Xiaomi phones put a surprising amount of advertising in front of users, but that experience is not fixed in place. With the right settings changes, owners can reduce or disable ads across the phone and several individual apps.
The reason starts with the hardware. Xiaomi offsets phone costs by injecting a shedload of ads into the user experience, creating a trade-off between the price of the device and the amount of promotional content users see. Xiaomi phones are rarely sold in the USA, yet they rank among the most popular Android devices outside of the US.
Why Xiaomi Phones Show So Many Ads
Ads can appear in places users do not expect, including system apps and parts of the phone interface. Xiaomi even included ads in the Settings app at one point, though the company rolled that back.
That history helps explain why Xiaomi owners may encounter advertising beyond a single free app. The phone experience itself can include promotional content, recommendations, and notifications connected to apps that display ads. Removing one source may not remove every other source, so the process involves several settings.
The strongest first step is disabling MSA, the MIUI System Ads app. Users should disable the MSA app and toggle off msa. This targets a system-level source of ads before moving on to personalized recommendations and individual applications.
Start With System-Wide Ad Controls
After disabling MSA, users can turn off personalized advertising through the privacy settings. Open Privacy > Ad Services, then switch off Personalized ad recommendations.
This setting addresses personalized recommendations, while the MSA change targets MIUI system ads. Together, they form the main control points for reducing advertising across the Xiaomi phone experience.
Users can also reset or delete the advertising ID connected to the phone. Go to Settings > Google > All Services, where the available controls include reset advertising ID and delete advertising ID.
Notifications provide another route for ads to reach the screen. If an app continues showing promotional notifications, open Settings > Apps > Manage Apps and turn off notifications for the apps showing ads.
Turn Off Ads Inside Individual Apps
System-wide controls do not replace the settings inside Xiaomi’s separate apps. Ads can also be turned off in individual apps, including Downloads, Themes, Music, and Mi Browser.
That list matters because each app can have its own advertising or recommendation control. Users should check these apps one by one rather than assuming the MSA switch changes every screen.
- Downloads: Turn off ads in the app’s settings.
- Themes: Turn off ads in the app’s settings.
- Music: Turn off ads in the app’s settings.
- Mi Browser: Turn off ads in the app’s settings.
The Security app includes a control for recommendations, so users can turn off recommendations there. File Manager has its own ad controls, but the exact path depends on whether the phone runs an older MIUI version or newer HyperOS.
On older MIUI Xiaomi phones, open File Manager, tap the three lines, and go to Settings > About. Ads can be turned off from that area.
On newer phones with HyperOS, open File Manager, tap the three dots, and toggle Withdrawal of Consent. That setting provides the control for turning off ads in File Manager on those phones.
A Cleaner Xiaomi Experience Takes Several Steps
Xiaomi’s advertising approach ties phone pricing to a busy software experience, but users do not have to leave every setting untouched. Disabling MSA, turning off personalized ad recommendations, removing or resetting the advertising ID, and managing app notifications cover the main system-level controls.
Individual apps still deserve attention. Downloads, Themes, Music, Mi Browser, Security, and File Manager each have their own options, so checking them completes the process and helps prevent recommendations or ads from returning through another part of the phone.
The paths are clear, even when they differ between older MIUI phones and newer HyperOS devices. For Xiaomi owners, a few focused changes can turn an ad-heavy interface into a much quieter daily experience.
