Disabling fast charging on Xiaomi with MIUI 12: hidden ways and consequences

Fast charging in Xiaomi’s MIUI 12-shelled smartphones has become a standard feature that significantly reduces battery recharging time. However, not all users appreciated this innovation: increased heat, accelerated battery wear and even sudden power outages have led many to look for ways to turn off fast charging on their devices. In this article, we will examine all available methods, from official settings to hidden engineering menus, and analyze how safe it is to fully deactivate this feature.

It is important to understand that MIUI 12 does not provide a direct switch to disable fast charging in the standard interface. This is due to Xiaomi's policy, which seeks to maximize user experience through speed. However, there are workarounds - both through developer settings and using third-party utilities. We will also look at which Xiaomi models (such as the Redmi Note 10 Pro or Mi 11) support these methods, and where they can be blocked by the manufacturer.

Why do users want to turn off fast charging?

The main reason is battery degradation: fast charging increases the temperature of the battery, which accelerates the wear of its chemical components. Studies show that with constant use of fast charging, battery capacity can decrease by 15-20% after 1-1.5 years of active use, especially for low-end Xiaomi models, which use less expensive batteries.

The second problem is that the device overheats, and many users note that while charging, the smartphone heats up to 40-45°C, which is not only unpleasant when holding, but also potentially dangerous for internal components. For example, in the POCO X3 Pro, when charging fast, the processor can trottling can trigger, which leads to a drop in performance.

• 🔋 Battery life: Fast charging reduces the number of charging/discharge cycles.
• 🔥 Temperature risks: Heating above 40°C accelerates the aging of lithium-ion elements.
• ⚡ Power Instability: Cheap charges may cause current pulsation, harmful to the controller.
• 💰 Savings on battery replacement: Shutting down fast charging could delay costly repairs.

Finally, some users simply prefer slow overnight charging to reduce the load on the network and avoid the risk of fire (albeit minimal), especially for those using non-original chargers or low-quality extensions.

Official ways to turn off fast charging in MIUI 12

Unfortunately, MIUI 12 doesn't have a direct option to turn off fast charging from the Settings → Battery menu, but there are indirect methods that can help limit charging power, the first being using a power saving mode.

For this:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Mode.
2. Choose the option of Energy Saving or Super Energy Saving.
3. Connect the charger – in this mode, the charging power is automatically limited to 5-10 W.

The second official way is to use the original charger with less power, for example, if your Xiaomi supports 33W charging, but you connect a 10W charge (from the old model), the device will charge more slowly, but this method does not work on all devices: some models (for example, the Mi 11 Ultra) automatically recognize the “inappropriate” charge and block it.

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If you use wireless charging, it's lower by default than wired charging, for example, in Mi 11, wireless charging is limited to 10 watts, which is close to slow.

Hidden settings: engineering menu and ADB-team

For advanced users, it is possible to turn off fast charging via the Engineering Menu or ADB (Android Debug Bridge) methods, which require caution, as improper actions can lead to malfunctions of the device.

To get into the engineering menu:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the combination: ##4636###.
3. In the menu that opens, select Battery Information.
4. Find the Fast Charge option (could be called Quick Charge or MI Fast Charge) and turn it off.

If this method does not work, try using ADB:

adb shell settings put global mi_fastcharge_enabled 0

Once you've done this, restart the device. To get the charge back, replace 0 with 1.

Install drivers for your Xiaomi |Include debugging over USB in the developer settings | Download the ADB platform from the official Google |Plug your phone to your PC and confirm debugging permission |Confirm the connection with the adb device team

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Note that on some models (e.g. the Redmi Note 9 Pro), these commands may not work due to manufacturer limitations, leaving only the physical solution to use a charger with less power.

Comparison of methods of shutting down fast charging

As you can see from the table, the most secure method is the power saving mode, but it does not completely turn off fast charging. ADB and engineering menus are more efficient, but require technical skills and can void warranty. We do not recommend using third-party applications (for example, AccuBattery), since they often do not have a real impact on the hardware.

Risks and consequences of shutting down fast charging

Before you turn off fast charging, you should evaluate the possible negative consequences. First, the charging time will increase by 2-3 times. For example, if your POCO F3 was charged in 1 hour, then it will now take 2.5-3 hours. Second, some models can ignore the settings and automatically return to fast charging after the software update.

Another important point is wireless charging compatibility: on some devices (such as the Mi 11 Lite), turning off fast charging can cause wireless charging to fail completely, because the power controller uses the same circuits for both types of charging.

⚠️ Note: On models with HyperCharge support (e.g. Xiaomi) 11T Pro with 120W) disabling fast charging via an engineering menu or ADB This could cause a hardware failure of the power controller, which would require repairs at the service center.

Xiaomi may also block such changes in new versions. MIUI. For example, in MIUI 13 and above some of them. ADB-The commands stopped working and the engineering menu became less functional. If you plan to upgrade, be prepared to have the settings repeated after each update.

Alternative solutions to extend battery life

If your goal is to maintain the battery capacity, but you do not want to completely abandon fast charging, there are compromise options:

• 🔄 Partial charging: Keep the charge level in the range of 20-80%.This reduces the load on the battery.
• ❄️ Cooling while charging: Remove the case and put the phone on a hard surface for better ventilation.
• 🕒 Night charging in energy saving mode: Activate energy saving mode before bedtime.
• 🔌 Use of original accessories: Unoriginal cables and power supplies often cause overheating.

Another useful tip is battery calibration: once every 2-3 months, completely discharge the phone to 0% and charge to 100% without interruption. This helps the power controller to more accurately determine the real capacity of the battery. On some Xiaomi models (for example, the Redmi Note 8 Pro), this can be done through the engineering menu:

##6484## → Battery → Calibration

If the battery is already severely degraded (capacity has fallen below 70%), then neither turning off fast charging nor calibrating will help, in which case the only way out is to replace the battery in the service center, the cost of service for most Xiaomi models is 1,500-3,000 rubles.

FAQ: Frequent questions about turning off fast charging

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Turning off fast charging can extend battery life by 20 to 30 percent, but requires a measured approach. The safest method is to use a low-power saving mode or original charging. Radical methods (ADB, engineering menu) are only suitable for advanced users and can lead to a loss of warranty.