Advertisements on Xiaomi smartphones mimic alerts from installed programs to mislead owners

A person using a Xiaomi smartphone reported that promotional alerts on the device imitated symbols from software already set up on the phone. In this instance, a deceptive gambling notice arrived looking like a genuine message from Spotify.

Tapping a button for additional details on the suspicious alert sent the person directly to settings for the actual music service. The underlying operating system, known as MIUI, appears to give special approval to built-in advertising tools, allowing them to send alerts under the guise of separate programs.

The full scope of the issue remains uncertain. It is not clear which phone models display these messages, how widespread the problem is, or if system settings exist to stop promotional software from copying legitimate icons.