How to find out the total time of the Xiaomi smartphone: all the ways from the engineering menu to ADB

Ever wonder how many hours your Xiaomi has been running since it first turned on? This information is useful not only to satisfy curiosity - it helps to assess the real wear of the battery, identify fake devices (where the meter is dropped), or understand how much use the smartphone was before buying from hand. Unfortunately, the manufacturer does not take this data to the home screen, but it can be extracted in several ways.

In this article, we will discuss 5 working methods - from simple (through standard settings) to advanced (using the use of the standard settings). ADB You'll learn where the screen, processor and battery life information is stored, how to interpret it correctly, and why the data may differ from source to source. MIUI, which Xiaomi does not advertise, but which are available through service codes.

Method: Screen time in MIUI settings

The most obvious and safe method is to use the built-in MIUI statistics, which show the total screen activity time (including downtime periods with the display on), but does not take into account the background operation of the processor or communication modules, but is a good starting point for assessing the intensity of use.

Instructions:

📱 Open the Settings. → Screen.
⏱️ Scroll down to the screen usage time block (in some versions) MIUI It's called "Display Time").
📊 Here you can see the total time in hours, as well as daily, weekly and monthly statistics.

💡

If the Screen Time section is missing, upgrade MIUI to the latest version or check settings in Settings → Google Accounts → Time Management (for devices with Google services).

Limitations of the method:

❌ Does not show the time of operation in the off state (for example, background tasks).
❌ Reset after hard reset (full reset settings).
❌ In some models (for example, POCO F1 Or older Redmi Notes may not be available.

📊 How often do you reset your screen usage statistics?

Never.

Once a month

Once a week.

After each MIUI update

Xiaomi’s hidden engineering menu contains advanced data on device life, including total processor activity time and sleep time, accessed through service code, but beware: some settings here can be accidentally changed, which will lead to unstable smartphone operation.

How to open it:

Open the phone app.
Enter the code: ##4636## (without quotes).
Select the "Battery Information" tab (or "Battery Information").

What to look for:

🔋 Uptime - the time of continuous operation of the system from the last restart (in the format DD:ChCh:MM:SS).
📉 Screen on time – total screen time (may match the data from the settings) MIUI).
⚡ Battery level - current charge and battery temperature (indirectly helps to assess wear and tear).

What if the #4636## code doesn’t work?

On some firmware (especially global ones), the engineering menu is blocked, with the alternative being to use the MTK Engineering Mode app (for MediaTek chip devices) or the Shortcut Master app to search for hidden menus.

⚠️ Warning: Do not change the settings in the engineering menu unless you understand their purpose! For example, incorrect settings of the Modem Band can lead to loss of network.

Method 3: ADB commands (for advanced users)

If you want the most accurate data, including the operating time of the CPU cores and the number of reboots, ADB (Android Debug Bridge) will help, which requires connecting a smartphone to a computer, but gives access to system logs that do not show graphical interfaces.

Step-by-step:

Install ADB Tools on your PC.
Enable USB debugging on your smartphone: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times to activate Developer Mode), then Settings → Additional → Developers → Debugging over USB.
Connect your phone to your PC and execute in the command line:

adb shell


cat /proc/uptime

Result:

The first number is the system’s operating time in seconds from the last restart.
The second number is the idle time.

To get the total device running time (including all reboots) use:

adb shell dumpsys battery

Look for the lines:

Total run time is the total battery life.
charge cycles – the number of charging cycles (indirectly indicates the age of the battery).

Install Xiaomi drivers on PC|Enable debugging on USB phone-on|Download ADB Tools from the official website|Connect your phone with the original cable (not all) USB-cables support data transmission)

-->

⚠️ Attention: Teams ADB Misuse of system files (e.g. adb shell rm) -rf /) It can permanently disable the device.

Method: Applications for monitoring (AccuBattery, CPU Monitor)

If you don't want to mess with ADB or service code, third-party apps will come to the rescue, analyzing sensor and system log data, providing convenient graphics and statistics, and the main advantage is that they don't require root rights (except for advanced features).

Top.-3 applications:

Annex	What shows	Features
AccuBattery	Battery life, charging cycles, battery wear	Free version with limitations; requires calibration
CPU Monitor	Processor operating time, temperature, core loading	Shows total uptime time in days
Device Info HW	Screen time, number of reboots, kernel version	Supports Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO

How to use AccuBattery:

Install the app from Google Play.
Provide access to battery statistics (Usage Access permission).
Go to the Health tab - here you can see the battery wear score and battery life.

💡

For accurate data, use AccuBattery for at least 3-5 days. the app takes into account your charging habits and adjusts predictions.

5. Method: Data from MIUI Hidden Settings (for power users)

Xiaomi hides some parameters in deep system settings, which can be extracted using the MIUI Hidden Settings app (available on 4PDA or XDA Developers), a method suitable for devices with an unlocked bootloader or super-user right (root).

What can I find out:

🕒 Full uptime – the device’s operating time since the first activation (even after resetting the settings).
🔄 Boot count – number of reboots.
📱 Screen on/off events - log of on/off screen.

Instructions:

Install. MIUI Hidden Settings (requires permission to install from unknown sources).
Go to the System → Uptime section.
Export the log to the.txt file for analysis.

⚠️ Note: Applications for working with hidden settings can disrupt stability MIUI. Use them at your own risk by pre-reserving a backup.

Comparison of methods: which way to choose?

Each of these methods has its pros and cons, depending on your goals and technical skills:

Method	precision	Difficulty	Need root/ADB?	Suitable for
MIUI settings	Low.	Just	No.	Quickly estimate screen time
Engineering menu	Medium	Middle-Average	No.	Uptime checks and battery status
ADB	Tall.	Hardly.	Yeah (USB debugging)	Technical analysis, diagnostics
Party of annex	Medium	Just	No (except for extended functions)	Monitoring of the battery and processor
MIUI Hidden Settings	Tall.	Very difficult.	Yeah (root)	Receiving complete system logs

💡

For most users, a combination of MIUI + AccuBattery settings is enough. If you need data for a service center or checking a used device, use ADB or an engineering menu.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When trying to find out how long Xiaomi is running, users often encounter problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to solve them:

❌ #4636## does not open the menu 🔹 Reason: Firmware without an engineering menu (especially relevant for global versions of Redmi). 🔹 Solution: Use alternative codes: ##225## (calibration check) or ##6484## (battery test).

Why do the data on working hours differ from source to source?

MIUI, engineering menu and ADB take data from different system files: - MIUI settings only take into account the time of the active screen. - ADB (/proc/uptime) shows the operating time of the Linux kernel (including background processes). - AccuBattery analyzes the battery log, which can be reset during deep discharge. The difference of 10-15% between methods is normal.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions

Can I reset the time meter on Xiaomi?

Yes, but only by completely resetting your settings (hard reset) or flashing it through Fastboot. ADB: adb shell settings put global device_provisioned 0 ⚠️ This will result in the loss of all data and may disrupt Google’s services.

How to check the time of work on Xiaomi without turning on the phone?

If the device doesn't turn on, the only way is to connect it to your PC and use ADB in recovery or fastboot mode. Commands: fastboot devices fastboot getvar all Look for uptime or bootloader-time options.

Does Xiaomi show time in the service center?

Yes, Xiaomi’s official service centers use the Mi Flash Tool and Mi Assist diagnostic software, which reads the complete device logs, including: Total uptime, number of charging cycles, temperature charts, which are not available to the user without special equipment.

Can you tell by the time you work that the phone is used?

Indirectly, yes. Pay attention: 🔋 Uptime time of more than 10,000 hours (~416 days) with a phone release date less than a year ago. 📉 Battery wear more than 30% (checked in AccuBattery). 🔄 The number of reboots is more than 1000 (indicates frequent use). But this data can be reset, so it is better to check comprehensively: by serial number (Settings). → On the telephone) and the condition of the body.

Does the time of operation affect the cost of the phone when selling?

Yes, but not directly. Consumers of used devices are paying attention to the problem: 🔋 Battery status (capacity, charging cycles). 📱 Appearance (scratches, chips). 🛠️ Availability of the guarantee (checked by IMEI The time itself is only for tech-savvy customers, and the actual state of the battery and the performance of all modules (camera, speakers, sensors) are much more important).