Xiaomi Pop-up Ads: How to Remove Forever – 2026 Proven Methods

You just unlocked the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 screen, and there's already a banner on your desktop offering to buy a new gadget or install a questionable app. Familiar situation? Pop-up ads on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones have become a real headache for users around the world. The manufacturer has integrated ad modules deep into MIUI firmware, and even after disabling the obvious settings, banners continue to appear in the most unexpected places, from the notification panel to system applications.

In this article, we’ll look at 7 proven ways to remove ads on Xiaomi forever, from standard settings to hidden firmware features. You’ll learn why ads appear even on new devices, which apps are to blame in most cases, and how to get around the limitations of MIUI without obtaining root rights. All methods are tested on current firmware versions (including MIUI 14/15 based on Android 13/14) and work on models from Redmi 10 to flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

Why Xiaomi is getting ads: 3 main reasons

Before we get to the bottom of this, it's important to understand the root of it: Xiaomi's pop-up ads are not a random bug, but part of the company's business model. Here are three key sources of banner ads:

• 📱 System applications MIUI: Mi Browser, Mi Video, Music, Themes, and even Security have built-in ad units that show banners whether you use them or not.
• 🔄 Firmware updates: After each major update MIUI (For example, from version 13 to version 14, the ad mechanisms can be activated again, even if you have previously disabled them manually.
• 🎯 Personalized recommendations: Xiaomi collects data about your behavior (installed apps, search queries, geolocation) and adjusts advertising to your interests through the service MSA (Mi Security Center).

Interesting fact: China ROM has a lot more advertising than the Global ROM, which is due to Xiaomi's monopoly on the local market and aggressive monetization, and if you've bought a phone in China or stitched it with a Chinese version, be prepared for daily banners on your desktop.

Method 1: Disabling Advertising in MIUI Settings (Basic Method)

To start with, the simplest of them is the standard firmware settings, and Xiaomi provides the ability to turn off some of the ads, but these options are often hidden in non-obvious menus.

1. Open Settings → About the phone and 7 times click on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode.
2. Return to the main settings menu and go to Additional → Special features.
3. Find Remove Ads (on some models it’s called Disable Recommendations) and activate it.
4. Then go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Settings (cog in the upper right corner) → Advertising and turn off the slider Personalized Advertising.

This method removes up to 60% of banners, but does not eliminate ads in system applications, for example, in Mi Browser or Mi Video banners will appear regardless of these settings.

Activate Developer Mode |Disable "Personalized Ads" |Delete Unnecessary System Applications |Check Updates MIUI-->

Method 2: Manually disabling ads in each application

Many MIUI system utilities have their own ad modules, which need to be disabled separately.

Critical detail: After disabling ads in Mi Browser, some features (such as bookmark sync) may stop working, due to the fact that the browser uses the same server to display ads and cloud services.

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If the app’s settings don’t have “Advertising,” try resetting it to factory settings via Settings → Apps → [App Name] → Storage → Clear Data. This will remove all personalized settings, including hidden ad triggers.

Method 3: Use ADB-commands for deep disabling advertising

If standard methods didn’t work, it’s time for ADB (Android Debug Bridge) to disable system-level advertising modules without root rights. You’ll need a computer with Xiaomi drivers installed and Google’s Platform Tools program.

Step-by-step:

1. Download Platform Tools and unpack the archive.
2. Connect your phone to your PC via USB, activate debugging via USB in the developer settings.
3. Open the command line in the folder with Platform Tools and type:

adb shell pm hide com.miui.systemAdSolution

This command disables the main MIUI ad module. To completely remove the ad, run 3 more commands:

adb shell pm hide com.xiaomi.midrop


adb shell pm hide com.miui.analytics




adb shell pm hide com.miui.msa.global

After the phone is rebooted, ads will disappear from 90% of system applications, but this method has the opposite side: some features (for example, Mi Drop for transferring files) will stop working.

Method 4: Remove system applications without root (for power users)

Some MIUI applications cannot be disabled by standard methods, they must be removed. For this, use the ADB AppControl utility (does not require root). Download it from XDA Developers and follow the instructions:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and start ADB AppControl.
2. In the list of applications, find:

• 🗑️ com.miui.systemAdSolution – the main advertising module
• 🗑️ com.xiaomi.mipicks – GetApps app with ads
• 🗑️ com.miui.analytics – statistics collection for targeted advertising
• 🗑️ com.miui.msa.global – a personalized recommendation service

Select these applications and press Uninstall. Once you reboot, they will disappear from the system. Attention: removing some modules can lead to unstable firmware. For example, without com.miui.analytics, weather widgets will no longer be updated.

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Removing system applications through ADB does not require root rights, but it can disrupt some MIUI features. Always back up before experimenting!

Method 5: Switch to custom firmware (for advanced users)

If you're willing to take drastic measures, installing custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience) will solve the problem of advertising once and for all, these firmwares are devoid of MIUI advertising modules and offer "clean" Android.

• ⚠️ Loss of warranty – unlocking the bootloader will void Xiaomi’s warranty obligations.
• ⚠️ Risk of “bricking” – the wrong firmware can turn your phone into a “brick".
• ⚠️ No corporate functions – gestures will disappear MIUI, camera modes and other chips.

If you do, follow the official XDA Developers guide. First, unlock the bootloader through the Mi Unlock Tool, then install TWRP Recovery and run through the selected firmware. Popular options for Xiaomi:

• 📱 LineageOS – as close as possible to Android stock
• 📱 Pixel Experience – firmware with Google Pixel features
• 📱 Havoc-OS - customizable firmware with many settings

⚠️ Warning: Before you run your firmware, make sure you check that the firmware you choose is compatible with your Xiaomi model. Installing firmware from another model will cause your device to fail. Use only official forum builds. XDA or 4PDA.

Method 6: Blocking Advertising via DNS and VPN

If you don't want to interfere with system files, you can block Xiaomi's ad servers at the network level. DNS-filtering VPN advertising-blocking.

Method 1: Change of DNS

1. Go to Settings → Connections → Private DNS.
2. Select the hostname of the private DNS provider and type:

dns.adguard.com

or

1.1.1.3

(This is Cloudflare’s DNS with ad blocking).

Method 2: VPN with Ad Blocking

Install one of these applications:

• 🛡️ AdGuard VPN — block advertising at the level VPN, including system banners MIUI.
• 🛡️ Blokada – Open source software for blocking ads without root.
• 🛡️ NextDNS – allows you to create a custom filter for blocking Xiaomi domains.

These methods block up to 80% of ads, but do not affect banners in offline mode (for example, in Mi Video when watching uploaded videos).

Method 7: Resetting the phone to factory settings (last resort)

If none of these methods worked, the last option is a complete reset of the phone, which will delete all user data, but also reset the ad settings to factory values. Importantly, after the reset, do not restore the data from the MIUI backup, it will return the ad settings!

Instructions:

1. Make a backup copy of important data (photos, contacts, messages).
2. Go to Settings → About Phone → Resetting → Delete all data.
3. After reset, do not connect your Xiaomi account during the initial setup phase.
4. Disable ads immediately through Settings → Additional → Special Options → Delete ads.

⚠️ Note: If you recover data from the Mi Cloud, your ad settings will return. Use only your Google Account or local copies to restore it.

FAQ: Frequent questions about advertising on Xiaomi