Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphone owners often question their privacy, especially in light of the growing news about cyberespionage. Current operating systems, including the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS, have powerful built-in protections, but they do not guarantee 100% immunity from specialized surveillance software.
Making matters worse, malware is constantly evolving to disguise itself as system processes or harmless utilities. If you notice that the device is acting strangely, warming up in standby mode, or the battery is running out faster than usual, this may be the first alarm. In this article, we will take a detailed look at the technical aspects of spyware detection in the Xiaomi ecosystem using standard diagnostic tools and third-party traffic analysis methods.
It is important to understand that panic is not worth it: many symptoms can indicate battery wear or background updates to heavy applications. However, it is absolutely impossible to ignore the set of risk factors. Digital hygiene requires regular checks of access rights and analysis of installed packages, especially if you use public Wi-Fi networks or install applications from unknown sources.
Abnormal battery behavior and overheating of the device
One of the first and most noticeable signs of a hidden miner or spyware is a dramatic change in the charge flow schedule. The smartphone battery starts to run out even when the screen is off and the device is in sleep mode. Unlike the natural aging of the battery, software wiretapping forces the processor to work at higher frequencies to transmit data, which leads to physical heating of the case.
You can check which application is using power through the standard settings menu. If you see an unknown process with a high percentage of consumption or a system service that consumes power disproportionately to its function, this is a reason for detailed analysis. Often spyware is disguised as names like System Service, Update Center or uses icons that are similar to system but different.
- 🔋 A sharp drop in charge in standby mode (before) 20-30% nightly).
- 🔥 Heating the back or camera area without running heavy games.
- 📉 Rapid degradation of battery capacity in a short period of time.
⚠️ Warning: If the phone heats up to a point where it is unpleasant to hold, turn off the device immediately and remove it. SIM-Prolonged overheating can cause battery bloating or damage to the motherboard.
For a deeper analysis, use the built-in statistics. Go to Settings → Battery → Charge Consumption. Here you can see the detail by the clock. If activity peaks at 3-4 a.m. when you sleep, this is a sure sign of background data transmission or audio recording.
Suspicious network activity and traffic
Any wiretapping involves transferring the collected data (audio, video, geolocation) to the attacker's remote server, which means that your phone will actively use the Internet channel, even if you do not use a browser or messengers. The MIUI shell has a convenient tool for monitoring traffic that allows you to identify "talky" applications.
If an unknown application or system process with an unknown name sends megabytes of data in the background, this is a critical signal. Normal system processes are rarely synchronized and transmit a minimum of service information, while spyware can stream audio or video in real time.
How to hide network activity in MIUI?
To check, go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Data Transfer → Statistics. Sort the list by the amount of data transferred. If you see an application that you didn’t use but it ate gigabytes of traffic, immediately limit its access to the network and delete it.
- 📡 High mobile traffic consumption without active Internet use.
- 🌐 Permanent data icon in the status bar at night.
- 📉 Slow Internet operation due to background download or uploading files.
☑️ Checking network traffic
Strange interface behavior and system failures
Malware often interferes with the operating system, leading to visual and functional artifacts. You may notice that the smartphone screen suddenly lights up in your pocket, apps open on their own, or the cursor moves without your involvement. In the Android environment on which Xiaomi runs, such actions often indicate the presence of a Trojan or Remote Access Tool (RAT).
Another worrying symptom is the inability to turn off the phone or reboot it in the standard way. The virus can block control buttons or redirect the shutdown command to close the pop-up, and it is also worthwhile to be alert if the phone does not go out of standby mode for a long time or spontaneously reboots.
| Symptoms. | Probable cause | Level of danger |
|---|---|---|
| The screen flashes or lights up itself | Attempting to activate the camera or microphone | High-pitched |
| Applications are closed instantly | Process conflict or lack of resources | Medium. |
| The off button doesn't work. | Blocking malware | critical |
| There is advertising on the desktop | Adware or hidden miner | Medium. |
If you see your phone settings changing without your knowledge (e.g., USB debugging or unspecified installation), this is a direct sign that someone has remotely accessed your device, and you should immediately change your Google and Mi Account passwords.
Checking access rights and hidden applications
The most reliable way to find wiretaps on Xiaomi is by manually auditing installed applications and their rights. Attackers often hide spyware icons, leaving them only in the list of installed applications. To see all packages, including system and hidden, you can use the developer menu or special utilities.
First, check which apps have access to the microphone, camera and geolocation. In modern versions of MIUI, when using these resources, a green dot or indicator lights up in the corner of the screen. If the indicator is on when you are not using a voice recorder or navigator, urgently check the list of active applications.
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Hidden applications often don’t have an icon in the launcher, but they are displayed in the full list of installed programs in the settings.
To view the full list, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. Study the list carefully. Look for names without icons, with blank names or suspicious names (such as "Service", "Update", "System1"). Click on a suspicious object and look at its rights: if a simple calculator requires access to contacts and a microphone, it is a virus.
- 🕵️ Apps without icons or with transparent icons.
- 🔑 Requesting device administrator rights by unknown programs.
- 📱 Access to the microphone for applications that do not need it (lantern, calculator).
⚠️ Warning: Never grant Device Administrator rights to applications where you are not 100% sure of their origin, which will allow the virus to protect against deletion and restore its files.
Use of engineering menus and codes for diagnostics
Xiaomi smartphones have a set of secret codes that allow you to enter the engineering menu or test menu, and although they are primarily designed for engineers, they can provide important information about network status and call forwarding, which is often used to organize wiretapping calls.
One of the most useful codes for checking for forwarding voice calls and messages is #61# and #62#, which will show where your calls are being redirected if you don't answer or your phone is turned off, and if it has a number you don't know, it could mean your conversations are being tapped or recorded.
#4636## - Test menu (phone information, usage statistics)
*#06# - IMI check (compare with the number on the box)
*#61# - Checking for redirects during class
*#62# - Checking for forwarding when unavailableAlso worth checking the Settings menu → About Phone → All specs → Version of the kernel (press many times) to get into the CIT menu. Here you can test the operation of all sensors, including the microphone and speaker. If you hear noises or echoes when you test the microphone without an external sound source, it may be that the channel is busy with another process.
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To log into the engineering menu on some Xiaomi models, you may need to activate the "Engineering menu" item in the "Security" application or install a special plugin through the Mi Store.
Radical protection measures and reset to factory settings
If you find confirmation of spyware and can't remove it with standard methods, the only reliable solution is a complete data reset. Eavesdropping programs are often embedded deep into the system, and simply reinstalling problematic applications doesn't help. Recovery menu reset ensures that the user partition is cleaned.
Before this procedure, be sure to save important photos and documents to the cloud service or computer, but do not restore applications from a backup automatically, so as not to return the virus back.
Reset algorithm: Turn off your phone, press the volume button and power button before the Mi logo appears. From the Recovery menu, select Wipe Data → Wipe All Data. Once the process is complete, the phone will restart and you will need to reset your Google and Mi Account.