How to disable surveillance on Xiaomi: the complete guide to MIUI security

Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones have long been famous for their functionality, but with convenience, users also get a hidden “price” – collecting data about location, habits and even activity in apps. The manufacturer claims that all information is anonymized, but research by independent experts (including tests from Forbes and Kaspersky) shows that even in airplane mode, some Xiaomi models continue to send data packets to servers in China through background processes. This article is not about paranoia – this is about conscious control of their device.

The problem is compounded by the fact that privacy settings in MIUI They are scattered across different menus, and some options are hidden so deep that it is almost impossible to find them without manuals. We're going to look at not only the obvious things like geolocation disabling, but the hidden mechanisms of data collection, from msa and analytics to embedded advertising that adapts to your behavior. ADB-commands or third-party utilities.

1. Geolocation and location services

The most obvious channel of data leakage is geolocation services. MIUI They work not only for maps and navigation, but also for targeted advertising, weather widgets and even system updates. By default, the device sends coordinates to Xiaomi servers every 15 to 30 minutes, even if you do not use it. GPS.

To minimize data collection:

• 📍 Open the Settings. → Confidentiality → Location services and disable the "Precise Location" switch (this will reduce accuracy to ~1 km, but will reduce the amount of data transmitted).
• 🔄 In the same menu, click on Recent Activity and delete your location history. Note: this option is not available on all models (for example, it is not available in the Redmi Note 10 Pro on the Redmi Note 10 Pro). MIUI 14).
• 🚫 Back to Settings → Annexes → Permits → Location and manually deny access to geodata for all applications except maps and navigator.

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If you use Google Maps, disable the Location Chronology feature in it, which duplicates the collection of data and sends it additionally to Google servers.

Important: Even after geolocation is disabled, the device can approximate your location across cellular and Wi-Fi networks, to block this:

1. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Name of the access point (APN).
2. Select your operator and in the field "APN-protocol IPv4 (This will disable data transmission over IPv6, which is often used for telemetry collection).

2. MIUI System Services and Analytics

MIUI Analytics and MSA (Mi Security Center) are the two main components responsible for collecting telemetry, and send data to Xiaomi servers about:

• 📱 Applications used and their operating time;
• 🔋 Battery state and device temperature;
• 📶 Quality of communication and used Wi-Fi networks;
• 🖥️ Device models, firmware versions and even IMEI.

You can turn them off in two ways:

Method 1: Through settings (partial shutdown)

Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and tap 7 times on the line with the version number to activate the developer mode.

1. Return to Settings → Additional settings → Developer settings.
2. Find the option “Disable MIUI Analytics” and activate it.
3. Repeat the same procedure for “Disable MSA” (if the option is missing, your model does not support this menu).

Method 2: Through ADB (total shutdown)

A computer will be required to shut down and ADB-Put your phone on your PC, set up debugging. USB and execute commands:

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


adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.miui.msa.global

⚠️ Note: After that, some system functions will stop working, for example, checking for updates through Settings. → Update the system. To get them back, you'll have to reset the device to factory settings.

3. Advertising and personalized recommendations

Xiaomi has integrated ads not only into system applications (Browser, Music, Themes), but also into the settings menu, such as Settings → The screen can display a banner offering to buy a case, to remove ads:

• 📵 Open the Settings. → Confidentiality → Advertising and disable "Personalized recommendations".
• 🔍 In the same menu, click “Reset Ad ID” – this will reset your profile for targeting.
• 🚫 For each system application (for example, Mi Video or Mi Browser) go to its settings and turn off the display of ads separately.

If the ad keeps coming, it's built into the firmware, and then the only thing that helps is:

• Install custom firmware (for example, LineageOS or Pixel Experience);
• Use an ad blocker at the DNS level (e.g. AdGuard or Blokada).

4. Cloud services and synchronization

By default, Xiaomi syncs with the cloud:

• 📇 Contacts;
• 📅 Calendars;
• 📸 Photo and video (via Mi Cloud);
• 📝 Notes and notes;
• 🔑 Passwords from Mi Browser.

To turn off synchronization:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Mi Account.
2. Turn off the synchronization switch.
3. Click "Delete Data" to clear the already downloaded information from the servers.

⚠️ Note: If you are using Mi Cloud for backup, save a local copy of the data before you turn off sync. After you delete from the cloud, you will not be able to restore files.

5 Hidden settings and MIUI grey areas

Even after disabling all obvious options, MIUI continues to collect data through:

• 📡 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth scanning: the device is constantly looking for nearby networks and devices, even if these features are turned off in the notification panel. To turn off scanning, follow the command: adb shell settings put global settings wifi_scan_always_available 0
• 📶 Operator mobile analytics: some firmware sends data about the quality of communication to the provider. → SIM-map → Additionally. → Network quality report.
• 🔍 Search engine MIUI: Built-in search (Quick Search) collects your query history. Delete it through Settings → Annexes → Show it all. → Quick search.

Another gray area is the pre-installed apps (Mi Pay, Mi Home, GetApps) that not only take up space, but also have access to your data, and you can't delete it without root, but you can disable it:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Show all applications.
2. Select an unnecessary application (such as Mi Credit) and click “Disable”.
3. Confirm the action – the application will stop working and update.

Wi-Fi scanning disabled|Mobile analytics disabled|Pre-installed annexes removed|Quick Search is disabled-->

6. Alternative firmware and radical measures

If you want maximum privacy, standard MIUI settings won't help. Consider the following options:

• 🛡️ Install custom firmware: LineageOS – pure Android without unnecessary services; GrapheneOS – firmware with an emphasis on security (requires a Pixel device, but there are ports for Xiaomi); CalyxOS – an alternative with a built-in tracking blocker.
• 🔒 Magisk modules: Xiaomi Debloater – removes system debris; Universal SafetyNet Fix – bypasses security checks; App List – blocks background activity of applications.

⚠️ Attention: Installation of custom firmware voids warranty and may result in device blink (completely inoperable:

• Make a backup copy through TWRP;
• Check firmware compatibility with your model on the XDA Developers forum.
• Make sure the battery is sufficiently charged (at least 70%).

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Custom firmware gives you complete control over the device, but requires technical skills. For most users, it is enough to turn off system analytics and advertising through ADB.

7. Additional security measures

In addition to disabling surveillance, other measures to protect data should be taken:

• 🔐 Encrypting the device: activate in Settings → Lockdown and protection → Encryption. It'll protect your data when you steal your phone.
• 🌐 Use of the VPN: Even if Xiaomi collects data, it will be harder to pin it to your identity.
• 📱 Separate Xiaomi Account: Register a new Mi Account with a temporary email (e.g. Temp-Mail) and don’t link real data to it.
• 🔄 Regular Permit Checks: Once a Month, Go to Settings → Confidentiality → Permissions Manager and Revoke Unnecessary Rights from Applications.

For advanced users:

• Set up a firewall (such as AFWall+) to block Internet access for system applications.
• Use it. DNS-filtering through private DNS (settings → Connections → Private DNS);
• Install an alternative launcher (like Nova Launcher) to avoid system tracking of your home screen activities.

FAQ: Frequent Security Questions for Xiaomi