How to watch screen time on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8: official and hidden methods

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8, based on MIUI, collects detailed statistics on screen usage time, but not everyone knows where to find it. Unlike the iPhone, where Screen Time is displayed on the main settings screen, Redmi has a deeper hidden data — and sometimes requires additional manipulation. In this article, we will discuss all the ways to view screen time, from standard MIUI 12/13/14 tools to hidden functions and third-party applications.

It’s important to understand that the statistics on the Redmi Note 8 may differ from other Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 or POCO X3), due to the firmware version and hardware limitations. If you didn’t find the right section in the settings, don’t be quick to blame yourself: your version of MIUI may require updating or activating hidden features via ##4636##.

1. Standard way: through Digital Well-Being

The most obvious method is to use the built-in Digital Wellbeing tool, which is available on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 10 and later. On the Redmi Note 8, this section may be called differently depending on the firmware version, but the essence remains the same: here are the statistics on screen usage, application launches and notifications.

To find him:

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Scroll down and select Digital Well-Being and Parental Control (or simply Digital Well-Being).
3. Slip the chart at the top of the screen – this shows the total time of use of the device for today.
4. For details on applications, click Show App Data or Usage Statistics.

In this section you will see:

• 📊 Total screen time per day/week.
• 📱 Top of applications by time of use (with minutes).
• 🔔 Number of unblocks and notifications.
• 📅 Dynamics by day (if history is included).

⚠️ Note: If there is no Digital Well-Being section, check the version MIUI In Settings → On the old firmware (below). MIUI 10) this function can be disabled or hidden. Update the system via Settings → Update of the PO.

2.Alternative method: through "Battery and performance"

If Digital Well-being doesn't show data, or if you want more technical statistics, you can look at the Battery section, where MIUI captures the activity of the screen in the context of power consumption, which indirectly reflects the time of use.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance.
2. Slip on Battery Use (or Battery Statistics).
3. At the top of the screen, select the Screen Use tab or Screen Activity tab.
4. Scroll down to the screen time block - here will be the total time in the format ChCh:MM.

The advantage of this method is:

• 🔋 Shows the relationship between screen time and battery consumption.
• 📉 Allows you to identify applications that “eat” charge even in the background.
• 🔄 Data is updated in real time (unlike Digital Wellbeing, where there is sometimes a delay).

However, there is a caveat: the screen time in the Battery section may be slightly different from the data in Digital Well-being, which is because MIUI takes into account different events (for example, turning on the screen from notifications or gestures).

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If the statistics in the Battery section are reset after the reboot, turn on the option Accurate battery statistics in the developer settings (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – tap 7 times).

3. Hidden functions: engineering menu and ADB-team

For advanced users who want the most accurate screen time data, including microsecond switches, there is a way through the Engineering Menu or ADB. This method is suitable if the standard settings don't work or you suspect that the stats are being reset on their own.

Method 1: through the Engineering Menu

1. Open the Phone app and enter the combination: ##4636##.
2. In the menu that appears, select Usage Statistics.
3. Scroll to the Screen On Time block, where the exact time is shown in milliseconds.

Method 2: via ADB (requires a PC)

adb shell dumpsys power | grep "mScreenOnTime"

This command will display screen time in XX:XX:XX (hours: minutes:seconds) and you will need to:

• 🖥️ Computer with installed ADB-driver.
• 🔌 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Tap 7 times, then return to the Additional Settings → For developers).
• 📋 Installed Platform Tools utility from Google.

⚠️ Note: Use of the engineering menu or ADB It can cause a smartphone to crash if you make changes to your settings. Don't edit settings that you don't know what you're going to do.

4. Third-party applications for screen time monitoring

If the built-in MIUI tools don't suit you, you can install third-party utilities that offer advanced analytics, including:

• 📊 Daily/weekly/monthly reports with schedules.
• 🎯 Time-limiting objectives for individual applications.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parental control (for family use).
• 🔍 Detailing by category (social networks, games, work).

The best apps for Redmi Note 8:

Check the permissions of the application before installing: some utilities require access to special features (for example, to track the use of other programs). This is normal, but if the application requests access to SMS or contacts, this is a reason to be wary.

1. Check out reviews in the Play Market (ranked above 4.0)

2.Make sure the app has been updated in the last 3 months

3. read the privacy policy (especially the data collection clause)

4. Create a backup of settings (Settings → Additional → Backup)

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5 Why statistics may or may not be retained

Many Redmi Note 8 users are faced with a problem: screen time suddenly becomes zero or no longer fixed.

Frequent reasons for data resetting:

• 🔄 Rebooting the smartphone – some versions MIUI drop off the counter when switched off.
• 📵 Cleaning the cache of system applications (e.g., Digital Well-Being or Security).
• 🔧 Update firmware - after major updates, statistics may be zeroed.
• 🛠️ Resetting settings to factory (even a partial reset can affect this data).
• 🔋 Battery discharge to 0% – on some devices this results in loss of time logs.

How to prevent data loss:

1. Turn off automatic cache cleaning for system applications (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Filter (system) → Cache cleaning).
2. Export statistics regularly through third-party apps (for example, StayFree allows you to save reports to CSV).
3. Do not use “aggressive” battery optimizers that force the background processes to close.

⚠️ Note: If statistics are reset after each update MIUI, This may be due to Xiaomi's time-data reset policies, in which case the only reliable way to track it is through third-party cloud-backup apps.

Resetting and calibration of screen time data

Sometimes users need to reset the statistics — for example, after a long break in use of a smartphone or before selling a device.

Method 1: through the MIUI settings

1. Go to Settings. → Digital well-being.
2. Slap the icon. ⋮ (three points) in upper right corner.
3. Choose Reset Statistics or Clear Data.

Method 2: through cache dumping

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Digital Wellbeing (Digital Wellbeing) app.
3. Select Warehouse. → Clear the cache.

Method 3: Complete reset (extreme case)

If the statistics are “hanging” and not updated, resetting your Digital Wellbeing settings via ADB can help:

adb shell pm clear com.miui.guardprovider

This command will delete all the data in the application, including the history of screen time, and be careful, once it's run, you can't recover the statistics.

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If you are selling or transferring a smartphone to another person, it is recommended to perform a full factory reset (Settings → About Phone → Resetting).

FAQ: Frequent questions about screen time on Redmi Note 8