Tracking in Xiaomi phone: what it is and how to manage it

Introduction: Why tracing raises questions for Xiaomi users

Have you ever noticed that your Xiaomi smartphone sometimes slows down or behaves strangely after upgrades? It may be due to tracing, a feature that many users do not even know about. Unlike the usual settings like App Resolution or Battery Savings, tracing works in the background, collecting data about the system's performance. But why is it needed and why is it often advised to turn it off?

In this article, we will explore what tracing is on Xiaomi, how it affects performance and privacy, and give step-by-step instructions for managing this feature. We will focus on the differences between models on MIUI 14 and MIUI 15, and the risks of improperly disabling tracing. If you want to optimize your Redmi, POCO or Xiaomi without harming the system, read on.

What is tracing in Xiaomi smartphones: a technical explanation

Tracing is the process of recording the log of the operating system and applications, and in the context of Xiaomi, we are talking about two key types of tracing:

• 📊 System tracing: captures Android kernel events, driver performance and critical errors. Used to diagnose crashes.
• 🔍 Application Tracing: Tracks the activity of user programs (e.g., startup, closure, resource usage).

In MIUI, tracer is activated by default, but its intensity depends on the firmware version. For example, in MIUI 15, tracer algorithms became “smarter”: they adapt to the load on the processor, whereas in MIUI 12-14 logs were written almost constantly, which led to accelerated wear of flash memory on budget models (Redmi 9A, POCO M3).

It’s important to understand that tracing is not spying, that log data is stored locally in the /data/anr/traces folder and is automatically deleted when you reboot, but that some apps (such as Mi Security) can send anonymized reports to Xiaomi to improve the software, as stated in the company’s privacy policy.

Why Xiaomi needs tracing: pros and cons for the user

The main purpose of tracing is to optimize the system. Xiaomi engineers analyze logs to:

• 🛠️ Fix firmware bugs (for example, random reboots on Redmi Note 12 Pro)+).
• ⚡ Improve energy efficiency (tracing helps identify applications that drain the battery in the background).
• 📈 Optimize performance for specific chipsets (e.g., Snapdragon 7 Gen 2 in Xiaomi) 13T).

However, the function has a downside:

🔹 Key takeaway: Tracing is useful for most users, but it’s worth turning it off if you’re a tracing user:

• 📉 Noticed unjustified battery consumption (check in Settings) → Battery → Use of the).
• 💾 Use a phone with a small amount of memory (32/64 GB).
• 🔒 Install custom firmware or get root rights.

💡

In the models with AMOLED-screens (Xiaomi 13 Ultra, Redmi) K60 Pro) tracing may cause micro-hangs when scrolling due to conflict with the display driver.

How to check if tracing is enabled on your Xiaomi

Unlike USB Debugging, tracing does not have a separate switch in settings. To find out its status, follow the following steps:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Tap 7 times on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode.
3. Return to the main settings menu and go to Additional settings → For developers.
4. Find the Debugging section and check the status of HCI Tracking (Bluetooth) and Operations Log.

📌 Note: In some models (e.g, POCO F5) The tracing can be hidden. In this case, use the command. ADB:

adb shell settings get global tracing_enabled

If the answer is 1 – the tracing is active, 0 – is turned off.

Developer mode activated|The settings are checked in "For developers"|Completed team ADB (if necessary)|Logs in the /data/anr/traces-->

Step-by-step: how to disable tracing on Xiaomi

If you decide to disable tracing, follow the instructions below.Caution: on some models (such as Xiaomi 12S Ultra), disabling tracing can lead to problems with OTA updates.

⚠️ Note: Before changes, back up your data through Settings → Additionally. → Backup: On HyperOS (Xiaomi 14 series) models, traces are integrated deeper, and turning them off can cause disruptions. MIUI+.

Method 1: Through the Developer's Settings

1. Go to Settings → Additional settings → For developers.
2. Find the Debugging section and disable: HCI Tracking (Bluetooth) Operations Log Debugging GPU (profile)

Reset the device.

Method 2: ADB (for experienced users)

Connect your phone to your PC and execute the commands:

adb shell settings put global tracing_enabled 0


adb shell settings put global bugreport_in_power_menu 0

Method 3: Manually remove logs (requires root)

Use a root-access file manager (such as Root Explorer) and delete the contents of folders:

• /data/anr/traces
• /data/log

💡

If after disabling the tracing, the phone has become slower, return the settings back and clear the cache through Settings → Storage → Clear the cache.

What happens if you completely turn off the tracing: possible risks

Many users tend to turn off the tracing without realizing the consequences.

• 🚨 Failure diagnosis issues: When contacting Xiaomi service center without logs, engineers will find it harder to determine the cause of the malfunction.
• 🔄 Disruption of work OTA-Updates: On some models (for example, Redmi Note 11 Pro)+) tracing is used to check firmware compatibility.
• 📉 Deteriorating battery optimization: The system will stop receiving data on the background activity of applications, which can reduce battery life on the system. 10-15%.

🔹 Exception: If you use custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience or LineageOS), trace MIUI It's not working, so it's safe to shut it down.

⚠️ Note: On devices with Knights of the Old Republic (KOOR) — special MIUI for the European market, tracing is linked to Google Play services, and disabling it can lead to account synchronization errors.

Alternatives to a complete shutdown: How to reduce the impact of tracing

If you don’t want to take risks but want to reduce the load of tracing, use these tips:

• ⏳ Limit the frequency of log recording: C Settings → For developers, set the Background Process Limit to Process 2.
• 🗑️ Clean Logs Regularly: Use the App SD Maid for automatic folder cleaning /data/anr.
• 🛡️ Turn off reporting: Go to Settings → Memory. → Clean and deactivate the option to Send Error Reports.

For owners of flagships (Xiaomi 13T Pro, Mix Fold 3), it is useful to activate intelligent tracing:

1. Enable Performance Mode in Settings → Battery.
2. Activate Adaptive Brightness and MIUI Optimization.

This will allow the system to record logs only in high load times, reducing the total tracing volume by 40-50%.

FAQ: Frequent questions about tracing on Xiaomi