How to completely remove wiretapping from the Xiaomi phone: 7 working ways

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face suspicions of unauthorized surveillance: the phone suddenly overheats, the battery goes down in a few hours, and in the background you hear strange noises during calls. The reasons can be in malware and system vulnerabilities MIUI, which are exploited by attackers. It is important to understand that wiretapping on Android devices is rarely limited to recording sound — modern spyware is able to track location, intercept SMS and even turn on the camera.

This article is not about paranoia, but about specific technical measures, and we will discuss how to detect signs of wiretapping on Redmi, POCO or Mi, what tools to use to do this (including hidden MIUI functions), and how to completely clean the device of spyware without losing data. All methods are tested on current versions of firmware (2023-2026) and do not require root rights.

Signs of wiretapping on Xiaomi: when to sound the alarm

The first step is to differentiate the real threat from hardware failures, such as fast battery drains caused by a worn-out battery and overheating by background synchronization of Google Photos, but there are specific symptoms that should alert:

• 📵 Unexplained traffic increase (especially roaming): check the statistics in Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Traffic usage: Spyware transmits data even in standby mode.
• 🔊 Noises in the dynamics during calls: clicks, echoes or voices in the background are a classic feature of hardware listening (for example, through the Qualcomm Diag module).
• 🔋 Abnormal battery consumption in aircraft mode: if the phone is discharged in 4-5 hours with the networks turned off, this may indicate the activity of the hidden service.
• 📱 Spontaneous reboots or screen turn on: Some spies masquerade as system processes and cause crashes.

Pay special attention to unauthorized SMS from short numbers (for example, +79XXXXX or 12345) – they may contain commands for remote control of the device. In MIUI, such messages are sometimes hidden in the Spam folder (check in the Messages app).

Checking the phone for wiretapping: MIUI system tools

Xiaomi has built several security diagnostic tools into MIUI, but they often go unnoticed, and to start with, it’s the safest way to do that without having to install third-party apps.

1. Virus scanning through "Security"

The built-in Security app (shield icon) can detect some types of spyware, but its databases are updated less often than Dr.Web or Kaspersky.

1. Open Security. → Scan.
2. Click on Deep Scan (not fast!).
3. Wait until it is completed (it can take 10-15 minutes).
4. Pay attention to the Privacy Threats and Suspicious Apps sections – this is where wiretapping programs may be hiding.

Verification of active compounds

Spyware often maintains a permanent connection to the control server to detect suspicious connections:

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and tap 7 times on the Build Number line to activate Developer Mode.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable USB Debugging (temporarily!).
3. Connect your phone to your PC and type in the command line: adb shell netstat -tuln Look for suspicious in the output IP-addresses (e.g. from China, if you do not use Chinese services).

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If you see connections to ports 4444, 5555 or 7777 in the netstat output, this may indicate the activity of spyware such as Cerberus or Pegasus.

3. Analysis of application permissions

Many legitimate applications (like Truecaller or Viber) request access to the microphone, but if the messenger requires permission to read SMS for notes, this is a reason to be wary.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Permissions.
2. Select Microphone, then Camera and Location.
3. Remove or revoke permissions from unknown applications.

Look at apps with names like System Update, Android Service, or Google Play Update, which are often used as spy names, and compare them to Google's official services by size and installation date.

How to remove the wiretaps: step-by-step instructions

If you find suspicious activity, follow the algorithm below. Don't skip the steps -- some spies recover from partial clearance.

Remove suspicious applications|Disable administrative rights|Reset network settings|Check system processes|Update MIUI last-minute-->

1. Removal of suspicious applications

Start with the obvious – remove any programs that:

• 📱 Not installed from Google Play (especially Google Play) APK source).
• 🔍 have suspicious permits (for example, android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO for no apparent reason).
• 🕵️ Appeared in the list of applications, but you did not install them.

To remove system applications (if they are infected), you will need ADB:

adb shell pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.example.spyapp

2. Removal of administrator rights

Some spies (like SpyNote) get administrator privileges to the device, which prevents them from being deleted, to revoke the rights:

1. Go to Settings → Passwords and Security → Device Administrators.
2. Uncheck the checkboxes from unknown applications.
3. If the item is blocked, reset via ADB: adb shell dpm remove-active-admin com.example.spyapp/admin

3. Cleaning the cache and data of system applications

Spyware can hide its modules in the cache of legitimate services (e.g. Google Play Services).

1. Open Settings → Applications → All applications.
2. Select Google Play Services, Google Play Services, MIUI Daemon.
3. Click Warehouse → Clear the cache and Clear the data.

4. Update MIUI to the latest version

Xiaomi regularly closes vulnerabilities in firmware.

1. Go to Settings → About Phone → Update MIUI.
2. Click Check Updates and install the latest version.
3. If the update is not available, download the full firmware package from the official website and install through the Update → Three dots → Select a firmware file.

After the update, reset settings (Settings → About Phone → Reset) to remove any residual spyware files.

Specialized applications for finding wiretaps

MIUI system tools are not always effective against modern spies, and the table below shows proven deep diagnostic applications:

For maximum efficiency, use a combination of 2-3 applications, for example, scan the Malwarebytes system first, then check network activity through NetGuard, and at the end run CertiK OS to analyze system files.

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No app guarantees 100% detection of wiretaps, and modern spies (like Pegasus) disguise themselves as system processes and can go undetected even for antiviruses.

Hardware methods of wiretapping: how to detect a bug

If the software doesn't work, the problem may be a physical bug, and these devices are usually installed:

• 🔋 In the battery (found in the models of Redmi Note) 8/9 plug-in).
• 📶 In the slot SIM-cards (miniature transmitters masquerading as a nano-SIM adapter).
• 🔊 Next to the speaker or microphone (in models Mi 11 and newer).

How to check:

1. Visual inspection: Take your phone apart (or call the service) and check the motherboard for foreign chips, and the bugs often look like little black boxes with an antenna.
2. Radio Wave Checker: Use the RF Signal Detector app (available on Google Play) to search for suspicious radio signals near your phone.
3. Interference test: call from another phone to the device being tested and hold it to the speaker or radio, and severe interference can indicate that the transmitter is working.

⚠️ Note: In Xiaomi models with Qualcomm Snapdragon (for example, POCO F3, Redmi K40) There is a Diag Port vulnerability that allows you to remotely activate the microphone via QCSuper or QPST. To close it, follow the command: adb shell setprop sys.usb.config diag,serial_cdev,This will disable the diagnostic port, but may disrupt some service functions (e.g. Mi Unlock).

How to protect Xiaomi from wiretapping in the future

Even after successful removal of spyware, the risk of re-infection remains.

• 🔒 Disable the installation from unknown sources: Settings → Annexes → Special access → Installation of unknown applications.
• 🛡️ Use alternative firmware: LineageOS or Pixel Experience, for example, lack backdoors MIUI. Please note that this will require unlocking the bootloader.
• 🔄 Regularly check the active processes through ADB: adb shell ps -A | grep -i "spy\|record\|listen"
• 📡 Disable unnecessary radio modules: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC In public places, they can be used to attack BlueBorne.

For Xiaomi HyperOS models (2026), add MIUI system applications to the Google Play Protect exceptions, as they often falsely trigger legitimate services.

⚠️ If you suspect targeted surveillance (such as by law enforcement or corporate espionage), do not use standard cleaning techniques. In such cases, spyware can be integrated at the firmware or modem level, and its removal will require complete firmware reflashing through the firmware. EDL-Mode with an authorized Xiaomi account.

Frequent questions about wiretapping on Xiaomi