How to completely disable screen recording in the background on Xiaomi: a step-by-step guide

Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi and POCO lines) are known for their advanced system monitoring features, including the ability to record screens in the background, an option that can be used for both debugging applications and collecting analytics, but often raises concerns among users concerned about privacy. Unlike explicit recording through the notification panel, background recording works covertly, without notifications, and can capture user actions in banking applications, instant messengers, or even when entering passwords.

Complicating the problem is that MIUI (the Xiaomi brand shell) integrates this feature at the system level rather than the individual application level.This means that standard uninstalling programs or disabling permissions does not always help. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to disable the background recording of the screen, including hidden settings, development commands and alternative methods for different versions of MIUI (12 to 14).

Why Xiaomi is recording the screen in the background?

Background recording of the screen on Xiaomi is not always the result of spyware, 80% of the time it is the work of standard services:

• 🔍 Debugging and analytics: The system detects critical errors (app decors) to send logs to Xiaomi Cloud, such as when a game or banking application crashes.
• 📊 Optimization MIUI: The recording is used to analyze user experience (which gestures are more often used, where delays occur).
• 🛠️ Screen recording in Game Turbo: On devices with Snapdragon chipset (e.g. Redmi Note 11 Pro)+) The recording can be activated automatically when the games are started.
• 🚨 Third-party apps: Some programs (such as ApowerMirror or TeamViewer QuickSupport) request permission to record the screen for remote help.

There are risks, however: malicious users can exploit vulnerabilities in MIUI to covertly record. For example, in 2022, a flaw in com.miui.screenrecorder was discovered that allows third-party applications to activate a record without notification, and on devices with MIUI 13 and older, this vulnerability is fixed, but on firmware below 12.5.4, the risk remains.

⚠️ Note: If you notice that screen recording is activated without your knowledge (for example, a flashing indicator in a status bar or a battery is discharged faster than usual), immediately check the active processes through Settings. → Special facilities → Application monitoring. Some models (POCO F4 GT, Xiaomi 12T Pro) this section is hidden - it must be enabled through the developer modes.

Method 1: Disconnect via MIUI settings (official method)

The safest way is to use the built-in MIUI options. It is suitable for most devices on MIUI 12-14, but may not be available on custom firmware (for example, Xiaomi.EU).

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Special Options → Screen recording.
2. Turn off the "Allow Background Recording" slider (some models call the "Write without Notifications" option).
3. Go to Settings → Applications → Resolutions → Screen recording and block access for all applications except system ones (e.g. com.miui.screenrecorder).

If there is no "Screen Recording" item in the Special Options, try an alternative path:

Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times to activate the developer mode)


→ Return to Settings → Additional → Developer Settings → Disable “Screen capture in the background”

☑️ Verification of background recording deactivation

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⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI Global (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro) may stop using the "Game Turbo Mode" function after the background recording is disabled. To return it, turn on the recording only for the com.xiaomi.gamecenter.sdk.service application.

Method 2: Use of the ADB-Teams (for experienced users)

If standard settings don’t work, you can block screen recording via Android Debug Bridge (ADB), a technique that requires you to connect your smartphone to your PC and works on all versions of MIUI, including MIUI 14.

Step-by-step:

1. Install ADB Tools on your computer.
2. Activate the developer mode on your smartphone (see method 1) and enable debugging over USB.
3. Connect the device to the PC and execute the command in the terminal: adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.screenrecorder This command completely disables the system application of recording the screen.
4. To block the recording by third-party applications, use: adb shell appops set [package_name] android:project_media PROHIBITED Replace. [package_name] to the application ID (e.g. com.tencent.mm for WeChat).

After you've completed the commands, restart your smartphone. To return the screen recording, use:

adb shell pm enable com.miui.screenrecorder

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If ADB Does not recognize the device, update the drivers through the Mi Flash Tool or try another one USB-cable (original from Xiaomi).

Method 3: Checking Active Processes with Logcat

If you suspect that the screen is being recorded in secret, you can analyze the system logs using Logcat, a technique that requires technical skills but can detect unauthorized activity.

Instructions:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC and activate the adb logcat in the terminal.
2. Enter the command to filter logs by keywords: adb logcat | grep -E "ScreenRecord|MediaProjection|DisplayManager"
3. Look for lines with mention: startScreenRecording – the beginning of recording; MediaProjectionManager – control screen projection; VirtualDisplay – creating a virtual display for recording.

Example of output during active recording:

05-20 14:30:45.123  1234  5678 I MediaProjectionManager: Starting screen capture for uid 10045


05-20 14:30:45.156  1234  5678 D VirtualDisplay: Created virtual display 1080x2340 for recording

If suspicious processes are detected in the logs (for example, a record from the com.android.systemui application without your request), this may indicate:

• 🕵️ Malware (check the device through Malwarebytes);
• 🔄 Firmware error (update) MIUI last-minute);
• 📱 Hidden operator functions (some devices sold through telecom operators preinstalled spyware modules).

Run adb logcat -d > log.txt to export logs to a text file. Then open it in any editor (like Notepad++) and look for ScreenRecord or MediaProjection mentions. Use time filters (like adb logcat -t "05-20 14:30:00") for convenience.

Method 4: Disconnect via Safe Mode (if third-party software is to blame)

If the background recording of the screen started after installing a new app, check the device in Safe Mode.This mode only works system applications, which helps identify the culprit.

How to activate Safe Mode:

1. Press the power button before the off menu appears.
2. Press and hold the “Switch off” option (on some models – “Reboot”).
3. Confirm the transition to Safe Mode (the inscription will appear at the bottom of the screen).

In safe mode:

• 🔍 Check if screen recording is continuing (e.g. via Settings) → Battery → Battery Use – Look for High Consumption Processes).
• 📱 If the recording has stopped, the third-party app is to blame. Uninstall the recently installed programs (especially with permissions "Overlaid on other windows" or "Screen recording").
• 🔄 If the recording continues, a problem in system services (see Method 1 or Method 2).

Yes, I noticed suspicious activity |No, but I'm worried about privacy |I don't know how to check it |I don't care.

Method 5: Reset to factory settings (last resort)

If none of the methods worked, and the screen recording continues to work secretly, it leaves a complete reset, which will delete all the data from the device, so first:

• 📲 Create a backup through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset;
• 🔐 Write down or take pictures of important passwords (they won’t be saved in backup);
• 📱 Make sure you have access to your Xiaomi account (required to unlock after resetting).

Resetting instructions:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Select "Delete all data".
3. Enter the password from the Mi Account and confirm the reset.

After the reboot:

• 🚫 Do not restore data from the backup right away – first check if the screen recording is active;
• 🔍 Install applications one at a time by observing the behavior of the system;
• 🛡️ Turn off the automatic installation of recommended applications in Settings → Annexes → Application management.

⚠️ Note: On devices with an unlocked bootloader, resetting can lead to blocking Anti-Rollback. Before reset, check the bootloader status via the command: fastboot getvar anti If the value is anti: 3 or higher, do not reset without first flashing!

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Resetting is the only way to remove pre-installed spyware modules (e.g. com.xiaomi.midrop on some models for China).

Additional security measures

Even after the screen background recording is turned off, we recommend taking additional measures to protect privacy:

• 🔒 Turn off "Personalization of Advertising" in Settings → Confidentiality → Advertising;
• 📵 Block microphone and camera access for unnecessary apps;
• 🔄 Update. MIUI until the latest version MIUI 14 Increased restrictions on background recording);
• 🛡️ Install an alternative firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience) if privacy is critical.

To check the current recording status of the screen, use monitor apps such as:

• NetGuard (blocks the network activity of suspicious processes)
• Exodus Privacy (analyzes application permissions)
• Inspeckage (for advanced users, it tracks the call of the screen recording API).

If you use your smartphone to work with sensitive data (for example, in banking applications), consider turning off all Xiaomi services:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.xiaomi.account


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

FAQ: Frequent questions about screen recording on Xiaomi