How to check how long Xiaomi phone has been on since the first switch on

Why it is important to know the total operating time of the smartphone

Xiaomi smartphones today are complex devices that wear out over time. One of the key measures of the phone's "age" is the total time it's been running since it was first turned on, and these data help you estimate the actual wear and tear of the battery, the processor, and other components, especially if you're buying a device with your hands or planning to sell your Redmi, POCO, or Mi.

The manufacturer does not always record the date of the first turn on in a user-friendly way, but the MIUI system (or HyperOS on new models) hides metrics that allow you to calculate this parameter.

• 🔋 Evaluate the degree of battery degradation (comparing with the passport resource of charging cycles).
• 🕵️‍♂️ Check whether the smartphone was “flashed” with zeroing meters (a frequent sign of fraud in the sale of used goods).
• ⚙️ Plan to replace the heat paste or battery if the operating time exceeds 10,000-15,000 hours.
• 📊 Compare real wear with data from applications like AccuBattery or AIDA64.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 working ways to know Xiaomi’s time, from standard settings to hidden commands for power users, and explain why the metrics can vary by 10-30% and what to do if the data is reset.

Method 1: Using the standard MIUI/HyperOS settings

The easiest method is to use the built-in system tools, which is suitable for most Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO models based on MIUI 12-14 or HyperOS.

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to About Phone (or About Device in HyperOS).
3. Tap a few times on the MIUI version (or build number) until you become a developer!
4. Go back to the main Settings menu and open a new section for developers.
5. Scroll down to the Debugging block and find the Uptime (or Uptime) item.

Here you will see two key metrics:

• 🕒 Work time from the last reboot (e.g. 2 days 4 hours 12 minutes).
• 📅 Total uptime (can be displayed as Total uptime or Since first onset).

Some firmware (especially custom ones) may not have this item, so move on to the next one.

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If the Developer For section doesn’t appear after the MIUI taps, check if it’s disabled in the security settings. Go to Settings → Additional → Special. features → Developer Mode and activate the switch.

Method 2: Through the Engineering Menu (#4636##)

Hidden engineering menus are a storehouse of technical information, including time information, to get there:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the combination: ##4636### (some models may require ##284###).
3. In the menu that appears, select the Battery Information (or Battery Information) tab.
4. Scroll down to Time Since Boot and Total Uptime.

Note that the engineering menu can display total operating time in seconds, and to translate it into a familiar format, use an online converter or formula:

(seconds / 3600) = hours


Dividing balance (seconds % 3600) / 60 = minutes

Method 3: Diagnostic applications (AIDA64, CPU-Z, AccuBattery)

If the standard methods don't work, third-party utilities will come to the rescue, and they will not only show the time of operation, but also provide additional data on the state of iron.-3 applications:

Important: Applications like AIDA64 or DevCheck take data from the same system files as standard settings, and if the running time is not displayed in them, there is a problem at the firmware level (the counter may have been reset).

Working hours (System section)

Battery status (section "Battery")

Processor Temperature (Section "Sensors")

Number of charging cycles (if supported)-->

Method 4: ADB-Teams for experienced users

If you're ready to connect your phone to your computer, ADB (Android Debug Bridge) will open up hidden metrics, which works even on locked firmware.

1. Download and install Platform Tools (includes adb.exe).
2. On the phone, activate debugging over USB in the developer settings.
3. Connect your smartphone to your PC and in the command line (or PowerShell) do: adb devices Make sure that the device is determined (should appear its serial number).
4. Enter the command to get the time of work: adb shell cat /proc/uptime The first parameter in the response is seconds from the last boot, the second is seconds in sleep mode.
5. For total running time, use: adb shell dumpsys battery Look for total run time.

Critical detail: on some Xiaomi models (such as the Snapdragon chipset), the dumpsys battery command may return incomplete data.

adb shell cat /sys/class/power_supply/battery/time_in_state

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ADB-Teams are the most reliable way, as they access system files directly, without any limitations. MIUI. However, they require command line skills and enabled debugging. USB.

Method 5: Reading Logs via Fastboot (for Advanced)

This method is suitable for devices with an unlocked bootloader or custom recavator (for example, TWRP), which allows you to extract data even if the phone does not turn on.

1. Turn off your phone and press the Power button + Volume down to log into the Fastboot.
2. Connect the device to the PC and execute: fastboot devices
3. Check the time log: fastboot getvar all Look for variables like boot-time or uptime.
4. For more information about the battery (if supported): fastboot oem battery-info

⚠️ Note: Fastboot oem commands can be blocked on new Xiaomi models (starting with Redmi Note 11 and Xiaomi 12) and their use without unlocking the bootloader is fraught with a complete loss of warranty.

@echo off


adb devices




adb shell dumpsys battery




pause

This will save time in the diagnosis.-->

Why the work time data may differ

Users often find that different methods show different operating times — for example, AIDA64 gives 8,000 hours, and the engineering menu 7,500.

• 🔄 Resetting the counters after firmware or reset to factory settings. Many custom firmware (like LineageOS) zero uptime.
• ⏳ Rounding up values. Some applications show time in hours, throwing out minutes, which gives you an error of up to 59 minutes.
• 🔋 Deep Sleep Mode: The time the phone was off or in Deep Sleep mode may not count.
• 🛠️ Hardware errors: On devices with a damaged battery or power controller, the meters can "hang".

If the difference is more than 10%, this is a reason to suspect:

• 🔧 Firmware replacement (often found on used phones from China).
• 🔄 Resetting counters via an engineering menu (e.g., reset uptime command to MTK Engineer Mode).
• 📉 Wear of the power controller, due to which the system loses data when restarting.

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The most accurate data comes from a combination of methods: check the time through ADB, the engineering menu, and AIDA64. If all three sources show close values (an error of up to 5%), the data is reliable.

How to Reset the Time Meter (and Whether to Do It)

Some users want to reset uptime before selling the phone to hide its real wear and tear.

⚠️ Warning: Resetting the time meter is an interference with system files. MIUI This can lead to: Warranty loss (if you find traces of firmware change); Xiaomi services (for example, Mi Cloud or Find Device); battery sensors malfunction (the phone will show the wrong percentage of charge).

If you do decide to reset the meter, here are two ways:

1. Through the Engineering Menu (for MediaTek): Open ##36446337## (or use the MTK Engineering Mode). Go to Hardware Testing → Battery → Reset Uptime. Confirm the reset and restart the phone.
2. Through ADB (universally but requires root): adb shell su echo 0 > /proc/uptime reboot

⚠️ Note: On HyperOS devices (e.g. Xiaomi 14 or Redmi) K70) These methods may not work because of the enhanced protection of system partitions, and in this case, zeroing is possible only through complete flashing with loss of data.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi's working hours