Disable the collection of problem logs and diagnostics on Xiaomi

Xiaomi smartphone owners running MIUI shells or the new HyperOS often face intrusive notifications to send bug reports.The system automatically generates so-called problem logs, collecting technical information about the device's performance. Many users prefer to limit this process to save battery power, reduce traffic and, more importantly, increase personal privacy.

The data collection process is built deep into the system services of the Chinese brand’s Android devices, but it is possible to turn this feature off without obtaining superuser rights (root), and in this article we will detail the algorithm of actions that will allow you to stop automatically sending diagnostic data and hide annoying pop-ups.

It’s worth noting that ignoring reports completely can make it difficult for technical support to work in the event of a real failure, but for a stable device, this feature is often redundant. Below are the current deactivation methods that work on most modern models, including the Redmi Note series, Poco and the flagship Mi lineup.

Why Xiaomi Collects Data and What Are Error Logs

Problem logs (or memory dumps) are text files created by the operating system when a critical application or system process error occurs, which contain information about which code caused the failure, which memory resources were involved and what state the device was in, and the collection of logs is designed to help developers fix bugs in future versions of the firmware.

However, automatically sending these reports to the manufacturer's servers has its side effects: first, it is a constant background energy consumption of the processor and communication module; second, the user regularly sees pop-up notifications asking to send a report, which violates the comfort of using the gadget. MIUI is set by default to maximum telemetry, which contradicts the desires of many owners to preserve privacy.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling system diagnostics does not affect the operation of the phone’s core features, but may deprive data developers of the ability to fix rare bugs in future updates.

There is also the concept of Advertising Identifier (AAID), which is also used to target content, and users often confuse sending error reports and collecting data to personalize ads, although in Xiaomi’s settings these features are separated, but interconnected in the overall Mi Account ecosystem.

Basic setting: disabling through the About Phone menu

The easiest and safest way to stop reporting is through the standard settings menu, which requires no third-party software installation and is available on all current versions of the shell, so you have to go to Settings, then select About, and that's where the primary telemetry configuration is hidden.

In the window that opens, look for the MIUI Version (or OS Version) bar, and you need to quickly tap that string with your finger about 7-10 times in a row until you see a pop-up message that says “You’ve become a developer” or “Additional features are activated” and then a new section, Advanced Settings or Additional, appears in the main settings menu.

The algorithm of actions is as follows:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Advanced settings → Confidentiality.
• 🔍 Find the Improvement User Experience (or Improvement Program) MIUI»).
• 🚫 Move the slider to an inactive position, prohibiting the sending of data.
• 📂 Also check the Diagnostics section and turn off automatic reporting there.

It is important to understand that the names of items may differ slightly from one version of MIUI (Global, China, Russia), and if you do not find a match, look for synonyms with the words Experience, Diagnostics, or Statistics, and disabling these items stops the background transmission of data packets to analytics servers.

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If after the reboot the slider turns on back, check for system updates - sometimes resetting occurs after a large firmware update.

Mi Daemon Service Management and System Processes

For collecting technical information and logs of failures in the Android operating system on Xiaomi devices, a system process, which can be called the system, is often responsible. mi_daemon, msa (MIUI System Ads, or simply Analytics, is a more radical but effective method of blocking these services.

To access service management, go to Settings → Applications → All Apps. In the upper right corner, click on three dots and select Show System Processes. In the list that appears, find analytics-related applications:

• 🤖 Analytics (Analytics)
• 📊 MSA (MIUI System Ads)
• 📝 Error log (Bugreport)
• ☁️ Mi Cloud Service (partially)

When you try to disable some of these services, the system may issue a warning that it may affect the operation of the device. This is standard Android protection. You have to agree and force the process to stop. In some cases, the "Disable" button may be inactive - then only the restriction of background activity helps.

Path to limit: Settings → Applications → [Service Name] → Battery → Background Activities → No Limitations (select “Limit”)

After this process, the system will stop collecting data in the background, but be prepared that after the next firmware update, the settings may reset and the procedure will have to be repeated.

Comparison of disconnection methods: efficiency and risks

There are several approaches to solving the problem of collecting logs: from simple settings in the menu to using the logs. ADB-Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. Below is a table that helps you choose the best option for your use case.

Using ADB (Android Debug Bridge) requires connecting your smartphone to your computer and having basic command line knowledge, which allows you to completely cut the analytics package out of the system, making it impossible to restore without flashing it back.

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


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

For the average user, the safest and most balanced option is to combine the switch off via the settings menu and manually stop services, which ensures a sufficient level of privacy without the risk of “bricking” the device with the wrong commands.

Additional privacy protection measures at MIUI

In addition to disabling error logs, it is recommended to audit other privacy settings. The MIUI and HyperOS shell contains many hidden data collection points. For example, GetApps (app store) also collects usage statistics.

Go to the Security app (green zipper icon) and go to the settings (cogs) and find the Receive recommendations section. Turn off all sliders related to personalization and news, which will reduce the number of requests to the server and reduce the likelihood of intrusive notifications.

⚠️ Warning: A complete shutdown of system services may cause widgets, theme, or Xiao voice assistant to malfunction. AI (if you need him).

Also worth paying attention to is Google's settings. In the Google → Advertising section, click Reset Ad ID and disable personalization. While this doesn't stop Xiaomi's log collection, it breaks the link between the device and the search giant's advertising profiles.

Regularly checking application permissions also helps to identify spyware modules, go through the installed program list and revoke unnecessary permissions to access the microphone, geolocation and contact list for those applications that do not require it for basic functionality.

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A comprehensive approach, including disabling system analytics, limiting background activity and setting access rights, ensures maximum privacy of the Xiaomi owner.

Possible problems and ways to solve them

Users may encounter a number of challenges in debugging, such as when the firmware updates are updated, settings can return to factory values, as well as the normal behavior of Xiaomi's security system, which is trying to restore telemetry functionality.

Another (frequent problem) is that you can't turn off the MSA service. The button can be gray or disappear, so try turning off the Internet (Wi-Fi and mobile data) before entering the application menu, and without a server connection, the system can't check the status of the service and let it turn it off.

If you notice that your phone is not working properly after shutting down your system processes:

• 🔄 Perform a full reset (Hard Reset), pre-save data.
• 🔙 Reverse to the previous version of the firmware through the Recovery menu.
• 🛠 Restore Remote System Packages through ADB Pm enable command [name packet].

Remember that problem logs are sometimes the only way to diagnose hardware malfunctions. If your smartphone has started to freeze or reboot frequently, it may be worthwhile to temporarily enable reporting to identify the culprit of the malfunction and then turn off the feature again.