SMS-Positioning on Xiaomi: How to disable notifications

Owners of smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO Often, people are faced with a situation where a strange message appears on the lock screen or in the notification curtain, it may contain geolocation tags, service offers or simply advertising text masquerading as a system notification. Positioning in this context is often associated with the operation of geolocation services or third-party applications using the SMS target.

Not only is the adverts a source of irritation, but the potential threat to privacy is also a source of frustration: users fear their location is being tracked without consent. There are many hidden switches in the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS that control data transfer and content display.

To regain control of the device, you need to consistently check your security, application, and system services settings. The most common reason for such notifications is activated Recommendations in system applications or MSA (MIUI System Ads) services. Below we will detail each step to fix this problem.

Source Analysis: Who is sending SMS-notice

Before you start to shut down, it is important to understand the nature of the message. Often what the user thinks is a message. SMS-Positioning is actually a push notification from a security system application or browser, and these services can request access to the geo-position and, upon receiving it, broadcast location-specific content.

The second option is classic spam from carriers or third-party services that use Cell ID technology to determine your location near a particular point of interest. The third, and most likely in the Xiaomi ecosystem, is embedded advertising that uses system permissions to display content.

For accurate diagnosis, you need to open the notification curtain. If there is an android icon on the message or the application logo is Push. If the message comes from a short number or has an envelope icon, this is a classic SMS. Depending on the type of source, the methods of blocking will vary.

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Long click on the notification allows you to instantly go to the source settings and turn it off without digging into the depths of the menu.

Disabling advertising notifications in system applications

The main stream of junk notifications is generated by system utilities; in MIUI, they often have access to geodata, which creates the illusion of positioning. The first step is to deaktivate receiving recommendations.

Go to the settings of the particular app that is suspected of sending out (e.g., “Conductor”, “Music”, “Clean up”). Find the “Receive recommendations” section and put the slider in an inactive state. This will turn off (push) content that is often based on analysis of your behavior and location.

It's also worth checking the settings of the Security app, which is the one that most often requests access to geolocation for the Device Search function or antivirus databases, and if you're not actively using these features, you'd better restrict access.

Blocking MSA Service and System Advertising

MSA (MIUI System Ads) is responsible for serving ads throughout the system, often collecting user data, including approximate location, to serve relevant ads, and disabling the service is a critical step to getting rid of intrusive positioning.

To find the service, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. In the upper right corner, click on three dots and select “Show System Processes.” In the list, find msa or MIUI Daemon. Log in the app menu and select “Disable.”

⚠️ Attention: When attempting to disconnect MSA The system can show the countdown timer several times and convince you to leave the service on.

After disabling MSA, it is also recommended to limit the work of GetApps service (Xiaomi app store), since it is also a source of advertising push notifications masquerading as system messages.

Setup of permissions for geolocation and SMS

The fundamental method of protection is to review permissions. No application should have permanent access to your geo-location without an urgent need. In modern versions of Android and HyperOS, you can configure access "Only during use."

Open Settings → Security and Privacy → Permissions Management → Geoposition. Go through the app list. If you see games, flashlights or simple utilities that don't need maps, take that right away. Only navigators and taxis can access it.

A similar procedure should be used for permits. SMS. Many apps request access to messages for "verification" but then use it to analyze incoming traffic. SMS Only messengers and banking applications.

Using Spam Filtering and Blacklisting

If the problem is with classic SMS from operators or positioning services, Xiaomi’s built-in filter is effective at dealing with it, and it’s based on updated databases and machine learning algorithms.

To activate, go to the Security app (green zipper icon). Select the Antispam section. You need to turn on the filters for Spam Messages and Spam Calls. You should also activate the Keywords filter by adding the words characteristic of advertising: "credit", "winning", "position", "promotion".

It is important to update the filter databases in the anti-spam settings regularly so that the system recognizes new mailing patterns. In some regions (for example, Russia, India), local spam number databases are available, which significantly increase the effectiveness of blocking.

Advanced settings: Debugging and ADB

For advanced users who want to securely remove any traces of system tracking, there is a method of using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to delete or “freeze” system packets that are not deleted through the usual interface.

First, you need to activate the developer mode. Go to Settings. → About the phone and quickly press 7 times on the "Version" MIUI» (or "Version" OS»). Then in the advanced settings, turn on “Debugging by” USB».

By connecting the phone to a computer, you can use commands to remove packets responsible for analytics and advertising, such as the com.miui.misys package, which is often responsible for collecting telemetry.

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.misys


adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.analytics

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB-Removing critical system components can lead to unstable interface or bootloop (cyclical reboot.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

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Integrated approach including shutdown MSA, permissions and spam filtering, allows you to completely eliminate the problem of intrusive SMS-Positioning and advertising on Xiaomi.