Advertising in Xiaomi devices is one of the most annoying features of the brand ecosystem, appearing on the settings menu, on the desktop, in the MIUI branded shell, and even on PatchWall TVs. The manufacturer positions this as βpersonalized recommendationsβ, but users perceive it as intrusive spam. Worse, over time, the ad units become more aggressive: they start flashing, automatically play video and even block system notifications.
In this article, we will look at all the current ways to remove ads, from basic settings to deep modifications to the system. It is important to understand that some methods require technical skills and can lead to loss of warranty or unstable operation of the device. We will specify the risks for each option, so that you can choose the optimal balance between efficiency and security.
1. Disabling Advertising through the standard MIUI settings
The first step is to use the built-in options of the system. Xiaomi officially allows you to disable some of the ad units, but these settings are often hidden in deep sections of the menu.
For smartphones on MIUI 12-14:
- Go to Settings β About Phone and 7 times click on the MIUI version to activate the Developer Mode.
- Return to the main settings menu and open Additional β Special Opportunities β Advertising.
- Turn off the sliders: π± Personalized recommendations (primary source of advertising) π Advertising identification (activity tracking) π Showing Advertising in System Applications
For Xiaomi (PatchWall) TVs:
- πΊ Go to Settings. β Account and security β Confidentiality β Personalized recommendations and deactivate all options.
- π In the same section, find the Advertising ID and reset it.
- π Go to Settings. β Annexes β Application management β PatchWall and clear the cache.
π‘
After disabling the ad, restart the device β some blocks will disappear only after the reboot.
These manipulations remove up to 60 percent of the ads, but not all the blocks, like ads in Mi Video, Mi Browser and lock screen, and they will require more radical methods to remove them.
2. manual removal of advertising applications
Many of the ad units in Xiaomi are tied to pre-installed system applications. They can't be removed in the standard way, but you can disable or freeze them through settings. This doesn't require root rights and is safe for the device.
List of key "advertising" applications:
| Name of name | Package (ID) | Function | Can I turn it off? |
|---|---|---|---|
| MiuiDaemon | com.miui.daemon | Personal recommendations service | Yes (partially) |
| MSA (Mi Service Framework) | com.xiaomi.msa.global | Activity tracking | Yes. |
| Mi Video | com.miui.video | Player adverts | Yes. |
| Mi Browser | com.android.browser | Browser banners | Yes. |
| Analytics | com.miui.analytics | Statistics collection | No (critical to the system) |
How to turn it off:
- Open Settings β Applications β Application Management.
- In the search, type the name from the table (for example, MSA).
- Click Disable (if the button is active) or Stop.
- Clear the cache and app data.
Find the application in settings |Disable it |Clear the cache |Stop background activity |Reboot the device-->
Warning: Do not disable com.miui.analytics β this can cause MIUI to malfunction. Also avoid removing com.xiaomi.finddevice (needed to search for the device).
3.Use of ADB-deep-cleaning
If standard methods didnβt work, the next step is to disable ads via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), Googleβs official tool for managing Android devices, which works on all Xiaomi smartphones and doesnβt require root rights, but youβll need a computer.
Step-by-step:
- Download Platform Tools from Google and unpack the archive.
- On your smartphone, activate USB Debugging in Settings β About Phone β MIUI version (7 taps) β Additional β For developers.
- Connect the phone to your PC and in the command line (in the folder with ADB) do: adb devices Make sure that the device is determined.
- Enter commands in turn (each removing a separate advertising component): adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.daemon adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.xiaomi.msa.global adb shell pm hide com.android.browser adb shell pm disable-user com.miui.video
For Xiaomi TVs, use similar commands, but with different packages:
adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.xiaomi.mitv.analytics
adb shell pm disable-user com.miui.tv.adsWhat if the ADB canβt see the device?
Note: Uninstall --user 0 commands only delete applications for the current user, without affecting system files. However, after resetting the settings, the ad may return.
4. Installation of custom firmware (for advanced)
The most radical way is to replace MIUI with customized firmware without ads, such as LineageOS or Pixel Experience, which completely removes all advertising components, but has serious drawbacks:
- β οΈ Loss of warranty (unlocking the bootloader resets the Anti-Rollback counter).
- π§ You need fastboot skills and TWRP.
- π± Not all functions can work (e.g., a camera or a camera). NFC informally).
- π Updates will have to be installed manually.
If you are prepared for risks, follow the algorithm:
- Unlock the bootloader through the official Xiaomi tool (requires a Mi Account and wait 7-15 days).
- Install TWRP Recovery for your model (see instructions on XDA Developers).
- Download compatible firmware (check your device support on the project website).
- Using TWRP, run Wipe β Format Data and install the firmware.
π‘
Custom firmware deprives you of Xiaomiβs branded features (such as fast charging on some models or MIUI gestures).
Xiaomi TVs are more difficult to do because of the closed PatchWall architecture. Alternative firmware exists only for a limited number of models (such as the Mi TV 4S 55) and can be hard to get in the way of the device.
5. Blocking Advertising through DNS and Host File
Another effective method is to redirect advertising domains to non-existent domains. IP-It works at the network level and doesn't require any changes to the system, and it's good for smartphones, TVs and even Xiaomi routers.
Method 1: Change the DNS on the device
- π± On a smartphone: Settings β Wi-Fi β Additionally. β Settings IP β Static β DNS1: 94.140.14.14, DNS2: 94.140.15.15 (AdGuard DNS).
- πΊ On TV: Settings β Network β Network setup β DNS β Manually (same addresses).
Method 2: Editing the host file (requires root)
If you have root access, add the following lines to /etc/hosts (use the Root Explorer app):
127.0.0.1 ad.mi.com
127.0.0.1 data.mistat.xiaomi.com
127.0.0.1 sdkconfig.ad.xiaomi.com
127.0.0.1 track.uc.cnTo check the health of the browser, try to open http://ad.mi.com β the page should not load.
π‘
If some applications (such as Mi Home) have stopped working after changing the DNS, return the standard DNS settings or use an alternative server, such as Cloudflare: 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1.
6. Specialized applications for blocking advertising
If manual methods seem complicated, you can use third-party utilities that automate the process of removing ads and often offer additional features (for example, blocking trackers).
| Annex | Type | Need root? | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADB AppControl | A utility for ADB | No. | Simplifies disabling system applications through a graphical interface |
| Blokada | Ad-blocker | No. | It works via VPN, blocks domains at the DNS level. |
| LADB | ADB via Wi-Fi | No. | Allows you to control the device without USB-cable |
| Titanium Backup | Backup | Yes. | Can freeze system applications permanently |
For the use of ADB AppControl:
- Download the app from XDA.
- Connect your phone to your PC and launch the utility.
- In the list, find apps with the AdServices tag and turn them off.
- Apply the changes and restart the device.
Note: Apps like Blokada create local VPN-tunnel, which may conflict with some banking applications (e.g. Sberbank or Tinkoff), in which case add these applications to the exceptions.
7. Alternative launchers and shells
If the ads are mostly on the desktop (like MIUI Launcher), you can simply replace the standard shell with an alternative one.
The best launchers for Xiaomi:
- π Nova Launcher β flexible setup, no advertising, gesture support.
- π¨ Lawnchair β lightweight open source launcher, Pixel style.
- π§ Hyperion Launcher β Optimized for performance, minimalist design.
- π± Microsoft Launcher β Windows integration, no ads from Xiaomi.
How to determine:
- Download the launcher from Google Play.
- When you first start, select it as the default launcher.
- In the launcher settings, turn off the recommendations displays (if there is such an option).
For Xiaomi TVs, alternative launchers are more difficult to install β you will need ADB and manual replacement of PatchWall with an ATV Launcher or HalLauncher.