How to turn off the pedometer on Xiaomi Redmi: the complete guide

Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones have a lot of sensors that collect your activity by default. Often users notice that background processes are constantly running, consuming battery power, even if you are not using sports apps. This is because the system accelerometer and gyroscope continuously transmit coordinates to geolocation services and activity trackers.

Disabling this feature may be necessary not only for energy saving, but also for privacy reasons, as your travel history is stored in the cloud. In this article, we will detail how to stop step counting through system settings, Mi Fitness apps and third-party Google services.

Before making any changes, it is worth understanding that completely disabling the motion sensors can affect navigation and Find Device. However, for most use cases, it is enough to simply limit the background activity of the step counter, while maintaining the basic functionality of the smartphone.

Why to turn off the calculation of steps on a smartphone

The main reason users are eager to deactivate this feature is because of the device’s autonomy: Constantly polling motion sensors puts additional strain on the processor, which is especially noticeable on the low-end Redmi series models with the smallest battery. Background synchronization of distance traveled data also consumes Internet traffic.

The second important aspect is privacy, and many people don't realize that corporations collect detailed information about your daily routes, and if you turn off the tracker, you limit the amount of data you transmit, and some users don't need this feature, and they prefer a clean interface without unnecessary widgets.

It is worth noting that the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS does not have one magic “Switch off pedometer” button, since this feature is distributed among several system components.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling the system motion sensors completely can cause the maps, the navigator and the automatic screen rotation function to malfunction.

If your goal is to remove the icon from your desktop, you can just remove the widget, but if you want to stop the data collection process, you need to have a deeper setup.

Disabling the system meter in security settings

On Xiaomi smartphones, activity monitoring is often performed by the built-in Security app or Google Play system services. To limit their impact, go to permission settings. Go to Settings → Apps → All apps and find system components related to health or fitness.

It's important to find an app that collects telemetry data, and depending on the firmware version, it can be called Google Play Services, Mi Fitness, or Health. Inside the app menu, find the Permissions and turn off body or activity sensors.

It's also worth checking the shell settings. In some versions of MIUI, there's a separate widget section on the lock screen, and if the pedometer is displayed there, you can remove it by long pressing the lock screen and selecting element editing.

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Before disabling system services, take a screenshot of the current settings to quickly return everything as it was if necessary.

After making changes, the system may need to restart, which is normal, as monitoring services must stop completely and start again with new restrictions.

Setting up Mi Fitness and Google Fit apps

Most often, the steps are counted by preinstalled apps. In the case of the Xiaomi ecosystem, it can be Mi Fitness (formerly Mi Wear) or synchronization with your Mi Cloud account. To turn off, open the application, go to profile and find sync settings.

In the Google Fit app, which is often the default on global firmware versions, the procedure looks different: You have to open the app, click on the profile avatar, then select Settings → Activity Tracking and switch the slider to Off. This will stop the data being written to your Google account.

• 📱 Open the Mi Fitness or Google Fit app on the home screen.
• 🔒 Go to the settings section (usually the gear icon or profile).
• 🚫 Find the item “Activity Tracking” or “Step History” and turn it off.
• 💾 Confirm action if the system requests confirmation of data collection stoppage.

It's important to understand the difference between deleting an application and disabling it. If you just remove the shortcut, the background process may remain active. It's better to use the "Disable" feature in the application management menu if it's available for system components.

Limitation of background activity and battery

The most effective way to get your smartphone to stop counting steps is to prevent the corresponding apps from running in the background and using up a charge. To do this, go to Settings → Battery and Performance (or simply “Battery”).

In the list of apps, find fitness services. Click on them and select the energy saving strategy “No restrictions” (to allow work if necessary) or, conversely, “Limit background activity” if your goal is a full stop. In new versions of HyperOS, this item may be called “Sunset”.

It is also recommended to disable auto-start for these applications, which will prevent them from running immediately after the phone is turned on. Even if you do not open the application, it can be activated by the system to update the widget on the desktop.

⚠️ Attention: Limiting background activity for Google system services can disrupt a smart alarm clock that wakes you up in REM sleep based on your activity.

After setting up, check the result. Walk with your phone during the 10-15 Just a minute, then check the statistics in the app. If you didn't add steps, you're successful.

Use of ADB Rights for Advanced Users

For those who want to securely remove the pedometer system component, there is a method using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting the smartphone to a computer and having basic knowledge about the command line, which allows you to delete or freeze system packages that are not deleted in the standard way.

First, activate Developer Mode. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly press 7 times on either MIUI Version or OS Version. Then, in the advanced settings, turn on USB Debugging. Connect your phone to your PC and type a command to search for fitness-related packages.

adb shell pm list packages | grep fitness


adb shell pm list packages | grep health




adb shell pm list packages | google

Once you find the right package (e.g. com.google.android.apps.fitness or com.xiaomi.hm.health), you can disable it for the current user.This won't remove the app completely, but will make it non-functional without the ability to easily restore it.

Using ADB gives you maximum control, but you need to be careful. A mistake in the name of the packet can lead to unstable operation of the system. Always check the name of the packet twice before entering the delete command.

Comparison of disconnection methods and their consequences

The choice of method depends on your goals and level of training. Simply removing the widget does not save battery, whereas disconnecting through ADB gives maximum effect, but is more difficult to implement.

For most users, a combination of setting up Google Fit and limiting background activity is enough, a safe way that does not require a computer connection and does not pose a risk to Android stability.

If you use a smartphone in a corporate environment or have increased security requirements, consider using a smartphone. ADB, but only after consultation with IT-specialist.

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The optimal balance between functionality and autonomy is achieved by limiting background activity, rather than completely removing system components.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Now you know all the ways to disable the pedometer on the Xiaomi Redmi. Choose the method that best suits your tasks, and enjoy longer smartphone life on a single charge.