Introduction: Why do you need to know the time of the smartphone?
Ever wonder how many hours your Xiaomi Redmi has spent on? That information can tell you everything from battery wear to device usage. For example, if your phone has run for more than 10,000 hours, that might explain why the battery goes down in half a day — even when used in moderation.
Data about the time of operation is stored in the system logs of the smartphone, but manufacturers rarely bring them to the home screen. In this article, we will discuss 3 working methods for finding out how to learn the work of Xiaomi Redmi (including the Note 12 Pro+, Redmi 10C, Redmi 9A and others).
Importantly, the methods vary in complexity, some require only standard smartphone settings, others require computer connectivity, and we'll start with the simplest and end with advanced techniques for power users.
Method 1: through embedded usage statistics (no root)
The most affordable method is to use the built-in MIUI tools, which is suitable for all Xiaomi Redmi models based on MIUI 12-14 and does not require superuser rights.
- Open the settings → Battery and performance.
- Tapping on Battery Use (in some firmware, the item is called Battery Statistics).
- At the top of the screen, you’ll see a graph showing the screen time and total active time (including background processes).
⚠️ Note: This shows the time only for the last charging cycle (from the moment of disconnection from the network until the current moment). To see the total performance over time, go to the following methods.
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If your firmware doesn’t have Battery Use, try upgrading your MIUI to the latest version or use an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher), which sometimes reveals hidden settings.
What can be learned from this statistic:
- 📱 Screen time – how many hours the display was on (useful for evaluating wear and tear) OLED-matrix).
- ⚡ Active time – total operating time of the processor and modules (including background tasks).
- 🔋 Battery wear percentage – can be indirectly estimated by the ratio of operating time from charging.
Method 2: Engineering menu (code ##4636##)
The hidden engineering menu provides more detailed information, including the device’s total operating time in hours, which works on most Xiaomi Redmis, but requires caution – don’t change settings unless you’re sure they’re there!
Instructions:
- Open the Phone app.
- Enter the combination: ##4636### (some models may require ##6484###).
- Select Battery Information (Battery Information).
- Find Uptime – this is the total time your phone has been running since the last reboot (in milliseconds).
To translate milliseconds into hours, divide the value by 3.6 million. For example, Uptime: 123456789 means:
123456789/3600000 ≈ 34,3 hour⚠️ Warning: The engineering menu also displays Battery Health. If the value is below 80%, the battery needs to be replaced - regardless of the running time.
What if the code doesn't work?
Method 3: ADB-Teams for Advanced Users
If the first two methods didn’t give you the right information, you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a versatile tool that will show the exact performance of the device, including the kernel and screen time.
What you need:
- 🖥️ A computer with installed Xiaomi drivers and ADB.
- 📱 Included Debugging by USB on the phone (in Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI Tap 7 times, then return to the Additional Settings → For developers).
- 🔌 USB-cable (preferably original).
Step-by-step:
- Connect your phone to your PC and open the command prompt (cmd in Windows or Terminal in macOS/Linux).
- Enter the command to check the connection: Adb devices must appear serial number of your Redmi.
- Run the command to get the operating time: adb shell cat /proc/uptime The first number is the kernel's operating time in seconds.
- For screen time, use: adb shell dumpsys display | grep "mScreenOnTime"
Example of conclusion:
mScreenOnTime=36000000msThis means that the screen was on 10,000 hours (36,000,000 milliseconds/3.6 million).
Install Platform Tools from Android Developers
Turn on USB debugging on your phone
Use the original. USB-cable
Check the connection with the adb device command
Do not turn off the cable during commands-->
Data decoding: What do the numbers mean?
The values obtained can be confusing if you do not know how to interpret them. Below is a table decoding the key indicators:
| Parameter | What does it mean? | Normal values | Critical values |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uptime (total working hours) | Time since the last reset | A few hours to weeks. | If the phone has not rebooted for months, lags are possible. |
| Screen On Time | Total screen time | Up to 5,000 hours in 2-3 years | More than 10,000 hours – the risk of OLED burnout |
| Battery health | Battery status | 90–100% | Below 80% – Replacement is required |
| Charge cycles | Number of complete charging cycles | Up to 500 cycles | More than 800 cycles – the battery has degraded |
🔍 Critical information: If the screen life exceeds 8,000 hours and the battery holds a charge of less than 60% of the original, this is a sign of complex wear - diagnostics at the service center is recommended. AMOLED-screens (for example, Note 11 Pro)+) High operating time can lead to pixel burnout.
Once a day.
Once a week.
Only after the updates
I never reboot.-->
Third-party monitoring applications
If you want constant statistics with graphs and notifications, you should consider specialized utilities that will not only show the time of operation, but also help track the wear of components.
Top.-3 Applications for Xiaomi Redmi:
- 📊 AccuBattery — analyzes charging cycles and predicts battery wear. Shows Screen-on time for a selected period.
- 🔍 CPU Monitor – monitors the load on the processor and the activity time of the cores (useful for diagnosing overheating).
- 🛠️ DevCheck – provides complete information about the hardware, including device operating time and temperature logs.
⚠️ Note: Some applications (such as Greenify) can reset the time counters when optimizing background processes. If you need accurate data, turn off autocleaning cache in the settings of such utilities.
Example of the report from AccuBattery:
Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
When checking the time of Xiaomi Redmi users often face typical problems.
- There is no Battery Use item in the settings: Reason: Outdated firmware or custom MIUI build. Solution: Update system through Settings → Software Update.
- The engineering menu won't open: Reason: Blocked by operator or manufacturer. Solution: Try alternative code ##6484## or use ADB.
- ADB doesn't see the device: Reason: No drivers or no debugging enabled. Solution: Install Mi PC Suite and check the developer's settings.
- Update Resets: Reason: Reset counters when you install a new firmware. Solution: Set data before you update (e.g., screenshot).
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If none of these methods worked, check if system services are disabled through Settings → Applications → Application Management → Three dots (menu) → Show all the processes. Sometimes optimizers (such as Xiaomi’s Security) block access to logs.