Owners of branded smartphones Xiaomi often encounter intrusive advertising that appears directly on the desktop or on top of the interface. It's annoying, distracting, and drains your battery. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the shell MIUI by default is configured for aggressive marketing, offering users various services and offers.
Fortunately, the Android system provides powerful tools for controlling what happens on the screen. You don't need to be a programming expert to restore your device's cleanliness and privacy. It is enough to sequentially go through several sections of the menu and change key privacy settings.
In this article we will look in detail at how to get rid of all types of pop-up windows: from system recommendations to advertising in specific applications. We will look at both standard settings and hidden options that are often overlooked even by experienced users.
Disable MSA system advertising in settings
The main source of annoying banners in the system is the component msa (MIUI System Ads). This is a system service responsible for delivering advertising content from the manufacturer. Disabling it is the first and most important step in the fight for a clean interface.
To deactivate this service, you need to go to the advanced system settings. The process is not instantaneous: the system will try to dissuade you from this decision by showing a countdown timer. This is a defense mechanism, but it is easy to bypass.
Go to the menu Settings → Passwords and security → Access to personal data. In the list, find the item msa and switch the toggle switch to the inactive state. A warning window will appear with a 10 second timer. Wait for the countdown to complete and press the button Revoke.
⚠️ Attention: If you were unable to revoke access the first time and the “Failed to revoke” error appeared, wait a couple of minutes and try again. Sometimes the server needs time to process the request, so it may take 3-4 attempts in a row.
After successfully revoking access, advertising from the system will stop coming. However, it is worth remembering that firmware updates can sometimes return these settings to default, so check this item periodically.
☑️ Disabling system advertising
Managing notifications for specific applications
Often the source of pop-up windows is not system services, but apps you have installed. Browsers, games, cleaning utilities, and even some instant messengers may have permission to display notifications on top of other applications.
For fine-grained settings, you need to analyze the list of installed apps. Go to the section Settings → Notifications and status bar → Notifications. Here is a complete list of applications that have the right to harass the user.
Select a suspicious application that often displays ads. Inside its settings, find the category Pop-up notifications or Floating notifications. Disable this option, leaving only the icon in the notification shade if necessary.
- 📱 Browsers: often show push notifications about news or promotions if the recommendations feature is enabled.
- 🎮 Games: can send notifications about bonuses that turn into full-fledged advertising.
- 🧹 Memory cleaners: they like to scare the user with “viruses” or “garbage”, offering to buy a premium version.
- 🛍️ Marketplaces: they send offers of discounts that appear in the form of banners.
Pay special attention to applications that you have installed recently. If, after installing a utility, advertising becomes more frequent, most likely this is the reason. In such cases, it is easier to remove the app than to configure its permissions.
Setting accessibility and access on top of windows
Some types of advertising use the “display on top of other applications” mechanism. This allows the window to overlap the desktop, menus, and other apps. Control over this feature is in the accessibility section.
Navigate to path Settings → Passwords and security → Privacy → Special access → Display on top of other applications. Here you will see a list of apps that can draw the interface on top of everything else.
Check out the list carefully. Only system components (for example, Phone, Messengers for the picture-in-picture function) and those apps that you trust should have permission. If you see an unknown application or a simple game with this right, immediately disable it.
| Application | Access status | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Google Chrome | Allowed | Leave (for video) |
| Telegram | Allowed | Leave (PiP mode) |
| Clean Master | Allowed | Deny |
| Unknown game | Allowed | Deny |
⚠️ Attention: Disabling "on top of windows" access for system applications such as Phone or Contactmay disrupt their work. For example, you will not be able to see a video call in a small window when you minimize the application.
Regular revision of this list helps prevent the appearance of advertising banners that suddenly cover the screen while using the smartphone.
Disable recommendations in Xiaomi system applications
The shell MIUI contains many built-in applications that broadcast advertising recommendations by default. This applies to Explorer, Music, Themes, and even the standard Security application.
To disable advertising in Explorer, open the application, click on the menu (three bars) and select Settings → About the application. Find the switch Recommendations and turn it off. Similar actions need to be done for other system utilities.
In the application Security advertising often appears in the “Cleaning” or “Acceleration” section. Go to the application settings (gear icon at the top), find the item Get recommendations and deactivate it. This will remove the news feed and advertising blocks from the scanner interface.
Hidden sources of advertising in MIUI
In some firmware versions, advertising may be hidden in the Downloads application. Open it, go to settings and disable the “Show recommended content” option. Also check the Music application: Settings → Advanced settings → Receive recommendations.
Don't forget about the application Themes. It is one of the main sources of visual noise. Go to the user profile inside the application, select Settings and disable items Show ads and Personal recommendations.
Blocking pop-up windows in the browser
If advertising appears only when you are surfing the Internet, the problem lies in the browser settings or installed extensions. Pop-ups are a classic tool for aggressive online marketing.
In a standard browser Chrome or MIUI Browser you need to go to settings. Typically the path looks like this: Settings → Site Settings → Pop-ups and redirects. Make sure this setting is blocked.
It is also recommended to enable built-in protection against malicious sites. In the privacy settings, activate the function Safe browsing. This will help filter pages that are trying to force a subscription or show prohibited content.
Install a browser with a built-in ad blocker, such as Brave or Firefox with the uBlock Origin add-on. This will radically solve the problem of pop-ups when surfing the Internet.
Sometimes advertising is caused by accidentally subscribing to notifications from a specific site. In the browser settings in the Notifications View the list of allowed sites and remove all suspicious domains from the white list.
Resetting settings and extreme measures
If none of the above methods helped, and advertisements continue to appear, malware may have settled on the device (adware). Such apps are disguised as system processes or nameless utilities.
Try loading your smartphone into Safe Mode. To do this, hold down the power button, and then hold your finger on the “Power off” icon on the screen for a long time until you are prompted to switch to safe mode. If the advertising disappears in this mode, then a third-party application is to blame.
In Safe Mode, remove all recently installed apps, especially those that do not have an icon or name. If you cannot identify the culprit, a full factory reset may be necessary.
⚠️ Warning: A factory reset will erase all data from your phone. Be sure to back up your contacts, photos and important documents before starting the procedure. Go to Settings → About phone → Reset settings → Delete all data.
After the reset, the phone will return to its “out of the box” state. Do not restore a backup copy of applications immediately, but install apps one by one, checking the system's response.
Radical removal of viruses: If advertising does not disappear after all the settings, the only guaranteed way is a full reset (Factory Reset) with preliminary saving of data.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Why do ads still appear after disabling msa?
This may not be advertising from the system, but from a specific installed application. Check "display on top" permissions and disable notifications for suspicious apps. It is also possible that you accidentally allowed notifications to be shown to some site in your browser.
Is it safe to revoke access from Xiaomi system applications?
Yes, revoking access from a service msa is safe and does not affect the operation of the phone, except for the disappearance of advertising. However, you should not revoke access to critical system components, such as Phone, Contacts, or System Interface, if you are not sure of their purpose.
How to find an application that shows ads if it does not have a name?
Go to Settings → Applications → All applications. Viruses often disguise themselves without having an icon or name. In the list, they may appear as an empty space with a small android icon. Try removing such “empty” lines in the list.
Will advertising return after a firmware update?
Yes, a major system update (for example, moving from MIUI 13 to 14 or to HyperOS) can reset some privacy settings. After the update, it is recommended to re-check the item msa and recommendations settings in system applications.
Is it possible to block ads without root access?
Yes, all the methods described in the article work without obtaining superuser (root) rights. Using standard Android settings and the MIUI shell allows you to effectively block 95% of types of pop-up advertising.