The modern smartphone has long ceased to be just a means of communication, becoming the main tool for work, entertainment and navigation. For owners of Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro is especially important to have at hand current information about the state of the network connection, because this device is often used as a multimedia center. the speed of data download can critically affect the quality of video streaming or the stability of online games, so traffic monitoring becomes a necessity.
The Android-based MIUI operating system has a convenient feature to output the current Internet connection speed directly to the status bar, which allows you to see in real time how many megabits per second an active application or background process consumes. However, unlike some other shells, this option is not always active by default or can be hidden in a non-obvious settings menu.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available ways to activate the speed indicator, including standard interface settings and the use of engineering codes, you will learn how to correctly interpret the displayed values and what to do if the indicator does not appear after turning on. The nuances of working with two will also be touched upon. SIM-Redmi Note 8 Pro supports two active networks simultaneously.
Why you need real-time speed monitoring
Many users ignore the ability to display speed, considering this feature to be secondary. However, having a permanent visual indicator helps to quickly diagnose connection problems without running heavy test applications. For example, if you expect a large file to download, and the indicator shows zero or extremely low speed, this is a signal that you need to switch between Wi-Fi and mobile traffic.
It's also useful for detecting "gluttonous" apps, and if you're not doing anything with your smartphone, the indicator shows you're actively transmitting data, it means that some process is wasting your traffic in the background, it could be updating your app, syncing photos, or, at worst, malware activity. Traffic control saves money, especially when using limited data plans.
For gamers playing online shooters or strategy games on the Redmi Note 8 Pro, knowing the current speed and ping is critical. Sharp jumps in values can portend lags or connection breaks, allowing you to change the access point in advance or reboot the router.
Standard way to activate via MIUI settings
The easiest and safest method to enable speed display does not require installing third-party software or obtaining superuser rights. All the necessary tools are already built into the MIUI shell installed on your Redmi Note 8 Pro. It is enough to go through several steps in the settings menu sequentially to activate the useful feature.
You first unlock the device and go to the home screen. Find an icon called Settings (usually a gear) and click on it. In the list that opens, look for the section related to notifications or status bar. The names may differ slightly from one firmware to another, but the logic remains the same.
Next, you'll find the item that controls the appearance of the status bar. This is where the switch that activates the digital speed display is hidden. Once the slider is turned on, the changes are instantaneous, and in the upper right or left corner of the screen (depending on the version of MIUI), you'll see numbers indicating the current data rate in kilobytes or megabytes per second.
☑️ Algorithm of indicator inclusion
⚠️ Note: Some global versions of the firmware MIUI If there is no switch at the specified location, try looking for it in the About Phone section with multiple taps on the kernel version, but this is rare for the speed function.
Display settings for two SIM-map
Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro is equipped with a slot for two SIM-This creates a unique situation where a smartphone can receive data from two channels at once or switch between them. MIUI Provides flexible tools for controlling speed display in such conditions.
In the settings of the mobile network, you can choose which one SIM-The speed indicator will show the activity of the channel through which the main traffic is going. If you use acceleration mode when both cards are involved, the numbers can be added or display the priority channel.
It's important to understand the difference between 4G, LTE, and H+, which can appear near speed. They're the type of connection technology. 1-2 MB/s for LTE is normal for background tasks, whereas for H+, it's already a great result. Monitoring helps you understand whether the phone has fallen off to a slower communication standard.
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Use different ones. SIM-Voice and Internet maps to be able to quickly switch traffic sources if one of them has speed problems.
If you travel frequently or are in a sensitive reception area, the speed display feature will help you choose the operator with the best coverage in a particular location. Just by watching the numbers as you move, you can map coverage for your area or route.
Use of engineering menus and hidden commands
For advanced users who do not have enough standard settings, it is possible to access hidden system functions through an engineering menu, a method that requires caution, as changing unfamiliar parameters can affect the operation of the radio module.
To get into the test menu, you need to open the Phone app and enter a special combination of characters. For Xiaomi devices, the code ##4636## often works. After entering the last star, the menu should open automatically. If the code does not work, your firmware version may block this access and you will have to use third-party applications.
The menu that opens will select Phone Information, which displays detailed network statistics, including signal strength in dBm, network type, and sometimes advanced traffic statistics, and although this doesn't bring speed to status bar, it does provide a deeper understanding of connection quality.
##4636##There's also a network reset command that can help if the speed indicator is no longer displayed correctly, and you can find a "Reset Network Settings" button or a "Reset Network Settings" menu item that will return network settings to factory values, which often solves software bugs.
⚠️ Note: Do not change the settings in the engineering menu unless you are sure of their purpose. 3G), This can lead to a complete loss of communication.
Third-party applications for traffic monitoring
If MIUI is not able to achieve the desired result, or the functionality of the standard indicator is not enough, applications from the Google Play Market come to the rescue. There are many utilities that not only show speed, but also keep detailed statistics on traffic consumption, set limits and warn about exceeding.
One popular solution is the Internet Speed Meter Lite app, which is lightweight, resolution-free, and works great on the Redmi Note 8 Pro. Once installed, it adds its widget or string to a status bar, which can be more informative than the standard one, and often shows speeds separately for Wi-Fi and mobile data in different colors.
Another option is to use desktop widgets. Many antivirus and optimizers (such as Clean Master or DU Battery Saver) have built-in network monitoring modules, which can display speed in large numbers directly on the lock screen or home screen, which is convenient for tablet mode or using a smartphone as a navigator.
Why can third-party applications drain the battery?
When choosing third-party software, pay attention to the permissions requested. The speed display app does not need access to your contacts, microphone or gallery. Installing such software can be a sign of software insecurity.
Table of network types and expected speeds
To properly assess the speed indicator readings on your Xiaomi, it is useful to know what values are normal for different generations of mobile communication. The numbers can vary greatly depending on the load of the operator tower and distance from it.
The table below gives you an estimate of download speeds for the various communication standards that the Redmi Note 8 Pro supports. Understanding these limits will help you quickly determine if the network is running at full capacity or if there are coverage issues.
| Type of network | Technology | Average speed (Mbit/s) | Maximum speed (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2G | EDGE | 0.1 - 0.3 | 0.4 |
| 3G | HSPA+ | 2.0 - 6.0 | 14.0 |
| 4G | LTE | 10.0 - 40.0 | 100.0+ |
| 4G+ | LTE-A | 50.0 - 150.0 | 300.0+ |
As you can see from the table, if your indicator is 0.2 Mbps and your network icon is on 4G, then this is a clear sign of connection problems, since for the fourth generation this is an abnormally low figure, in such a situation, it makes sense to switch the smartphone to flight mode for 10 seconds and back to reconnect to another base station.
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Knowing the speed standards for your network type (3G/4G) allows you to instantly detect operator or equipment failures.
Possible problems and ways to solve them
Despite the ease of setting, users sometimes encounter situations where the speed indicator is not displayed or shows incorrect data. The most common reason is a conflict of energy saving settings. Aggressive MIUI optimization can "kill" the process responsible for updating the traffic counter in the status bar.
To solve this problem, you need to go to the battery settings, find the System UI or Status Bar application and prevent it from cleaning or limiting background activity, and check whether Traffic Savings mode is on, which can block the display of some network parameters to save resources.
Another reason is because you use themes, and some third-party themes downloaded from MIUI may not have graphics to show speed, or may have bugs in the layout of the status bar. If the indicator is gone after you change the theme, try going back to the standard theme of Classic or No Limits.
⚠️ Warning: If the indicator stopped working after resetting or updating the firmware, check for system updates. MIUI The location of menu items is often changed by the developers.
In rare cases, a complete reset of network settings helps, not to delete your personal files, contacts or applications, but to return all Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and mobile data settings to their original state, after which the phone will re-register in the network operator, which often eliminates software errors.