How to remove pop-up chat and advertising on Xiaomi

Users of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face an annoying problem: a window suddenly appears on the screen asking a question, getting help or clicking on a link. This pop-up chat, which can overlap content in apps or appear on the desktop, significantly reduces the comfort of using the device. Most often the source of such activity is the built-in service Mi Assist, system recommendations for the MIUI shell or intrusive advertising from preinstalled applications.

The reasons for these windows can range from standard system settings that are activated when you first turn on your phone, to installing third-party programs from unreliable sources. In some cases, this is a useful quick-assist feature, but in most situations it turns into digital noise. To regain control of your gadget, you need to accurately determine the source of the pop-up and apply the appropriate method of blocking it.

In this article, we will take a look at all possible chat scenarios and offer step-by-step solutions. You will learn to distinguish between system notifications and banner ads, and learn how to permanently eliminate unwanted interference in your smartphone experience. The key is to turn off the Mi Assist service through the special features menu, as it is often the trigger for pop-up support windows.

Identification of the source of the pop-up window

Before embarking on radical measures to shut down system services, it is important to understand which component of the Android operating system or MIUI shell generates a pop-up. The behavior of the interface can vary depending on the firmware version and the region for which the device is released. Usually, users see a window saying “Get help” or “Ask an expert a question”.

Most often, Mi Assist (or Mi Services) is a system component designed to help users customize their device, but its aggressive marketing is often perceived as spam, and can also be sourced from desktop widgets such as Horizon or notifications from the GetApps app store.

• 🔍 Take a close look at the icon in the corner of the pop-up window – often there is a Mi or GetApps logo.
• 📱 Try pressing and holding your finger on the window that appears (if the interface allows) to see the name of the application.
• ⚙️ Check notification history by swiping your finger from top to bottom when the chat appears.
• 📉 Note whether chat only appears in certain apps or globally on all screens.

Identifying the culprit accurately will avoid turning off important system features that you may actually need in the future.If you're not sure, it's best to double-check the source, as some windows may be linked to security or system updates.

Disabling Mi Assist and System Assistance

The most common reason for intrusive dialog boxes is active support. In MIUI shells and the new HyperOS, this component is deeply integrated into the system. To remove pop-up chat, you need to find the appropriate switch in the special features settings, which is effective in 90% of cases when it comes to system assistance offers.

You'll need to go to a deep settings menu to do the operation, and the path may vary slightly depending on the Android version, but the logic remains the same, so you need to find the user interface section and deactivate the function that allows the phone to initiate a dialogue.

After you navigate the Settings → Additional Settings → Special Features (or Settings → Advanced Settings → Special Features), find the Mi Assist tab. In some versions of the firmware, it may simply be called “Help” or have an earphone icon. Inside this menu, you need to switch to an inactive state.

⚠️ Note: Once you turn off this service, you will lose the ability to quickly call for help (by long pressing) of the volume buttons or through a floating window.

If the standard path didn't work, try searching by settings, type "Assist" or "Help" in the search bar, and the system will highlight the menu item you want, and it's also worth checking the security settings, as sometimes optimization recommendations are disguised as support chats.

Blocking Advertising and Recommendations in System Applications

Even after the help desk is turned off, pop-ups can be generated by other system components. MIUI is known for its tendency to show recommendations in standard utilities. To completely clear the interface of unnecessary visual noise, you need to go through key system applications and turn off personalized recommendations there.

First of all, look at the Explorer and Manager app, which often contain hidden settings for news and promotional offers. Disabling these features does not affect the work![Widget: poll placeholder] the basic features, but makes the interface cleaner. It is also worth checking the theme and lock screen settings.

Each application has its own shutdown algorithm, which is usually hidden in the About menu or in additional settings (three dots in the corner of the screen), you need to find "Receive recommendations" or "Show ads" and uncheck.

• 📂 Conductor: Press three stripes → Settings → Information → Turn off "Recommendations».
• 🧹 Safety: Press the gear → Turn off “Receive recommendations” and “Advertising».
• 🎨 Topics: Profile → Settings → Turn off “Show Ads” and “Personal Recommendations».
• 🔒 Lock screen: Settings → Wallpaper and personalization → Wallpaper carousel → Turn off "Receive content».

These actions can take a few minutes, but they ensure that no system application will initiate a pop-up chat or banner.If after these actions the problem persists, it may be that the source is hidden in third-party software.

Search and remove malicious or advertising applications

If the system settings are checked and the pop-up chat continues to appear, there is a high probability that the device has a third-party application with aggressive advertising. Often these programs are disguised as useful utilities: flashlight, calculator, memory cleaner or scanner. QR-They may not have an icon on the desktop, leaving the user invisible.

To identify such a hidden pest, you need to carefully analyze the list of installed programs. Particular attention should be paid to applications that were installed shortly before the problem appeared. Often such programs require suspicious permissions, such as rights to "Above Other Windows" or "Access to Device Use."

To remove suspicious software, go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Scroll through the list and find programs that you don’t remember installing or that have a minimalist name. Click on such an application and select “Delete.” If the delete button is inactive (gray), then the application is given administrator rights.

In this case, go to Settings → Passwords & Security → Privacy → Special Access → Administrator Apps. Uncheck the suspicious app, go back and delete it in the usual way. This is a critical step to clean up the system completely.

Configure browser notifications and push services

Another common reason for pop-ups that users mistake for system chat is notifications from web browsers. When you visit various sites, you may have accidentally allowed push notifications to be sent, which results in windows showing news, offers to download antivirus, or a “support chat” that actually leads to an advertising site even when the browser is closed.

The most common source of such problems is Chrome, MI Browser or UC Browser. To solve the problem, you need to check the notification settings for each browser installed. It does not require removing applications, just limit their rights to display information.

It is recommended that browsers be completely prohibited from showing notifications unless you use them to obtain important information from specific services (for example, the web version of messengers).

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Expert advice: Periodically clear your browser data and cache through the Apps menu, which will help to reset the accumulated permissions and cookies that can initiate pop-up ads.

Use of DNS and Third-Party Blockers

If manually configuring doesn't give the desired result, or you want to be guaranteed to protect yourself from pop-up chat in the future, more advanced methods can be used. DNS-The server at the level of the entire operating system allows you to block advertising requests and trackers even before they hit the screen of your smartphone Xiaomi.

This method is the most effective and safe, as it does not require the installation of additional antivirus applications, which can consume resources themselves. DNS-Services such as AdGuard DNS, Specialize in filtering advertising traffic.

To set up, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Private DNS (the path may vary depending on the Android version). Select the DNS Host Name mode and enter the server address. This action will redirect all Internet traffic through the filter that sifts out ads.

dns.adguard.com

Entering this address in the private DNS field activates system-wide protection. Once you save the settings, it is recommended to restart the device, and the effect will be noticeable immediately: the number of pop-up ads in browsers and applications will decrease to almost zero.

⚠️ Attention: When using private DNS Some apps or sites may not work properly if they are linked to ad networks for authorization. DNS access to certain resources.

Resetting and extreme measures

In situations where none of the above methods worked and the pop-up chat continues to bother, it is possible that the MIUI shell system files are damaged or altered by a virus that has deeply embedded in the system, in which case the only reliable way to solve the problem is to completely reset the settings to a factory state.

Before performing this procedure, it is critical to back up all important data: contacts, photos, documents and application lists. Reset will remove all information from the phone's internal memory, returning it to a "out of the box" state. Make sure that the battery is at least 50-60%.

To perform the reset, go to Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data. The system will ask you to enter the unlock password and Mi Account code for confirmation. Once the reboot is done, the phone will be clean and you will need to reset the original setup.

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A complete reset is a radical but guaranteed measure that removes any hidden viruses and resets any system errors that cause the interface to behave incorrectly.

When you first set up after reset, be careful: don’t turn on all the personalization features immediately, or install apps from unknown sources. Set up your phone gradually, checking if a pop-up chat appears after installing each block of programs, which will help identify the culprit if the problem was in a particular application.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)