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Chinese Phone Maker Xiaomi Is Pushing Ads In Its Settings App, Users Say

Posted by msmash on from the user-grievances dept.

Several Xiaomi smartphone users are reporting that they are seeing ads in the Settings app of MIUI, a fork of the Android operating system that the Chinese phone maker ships on most of its smartphones. According to some users, ads started to appear at various locations -- including the lock screen -- on MIUI earlier this year. In a thread on Reddit over the weekend, a user noted that an ad has started to appear in the Settings app as well. The post, which has gleaned over 5,000 upvotes, sees plenty of users corroborate the claim.

Xiaomi, known for selling inexpensive but high-quality smartphones, is the fourth largest smartphone vendor in the world. Its handsets are immensely popular in emerging markets such as India, where it has been the largest smartphone maker for the last four quarters. In June this year, a senior executive at the company, the name of which means little rice, stated plans to enter the US market next year.

29 comments

  1. They sank so low by Tsolias · · Score: 4, Funny

    they hit rock Microsoft.

    1. Re: They sank so low by PopeRatzzo · · Score: 1

      The only way to sink lower would be to politicize the ads. Once the GOP finds out about this, it will be like issuing an Amber Alert to vote for Trump in the 2020 elections. Give it a little time.

    2. Re:They sank so low by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 2

      they hit rock Microsoft.

      I don't think so, Xiaomi has yet to be found collecting information about all the websites you visit and which app you run and for how long while making it impossible to disable. That's hitting rock Microsoft.

      --
      Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    3. Re:They sank so low by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      About yourself learning how to pronounce first before trying to teach us how to pronounce Chris?

      Maybe you should first learn to speak English too, it sure helps with pronunciation.

    4. Re:They sank so low by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's very possible to disable. Do not connect windows PCs to the internet

  2. Known for selling inexpensive but high-quality... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Xiaomi, known for selling inexpensive but high-quality smartphones

    HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa Ha

    HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa Ha

    HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa Ha

    HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa Ha

    HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa

    HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa

    HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa Ha

    HaHa HaHa HaHa

    HaHa Ha

    ...

    HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa Ha

  3. Re:Known for selling inexpensive but high-quality. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All these stories have the exact same phrase in them, if this ain't advertising I don't know what is, it's all about the repetition, repetition, repetition.

  4. More like by KlomDark · · Score: 0

    Xiaomi the ads...

    Definitely a shit company I won't be buying anything from.

    1. Re:More like by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Like Amazon who sells Kindle with ads, and, for more money, Kindle without ads.

    2. Re:More like by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      Xiaomi the ads...

      Definitely a shit company I won't be buying anything from.

      Their goal was always to do be like Google. It's why they offered MIUI for free - the more people that used it meant more data collected by Xiaomi for whatever purpose they wanted the data for.

      Their business model has always been to give away the hardware and software and sell your information. And MIUI was actually decent, other than the data collection part. It was why people wanted to install it on their Android phones.

    3. Re: More like by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Umm you dont have to connect your kindle to wifi ever,and you wont get ads. Just torrent books and upload them via usb

    4. Re:More like by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've got a Redmi Note 4 and it's damn easy to disable data collection for miui apps. No root required. Let me see you do the same for other Android phones.

  5. Imitating Microsoft by iampiti · · Score: 1

    Now it seems Windows 10 has an imitator. Ads delivered by the OS what a "great" invention.
    Xiaomi must have razor thing margins since their phones are really cheap for what you get but IMO this is an stupid way to destroy an image that has taken years to create. Microsoft can - somewhat - (see the news about removing the Edge publicity screen when trying to install other browsers) get away with it because Windows has no direct substitutes (meaning you don't have many options if you want to run Windows apps reliably (so I'm discounting Wine)) but Xiaomi has dozens of Android phone manufacturers which make products that can easily substitute Xiaomi's phones.

  6. only on Chinese/Indian versions? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Currently have 3 devices (Redmi 4X, Mi 6, Mi 8) and none of them displays ads - all were from official European distribution and all are running the official global firmware.

    1. Re: only on Chinese/Indian versions? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Ouch, have you filed a bug report with Xiaomi yet?

    2. Re: only on Chinese/Indian versions? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      have you with your parents?

  7. Ah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So good phones, but ad-infested. Needs cyanogen or similar.

  8. LineageOS should sort it. by winston+drummondbass · · Score: 1

    I'm gonna install LineageOS on any phone, so not really an issue, for me. Still I don't like to support such sleaziness.

    1. Re:LineageOS should sort it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I rooted and installed Lineage on my Xiaomi phone. They don't make it super easy to do, but it's great now.

  9. Had ads for years by Gabest · · Score: 1

    Can be turned off.

  10. Convenient by TimMD909 · · Score: 1

    I'm sure plenty of people went into the settings looking for a way to turn on more advertising. Talk about convenience! What's the fuss about?

  11. Under color of authority by UnixUnix · · Score: 1

    I encountered persistent malware in "Settings" on another Android phone (Leagoo M5) -- not clear whether the manufacturer was the culprit or some third-party evil actor (or both?!). Sophos and Avast would find it, clean up, and it would come right back almost immediately. (Malwarebytes BTW never saw anything). Issue was resolved upon updating to a later OS version. In case it helps someone, this is what the AVs reported: Andr/Xgen-OB, com.comona.bac, and /storage/emulated/01.jm/Cool4100_1000_1003_2_1513241684921.xde.apk

  12. can be turned off by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well, last time I had a Xiami hone nayways, they were easy to turn off. Unlike Google's ads for all of its "services" and "features" to spy on you, everytime I connect my heaphones it asks me to use their voice service. Everytime I use location services it pesters me to let them track everything I do... meh

  13. Adware after rooting the device, most likely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    but it's always convenient to blame the manufacturer. When people let dubious software run a bitcoin miner 24/7 on the phone, they blame the manufacturer for the phone always being warm, and so on. Nothing new.

  14. Android One by Stephen+Chadfield · · Score: 1

    I presume this doesn't affect their Android One devices. They have some pretty nice pure Android handsets out just now.

  15. Just an anecdote. Samsung Galaxy Note 3 vs Xoami R by fezzzz · · Score: 1

    A few weeks ago, I bought a Xaomi Redmi 5 to replace my ageing Note 3 and am pleasantly surprised (I hate depreciation).

    The Xaomi had very little crapware and most can be uninstalled. Where I needed to keep my Samsung on charge at work also, I now end the day on 50%. RAM and storage is identical. Graphics render faster. It cost me less than $200. Latest Android is awesome Fingerprint reader is an unexpected bonus. Dual sim or sim+ SD card. No heating that I feel. The screen dims down to barely readable in the dark.

    I have yet to see an add.

    A notable drawback is that the built-in video player needs permission to access the phone, so I'll download another one from the Play store.