The modern rhythm of life dictates its rules, and the smartphone often becomes the center of attention, taking away precious hours of productivity. Owners of Xiaomi devices running on the shells of MIUI or the new HyperOS may be surprised to find that the screen burns much longer than it seemed.
Fortunately, the company's engineers have implemented powerful analytics tools that are hidden deep in the system settings. You don't have to install third-party programs or questionable trackers to get detailed statistics. The built-in Digital Well-being module collects comprehensive data on each launch and duration of any software installed.
In this article, we will take a look at all the ways to get reports, from standard menus to engineering log viewing methods, and learn not only to see the numbers, but also to interpret them correctly, as well as adjust the restrictions that will help you regain control of the gadget.
Using the built-in module Digital Well-being
The main tool for monitoring activity in the Android operating system, and in particular in the shell from Xiaomi, is the service Digital Wellbeing. This component works at the kernel level of the system, so its data is considered the most accurate and reliable. To get into the statistics menu, you need to go to the main settings of the phone and find the corresponding section, which is usually located at the top of the list or in the category “Special features”.
Once you log into Settings → Digital Well-Being and Parental Control, you'll see a pie chart showing the total time the device is using for the day. Clicking on the center of the chart or the Show All Data button will open a detailed list, and apps are sorted by decreasing time of use, allowing you to instantly identify the main time eaters.
⚠️ Warning: If you just turned on your phone or reset your settings, the statistics may be blank.The system takes 24 hours of active work to generate the initial report.
It's important to understand that background activity can also be factored into general metrics if an application plays sound or uses navigation. For example, a navigator or music player running will increase your total screen time even if you don't interact with the interface all the time. For accurate habits diagnosis, you should pay attention not only to the total time, but also to the number of launches (unlocks), which is also displayed in this menu.
Detailed analysis through screen time
In new versions of the HyperOS shell and current MIUI 14 builds, the statistics feature has been expanded and renamed in some regions as “Eran Time,” a tool that provides a more visualized interface that allows you to track usage dynamics by day of the week, and by switching between tabs, you can see how your habits changed on weekends and weekdays.
Clicking on a particular app in the list will open a card with detailed information, showing not only the total time, but also the number of notifications received from that service, as well as the number of times the application was opened, and this granularity of data helps to understand whether high usage time is the result of one long session or many short but frequent distractions.
- 📊 Daily statistics: shows the distribution of minutes by hour, allowing to identify peak periods of activity.
- 🔔 Notifications: A separate counter shows how many times the app has woken your screen, which is often a trigger for starting a new session.
- 🚀 Launches: the number of opens of the application helps to estimate the level of dependence on a particular service.
Use this data for introspection. If you see that platforms (TikTok, YouTube Shorts) take more than 3 hours a day, it's a signal to action. The system allows you to set timers right from this menu, blocking access to the application after the limit is exhausted.
☑️ Checking the settings of statistics
Hidden reports and engineering menus
For advanced users who don't have enough standard graphs, there's the option of viewing deeper logs through an engineering menu, which requires caution because the interface is for developers, and to get there, you have to open the Phone app and type in a special combination of characters.
##4636##Once you enter the code, the Test menu will open. Select Usage statistics. Here, the data is presented as a dry list of processes with time stamps in Unix format or readable, depending on the version of Android. This list includes system services, which are often hidden in the usual Digital Well-being interface.
In this section, you can see the actual CPU time for each packet, which is especially useful for identifying applications that mine cryptocurrency or perform heavy calculations in the background, heating the device. However, beware: changing the settings in the engineering menu without understanding the consequences can lead to unstable communication or the entire system.
⚠️ Warning: Never change the parameters in the engineering menu unless you know exactly what they are for. Your goal here is just to look at the statistics).
What if the code doesn't work?
Comparison of different versions of MIUI and HyperOS
The interface and availability of time data vary significantly depending on the operating system version. Owners of older devices may not find some of the features available on newer models. Below is a table comparing monitoring capabilities across different shell versions.
| Function/Version | MIUI 12 / 13 | MIUI 14 | HyperOS 1.0+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day of the week schedule | Basic | Expanded | Detailed with analytics |
| Application limits | There is. | Eat with pauses. | There are smart scripts. |
| Focus mode | Absent. | Basic | Integrated deeply |
| Report on unlocks | There is. | There is. | Got a chart. |
HyperOS provides the most accurate and beautiful reports. It aggregates not only screen time, but also how phone use affects your health (if you have connected wearables, Xiaomi Wear). If you have an older version of MIUI, the functionality can be limited to a simple time meter without breaking down by period.
Users of older versions are encouraged to upgrade to the latest available firmware via the Settings menu → About Phone → System Update.This will not only improve reporting, but also close security vulnerabilities that may have been used by malware for hidden mining.
💡
Upgrading to HyperOS provides the most comprehensive and understandable time-control tool, combining data from all devices in the ecosystem.
Third-party alternatives for deep analytics
If Xiaomi's built-in tools aren't enough, the market offers powerful alternatives: apps like Digital Detox or ActionDash can provide more flexible reporting settings, request permission to access usage statistics, and build their own graphics, often more visually understandable.
But installing third-party software has its own risks: Apps like this require permanent permits to work in the background, which can lead to increased battery consumption — a paradox when a time-saving app is self-consuming.
- 🛡️ Security: Check the permissions that the time tracker requests; it doesn’t need access to contacts or microphone.
- 🔋 Battery: Make sure the analyzer app doesn’t drain your phone faster than you waste time.
- 📉 Accuracy: Third-party programs may have a delay in data synchronization compared to the system module.
Use third-party solutions only if you need specific features, such as locking your phone on a schedule or gamification of the smartphone abandonment process. Xiaomi is usually more than enough to simply view the statistics of regular funds.
Setting up restrictions and fighting addiction
Just knowing the numbers isn't enough, it's important to be able to manage them. Once you've identified the time-consuming apps that lead, the system allows you to set limits for them. From the Digital Well-Being menu, select the app you want and click Set a timer, and you can set a limit, like 30 minutes a day for social media.
When the limit is exhausted, the app icon will turn gray, and it will only be possible to run it with additional confirmation or not until the next day, which creates a necessary barrier that makes you think, "Do I really need to open Instagram right now?" Also useful are the "Do Not Disturb" and "Sleep Mode" mode, which restrict notifications at night.
⚠️ Please note: Do not set too strict limits immediately (e.g, 5 It'll cause stress and a desire to get around the lock. 10-15% weekly.
An effective method is also to use black and white screen mode. In the Settings menu → Advanced settings → Special features → Visualization can be turned on monochrome mode. The color screen stimulates the brain, making content more attractive; the gray screen dramatically reduces dopamine response, and the desire to flip the tape disappears much faster.
💡
Turn on “Read Mode” or “Paper View” in the Xiaomi screen settings – this not only keeps your eyes on it, but also makes the interface less bright and sticky, reducing your use time.