How to turn off the pedometer on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro

Xiaomi smartphone owners often face intrusive physical activity monitoring, which is built into the default MIUI shell.The Redmi Note 8 Pro device, despite its popularity, is no exception and continues to track your every move, even if you didn't plan to.This can be annoying, especially when achievement notifications pop up at the most inopportune moment, distracting from work or leisure.

In addition, the constant operation of motion sensors and synchronization of data with the cloud consume battery power, which is critical for the autonomy of the gadget. Many users wonder whether it is possible to completely deactivate this feature without losing access to other system settings. Fortunately, the developers have envisaged several ways to solve this problem, from simply hiding widgets to completely disabling system services.

In this guide, we will take a look at all the available methods to stop the activity tracker. You will learn how to set up notifications, disable the system application and what hidden features Android Debug Bridge provides for advanced users. Follow the instructions carefully to customize the device to your personal comfort preferences.

Why the pedometer works constantly and how it affects the system

Xiaomi’s step counting feature is tied to the Mi Fitness system app (formerly known as Mi Sport), which is deeply integrated into the MIUI shell and starts automatically when the device is turned on. The main goal is to collect health statistics, but the side effect is a constant survey of the accelerometer and gyroscope, which creates background load on the processor.

Not only does the continuous operation of sensors consume energy, but it can also affect the accuracy of other applications that use geolocation or motion. If you don't use your phone as a fitness tracker, this feature becomes redundant. Disabling the service allows you to offload RAM and slightly extend battery life.

⚠️ Warning: Complete removal of system components may disrupt desktop widgets or synchronize health data with your Mi Account.

It's also worth noting that even after you turn off visible notifications, the background process can remain active, so that the user can quickly see their statistics at any time, but for those who value privacy and minimalism, such intrusiveness is unacceptable.

Disabling notifications and activity widgets

The easiest and safest way to stop seeing daily reports is to set up notifications, so you don't have to go deep into system settings, just change the display settings, go to the settings menu and find the section that handles app notifications.

You need to find the Mi Fitness or Health app here. Inside the notification menu, turn off all the switches associated with daily reports, achievements and motion reminders, which will stop pop-ups, but the meter itself will continue to work in the background.

  • πŸ“± Open Settings and go to Notifications and Status bar.
  • πŸ” Find the Mi Fitness (or Health) app in the list and tap it.
  • 🚫 Transfer the Allow Notifications slider to an inactive position or uncheck specific types of events.
  • 🧹 Remove the pedometer widget from the desktop by holding it with your finger and selecting β€œDeleteΒ».

Once you've done this, the phone will stop bothering you with the beeps and pop-ups, but if your goal is to stop collecting data completely, that step will not be enough, and we need to move on to more radical measures to limit the application.

πŸ“Š How annoying you are with step notifications?
Very hard, I'll turn it off.
I don't notice, they don't bother me.
It's just the sound that annoys you.
I want to keep it, but no sound.

Stop and Limit Mi Fitness App

To turn off more deeply, you need to prevent the application from starting automatically. There is a powerful autoload control tool in the MIUI shell that allows you to control the behavior of each component installed, which will help stop background processes without removing the application itself.

Go to the battery settings and find autorun control, and you'll need to find Mi Fitness and prevent it from running with the system, and it's also recommended that you limit background activity so that Android doesn't give the app priority over resource usage.

β˜‘οΈ Checking the limitations of the application

Done: 0 / 5

Additionally, it is worth cleaning the application data to reset the accumulated statistics. This will not delete your personal files, but will return the step counter to zero and can temporarily stop it until the next restart of service by the system.

Some firmware versions also have an application-specific Energy Saving feature available. By choosing No Limits mode or a hard constraint mode, you can fine-tune the tracker's behavior. Experiment with these settings to find a balance between functionality and silence.

Using hidden settings through ADB

For users who want to achieve guaranteed results and are not afraid to work with a computer, there is a method of disabling through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which allows you to deactivate system components that cannot be removed or disabled by standard interface tools.

You'll need a computer, USB-cable and installed drivers ADB. After connecting the phone and enabling debugging USB, You can send commands to disable packets. This is the most efficient method for the Redmi Note 8 Pro, running on any version. MIUI.

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.xiaomi.hm.health

This command will force you to stop the health service. If you want to get it back, use the command with disable-user replaced with enable. Be careful when you type commands, as a bug in the package name can cause other system functions to function in an unstable way.

⚠️ Attention: Use ADB requires the inclusion of debugging USB. Do not leave this mode active permanently as it reduces the security of the device when connected to public charging stations.

The ADB method is the most reliable, because it blocks the process from starting at the operating system level, and even after the device is rebooted, the service does not activate until you give the command to turn it on, which is ideal for completely ignoring fitness functions.

Comparison of Tracker Disconnection Methods

The choice of how to turn off depends on your technical skills and the ultimate goal: some users want to simply remove notifications, others want to maximize the life of the battery. Below is a table that helps you choose the best option for your situation.

MethodDifficultyEfficiencyRisks.
Disabling notificationsLow.Low (silence only)No.
Restriction of auto-startMediumAverage (background work)Minimum
ADB teamsTall.Maximum (full stop)Possible input errors
Removal of updatesMediumMedium (return to the base version)The system can be updated again

As you can see from the table, the safest method is to simply turn off notifications, but it doesn't solve the problem of resource consumption. ADB commands give the best result, but require training. Choose a method that suits your comfort level when working with your smartphone settings.

What is the com.xiaomi.hm.health package?
This is the system identifier of the Mi Fitness app, responsible for collecting health data, syncing with wearable devices and displaying activity widgets on the Redmi Note 8 Pro.

Possible problems and solutions

Users may encounter a number of difficulties in disabling the pedometer, such as the system can automatically restart the service after updating the Google Play components or the MIUI interface itself, which is normal behavior for system applications that are considered important to the ecosystem.

If you notice that the step lock screen has stopped working after you have turned off, or if the widgets show an error, just turn the app back on. Sometimes you need to completely reset the app settings to make the changes take effect correctly.

  • πŸ”„ The app is turned on: check the auto-update settings in Google Play and disable them for Xiaomi system components.
  • ❌ Input error ADB Commands: Make sure the phone is debugging on USB and computer access is granted.
  • πŸ“‰ Other data disappears: disabling the tracker can affect the operation of the alarm clock with the shaking up.

It’s also worth remembering that some features, such as Unlock When Lifting or automatically turning on the screen when facing, can use the same sensors, and their work can become less responsive once the motion sensors are completely blocked.

πŸ’‘

Before drastic changes, back up important data so that in the event of unforeseen system failures, you can quickly restore the phone to work.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I completely remove the pedometer app from the Redmi Note 8 Pro?
Without the superuser rights (Root), you can’t completely delete the system application, but it can be β€œfreezed” or disabled via ADB, which is effectively equivalent to deleting it for the user.
Does turning off the pedometer affect the operation of other sensors?
No, disabling the software step counter does not affect the operation of the accelerometer in games or navigation applications, as they access the sensor directly.
Will the steps statistics reset after the shutdown?
Yes, if you clean up the app’s data or remove its updates, all the accumulated history inside the phone will be lost, although data in the Mi Cloud may be saved.
Why did the pedometer reappear after the reboot?
Xiaomi system services have a tendency to self-heal, and to prevent this, you need to use the ADB method or permanently prohibit auto-start in the battery settings.

πŸ’‘

Disabling system services completely through ADB is the only way to ensure that step data is permanently stopped without the risk of automatic recovery.