How to check the time of use of Xiaomi Redmi Note 7: a detailed guide with screenshots

Have you ever caught yourself on your phone all night but never had time to do your scheduled tasks? Xiaomi Redmi Note 7, despite its age (model released in 2019), is equipped with built-in tools to monitor activity, but many users do not know how to use them – or even do not know about their existence.

In this article, we'll look at all the ways you can track your screen time, from standard Digital Well-Being to hidden MIUI capabilities and third-party apps, not only how to look at general statistics, but also how to break down data by app, day of the week, and even set usage limits, and why the numbers in the reports may sometimes be different and how to fix them.

1.The standard Digital Well-Being feature in MIUI

Starting with MIUI 10 (and the Redmi Note 7 originally came with MIUI 10.2), Xiaomi added a built-in screen time-control tool called Digital Well-being, which hides much more data than it first appears.

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Scroll down and select Digital Well-Being and Parental Controls.
3. Tap on Control Panel or Usage Statistics (the name may vary depending on the version of MIUI).

Here you'll see:

• 📊 Total time of use of the phone for today (and comparison with previous days).
• 📱 Top Apps by Time – Which Programs Eat the Most of Your Attention.
• 📅 Timetable of activity by hour (peak periods of use).
• 🔄 Number of screen unlocks – an indirect indicator of dependence.

Importantly, if you've never turned this feature on, the system will suggest activating it when you first log in. Accept that without it, data will not be collected! Also, note that Digital Well-being only starts to record activity after it's turned on, not retrospectively.

2.Where to look for hidden statistics in MIUI (for advanced)

Few people know, but MIUI has additional reports that don't appear on the home screen of Digital Well-being.

1. Go to Settings. → The whole block “Digital well-being» → Badge «⋮» (three points) in upper right corner → «Usage statistics».
2. There will be more analytics, including: 📉 Dynamics by day of the week (for example, weekend use can increase by 40%). 🕒 Average session time per screen turn on. 📴 List of notifications that distracted you from business (by app).

Another secret section is the Activity Log, which shows you the exact time stamps for unlocking the screen and launching the applications.

Settings → Xiaomi Accounts → Activity log (could be called “Device Activity”)

⚠️ Note: If you use two Xiaomi accounts (personal and work), the statistics may be duplicated or reset when you switch profiles. Before analyzing the data, make sure you are logged in to the account you use more often.

3. Third-party applications for detailed analysis

Built-in tools MIUI They give you basic information, but if you want deep analytics (like comparing with other users or exporting data to Excel), you'll have to turn to third-party solutions.-3 tested applications:

Before installing any of these applications, disable the built-in Digital Well-Being in the MIUI settings to avoid data collection conflicts. Also note permissions: quality time trackers request access to Usage Statistics and Special Features (to track active applications).

Disable built-in Digital Well-being |Give access to usage statistics |Allow auto-run applications |Configure exceptions to save battery-->

4. How to check the time of use through the “Security App”

Xiaomi's Security app not only protects your phone from viruses, it also keeps a parallel record of activity, and it works even if you've turned off Digital Well-Being:

1. Open the Security app (shield icon with a tick).
2. Go to the Optimization or Acceleration section.
3. Slip on Usage Statistics or Application Activity.

Here you will find:

• 🕐 Screen time (separate from time in background).
• 🔋 Battery consumption by application – indirectly shows which programs are active longer than others.
• 📲 List of recently used apps with timestamps.

The advantage of this method is that the data is stored even after resetting (unless the Security cache is cleared), but there are no graphs and comparisons by day, only raw numbers.

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If the Usage Statistics section is not in the Security app, update it via Google Play. Older versions (before 2021) may not have supported this feature.

5 Manual time tracking with call and notification log

If you don’t need automatic reports, but rather need to monitor a specific day (such as during exams or important work), you can use the Notification Log and Screen Time in the developer settings.

Method 1: Through the Notification Log

1. Activate the Notification Log in Settings → Notifications → Additional → Notification Log.
2. All notifications (including screen unlocks) will be recorded with the accuracy of a second.
3. To view the story, use the Notification History Log app from Google Play.

Method 2: Through the Developer Settings

Include screen time in the developer menu:

Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (Tap 7 times) → Return to Settings → Additional → For Developers → Screen Time

This will show the exact time the screen was on (including locking) and the method is not broken down by application.

⚠️ Warning: The notification log can significantly increase battery consumption (up to 10-15% per day) because it is constantly in the background, turn it on only when necessary and turn it off after analysis.

6.Why time-of-use data may be inaccurate

Many users complain that the numbers in the Digital Well-Being or third-party apps reports are not the same as reality, and these are the main reasons for the distortions:

• 🔄 Automatic time synchronization: If the phone has a clock gone wrong (for example, after replacing the battery), the statistics may be “reset” or duplicated.
• 📴 Background activity: Some apps (such as instant messengers) are considered “active” even if you don’t use them, but they receive notifications.
• 🔋 Optimizing the battery: MIUI aggressively closes background processes, which is why time trackers can skip data.
• 📱 Dual Accounts: If you use Second Space or Guest Mode, statistics will be collected separately for each profile.

How to verify the accuracy of the data?

1. Compare the metrics of embedded Digital Well-Being and a third-party application (e.g. ActionDash).
2. Start the stopwatch manually and check the time with the report after 30 minutes of use.
3. Check the time synchronization settings in Settings → Additional → Date and time → Autodetermination.

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If the difference between real time and report is more than 20–30%, the problem is most likely in the background. Try adding a tracker app to battery optimization exceptions (Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization → Select an app → No restrictions).

7.How to reduce phone use time: practical tips

Knowing the statistics is just the first step, and here are some specific steps that can help you cut screen time by 30 to 50 percent:

• 📵 Black and White Mode: Enable it through Settings → Screen. → Colours and temperature → Black and white, it reduces the appeal of the interface.
• ⏰ App timers: In Digital Well-being, set a limit on social media (e.g., 1 hour a day for Instagram).
• 📴 Scheduled notifications only: Turn off all notifications except calls and SMS, In Settings → Notifications.
• 🏠 Phone-free zones: Identify where the phone is lying on charge (e.g. during meals or 1 hour before bedtime).

For Redmi Note 7, the schedule’s “Do Not Disturb” mode is particularly effective:

Settings → Notifications → Do not disturb → Schedule (for example, from 22:00 to 7:00)

Experiment: Try spending one day a week without a phone (like Sunday) and it reduces total addiction by 40% after a month.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the time of use of the Redmi Note 7