How to set up screen time on Xiaomi: The Complete Guide 2026

Watching the screen time of Xiaomi’s smartphone is not only a way to combat addiction, but also a tool to improve sleep, increase productivity and even protect vision. MIUI 14/15 They offer flexible settings that limit the use of individual applications and the device as a whole, but many users face challenges such as where to find these features, how to set exceptions correctly, and why restrictions sometimes don’t work.

In this article, we’ll look at how Xiaomi manages screen time, from basic tools like sleep to advanced parental control and digital well-being. POCO X5) And the common mistakes that make it easier to get rid of the restrictions.

Modern research shows that the average smartphone user spends more than 4 hours a day on the screen, and in adolescents this figure often exceeds 7 hours. MIUI Tools to counter this trend, but their effectiveness depends on the right setup, for example, few people know that the “Digital Well-Being” mode can be synced with Google Family Link for increased control over children’s devices.

Another common problem is circumventing constraints, where kids quickly learn to reset through Safe Mode or reboot, and adults sometimes forget that developer mode can disable all restrictions, and we'll tell you how to password-protect settings and which system loopholes to close.

1. Basic screen time settings in MIUI

Let’s start with the simplest: built-in tools. MIUI, available on all Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO (starting with MIUI These functions do not require the installation of additional applications and limit the total time of use of a device or specific programs.

To open the screen time management menu:

1. Go to Settings. → Screen time (on some models, the path may differ: Settings) → Digital Well-Being and Parental Control).
2. Press the screen time control panel.
3. Choose your profile (or your child’s profile if you set it up for it).

Here you will see the daily/week usage statistics and three key options:

• 📱 Time limit – sets a limit on total screen time.
• ⏰ Sleep mode – automatically locks the device at night (you can set the schedule).
• 🔒 Application Restriction – allows you to set limits for individual programs (for example, 1 hour per day for TikTok).

Important: if you set limits for yourself, the system will prompt you to enter a PIN to protect your settings. Without this code, anyone can reset the restrictions through the "Screen Time" menu" → "Reset password. For child profiles, PIN is mandatory.

💡

If the menu does not include "Screen Time", update MIUI Check the firmware region, or check the latest version. Some global versions have a feature called "Digital Wellbeing".

2.Sleep mode: how to set up an automatic lock for the night

Sleep mode is one of the most useful features for those who want to reduce blue light exposure and improve sleep quality. Unlike manually switching on Do Not Disturb, this mode not only mutes the screen, but also blocks access to most applications (except calls and alarms).

To adjust the sleep schedule:

1. Open the Settings. → Screen time. → Sleep regimen.
2. Activate the slider Enable sleep mode.
3. Click the Schedule and select the start and end times (e.g. 23:00 to 7:00).
4. In the section Settings of sleep mode, select which features will be limited: 🌙 Dimming the screen (reduces brightness and filters blue light). 🔕 Block notifications (except alarm clocks and important calls). 🚫 Blocking applications (you can add exceptions, for example, for reading books).

Nuance: on some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 13T) Sleep mode may conflict with Always-On Display. If the screen completely turns off after activation, check the settings. AOD screen.

Update MIUI to the latest version

Check Compatibility with Always-On Display

Add exceptions for important applications (calls, alarm clock)

Set a PIN code to protect settings-->

Parental Controls: Restrictions for Children

If you are setting up a smartphone for a child, standard features MIUI In this case, it is recommended to use Google Family Link in conjunction with the built-in tools of Xiaomi:

• 🕒 Set strict limits on screen time (up to minutes).
• 📵 Lock the device remotely (for example, during lessons).
• 🔍 View activity history and geolocation.
• 🎮 Limit purchases in games and install new apps.

To set up parental control:

1. Download Google Family Link to your smartphone (available for Android and iOS).
2. Create a Google account for children or link an existing one.
3. On your child’s smartphone (Xiaomi) go to Settings → Google accounts → Parental control and follow binding instructions.
4. Back to Settings → Screen time and select your child's profile, where you can set: Total daily limit (e.g. 2 hours), Day of the Week restrictions (on weekends you can give more time), Time lock (e.g. 21:00 to 8:00).

Warning: Children often try to circumvent restrictions by:

• 🔄 Resetting settings (if no PIN code is set).
• 📥 Installation APK-Files bypassing Google Play.
• 🔧 Enabling Developer Mode (disables some restrictions).

Settings → Applications → Special access → Installation of unknown applications

4. Time limit for individual applications

If you want to reduce your time on social media or gaming, but don’t block your entire smartphone, use the restrictions for individual apps, a feature that is useful for both self-control and parents who want to stop their child from playing Genshin Impact or sitting in TikTok for too long.

Instructions for setting:

1. Open the Settings. → Screen time. → Control panel.
2. Choose your profile (or your child’s profile).
3. Press Application Restriction.
4. In the list, find the app you want (like Instagram) and click on it.
5. Set a daily limit (e.g., 1 hour) and activate the slider Enable the restriction.

What happens when the limit is exhausted:

• 🚫 The application will be blocked (when you try to open a notification about the limit will appear).
• 🔔 Notification of reaching the limit will come.
• 🔓 You can unlock only through the PIN code (if it is installed).

Important: some system applications (such as Settings or Phone) cannot be restricted, and the restrictions do not apply to applications installed in the job profile (if you use the Work Profile function in the Work Profile). MIUI).

💡

App restrictions only apply to the user's primary profile, and if a child creates a second profile or guest account, the limits will not apply.

5. Additional Tools: Digital Wellbeing and Third Party Applications

If the built-in functions MIUI Alternative solutions are not enough, alternative solutions can be used:

• 🌍 Google Digital Wellbeing is a more flexible system of restrictions integrated with a Google account, allowing you to set time goals, track habits and even show how many times you unlock your phone.
• 📊 ActionDash – an application with advanced statistics and the ability to block distracting programs.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Kids Place – creates a “sandbox” with a limited set of applications for children.

To activate Digital Wellbeing:

1. Download the app from Google Play (unless it is preinstalled).
2. Open it and set up a profile.
3. Enable the option to Show usage data in the application settings.
4. Set time goals for application categories (social networks, games, instant messengers).

The advantages of digital wellbeing over standard tools MIUI:

• 📈 More detailed statistics (up to the number of unlocks).
• 🔄 Sync between devices (if you use one Google account).
• 🛡️ Ability to block applications by category (e.g. all games).

⚠️ Note: Some parental control apps (such as Kids Place) may conflict with the parental control app. MIUI Optimized is a system service that manages background processes. If after installing such software, the smartphone starts to slow down, add it to the exceptions: Settings → Annexes → Special access → Optimizing the battery → All applications.

6. Common Problems and Their Solutions

Even after you set up the screen time limits correctly, these are the most common problems and ways to solve them:

Problem 1: Restrictions are reset after rebooting.

Decision:

• Make sure that in the settings → Password and security → System protection enabled option Protection of screen time settings.
• Set a PIN code to unlock settings (minimum length is 4 characters).

Problem 2: Sleep mode does not block applications.

Decision:

• Check if the application has been added to the exceptions (Settings) → Screen time. → Sleep regimen → Exceptions).
• Update. MIUI — In the old versions there were bugs with a lock.

Issue 3: The statistics on use are not updated.

Decision:

• Enable the collection of usage data: Settings → Screen time. → Settings (⚙) → Collection of data on use.
• Reset the device.

Problem 4: The restrictions don’t work for some applications.

Decision:

• Check if the application is installed in the job profile (the restrictions do not apply to work profiles).
• If the app is system-based (like YouTube), use Google Family Link to block it.

⚠️ Note: on smartphones with unlocked bootloader (Bootloader Unlocked) some functions MIUI, If you've previously unlocked the bootloader to install custom firmware, it's best to set the restrictions through third-party applications like Digital Wellbeing.

7. How to turn off screen time if you forget the PIN code

If you forget the PIN from your screen time settings, there are several ways to reset it. Importantly, these methods only work on your personal device. Children's profiles linked to Google Family Link will require a reset via a parent's account.

Method 1: Resetting through settings

1. Go to Settings. → Screen time. → Settings (⚙) → Reset password.
2. You will be asked to enter a password from the Mi Account account associated with the device.
3. After confirmation, you will be able to set a new PIN code.

Method 2: Through Safe Mode (if no PIN is installed)

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Hold the power button until the reboot menu appears.
3. Press and hold the power off until the prompt to switch to Safe Mode appears.
4. In Safe Mode, open Settings → Screen time and reset the restrictions.

Method 3: Complete reset (extreme case)

If other methods don’t work, you can do a hard reset, but it will delete all data from the device:

1. Turn off your smartphone.
2. Press the Power button + Volume up to enter Recovery.
3. Choose Wipe Data → Wipe All Data.
4. After resetting, reset the device.

⚠️ Warning: If the smartphone is linked to a Mi Account, you will need to enter your login and password to unlock it after the reset".

FAQ: Frequent questions about screen time on Xiaomi