad servers, install one and blacklist the following domains:

• 🌍 ad.mi.com
• 🌍 tracker.miui.com
• 🌍 api.miui.com

These methods won’t remove recommendations completely, but will make them empty (for example, instead of a banner ad there will be a gray rectangle), and they can disrupt other Xiaomi services, such as Mi Cloud or Themes.

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Blocking DNS or firewall is a temporary solution, and after updating the firmware, Xiaomi may add new ad domains, and the procedure will have to be repeated.

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When trying to remove recommendations, users often face typical problems, and here's how to prevent them:

Mistake 1: Recommended after MIUI Update

Reason: Xiaomi resets gallery settings with major updates.

Solution: After the update, re-execute the steps from the first section and turn off the auto-update gallery in the Play Market.

Mistake 2: Alternative galleries are not working

Reason: Conflict with MIUI permissions.

Solution: In Settings → Applications → Permissions → Auto Start, add a new gallery to the list of allowed.

Error 3: Gallery does not open photos after reset

Reason: Damage to the miniature cache.

Solution: Delete the DCIM/.thumbnails folder through the file manager (such as Mi File Manager) and restart the phone.

Mistake 4: ADB-team is not working

Reason: Lack of drivers or incorrect user ID.

Solution: Make sure the command says --user 0 (for the primary user). If it doesn't work, try:

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.gallery

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions