How to turn on the speed of the Internet on the phone Xiaomi

Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones have become powerful multimedia centers where every second of downtime is used to consume content. Users often wonder how to turn on the speed of the Internet on a Xiaomi phone to see the amount of data transferred in real time. This is not just an aesthetic fad, but a useful monitoring tool that allows you to instantly assess the quality of the connection or identify the background activity of applications.

In the MIUI shell and the new HyperOS, this feature is implemented at the system level, but by default it is often disabled for the sake of minimalism of the interface. Turning on the traffic counter does not require obtaining superuser rights or complex flashing of the device. It is enough to go through a few steps in the settings menu to access useful statistics right in the status bar.

In this article, we will discuss in detail all available methods for activating the speed indicator, from standard interface settings to advanced methods through the engineering menu. You will learn why speed display may not work, how to interpret readings correctly and what hidden opportunities this widget opens to optimize the operation of the smartphone.

Standard method of activation through interface settings

The easiest and safest way to see the current loading and recoil speed is to use the system's built-in tools. Xiaomi's developers have hidden this option deep enough to keep the interface for beginners out of the blue, but it's easy to find it. First, you need to unlock the device and go to the main settings menu, which is indicated by the gear.

In the list of parameters that opens, you should find the section that controls the appearance of the system. Depending on the firmware version (MIUI 12, 13, 14 or HyperOS), the name may differ slightly. Usually this is the item "Always on the screen and lock" or "lock screen", This is where the settings of the visual elements displayed before the gadget is fully unlocked are concentrated.

Once you've moved to the right section, scroll down to find the "Display Internet Speed" option. Activating the slider will instantly add numbers to the top right corner of the screen, next to the Wi-Fi or mobile icons. It's important to note that the speed is only displayed when the data is transferred; if nothing is downloaded, the indicator may show zero or be hidden.

⚠️ Note: Some global firmware versions may have different paths. If you don't find a block item, try searching through the settings by typing in "speed" or "internet».

This is a regular method that doesn't affect the stability of the operating system, and it consumes minimal CPU resources, because it updates the numbers at a certain frequency, not every millisecond, and it's the best choice for 95% of users who just want to control traffic.

Configure the display speed in the developer mode

For more sophisticated users who don’t have enough standard functionality, there is a fine-tuning option through the developer menu, which is hidden by default to prevent accidental changes to critical system settings, and activating this mode gives access to dozens of hidden features, including detailed monitoring of network activity.

To get into the developer menu, you need to go to the About Phone section and find the Version line. MIUI» or "Version" OS». You need to press this line quickly. 7-10 Once in a row, until the system reports the successful activation of the mode, and then in the main settings menu will appear a new item "Additional" or "Extended settings", where the desired menu is hidden.

Within the developer section, you should look for items related to network monitoring, and you can find options for displaying more detailed statistics, including ping, packet loss and real-time speed in various formats. Be careful: changing unknown parameters in this section can lead to unstable interface operation or connection failures.

This method is useful if the standard widget does not display information correctly or if you need a more accurate diagnosis of network problems.

Speed Display Problems on Different Versions of MIUI and HyperOS

Users often experience a situation where the feature is enabled in the settings, but the numbers in the status bar do not appear. This is a common problem that can be related to the features of a particular version of the shell or conflicting design themes. In recent versions of HyperOS, energy saving algorithms can aggressively limit the background processes responsible for updating widgets.

One common reason is to use third-party themes. If you installed a custom theme from Themes, it can overlap the status bar system elements, in which case the speed indicator is physically present in the system, but visually hidden by the theme design elements, the solution is to return to a standard theme or find a theme that supports native Xiaomi widgets.

Also worth considering are the differences between Chinese (CN) and global (Global) firmware versions. In Chinese builds, the functionality is often wider, but there may be restrictions on displaying some system icons to suit local standards. If you have reflashed the device yourself, make sure that the region of the device in the settings matches the firmware region.

If the indicator never appears after checking all the settings, try restarting the device. Often, the system services responsible for the status bar require a restart to apply new configurations.

Use of widgets and third-party monitoring applications

Staffing doesn’t always meet the needs of advanced users who need detailed statistics, consumption charts, or traffic history, and desktop widgets and specialized apps from Google Play come to the rescue, allowing speed information to be displayed on the home screen in a more convenient and informative way.

One popular solution is to use speed widgets that you can add to your desktop, which is to pinch the blank area of the screen, select the "Widgets" item, and find a category related to the network or tools, and some widgets show not only the current speed, but also the amount of traffic spent per day or month.

Third-party applications such as Internet Speed Meter Lite or Network Speed Test provide advanced functionality, can log history, notify you of speed limits or switch networks when signal quality drops, but it is worth remembering that such applications work in the background and can consume additional battery power.

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When installing third-party speed monitors, give the application the minimum permissions required. Network access, contact access, or geolocation are often enough to run the traffic meter.

When choosing third-party software, pay attention to reviews and installs, and use time-tested open source solutions to make sure your personal data is safe.

Diagnosis of low indicators and real values

Once the indicator is turned on, users are often surprised to see numbers that do not match the provider's stated tariffs. For example, at a tariff of 100 Mbps, the phone can show 1-2 MB / s or even less. This is not a device error, but a feature of translating the units of measurement and the specifics of the protocols.

Providers specify speeds in Megabits per second (Mbps or Mbps), and the Android operating system displays data in Megabytes per second (MB/s or MB/s). Since one byte is 8 bits, the actual download speed will be about 8 times less than the provider's stated rate. Key point: to understand whether the speed corresponds to the tariff, you need to divide the phone's readings by 8.

And the status bar indicator shows the instantaneous download speed at the moment, so if you just browse through social media feeds or read text, the data exchange is minimal, and the numbers are close to zero, and the maximum values are only observed when you download large files, update applications or watch high-resolution videos.

⚠️ Note: Don't confuse Internet speed with signal level. The strips in the corner of the screen show the signal strength from the tower or router, but do not guarantee high data rate, which depends on the load of the channel.

To objectively assess the quality of the connection, it is recommended to periodically conduct tests through services such as SpeedTest or Fast.com. Comparing the test results with the readings of the widget at the time of download will help to understand how accurately the system displays the real situation.

Impact of energy saving settings on the indicator

Xiaomi’s battery optimization systems are known for being aggressive, which can limit the background activity of apps and system services to extend battery life, and in some cases, cause the speed widget to stop updating or disappear when power saving mode is turned on.

If you notice that the indicator is unstable, check the battery settings. Go to the Battery and Performance section and make sure that the system services responsible for the interface are not set strict restrictions. In Full Performance mode, the probability of failures in the display of network statistics is minimal.

Also worth paying attention to is the Advanced Energy Saving feature, which, when activated, disables many background processes, synchronization, and visual effects, which may not display the speed indicator at all, as it is considered a secondary element of the interface.

The balance between battery saving and functionality is a choice for every user. If speed monitoring is a priority for you, you may have to sacrifice a few percent of autonomy by giving up the toughest saving modes.

Hidden commands and engineering menus for network analysis

For those who want to dig deeper than standard settings, there is an Android engineering menu available through special customizations. USSD-Entering the #4636## combination in the Phone app gives you access to the test menu, where you can see the details of the connection, and you can see not only the speed, but also the type of network, the signal level in dBm and other technical information.

In the Phone Information section, you can find items related to data usage statistics. Although there is no real-time status bar meter, this data is useful for diagnosing connectivity issues. You can see how many bytes have been transferred since the last reboot, which helps identify voracious applications.

Using the engineering menu requires caution: Changing the settings in sections marked as “Set preferred network type” or others can lead to loss of communication or the need to reset network settings. Use this section only to view information if you are not qualified to change network protocols.

Codeset: ##4636##


Section: Phone information




Parameter: Data use statistics

This method is more suitable for fault detection than for everyday use, but knowledge of these codes can be useful in situations where standard tools do not provide an answer to the question of the causes of low speeds.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)