Access to Xiaomi usage data: what is it and how to manage it

Have you ever noticed the “Access to Usage Data” option in Xiaomi’s settings and wondered what it means? MIUI And it's also a brand of firmware, but its purpose is often a mystery to users, and while some see it as a useful tool to optimize the way the device works, others see it as a potential privacy threat.

In this article, we will look at exactly what data Xiaomi collects through this feature, how it is used (and whether it is used at all), and show how to view, limit or completely disable the collection of information. TV And the Mi Home ecosystem is smart, because the data collection mechanisms work differently, and if you're worried about your privacy, or if you just want to have more control over your device, this is the guide for you.

What is “Access to Usage Data” in Xiaomi

Access to Usage Data (Usage Access or Usage Data) is a system tool that allows Xiaomi and installed apps to collect information about how you interact with your device, and unlike standard Android permissions, this access provides a deeper level of monitoring:

• 📱 Application activity: what programs you run, how often and how much time you spend in each.
• ⏱️ Time of use: general screen time statistics, including day and week distribution.
• 🔄 System Events: Reboots, Updates, Glitches, and Other Critical Actions.
• 📊 Notification log: What notifications come and how you respond to them (such as swipes or clicks).

It is important to understand that this mechanism works on two levels:

1. Local Collection – Data is used exclusively on the device for functions such as Digital Wellbeing or battery optimization.
2. Transfer to Xiaomi servers – some of the information (especially in global firmware) can be sent to the cloud to analyze and improve services.

In practice, this means that even if you don't give permission to send a diagnosis, some data can still be collected locally, such as battery function and performance in the system. MIUI Uses these statistics to suggest closing "gluttonous" apps.

What data is Xiaomi collecting and why?

To figure out whether to worry about privacy, you need to understand what the system is recording, and here's a table of the main types of data and their purpose:

Xiaomi claims that no personal data (messages, photos, passwords) is collected, but independent research (e.g. from Forbes and Forbes) will be conducted in 2020-2021. Cure53) The researchers found that some models sent browsing and activity data to servers in Singapore and Russia, even if the user turned off personalization.

⚠️ Note: If you use Xiaomi with global firmware (e.g, MIUI Global, some of the data may be transferred to servers outside your country (EEA) Xiaomi.eu – Data collection is limited to requirements GDPR.

How to Check Which Apps Have Access to Your Data

To find out who is collecting information about your device’s use, follow the following steps:

1. Open the Settings. → Annexes → Permits → Special access → Access to use data.
2. You'll see a list of apps with switches, and there may be both system services (Security, Miui Daemon) and third-party programs (Facebook, TikTok).
3. Click on any app to see the details of what data it requests (e.g., “notification log” or “use time”).

A typical list might look like this:

• 🔒 System: com.miui.securitycenter (Security), com.android.settings (Settings).
• 📲 Third-party: WhatsApp (to display time in chat), Google Play Services (to sync).
• 🛡️ Suspicious: little-known applications with wide resolutions (e.g. Clean Master).

Disable access for unknown applications

Check system services for updates

Restrict access to social media (if you don’t need statistics)

Remove applications that request an unnecessarily large amount of data-->

You should pay special attention to applications that don't need to know about your activity, like why does the messenger need statistics about what games you're running (POCO Launcher) requires access to notifications?

💡

If you see an app on the list with a Chinese name (e.g. com.xiaomi.market) but you haven't installed it yourself, it's a system service. It can be disabled, but it can affect some features (e.g., a theme store).

How to disable or limit the collection of usage data

If you are concerned about privacy, you can block access to data in whole or in part. Here is a step-by-step guide for different Xiaomi devices:

For smartphones and tablets (MIUI)

1. Go to Settings. → Annexes → Permits → Special access → Access to use data.
2. Turn off switches in front of unnecessary applications. To completely shut down, you can selectively deny access to even system services (but this can disrupt some functions, such as battery optimization).
3. To prevent data from being sent to the cloud, go to Settings → The phone. → Send an error report and disable the Automatic Submit option.

For TVs (Mi) TV / Redmi TV)

On Mi. TV wayward:

1. Open the Settings. → Account and security → Confidentiality → Access to use data.
2. Turn off the Allow Data Collection option. Some models may also need to disable Recommendation Personalization.
3. To reset the statistics already collected, go to Settings → Annexes → Select an app (such as Mi Home) → Clear the data.

For smart devices (Mi Home, Mi Band)

In the Mi Home ecosystem, usage data is collected centrally through an app to limit collection:

1. Open Mi Home, go to profile → Settings → Confidentiality.
2. Turn off Diagnostic Data Send and Personalized Recommendations.
3. For Mi Band in the Zepp Life app, turn off Use Analytics in your profile settings.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI China (Chinese firmware) some privacy settings can be hidden or blocked, in which case only reflashing to the global or European version will help.

Personalized recommendations in Mi Video

Automatic battery optimization

Screen time statistics in digital well-being

But it does not affect the basic operation of the device.-->

What happens if you completely disable access to usage data?

Many users are afraid to turn off this feature for fear that the device will start to work worse, so let's see what the consequences will be:

• ✅ Pluses: 🔒 The risk of personal data leakage is reduced. 📉 Battery load is reduced (some system processes stop working in the background). 🚫 Targeted advertising offers from Xiaomi (for example, in Mi Browser) are stopped).
• ❌ Cons: ⚠️ Screen time statistics (including parental controls) will no longer work). 🔋 Automatic battery optimization will become less accurate (applications will not be banned from background activity). 📱 Certain functions MIUI (For example, “Smart Assistant” can be turned off.

In practice, most users do not notice significant changes after disabling data collection, except for those who actively use Digital Well-Being or the Dual Apps feature (it uses activity data to separate accounts).

If you still want to keep some of the features but limit data collection, you can compromise:

• 🔧 Leave access only to system applications (e.g. com.android.settings).
• 📵 Disable access to all third-party programs other than mission-critical (e.g. Google Play Services for updates).
• 🔄 Periodically clean the collected data manually (in the settings of each application).

How to Protect Your Data on Xiaomi: Additional Measures

Disabling access to usage data is only the first step, and to maximize your privacy on Xiaomi devices, we recommend that you do the following:

1. Go to the European firmware (EEA): Global firmware (MIUI Global often collects more data than Europeans, which are subject to the laws of the country. GDPR. To move on MIUI EEA: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 times) → Additional settings → Region (select European Union) After that, restart the device.
2. Turn off the adverts in MIUI: Go to Settings. → The phone. → Additionally. → Get recommendations and disable all switches. Also, disable personalization in Mi Browser and Mi Video.
3. Use alternative launchers and browsers: Replace the standard POCO Launcher on Nova Launcher or Lawnchair, and Mi Browser on Firefox or Bromite (they are not related to the Xiaomi ecosystem).
4. Block Analytics through Firewall: Using Apps Like NetGuard or AFWall+ You can block access to the domains data.mistat.xiaomi.com, sdkconfig.ad.xiaomi.com and others responsible for collecting statistics.

For advanced users, there is another way – disabling system services through the ADB. For example, to stop Miui Analytics, run the command:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.analytics

But remember: this can lead to unstable operation of the device!

⚠️ Note: If you use Xiaomi in Russia or China, some privacy settings may be limited by local law. In this case, the only reliable way is to install custom firmware (for example, LineageOS), but this requires unlocking the bootloader and cancels the warranty.

Frequent questions about data access in Xiaomi