How to remove redirects to Xiaomi: from viruses to system settings

Automatic redirects on Xiaomi smartphones are one of the most annoying issues users face: Your browser suddenly redirects to advertising sites and apps open the wrong pages you chose. 80 percent of the time, either malware or aggressive MIUI settings are to blame. But there are less obvious reasons, from DNS errors to hidden firmware features.

This article will help you understand why redirection is happening even on new devices (including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 and Xiaomi 13T), and give you step-by-step instructions for cleaning the system. We will look at both software methods (without root rights) and radical solutions for running cases. Importantly, some methods require resetting, so save important data in advance.

1. Virus and malware check

The first thing to do is to check your phone for viruses: 60 percent of the time, redirects are caused by Trojans that are replacing DNS or embedding in browsers, and devices that have applications installed from unverified sources (.apk is not from Google Play) are particularly vulnerable.

The MIUI Security scanner (built into firmware) often misses threats, so use third-party antiviruses:

• 🛡️ Malwarebytes – specializes in the detection of advertising software and Trojan-redirectors.
• 🔍 Kaspersky Mobile - deep scanning of system files (free version limited).
• 🧹 Avast Mobile Security – Checks the installed APK for suspicious authorization.

If the antivirus has found the threats but cannot remove them:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find suspicious software (often disguised as System Updates or Optimizer).
3. Press Delete. → Clear the data.

⚠️ Warning: Some viruses block removal through the standard menu, in which case you will need Safe Mode (press the power button). → Hold "Switch off" → confirm the transition).

2. Reset browser and DNS settings

If no viruses are detected, the problem may lie in the browser settings or DNS-server. MIUI default DNS Xiaomi, which sometimes redirects traffic to affiliates:

• 🌐 Google Chrome: Settings → Resetting settings (deletes cookies and cache).
• 🦊 Mozilla Firefox: Settings → Delete personal data.
• 📱 MIUI Browser: Settings → Additionally. → Drop it.

For DNS discharge:

1. Go to Settings → Connections and Sharing → Private DNS.
2. Select Automatically or manually enter: dns.google or 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare).
3. Reboot the phone.

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If the redirect is still there after changing the DNS, try turning off IPv6 in the Wi-Fi settings (sometimes conflicts with IPv4).

3. Disabling advertising and system services MIUI

Xiaomi is known for integrated firmware advertising that can cause redirects, and even if you turn off personalized ads, some services continue to run in the background to block them completely:

Method 1: Through the MIUI settings

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Click 7 times on the MIUI version to activate Advanced Settings.
2. Return to the main settings menu → Additional → Special features → Advertising.
3. Disable all sliders associated with Personalized Ads and MIUI Guidelines.

Method 2: ADB (for experienced users)

If standard methods do not help, you can turn off advertising services through the ADB command:

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.systemAdSolution

Also useful are commands to disable analytics:

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.xiaomi.midrop


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

⚠️ Note: Removing system applications through ADB This can cause the firmware to work unstable. Before executing commands, back up to Settings. → System system → Backup.

4. Checking installed applications for suspicious activity

Some legitimate applications (especially SEOs, launchers, or games) contain hidden SDKs to display ads that can redirect traffic.

Step 1: Permission analysis

• 🔎 Open the Settings. → Annexes → Permits.
• Check which programs have access to: Overlay on other applications (can intercept clicks); Change system settings (can change DNS); Display on top of other windows (pop-up ads).

Step 2: Monitoring traffic

Use network analysis apps to identify suspicious activity:

• 📊 NetGuard – shows which apps are sending data in the background.
• 🛡️ PCAPdroid – Records network traffic for in-depth analysis.
• 🔍 GlassWire – Visualizes connections to servers.

If you find an application that connects to suspicious domains (e.g. ad., tracking.), uninstall it and check if the redirect has disappeared.

5. Network reset and factory settings

If previous methods failed, the problem could be network settings or corrupted system files, in which case:

Method 1: Resetting network settings

1. Go to Settings → Connections and Sharing → Reset network settings.
2. Confirm the reset (save Wi-Fi, Bluetooth devices and VPNs will be removed).
3. Reboot the phone.

Method 2: Hard Reset (Hard Reset)

This is an extreme measure, but it is guaranteed to remove all viruses and reset MIUI to factory settings, and once reset, the phone will return to the "out of the box" state, including deleting all data from internal memory.

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up until the Mi logo appears.
3. From the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the completion.

⚠️ Note: On some models (POCO F4, Redmi K50) After a hard reset, you may need to re-assign your Mi Account. Make sure you remember your username and password!

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Network resets help in 30% of cases where redirects are associated with damaged Wi-Fi or mobile internet configurations.

6. Check the hosts file and system configurations

In rare cases, a redirect occurs due to a modified hosts file that redirects domains to other domains. IP-This could be due to a virus or a manual edit to check:

Step 1: View the hosts file

1. Install a file manager with root access (such as FX Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to /system/etc/hosts
3. Open the file with a text editor.

Step 2: Restore the Standard Content

If you have redirected lines in the file (e.g., 127.0.0.1 google.com), delete them by leaving only:

127.0.0.1   localhost


::1         ip6-localhost

Step 3: Verification of access rights

Make sure the file has the right permissions:

• Owner: root
• Group: root
• Rights: rw-r--r-- (644)

adb shell "echo -e '127.0.0.1\tlocalhost\n::1\t\tip6-localhost' > /system/etc/hosts"

But it only works on an unlocked bootloader.-->

7. Update of firmware and core

Sometimes redirects are a firmware bug that Xiaomi fixes in newer versions of MIUI. For example, MIUI 13 had a vulnerability that allowed apps to swap DNS without user permission.

Method 1: Through OTA-update

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Click Check for updates.
3. If a new version is available, download it and install it.

Method 2: Hand-held firmware through Recovery

If OTA doesn’t offer an update, but Xiaomi’s official website has a fresh firmware for your model:

1. Download the.zip file with firmware (for example, for Redmi Note) 11 will ingres_global_images_...).
2. Rename the file to update.zip and place it in the root of internal memory.
3. Go to Recovery (as in reset) and select Install update.zip.

FAQ: Frequent questions about redirects to Xiaomi