- How to shut off personalized ad recommendations across your whole HyperOS phone.
- Where to find the hidden toggles to kill ads in apps like Security, Themes, and File Manager.
- How to cut down the promotional junk for a phone that doesn't feel like a billboard.
Here's the thing about owning a Xiaomi, Redmi, or POCO phone with HyperOS. You get a lot of phone for your money, but you also get ads. They pop up in your Security app, lurk in the Themes store, and hide in the File Manager. It's the unspoken tax on those popular budget devices, especially in India. Now, Xiaomi didn't give you one big "shut up" switch for all of it. But they did bury the off switches in a bunch of different menus. If you're willing to spend five minutes digging, you can turn most of it off. Here's exactly how.
What You'll Need
You need a Xiaomi, Redmi, or POCO phone running HyperOS. That covers a lot of ground, from a Redmi Note 14 to a Xiaomi 13. The steps are basically the same. You don't need any special apps or a computer, and you won't break your warranty. You're just changing settings Xiaomi put there, whether they like you using them or not.
Kill the System-Wide Ad Targeting
Start here. This tells your phone to stop using what you do for ad targeting. It's the foundation for everything else.
- Open the Settings app. Tap that gear icon.
- Go to Privacy & security. Scroll down until you see it. On some phones it might just say "Privacy."
- Tap Ad services. You're looking for "Ad services" or "Advertising services" in the list.
- Turn off personalized ads. Find the toggle for Personalised ad recommendations and flip it off. The colored highlight should go gray.
But look: doing this only stops ads tailored to you. You'll still get generic, random ads in some spots. That's why you have to go app-by-app next.
Shut Down Ads in the Security App
The Security app (or Phone Manager) is one of the worst offenders. Its "recommendations" are just ads.
- Open the Security app. It's the shield icon.
- Tap the settings gear. You'll find it in the top-right corner.
- Turn off Show recommendations. Find that switch and kill it.
- Check the Cleaner too. Go back, tap Cleaner, and look for another settings icon inside that tool. Disable any recommendation options you find there too.
Stop the Themes App From Pushing Promos
The Themes app loves banners and "suggestions" you didn't ask for.
- Open the Themes app.
- Go to your profile. Tap your picture or icon in the corner.
- Tap Settings. Hit the gear icon.
- Find the ad toggles. Look for switches labeled Show ads and Personalized recommendations. Turn them both off.
Clean Up File Manager and Downloads
Even your file tools try to sell you things. Here's how to stop it.
File Manager App:
- Open File Manager.
- Open the menu. Tap the three-line menu icon or your profile picture.
- Go to Settings.
- Turn off Recommendations. Find that option and disable it.
Downloads App:
- Open the Downloads app. This is for your download history.
- Tap the three-dot menu. It's in the corner.
- Select Settings.
- Find "Disable ads." Turn that toggle ON. The naming here is refreshingly honest.
Deal With the Mi Browser
If you use the pre-installed Mi Browser, it has its own bag of tricks.
- Open Mi Browser.
- Go to your Profile. Tap your picture in the bottom bar.
- Tap Settings. Hit the gear icon.
- Hunt for ad settings. Scroll through and disable anything about recommendations, news feed, or personalized ads. The exact label changes, so you have to look.
A warning: Some system features, like the global search, might still show web suggestions. Forum users talk about disabling "msa" (MiuiSystemAdSolution) in app permissions. That's an advanced, unsupported trick that can break things. Stick to the official menus if you want stability.
When Things Don't Work
Ads are still there.
What's happening? You turned things off, but promos linger in GetApps (Xiaomi's app store) or global search.
What to do: Restart your phone first. Sometimes changes need a kick. Then remember, apps like GetApps have their own separate settings. You have to go in and find them. The truth is, you might not get 100% removal without replacing system apps entirely.
The "Ad services" menu is missing.
What's happening? The path might be different on your HyperOS version or region.
What to do: Use the search bar at the top of the Settings app. Type "ads" or "advertising." It should find the menu for you. Also check under Passwords & security.
The ads came back after an update.
What's happening? A big HyperOS update can reset app-specific preferences.
What to do: Get in the habit of checking the main offenders (Security, Themes, File Manager) after a major update. The system-wide "Ad services" setting usually sticks, but the app-level ones sometimes don't.
Questions You Might Have
Does this void my warranty?
No. You're using the settings menu, not hacking the phone.
Does it work on cheap Redmi and POCO phones?
Yes. This is especially for those phones. The steps are the same.
Will my battery life improve?
Maybe a tiny bit from less background data. But the real win is your sanity. Your phone will just be less annoying.
Are the changes permanent?
They are, until an update messes with them or you turn them back on.
Is my data safer?
Turning off personalized ads means your usage data isn't fed into the ad-targeting machine. So yes, that's a privacy plus.
Can I remove every single ad without rooting?
This guide gets you most of the way. You'll strip out the intrusive stuff. A few bland, non-clickable placeholders might remain in obscure corners, but the constant sales pitch will be gone.
The Takeaway
Xiaomi makes you work for an ad-free experience, scattering the controls like breadcrumbs. But that work takes less than ten minutes. Do it once, and your phone stops feeling like a device you rent from an advertiser. It starts feeling like something you actually own. That's worth the hassle.
Sources
- allblogthings.com
- facebook.com
- 360ua.news
- croma.com
- reddit.com
- youtube.com