Smartphones are becoming an integral part of life, and we often don't notice how much time we spend in a bright display. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices often wonder: how many hours a day do I spend scrolling through tape and correspondence?
MIUI and its global version of HyperOS come with powerful built-in analytics tools that keep detailed statistics of your activity, hidden from view during normal use, but available in special settings sections, and understanding how to access this information will allow you to better manage your time.
In this article, we’ll look at all the available ways to monitor screen time, from standard system utilities to hidden engineering menus. You’ll learn not just to look at numbers, but also to analyze them to optimize the device and reduce eye strain. The average user spends about 4-6 hours a day on a smartphone, which is almost a third of waking time.
Using the Digital Well-Being function
The main and most detailed tool for tracking activity is the built-in Digital Wellbeing app, which is integrated directly into the MIUI shell and does not require third-party software installation, and this is where all the statistics about which apps you opened and for how long are collected.
To get into this section, you need to follow the Settings → Digital Well-Being and Parental Controls path, and on the screen that opens, you'll see a pie chart showing the total time the device is using for the day, and if you click on the chart itself or the Show All Data button, you'll go to the detailed statistics.
This is a day-of-week display that allows you to track the dynamics: you can sit on your phone more on weekends than on workdays, and it automatically sorts apps by time of use, showing the most active time eaters first on the list.
- 📊 Detailed breakdown by hour and minute for each installed application.
- 🔔 Statistics of the number of unlocks of the smartphone and received notifications.
- ⏱️ Possibility of setting time limits for specific programs.
- 🌙 Sleep time mode to limit functionality at night.
It's important to note that the service needs permissions to work properly, and if you've recently reset your settings or updated your firmware, it can take a couple of days for the system to accumulate accurate data. Don't ignore the Parental Controls section inside this menu if you want to limit your children's access to certain content.
Analysis of the energy consumption of the screen
The second reliable source of information about the display time is the battery partition. The screen is the most energy-intensive element of a smartphone, and the Android system always accurately records how long it has been active. This method is good because it shows exactly the time of the matrix glow, regardless of whether the application was working in the background or not.
To view the data, go to Settings → Battery. The top of the screen usually shows the discharge graph, and below is the list of applications, sorted by percentage of charge consumed. However, we are not interested in the list of applications, but in the general statistics of the screen.
Click the gear icon or three dots in the top right corner (depending on the MIUI version) to open the battery settings. There's often a "statistics" or "battery use" item that shows the total screen life since the last full charge, which is a great way to check how honest the other meters are.
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If the screen time in the battery statistics is significantly less than in Digital Well-being, it is possible that part of the time the phone was running in Always-on Display mode or widgets were updated without turning on full backlight.
There's a caveat: battery statistics are reset after every full discharge to 0% or forced reboot of the power saving service, so if you want to track usage for a week, this method will have to be used wisely, taking screenshots regularly, while Digital Wellbeing keeps a longer history.
⚠️ Note: The data in the battery section may differ slightly from real time due to the calibration features of the current sensors on different Xiaomi models. 5-10 minutes are the norm.
Verification of statistics through Application Settings
The third way to get information is through a deep check through the system's application management menu, which is less visible to the general picture, but allows you to study the behavior of a particular program in detail. If you're wondering why an application (like a navigator or messenger) lands a battery so quickly, this section will be the most informative.
Go to Settings → Applications → All apps. In the list that opens, find an application you are interested in, such as YouTube or Telegram. Inside the application card, select "Battery consumption" or "Battery use".
Here you'll see the exact time the application is running in active mode and in the background. Active mode is when you've interacted directly with the interface. Background mode is when the application is running, while you're using other programs, or when your phone is in your pocket.
| Parameter | Description | Where does it matter? |
|---|---|---|
| Active time | Screen time with running application | Total time of use |
| Background time | Working without an active screen | Battery consumption, traffic |
| Launches. | Number of program discoveries | Frequency of use |
| Permits | Access to camera, microphone, geo-position | Security of data |
Using this technique, you can identify parasitic programs that work in the background, and it often turns out that the social network you were sitting on for only 10 minutes actually consumed resources for an hour due to background video uploading or synchronization.
☑️ Checking the suspicious app
Hidden Codes and Engineering Menu
For advanced users who did not find the necessary numbers in the standard menu, there are special ones. USSD-But it's worth noting right away: modern versions of HyperOS and the latest ones. MIUI access to deep statistics through codes is often closed by the manufacturer for security reasons.
One way to work is to use the command ##4636##. Enter this code in the Phone app. If the menu opens, select Usage statistics, which can display the time of the components, although the interface will look quite spartan and technical.
##4636##
(Introduced in the annex Telephone)If the code doesn't work or the message "Team not found" is displayed, then this access is blocked on your firmware, in which case you should not download dubious applications from unverified sources that promise to open the engineering menu - this can lead to data leakage.
⚠️ Note: Changing the settings in the engineering menu (4636) without understanding their purpose can lead to unstable network operation or system failures!
There's also code ##6484## that opens the hardware testing menu (CIT), where you can check the screen's performance, but it doesn't usually show time statistics, and the main source of truth is the software statistics of the system.
Third-party applications for time control
If Xiaomi’s built-in tools aren’t enough for you, or you want more flexible analytics with charts and reports, you can turn to third-party solutions. Google Play Store offers a variety of utilities specializing in digital detox and habit tracking.
One of the most popular solutions is ActionDash or QualityTime, which is that these apps ask for permission to access Usage Access, and once they've granted permission, they start to plot detailed graphs to show you what time of day you're most active.
- 📈 Building complex activity schedules by day and week.
- 🔔 Smart notifications when you exceed a set limit.
- 🛑 “Blocking” function for complete prohibition of application launch.
- 📱 Synchronization of statistics between several devices.
The main advantage of third-party apps is the ability to export data. You can upload a report to a CSV or PDF and analyze your habits on your computer. Also, they often have a friendlier interface than standard Android settings.
Effect of trackers on battery
How to reduce the time of using a smartphone
Once you know how much time you spend on your phone, there is often a desire to fix it. Digital hygiene is an increasingly relevant topic. Xiaomi provides several tools to help reduce screen time without drastic measures.
First of all, use Focus Mode, which allows you to temporarily block distracting applications, leaving only tools for work or calls available, and you can activate it through the control panel or widget on the desktop.
It also works effectively in black and white, and when the interface loses its bright colors, it becomes less attractive to the brain, and the desire to flip through the tape disappears. You can turn this on in Settings → Advanced Settings → Special Features → Visual → Gray Mode.
Keep your phone away from you while you sleep, and try not to pick it up the first hour after you wake up, and these simple rules help reduce addiction faster than any software restrictions.
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Awareness is the first step to solving the problem, and regularly checking usage statistics helps to form healthy digital habits and free up time for real life.