In the age of unlimited tariffs, it’s easy to forget about control, but mobile Internet is not always available in unlimited volumes, especially when roaming or using Wi-Fi with quotas. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face the need to strictly limit data consumption to specific applications or the system as a whole, which avoids unexpected write-offs by the operator and extends the life of a package of gigabytes until the end of the billing period.
MIUI and the new HyperOS have built-in, deeply integrated monitoring tools that are more efficient than third-party ones. Customizing these settings requires understanding how the system prioritizes background processes. In this article, we’ll detail how to set a limit on shaomi traffic so that your budget remains under full control.
Basic monitoring setting in the Security app
The central element of Xiaomi’s shell resource management is the System Security app. This is where the most accurate meters are hidden, not in the standard Android settings menu. When you first start up, the system automatically identifies your carrier and suggests setting a monthly limit, but this data often requires manual adjustments for the current tariff.
To get started, you need to open the app and go to Traffic, which shows the general statistics of mobile network usage and Wi-Fi. By clicking on the gear in the upper right corner, you get to the settings menu where you can set the date of the reset. It is critical to synchronize this date with the date of connection of your plan, otherwise the statistics will be incorrect and you risk exceeding the limit ahead of time.
In the same menu, you have a Traffic Limit switch, and you activate it, you set a hard threshold, and then you reach that threshold, you'll either block the network or you'll just notify you, and MIUI allows you to set a few gigabytes of warning to the end, which gives you time to connect the additional packet to the operator.
It is worth noting that the built-in meter operates at the driver level of the network, so its readings are considered reference for this model of the device. Third-party programs may have a delay in updating the data or conflict with aggressive policies of energy saving of the shell.
Setting strict restrictions on mobile data
After activating general monitoring, you need to adjust the behavior of the smartphone as you approach the established line. In the traffic settings menu, select Settings and make sure that the Traffic Limit slider is on. Below you will see a scale where you can move the sliders, setting the warning values and the full limit.
When the limit is reached, the system will apply the strategy you have chosen: either completely shut down mobile data or simply block background activity, leaving the ability to use the Internet manually.
⚠️ Warning: When setting a limit of 0 MB or very low, make sure you have Wi-Fi on if you are at home. Otherwise, the smartphone may lose all connection to the outside world immediately after the screen is turned on.
Special attention should be paid to the “packet data” feature, which allows you to allow the use of mobile Internet only for selected applications in some versions of the firmware, which creates a “white list” effect, where the browser or messenger will not be able to access the network through the SIM card, even if the general limit is not yet exhausted.
☑️ Checking the limit settings
Flow control for individual applications
The most data is often consumed not by browsers, but by the background processes of social networks, cloud storage or navigators. In the Security app, go to the Statistics (or Traffic Usage) section to see a detailed list of all programs, which are ranked by the amount of data consumed.
By clicking on a particular app, like Instagram or YouTube, you can deny it access to your mobile network. There are three states available: "Mob Data and Wi-Fi", "Wi-Fi Only" and "Disable"; Selecting Wi-Fi Only mode ensures that the app will not waste a single megabyte of your mobile data, even if you accidentally open it outside the home.
A special role here is played by Background, which even if you don't use the navigator actively, it can update maps or track location, consuming resources. Turning off background activity for heavy applications is one of the most effective ways to save traffic without losing functionality during active use.
Hidden System Processes
It's also worth checking your social media autoplay settings, and many users don't know that high video quality is the default settings of the app itself, not the system, and that limiting traffic at the OS level doesn't always work if quality is the priority of the app over savings.
Speed and traffic restrictions for Wi-Fi networks
While mobile internet is the most common way to monitor, Wi-Fi restriction is also relevant for roaming, paying internet in hotels, or using a smartphone as a hotspot for other devices, with HyperOS and newer versions of MIUI enabling wireless limits.
In the traffic settings section, find a switch that allows you to keep track of Wi-Fi. Once activated, you can set a limit value similar to a mobile network. This is useful if your home provider applies a Fair Use policy and slows down after consuming a certain amount of data.
| Type of restriction | Mobile data | Wi-Fi network | Impact on the system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warning | A pop-up notice | A pop-up notice | The user is informed |
| Lockdown | Full 4G/5G shutdown | Breaking the connection | Network access terminated |
| Background mode | Background synchronization prohibition | Stopping updates | Saving charge and traffic |
| Annexes | Individual prohibition | Individual prohibition | Selective access |
When you use your smartphone as a modem, the limits are set in a separate access point menu, where you can set the maximum amount of traffic for connected customers, after which the Internet distribution will automatically stop, which protects you from situations where the connected laptop starts downloading system updates, "eating" the entire package.
💡
If you often give out Internet to your laptop, install a Windows connection as "Limited" to prevent large Windows updates from being downloaded via Xiaomi's mobile network.
Automation and savings scenarios
For advanced users who want to achieve maximum control, the system offers automation scenarios. Using built-in tools or shortcuts, you can configure complex network behavior algorithms, for example, when connecting to a home Wi-Fi network, mobile traffic can be turned off automatically.
Scenarios allow you to respond not only to the type of connection, but also to the time of day or location. You can set the rule: "If it's from 00:00 to 06:00, turn off mobile data transfers." This will prevent overnight updates to applications that can occur if the Play Market settings are not limited.
Another powerful tool is Traffic Saving, which is often confused with power saving mode, which when activated compresses passing data, disables browser preloads and stops email syncing, and it is inconvenient to manually enable this mode, so it is better to create an automatic activation scenario when it reaches 90% of the set limit.
⚠️ Attention: In strict traffic mode, real-time notifications from instant messengers may stop coming, messages will only come after opening the application or turning off the mode.
Resetting statistics and problem solving
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the counter shows incorrect data or does not reset on the desired date, in which case manual resetting of statistics helps. When you are in the traffic menu, click on the menu button (three dots) and select Reset statistics. This will return all the meters to zero, and you can start the accounting again.
If the problem is that the Internet is off before time, check to see if you have a limit in bytes instead of gigabytes (a rare bug when manually typed). Also make sure that the date and time settings are automatically determined, as the time down can confuse the system when calculating the period.
💡
Regularly resetting statistics on the date of connection tariff is the only way to guarantee the accuracy of the built-in Xiaomi counter over the long-term distance.
In rare cases, when standard methods do not help limit the "gluttonous" application, you can use the developer mode. the command adb shell pm set-restricted-standby true (requires a connection to the PC) can forcefully limit background activity, but this is an extreme measure for experienced users.