How to put a time limit on your Xiaomi phone: all ways 2026

Monitoring smartphone screen time has become a necessity for many Xiaomi users. Overuse of gadgets affects productivity, sleep and even health – especially for children and adolescents. Fortunately, MIUI firmware (versions 14 and 15) offers several built-in tools for time limitation, from a basic screen timer to extended parental control with app locking.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can do things, from standard features to hidden settings that work even on the budget models of Redmi and POCO. You’ll learn how to set limits for yourself (for example, to less distraction on social networks) or for your child (with block games on schedule), and how to get around the restrictions if you forgot your password, and what to do if the features don’t work.

1. Built-in screen time in MIUI: basic settings

The easiest way to limit your phone usage time is through the Xiaomi Screen Time feature, which is available on all MIUI 12+ devices and allows you to set a general limit on your smartphone or individual apps. Here's how it works:

Go to Settings → Screen time. Here you will see the usage statistics for the day / week and the button Set a limit on screen time. The system will suggest selecting a total daily limit (for example, 2 or 4 hours) or setting a schedule for specific applications (for example, block TikTok after 22:00).

• 📱 General Limit: Limits all screen time (including calls but excluding some system processes).
• ⏰ Schedule: Allows you to set different limits by day (for example, 1 hour on weekdays and 3 hours on weekends).
• 🔒 Blocking after limit: The phone will require a password to continue using.

Important: this feature only works for the current user, if there are multiple profiles on the phone (like yours and your child), you will have to duplicate the settings for each, and the limits are reset at midnight local time — keep this in mind when planning.

Parental Controls: Restrictions for Children

If you need to set your child's restrictions, use the built-in parental controls in MIUI, which not only allows you to limit time, but also allows you to block specific applications, filter content, and even track location (on some models).

1. Open the Settings. → Parental control.
2. Create a profile of your child (you will need to link your Mi Account).
3. Set a password for your parent’s settings (remember it!).
4. Set up the restrictions: 🕒 Time of use: Total daily limit or by application. 📵 Prohibited applications: Blocking games, social networks, etc. 📍 Geolocation: Location tracking (available on Xiaomi) 12/13/14 flagship).

The parental controls feature in Xiaomi: it is tied to the Mi Account, so the settings will remain even after the phone is reset (if you do not delete the account), which protects against circumventing restrictions through a reset.

Create a backup of phone data |

Link your Mi Account (if not linked) |

Write the password of parental control in a safe place |

Check the version. MIUI (update if necessary)-->

3. Time limit for individual applications

If you only need to limit time to certain apps (such as games or social media), use App Timer. It is available in Settings → Apps → App Timer and works regardless of total screen time.

Algorithm of settings:

1. Select an app from a list (like Instagram or Genshin Impact).
2. Set a daily limit (from 5 minutes to 24 hours).
3. Activate the Block option after the limit has expired.
4. If you wish, add exceptions (e.g. allow 10 extra minutes per day).

This feature is useful if you want to reduce your time on social networks, but not limit other activities on your phone, for example, you can block YouTube after 1 hour of viewing, but leave unlimited access to messengers or educational applications.

Hidden functions: schedule limitation

Few people know, but MIUI has a hidden feature called Sleep Mode, which automatically restricts phone use at night, and is useful for those who want to sleep without distracting notifications, or for parents who want to lock their child's phone at night.

How to set up:

1. Go to Settings → Sleep Mode (on some models, the path: Settings → Display → Sleep Mode).
2. Turn on the function and set the time (for example, from 23:00 to 7:00).
3. Select the level of restrictions: 🌙 Notifications only: Turns off sounds and vibrations, but the phone remains unlocked. 🔒 Screen lock: The phone is locked for a selected period (unlocking is possible only through a password).

This feature works in parallel with other limitations, such as setting a total screen time limit of 2 hours and additionally locking the phone from 23:00 to 7:00.

💡

If your MIUI version does not have a Sleep Mode feature, try updating your firmware or use an alternative, Google’s Digital Wellbeing app (available from the Play Market).

5. Time Limitation through Digital Wellbeing (Google)

Xiaomi phones with Google services (most models other than the Chinese versions) have a Digital Wellbeing app that offers more flexible settings than standard MIUI features, including:

• 📊 Detailed usage statistics by application.
• ⏱️ Timers for applications with the possibility of pause.
• 🛡️ Focus mode that temporarily blocks distracting apps.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Link for Remote Control of Children's Devices.

To activate:

1. Open the Settings. → Google → Digital Well-Being and Parental Control.
2. Set limits for apps or turn on Focus Mode.
3. For family control, link your child’s account through Family Link.

The advantage of Digital Wellbeing is cross-platform: settings sync with other Android devices (like tablets), but some features may conflict with the built-in limitations of MIUI, so choose one tool.

6.How to circumvent restrictions (and how to avoid them)

Children and adolescents often try to circumvent phone restrictions, and here are the most common ways to prevent them:

If your child has already circumvented the restrictions, try:

1. Install a third-party parental control app (such as Kaspersky Safe Kids or Qustodio).
2. Activate Safe Mode (Plug the Power button → Safe Mode) – it disables all third-party applications.
3. Reset your phone to factory settings and set the restrictions again (don’t forget to link Mi Account).

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The most reliable way to protect against bypassing is a combination of built-in parental control MIUI + a third-party application (for example, Google Family Link).

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

Sometimes time limits on Xiaomi don't work properly, and here are the typical problems and ways to fix them:

• ❌ Restrictions do not apply: Check if the developer mode is disabled (Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — 7 times press to activate.Some settings in this mode may conflict with limitations.
• ❌ Timer resets on its own: Update firmware to latest version MIUI. In older versions (below 13.0.5), there was a time synchronization error.
• ❌ Locking after limit: Make sure the Block option is enabled after expiry in screen time settings. Also check if the unlock password is set (it may conflict with restrictions).

If the problem persists, try resetting Screen Time settings:

1. Go to Settings → Screen time → Three dots (menu) → Reset data.
2. Reset the constraints.

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Before resetting your settings, export usage statistics (if important). To do this, select Data Export from the Screen Time menu.

8. Alternative methods: third-party applications

If built-in MIUI features aren’t enough, consider third-party time-limiting apps that offer advanced features such as:

• 📅 Flexible schedule by day of the week.
• 📵 Geolocation blocking (e.g. at school).
• 📈 Detailed reports with graphs and weekly comparisons.

Top.-3 applications:

Before installing third-party applications:

1. Check compatibility with your version of MIUI (some apps don’t work on MIUI 14+ due to new security restrictions).
2. Turn off battery optimization for the parental control application (Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization).
3. Set up AutoRun for the application (Settings → Applications → Permissions → AutoRun).

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The app side can drain the battery faster than the built-in MIUI features. If autonomy is important, use the combination of built-in parental controls + Google Family Link (the least resource-intensive option).

FAQ: Frequent questions