How to watch screen time on Xiaomi Redmi 9: all working methods

Screen time on Xiaomi Redmi 9 is not just numbers, but a real indicator of how you interact with your smartphone: How many hours a day is spent on social networks? How often are you distracted by notifications? This data helps not only control digital addiction, but also optimize battery power, because the display is one of the main consumers of energy in a smartphone. MIUI The path to reports may differ, and some features are hidden behind additional settings.

Many Redmi 9 users face a problem: the menu does not have the usual "Screen time" section, as on iPhones or smartphones with pure Android. MIUI, where the function is integrated into the Digital Wellbeing system or hidden in the depths of the battery settings. MIUI 13→14 the interface may have changed and the old instructions may not work. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to view screen time on Redmi 9, including hidden methods and circumvention of restrictions, and explain why data may not be displayed.

If you've never turned on activity tracking, the system won't collect statistics automatically, which is an important nuance: Xiaomi doesn't keep a "backdate" record - the data begins to be recorded only after the function is activated. 9 Firmware for the global and Chinese markets (MIUI Global/China) There may be different paths to settings, and we'll show you all the options so you can find the right partition.

1. Method: through Digital Wellbeing

The most obvious and official method is to use the built-in Digital Wellbeing tool, which is available on all Xiaomi smartphones with Android 9 and later. On Redmi 9, it can be hidden or renamed, but the essence remains the same: here are the statistics on app usage and screen time.

To open the report:

1. Go to Settings → Digital Well-Being and Parental Controls.
2. Slip on the hourglass icon (or the inscription "Control Panel").
3. At the top of the screen you will see a graph of Screen time broken down by day.
4. Scroll down to see the app details (e.g. how long it took to use TikTok or YouTube).

If the Digital Well-Being section isn't on the menu, it's disabled.

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Find the item Version. MIUI and tap it 7 times in a row (developer mode unlocks).
3. Return to the main settings menu, select Additional → Special facilities → Digital well-being.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI For Redmi 9 (especially Chinese), Digital Wellbeing can be replaced by Screen Time.

You'll see in the report:

• 📊 Total screen usage time per day/week.
• 📱 Top applications by activity time.
• 🔔 Number of phone unlocks.
• 🌙 Time of inactivity (when the phone was lying unused).

Is Digital Wellbeing activated in the settings?

Is MIUI Updated to the latest version?

Are there any restrictions on the region (Chinese firmware)

Are statistics reset after update-->

Method: through battery settings (hidden report)

Few people know, but the Xiaomi Redmi 9 keeps a record of screen time in the battery section, and here's the data in the context of power consumption, but it can be adapted to analyze activity, and this method works even if Digital Wellbeing is turned off.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance.
2. Select Battery Use (or Battery Statistics).
3. Swipe the graphic icon in the upper right corner (or swipe left on some versions) MIUI).
4. At the bottom of the screen will appear the screen time with the total display activity time.

The advantage of this method is that it shows the exact minutes of the screen, including the time in the always-on display mode (AOD), But there's no app detail, just general statistics.

⚠️ Note: If the battery statistics show 0 minutes of screen time when using the phone actively, this may mean a sensor malfunction or the need to reset the data. → Annexes → Application management → Three points. → Reset battery statistics.

Comparison of two methods:

Once a day.

Once a week.

Only when the battery is down.

Never checked.-->

Method: Third-party monitoring applications

If embedded tools MIUI You're not happy with it (for example, because there's no detail or failure), you can use third-party tools, and they offer advanced analytics: watch tracking, data export, limit notifications.

Top.-3 supplant 9:

• 📈 ActionDash – Shows screen time by day/week, integrates with Google Fit.
• 🔍 StayFree – minimalist interface, support for widgets on the main screen.
• 🛡️ Digital Wellbeing (from Google) – an alternative to the built-in tool, works on all firmware.

How to install and configure:

1. Download the app from Google Play (e.g. ActionDash).
2. Grant permissions to access the use of applications (Settings) → Annexes → Special access → Use of applications).
3. Start collecting data (it can take up to 24 hours for the first statistics).

⚠️ Attention: Redmi 9s MIUI 12 and below some monitoring applications may not count the time correctly due to system limitations. If the data is not updated, try disabling battery optimization for the utility in Settings → Battery → Choice of applications.

Advantages of third-party solutions:

• 📊 Export of data to CSV/Excel analyse.
• 🔔 Customizable notifications of exceeding limits.
• 🌍 Synchronization between devices (for example, through Google Account).

💡

If the monitoring app doesn't show data, check if it's added to the "Deep Optimization" list in the battery settings. This can block stats collection.

Method: through Developer Mode (for experienced)

For those who are willing to dig into system settings, there is a way to get screen time data through developer mode, which is suitable if standard tools don’t work or if technical detail is needed (for example, display activity time in milliseconds).

Algorithm of action:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times).
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find Screen Time (or Screen on Time in English).
4. This shows the total display activity time since the last reboot.

Limitations of the method:

• ❌ Data is reset after the phone is restarted.
• ❌ No breakdown by annex.
• ❌ Requires the activation of the developer mode (not recommended for beginners).

For advanced users, you can use it. ADB-commands to pull out the screen time log:

adb shell dumpsys power | grep "mScreenOnTime"

This command will return time in milliseconds, which can then be converted into hours/minutes.

5. Why is screen time not displayed or reset?

Many Redmi 9 users are faced with a problem: the statistics suddenly zeroed out or not collected at all, the reasons can be both software and hardware, let's analyze the basic scenarios and solutions.

Frequent causes of failure:

• 🔄 Update MIUI — After installing a new version of the firmware, statistics are often reset.
• 🔋 Cleaning the cache of system applications (e.g., Digital Wellbeing).
• ⚡ Battery optimization – the system can suspend data collection to save energy.
• 🛠️ Resetting settings to factory (all data erased).

How to recover statistics:

1. If the data is reset after the update, wait a day - the system will start collecting new statistics automatically.
2. Check if Digital Wellbeing is disabled in the application settings (Settings) → Annexes → Application management → Digital well-being).
3. Turn off battery optimization for Digital Wellbeing and third-party monitoring utilities.

⚠️ Redmi 9 with firmware for the Chinese market (MIUI China) Digital Wellbeing can be blocked at the system level, in which case only the flashing to the global version or the use of third-party applications will help.

If the statistics are not collected at all:

• Check if there are any restrictions on the region (for example, some Chinese firmware has disabled the function).
• Make sure the phone has the correct date and time (incorrect settings can knock down data collection).
• Try clearing the Digital Wellbeing app cache in the settings.

💡

If screen time is reset after each reboot, it's normal behavior for the developer mode. Use Digital Wellbeing or third-party apps for constant monitoring.

6. How to reset or reset the statistics of screen time?

Sometimes you need to start collecting data from scratch — after a long break from using your phone, for example, or to test new habits. Redmi 9 has a few ways to reset the statistics.

Method 1: Digital Wellbeing

1. Open the Settings. → Digital well-being.
2. Tap the icon of three dots (⋮) top-right.
3. Choose Reset Statistics.

Method 2: through application settings

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find digital well-being on the list.
3. Select Warehouse. → Clear the data.

Method 3: Complete reset (extreme case)

• ⚠️ This method will delete all data on the phone, including photos and apps.
• Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
• Choose to erase all data.

⚠️ Note: After resetting the statistics through Digital Wellbeing, new data will not start to be collected until 24 hours later.If you clean the app cache manually, you may need to restart the phone for the function to function properly.

When a discharge may be necessary:

• 📅 Start of a new month/week for keeping up-to-date statistics.
• 🔧 Testing new habits (e.g. reducing time on social media).
• 🐛 Correction of errors in the display of data.

7 Hidden Chips: How to Limit Screen Time?

Knowing statistics is only half the battle, and managing screen time is much more useful. Redmi 9 has built-in tools to limit the use of apps that will help reduce digital dependency.

How to set limits:

1. Discover Digital Well-Being → Control panel.
2. Select the app (such as Instagram) you want to set the restriction for.
3. Slip the hourglass icon and select the maximum use time per day.
4. Activate the application timer option.

What happens when the limit is exceeded:

• 🚫 The app icon will turn grey.
• 🔔 There will be a notification of exceeding the limit.
• 🔒 The application is blocked (unblockable via password or fingerprint).

Additional settings:

• 🌙 Do Not Disturb – automatically activates during sleep, blocking notifications.
• 👀 Child control: Parents can set strict limits on games and social media.
• 📵 Focus Mode – temporarily blocks distracting apps (available in Digital Well-being) → Focus mode).

If built-in tools aren’t enough, try apps like Forest or Stay Focused that use gamification to reduce screen time.

💡

To get around app restrictions (for example, if you forgot your password), go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management → Digital well-being → Reset the settings, but remember, it'll reset all the limits!

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions