How to disable wiretapping on Xiaomi phone: a step-by-step plan

Modern smartphones store huge amounts of personal information, and owners of Xiaomi devices often question the privacy of their data. There are many myths that the device constantly records conversations or monitors movements without the user’s knowledge. The reality is that malware or improperly configured permissions can indeed turn a gadget into a surveillance tool, but most often the fears are associated with advertising trackers.

Before you panic and bring the device to the service, you need to conduct a competent diagnosis. Android operating system, which runs the shell MIUI or HyperOS, provides powerful built-in protection mechanisms. Understanding how the background activity of applications, will allow you to identify and neutralize potential threats without losing data.

In this article, we will examine proven methods of detecting covert monitoring, learn how to distinguish system processes from real spyware, and look at how to limit the collection of statistics by the manufacturer itself, which is often mistaken for “wiretapping” by third parties.

Symptoms of hidden surveillance and the operation of the security system

The first sign that your device is under surveillance is an abnormal behavior of the system. If a Redmi or Poco smartphone starts to run out sharply, although you did not change your usage habits, this may indicate a hidden process is working.

Pay attention to activity indicators. In modern versions of Android, when using a microphone or camera in the upper right corner of the screen, a green or orange dot lights up. If you see this signal when the relevant applications are not running, this is cause for alarm. Xiaomi's security system can also issue warnings about suspicious behavior of installed programs.

⚠️ Warning: A sharp increase in traffic consumption at night when the phone is lying idle often indicates the transfer of large amounts of data (photos, audio) to a remote server.

For the initial check, use the built-in scanner. Go to the Security app and run the check. It analyzes the packets installed for known virus signatures. But remember that complex stylers can disguise themselves as system processes, so scanning alone is not enough.

• 🔍 Appearance of unknown icons in the application menu or on the desktop.
• 🔋 Quick heating of the body in standby mode.
• 📉 Spontaneous reboots or long interface responses.
• 📞 Strange sounds during conversation (clicks, echoes, humming).

Code verification and analysis of installed applications

One of the quickest ways to know where your calls are redirecting is to use the USSD-These commands allow you to (check) the forwarding status of voice calls, messages and data. Enter *#21# in the dialer and press the call button. A table with the current forwarding status for different types of communication will appear on the screen.

If the status box says "Not forwarded" or "Voice: Not forwarded", then direct interception of calls through the operator is not active. However, if you see an unknown phone number, this may mean that your calls are being forwarded to third parties.

Next, you need to audit the installed applications. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps. Check the list carefully. Look for programs with names like System Update, Flash Service, or just a set of numbers if you haven't installed them. Often spyware is hidden under names that mimic system components.

Pay special attention to applications with device administrator rights. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Privacy → Special Access → Applications with administrator rights. There should be nothing superfluous here, except standard Google services or antiviruses.

Analysis of permissions and access to the microphone

The key to protecting against wiretapping is permission control. No application should have access to the microphone without you having to. MIUI 12/13/14 and HyperOS have a convenient access control mechanism. Go to Settings → Privacy Protection → Permission Manager.

Select "Microphone." You'll see a list of all the programs that have requested access to this sensor. If you find a calculator, a game of solitaire, or a desktop wallpaper, you'll immediately turn them off. The logic of these applications doesn't mean recording sound.

It's also worth turning on the "Sound Record" feature in your privacy settings, if it's available in your area, so you can log what app and when the microphone turned on, and it's a powerful tool for detecting hidden activity.

• 🎙️ Disable microphone access for all applications that don’t need it to work.
• 📍 Check access to geolocation – a frequent satellite of spy modules.
• 📂 Limit access to files and media for simple utilities.

⚠️ Note: The Google Assistant or Siri system app can listen to the activation phrase all the time, but it can be turned off in the voice assistant settings if privacy is more important to you than convenience.

Use of Developer Mode and ADB

To do a deeper analysis, you can use developer tools. Activate developer mode by clicking on MIUI seven times in the About Phone menu. Then, in the Additional → Developer menu, look for Process Statistics or Working Services.

This shows all the processes that are running right now and the memory they're consuming. If you see a process with a name that looks like a random set of characters that consumes a lot of resources, try to terminate it. If it restarts itself, that's a sign of malicious activity.

For advanced users, the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) method is available. Connecting your phone to your computer can show you a list of all packages, including hidden ones. The adb shell pm list packages will show you a full list. Look for packages with names that don't match the known brands or system services of Google/Xiaomi.

adb shell pm list packages -f | grep"suspicious_name"

This method requires caution. Removing system packets via ADB can cause system instability. Use the adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 <name packet> command only if you are sure of the purpose of the component being removed.

Resetting and radical measures

If software methods have not helped to fix the problem, and suspicions of deep penetration of the virus remain, the only reliable solution is a complete reset.Be sure to save important data (photos, contacts) to an external medium or to the cloud, but do not reserve the applications themselves, so as not to restore the virus.

Reset via menu: Settings → About Phone → Settings Reset → Erase all data. The device will return to factory status. Once turned on, do not restore the backup of applications immediately. Install only the necessary software from trusted sources (Google Play).

In extreme cases, when there is a suspicion of modification of the system partition (root rights not installed by you), it may be necessary to flash the device through the computer using the Mi Flash Tool utility and the official global firmware, this is guaranteed to remove any software, even hidden in the system partitions.

• 💾 Make backups only of personal files (photos, documents).
• 🚫 Do not restore backup settings and applications immediately after resetting.
• 🔐 Change passwords from all important accounts after cleaning your phone.

Prevention and protection in the future

Once the device is cleaned, it is important to maintain digital hygiene so that you don’t run into the problem again.The main reason spyware gets to Xiaomi is to install applications from third-party sources. In the Security settings, the “Installation Check” function must be activated, which blocks the installation of potentially dangerous installations. APK-file.

Update your operating system regularly. MIUI updates and Android security patches address vulnerabilities that attackers can access your device. Don't ignore notifications of available updates.

💡

Use the “Second Space” feature on Xiaomi to separate personal and work information, which will create an additional isolated security loop for your data.

Also, check the list of devices connected to your Google account periodically, go to your Google account settings via your browser and select "Security" → "Your Devices." If you see an unfamiliar phone or PC, log out of all sessions immediately and change your password.

💡

Complete factory resets with only personal files saved in advance are the only way to ensure that complex spyware hidden in the system is removed.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)