Xiaomi puts app recommendations and promotional messages inside some system apps because advertising helps support free apps and services. Turning off Personalized ad recommendations changes how ads are targeted, but Xiaomi says it does not reduce the number shown in MIUI system apps. To reduce what you see, disable personalization, switch off recommendations in each affected app, and mute promotional notifications when necessary.
Why ads appear in Xiaomi system apps
Xiaomi’s MIUI 13 Privacy White Paper says its apps and system interfaces carry app-recommendation ads so users can discover apps and Xiaomi can provide many apps and services free of charge. Ads may be supplied by Xiaomi or by third-party platforms, including Google and Facebook, and can be personalized or non-personalized.
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That is why advertising can appear in places that do not look like conventional ad-supported websites, including Security, File Manager, Themes, Mi Browser and notification channels. These placements are part of the software experience rather than a sign that the phone is infected.
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What Xiaomi can use for ad targeting
Xiaomi’s Mi Browser privacy policy describes information that may support personalized recommendations and advertising, including IP address, device model, system version, screen resolution, language, search keywords, internet-access records, device identifiers such as OAID, and the installation package of a target app. Xiaomi’s advertising-service documentation also describes app-usage and ad-interaction data being used to create audience segments and measure campaigns.
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The MIUI 13 white paper, published by Xiaomi in 2022, lists a 90-day retention period for several advertising-related categories, including GAID, advertising data, app-usage data, device and system specifications, locale and region settings, and operator or network type. Retention and processing can vary by service, region and software version.
Personalized ads are not the same as fewer ads
The main privacy switch controls relevance and profiling, not universal ad removal. Xiaomi’s support guidance states that when personalized ad recommendations are off, users still see the same quantity of ads in MIUI system apps as when the feature is on; the difference is that Xiaomi and third-party ads are no longer selected using personal preferences.
Therefore, switching off personalization may make ads less specific without removing banners, recommendation cards or promotional alerts. Xiaomi’s official documentation does not promise a model-independent control that blocks every advertisement, nor does it publish a guaranteed percentage reduction in ad volume.
Controls that reduce Xiaomi ads
| Control | What it changes | Coverage and trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Personalized ad recommendations | Stops preference-based ad targeting | Applies to the system advertising setting; ad quantity in MIUI system apps may stay the same |
| In-app recommendations | Disables promotional cards or “recommended” content in one Xiaomi app | Must be repeated in each app that offers the switch |
| App notifications | Blocks promotional notifications from a selected app | Also blocks useful alerts from that app |
| Mi Browser ad and content settings | Separates ad personalization from personalized content recommendations | Applies to Mi Browser, not every system app |
Step 1: Turn off personalized ad recommendations
Menu names differ between MIUI and HyperOS releases, phone models and regions. Try the path that matches your device:
- Open Settings.
- Go to Passwords & security (on some newer phones, Fingerprints, face data, and screen lock).
- Tap Privacy.
- Open Ad services.
- Switch off Personalized ad recommendations or Personalize ads, then confirm if prompted.
If the labels are absent, use the Settings search field for ads, recommendations or Ad services. A software update or regional configuration can move the control without changing its purpose.
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Step 2: Disable recommendations inside the offending app
System-wide personalization does not override an app’s own recommendation switch. Open the Xiaomi app where the ad appears and inspect its settings for labels such as Receive recommendations, Show ads or Personalized recommendations.
Security app example
- Open Security.
- Tap the settings icon.
- Turn off Receive recommendations.
This control affects Security’s own recommendation placements. Repeat the check in File Manager, Themes or another app individually; the wording and location can differ.
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If an app continues to send advertising as notifications, Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 13 Pro instructions use this route:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Apps, then Manage Apps.
- Select the app sending the message.
- Tap Notifications.
- Turn off Show notifications.
This suppresses every notification from that app, not only advertisements. Do it only when losing security alerts, download status, messages or other useful notices is acceptable. If notification categories are available on your version, disabling only promotional categories is less disruptive.
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Step 4: Adjust Mi Browser separately
Mi Browser has two distinct controls:
- Open Mi Browser and go to Settings > Privacy & security > Ad settings; turn off personalized ads.
- For recommendation cards and suggested content, open Settings > Privacy & security > Personalized recommendations > Personalized content recommendations and disable the feature.
Older Mi Browser releases place these options elsewhere, so search the browser’s privacy settings if the labels do not match.
Why one switch cannot block everything
Xiaomi separates three functions: the ad-service switch governs targeting, each app’s recommendation setting governs its own promotional interface, and notification permissions govern messages delivered through the operating system. A phone can therefore show fewer targeted ads after Step 1 while still displaying non-personalized cards in Security or sending alerts from an app whose notifications remain enabled.
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Quick Recap
A practical order for reducing ads
- Disable Personalized ad recommendations under the system privacy settings.
- Open each app where ads remain and turn off its recommendation setting.
- Disable notifications for apps that continue sending promotional alerts, accepting that all alerts from those apps will be muted.
- Adjust Mi Browser’s ad and personalized-content settings separately if browser recommendations are the problem.
- After a MIUI or HyperOS update, repeat the check because menu names and locations can change.
What to expect after making these changes
- Ads may become less related to your interests after personalization is disabled.
- The number of ads inside MIUI system apps may not change.
- Per-app recommendation switches can remove specific cards or banners, but they are not universal.
- Notification blocking can stop promotional messages while also hiding legitimate app alerts.
- No official Xiaomi page cited here guarantees a completely ad-free Xiaomi phone through one setting.
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