How to disable SMS advertising on Xiaomi: The complete guide

Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often encounter an intrusive service called MSA (MIUI System Ads), which is responsible for displaying ads in various shell interfaces, including standard applications like Explorer, Music or Security, but the most annoying manifestations are sudden advertising SMS and push notifications that lock the screen or appear in the notification curtain at the most inopportune moment.

Advertising can come from other than system services, but also from third-party applications installed by the user, or be the result of a subscription to the operator, activated randomly. You can turn off SMS ads on Xiaomi in several ways, from simple setting up notifications in a particular application to deep blocking system processes through the engineering menu. Understanding the source of the problem is the first step to a clean interface without unnecessary visual noise.

In this article, we'll look at a comprehensive approach to solving the problem: how to find the culprit of the mailing, how to turn off personalized advertising in the MIUI settings, and what advanced blocking methods exist for power users. It's important to act consistently so that important system functions of the phone do not interfere.

Identification of the source of advertising messages

Before taking drastic measures, it is necessary to determine exactly which app or service is generating advertising spam. Often users mistakenly believe that this is a system function of Xiaomi, while the culprit may be an installed flashlight, memory cleaner or game.

So what you do is, go to the notification menu, put your finger on the message that appears, and click on the "i" icon or gear, and the system will show you the name of the app that sent the signal, and if the source is MSA, it means it's an embedded shell advertisement, and if there's an unknown application like "Super Cleaner" or "Flash Light," it should be removed immediately.

In some cases, advertising SMS comes through the standard Messages app, which may be related to activated operator services or spam mailings. To combat them, Xiaomi has a built-in filter in its message settings. Go to Settings → Messages → Block and activate the Unsolicited Messages filter. It is also useful to enable Smart Lock, which uses a database to weed out spam.

Source analysis allows you to choose the right strategy, if the culprit is found among user applications, it is enough to remove them, but if the problem is in the system settings of MIUI, you will need to fine-tune the privacy settings and services.

Disabling MSA System Advertising through Settings

MSA is the primary conductor of advertising in the Xiaomi ecosystem, and disabling it is the most effective way to remove banners and pop-ups, which are often disguised as SMS notifications or system messages. The process of disabling requires a certain sequence of actions, since the system can “resist” this.

To start, go to the password and security settings section. Find Access to Personal Information (or “Special Permissions” in older versions of MIUI). In the list that opens, find the msa app and turn off the access slider. The system will warn you that this may affect the operation of certain features, and will suggest waiting 10 seconds before confirming.

It's important to know that you don't always turn off msa the first time, and there's a "failed to turn off" error that often occurs, so don't panic. Just repeat the procedure 3-5 times in a row, usually on the 4th or 5th try, the system is surrendered and allows shutdown, a well-known feature of the shell that is designed to keep advertising integrations from happening.

⚠️ Note: After disabling the msa service, some shell features, such as the recommendation tape in the Mi browser or themes, may not work correctly or stop updating.

After successfully disabling MSA, it is also recommended to limit background activity for related processes. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps, find GetApps (Xiaomi app store) and Mi Video, Mi Music. In each of them, go to “Saving Charge” and select “No Limits” only if you need notifications, or “Limit background activity” to minimize traffic.

Set up personalization and advertising ID

Even after the main services are disabled, Xiaomi continues to collect data about your use of the device to create an advertising profile. To minimize targeted advertising, which can come in the form of SMS-like notifications, you need to reset the advertising ID.

Go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Privacy → Advertising Services. Here you will see the Personalized Advertising switch. Turn it off. Immediately after that, click Reset Advertising ID. This action will break the link between your device and the accumulated ad database.

You should also check the authorization settings. → Mi Account Go to About System or Privacy section. Make sure that participation in the user experience improvement program is disabled.Although this is not directly related to SMS, it reduces the amount of telemetry data transmitted that can be used for targeting.

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After resetting the advertising ID, it is recommended to restart the smartphone so that the changes take effect at the level of all system processes and services.

Regularly checking these settings is important, especially after major MIUI or HyperOS updates.Manufacturers often return personalization sliders to their original state after the update, considering this an improvement in the user experience, although for many it is only the return of intrusive advertising.

Blocking Advertising in Standard Applications

Advertising notifications often come from the standard apps we use daily: Explorer, Cleanup, Music. Each has its own recommendation display settings that need to be disabled separately from the general MSA settings.

Let’s look at the main sources:

• Explorer: Open the app, click on three menu bars, select Settings → About the app. Find the Receive References switch and turn it off. Also turn off the Show Ads option.
• Security (Cleanup): Go to the Security app, click on the settings gear in the top right corner. Find the "Get recommendations" item and deactivate it. This will remove the news and suggestion pop-ups after scanning.

These settings may be called differently depending on the firmware version (Global, EU, China), but the bottom line remains the same: look for the words “Recommendations”, “Promote” or “Get recommendations”. Disabling these options makes the application interface clean and eliminates the risk of accidentally clicking on an advertising link that can initiate a subscription to paid SMS services.

Remember that some applications may ask permission to send notifications when you first run. Always read pop-up requests carefully. If you accidentally let Explorer send notifications, it will do so all the time. You can check permissions in Settings → Notifications and Status Bar → Notification Management.

Using DNS to block advertising at the network level

One of the most effective and safest ways to remove ads, including those coming through online app channels, is to use a private DNS filtered, which does not require root rights and works at the device-wide level, blocking requests to known ad servers.

The most popular and reliable service for this purpose is AdGuard DNS. To activate it on Xiaomi, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS (the path may vary slightly in different versions of Android). Select the DNS Host Name (or Manual) mode and enter the address:

dns.adguard.com

Save your settings. Now all your smartphone requests will go through AdGuard filters, which will automatically cut off connections to ad domains, which will not only remove banners in apps, but also prevent ads from downloading, which is often the trigger for pop-up SMS notifications in your browser or games.

⚠️ Note: When using a third party DNS Internet connection speeds can rarely decrease slightly if the server is far from your region, but for most users in the CIS, the change is imperceptible.

If you want more flexible control, you can use the AdGuard app (full version) that creates a local control. VPN-This allows you not only to block ads, but also to see which application is trying to send an advertising request, which helps in diagnosing the source of SMS spam.

Fighting Viral Applications and Hidden Mining

If none of the above methods worked, and advertising SMS continues to come, there is a high probability that malware has settled on the device. Such programs often masquerade as system processes, do not have an icon on the menu, and do not appear in the list of installed applications by standard methods.

Signs of infection:

• Advertisements appear on the desktop even when all apps are closed.
• The phone is very hot and discharges quickly in standby mode.
• In the task manager, you can see strange processes with names like System Service, Update, WiFi Tool.
• SMS comes from short numbers with a request to confirm the subscription or click on the link.

To remove these viruses, standard removal is not enough. Go to Settings → Apps → All applications. Turn on the system process map (three dots in the corner → Show system), carefully review the list for apps without an icon or with a suspicious name. If you find one, delete immediately.

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If the malicious application is not removed (the Delete button is inactive), it may have device administrator rights. Check the Passwords and Security section → Privacy → Special Access → Device Administrator Applications and revoke the rights of the suspicious item.

In extreme cases, when the virus is deeply integrated into the system, only a full reset to factory settings (Wipe Data) helps.Be sure to save important contacts and photos before that, as all information will be destroyed. After the reset, do not restore applications from the backup immediately, so as not to return the virus back.

Prevention and additional protection measures

To prevent the problem from recurring with advertising SMS, it is important to maintain digital hygiene. Do not install applications from unknown sources. Xiaomi has installed installer checks by default, but sometimes users allow installation. APK-Disable the ability to install from unknown sources for all applications except the official GetApps store or Google Play.

It is also useful to check your mobile operator’s subscription list regularly, and often advertising SMSes come from them if you accidentally land on a paid subscription page, call the carrier’s support team or use its app to check the list of active paid services and disable unnecessary ones.

Watch for app permissions. Periodically go to Settings → Privacy → Permission Manager. Check which apps have access to SMS and calls. If a simple flashlight or calculator requires access to your messages, that's a red flag. Take those rights away immediately.

A comprehensive approach combining MSA disabling, DNS setup and a careful attitude to installing new programs will allow you to enjoy a Xiaomi smartphone without intrusive interference. A clean interface is not only aesthetics, but also the security of your personal data.