How to completely disable the pedometer on the Xiaomi phone: 5 working ways

The stepmer in Xiaomi smartphones is a useful feature for fitness enthusiasts, but not all users need it. Constant activity of motion sensors can drain the battery, and automatic notifications of “inadequate activity” can be annoying. Moreover, on some Redmi and POCO models, the pedometer works even in the background, consuming system resources without obvious benefit.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can disable the pedometer on Xiaomi phones, from standard MIUI settings to hidden developer settings. You’ll learn how to deactivate the feature in whole or in part (for example, only for specific applications), and what to do if the pedometer is activated again after the system update. Instructions are relevant for MIUI 12-14 and models from the Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 13 Ultra.

Why does the pedometer work without your knowledge?

Many users are surprised to find that the pedometer on Xiaomi counts steps even when they haven't run apps like Mi Fitness or Google Fit. The reason lies in the built-in service com.miui.analytics, which collects data from motion sensors to analyze activity.

• 📊 For the compilation of statistics in MIUI Health (even if you don’t use it).
• 🔋 To optimize battery consumption (the system learns from your habits).
• 📱 For gestures (such as lifting the phone to unlock).
• 🚫 To transfer anonymous data to Xiaomi Cloud (if synchronization is enabled).

On models with Always-On Display (such as the Xiaomi 12T Pro or POCO F5), the pedometer can display the number of steps directly on the locked screen, which not only consumes charge, but also increases the load on the processor, since the sensors are polled every 5-10 seconds.

Method 1: Disconnecting through MIUI Health settings

The most obvious method is to deactivate the pedometer in the standard MIUI Health app (formerly Mi Fitness), which is suitable for most models, but on some firmware the item may be hidden - then move to Method 2.

Instructions:

1. Open the MIUI Health app (green heart icon).

If your phone doesn't have MIUI Health app, check the Google folder - sometimes the pedometer is controlled via Google Fit.

• 📱 Open Google Fit.
• 🔧 Go to Profile. → Settings → Devices.
• 🚫 Click on your smartphone and turn off step synchronization.

Method 2: Limiting access to sensors through application settings

If the pedometer continues to work after disconnection in MIUI Health, the problem may be in third-party apps (e.g. S Health, Huawei Health or fitness trackers). MIUI There is a separate menu for controlling access to motion sensors.

How to prevent applications from using a pedometer:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the upper right corner, click on three dots and select Special Access.
3. Choose Body Sensors (or Physical Activity in older versions).
4. Disable access for all applications except system applications (e.g. com.android.systemui).

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If the pedometer still works after the access is turned off, check the autorun of applications in Settings → Battery → Autostart Control. Some fitness applications can restart services in the background.

Method 3: Disconnect through the developer settings

For power users, there is a radical method of turning off the system-level motion sensors, which will completely block the pedometer, but can affect other functions (such as automatically rotating the screen).

Instructions:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find the item Disable sensors (or Background check in English firmware).
4. Check the boxes: 📱 Accelerometer (main pedometer sensor). 🌀 Gyroscope (assistance sensor). 🧲 Magnetic sensor (for compass).

Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Warning: Disabling sensors will cause functions such as automatic screen rotation, gestures (e.g., double tap to wake up) and some games (e.g., games) to fail, Pokémon GO tilt-race).

Method 4: Remove system applications (root only)

If you're willing to take drastic measures and your phone has an unlocked bootloader with root rights, you can completely remove the services responsible for the pedometer, which is suitable for advanced users and can disrupt the stability of the system if you do not act correctly.

Which apps are responsible for the pedometer:

• 📦 com.miui.analytics – data collection service (including steps).
• 📊 com.mi.health - the main application MIUI Health.
• 🔄 com.xiaomi.midrop – sometimes interacts with sensors.

For removal:

1. Install Root Explorer or Titanium Backup.
2. Find the listed applications in the list of system.
3. Choose to Remove (Do Not Freeze!).
4. Reboot the phone.

⚠️ Note: Removal of system applications may result in: 🔄 Cyclical reboot (bootloop). 📵 Loss of functionality (e.g., proximity sensor failure). 🔧 Impossibility of updating MIUI through OTA. Before deleting, make a backup copy through TWRP!

Method 5: Reset health settings (if the pedometer "hangs")

Sometimes the pedometer on Xiaomi starts showing incorrect data (for example, thousands of steps per minute) or does not turn off through standard settings, in which case the health data reset will help.

How to reset:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find MIUI Health and click on it.
3. Select Warehouse. → Clear the data.
4. Confirm the action (this will remove all activity statistics).
5. Reboot the phone.

If the pedometer is activated again after reset, check:

• 🔄 Automatic update MIUI Health at Play Market.
• 📱 Duplicate fitness apps (e.g. Huawei Health or Samsung Health).
• 🔋 Optimizing the battery for MIUI Health in Settings → Battery → Choice of applications.

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Resetting MIUI Health does not affect the performance of other sensors, but removes the entire activity history (steps, sleep, pulse). If you care about statistics, export it to Google Fit or Apple Health.

What if the pedometer turned on itself after the update?

Many Xiaomi users are faced with the fact that after the MIUI update, the pedometer starts working again, even if it was disabled earlier, this is due to the fact that the system resets some settings when major updates (for example, when switching from MIUI 13 to MIUI 14).

How to prevent automatic activation:

1. Turn off auto-update MIUI Health: 📱 Go to the Play Store. 🔍 Find it. MIUI Health. 🚫 Click on three dots and uncheck the box with Auto Update.

Set up background activity restrictions:

• 🔋 Go to Settings. → Battery → Autostart control.
• 🚫 Turn off autostart for MIUI Health and Google Fit.