Where to watch your time spent in apps on Xiaomi Redmi: the full guide 2026

Why Xiaomi is hiding its app usage statistics and how to find them

Xiaomi Redmi smartphone owners often face a problem: standard MIUI settings do not always show detailed statistics of time spent in applications. Unlike “pure” Android, where the Digital Wellbeing feature is available by default, in Xiaomi firmware, this tool can be hidden, modified or completely absent from budget models, the reasons for this approach lie in the optimization of performance and localization of MIUI for different regions.

Meanwhile, time control in apps is important not only for productivity but also for security: some programs (such as social networks or games) can stealthily eat away at hours of your day. In this article, we’ll look at all the possible ways – from built-in tools to third-party solutions – to help track activity on Redmi Note 12, Redmi 10, POCO X5 We'll focus on the nuances for different versions. MIUI (12 to 14) and workarounds for devices without Digital Wellbeing.

Method 1: Built-in statistics in MIUI (for versions 12–14)

Since MIUI 12, Xiaomi has added basic app usage statistics, but it’s not easy to find them, a method that works on most modern Redmis (like the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ or Redmi A2+), but may not be available on older or budget models with lightweight firmware.

To open up the statistics:

1. Go to Settings → Xiaomi account.
2. Select MIUI Laborator (if there is no item, skip this step).
3. Go back to the main settings menu and find Special Opportunities → Usage Statistics or Digital Well-being.
4. Slip the chart at the top of the screen to see a detailed report on the applications.

Note that some versions of MIUI reset statistics after rebooting the device. To avoid this, disable Autostart Optimization for Digital Wellbeing in the battery settings.

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If the Usage Statistics section is missing, try changing the device region to India or Europe in the Additional → Region settings. This will sometimes unlock hidden MIUI features.

Method 2: Digital Wellbeing (for global firmware)

On global firmware devices (such as Redmi Note 12 5G Global), Digital Wellbeing is usually available out of the box, but can be disabled by default.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the search box, enter Wellbeing.
3. Choose Digital Well-Being and Parental Control.
4. Click Show data and confirm permissions.

After activation, you will be able to see:

• 📊 Daily/weekly schedules of application usage.
• ⏱️ Screen time by category (social media, games, productivity).
• 🔔 Number of notifications from each application.
• 🛡️ Parental control (time limit for individual programs).

Important: On some models (e.g. Redmi) 9A s MIUI 12.5) Digital Wellbeing may not even be available in global firmware. №3 or №4.

Method 3: Hidden menu of engineering settings (for advanced users)

If standard methods don’t work, you can try to include statistics through an engineering menu, which is suitable for Qualcomm Snapdragon-based devices (e.g., Redmi Note 10 Pro or POCO F3).

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the combination: ##4636##.
2. In the menu that appears, select Usage statistics.
3. Activate the App usage access switch.
4. Go back to the basic settings and check for the Digital Well-Being section.

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Warning: Not all engineering menu commands are safe. Avoid changes to Radio Information or Battery Information sections, which can cause network failures or battery drains.

Method 4: Third-party applications for activity analysis

If the built-in MIUI tools don't suit you, you can use third-party solutions.

Before installing, check the permissions of the application: it must request access to Usage Access Statistics. Without this, the functionality will be limited.

Check out the Android version (should be at least 8.0)

Turn off battery optimization for the selected application

Provide access to usage statistics in settings

Create a backup of data (in case of failures)-->

Method 5: Analysis through battery settings (indirect method)

If none of the previous methods worked, you can estimate the time of use of applications through battery consumption statistics, which will not give accurate data on the minutes of activity, but will show which programs are most energy-consuming (which indirectly indicates the time of their operation).

How to see it:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Use.
2. Slip on the flow schedule for the last 24 hours.
3. Scroll down to the list of apps. The ones at the top are probably the ones that have been used the longest.

Limitations of the method:

• ⚠️ Does not show time in the background (for example, messengers can consume the battery, but you did not open them).
• ⚠️ Energy consumption depends on the type of activity (youtube video “eats” the battery faster than reading in Telegram).

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Battery statistics are the only way to gauge the activity of applications on Redmi with heavily stripped-down firmware (e.g. Redmi Go or models for the Chinese market).

Method 6: Manual timekeeping (for extreme cases)

If your device doesn't support any of these methods (like the Redmi 7A with MIUI 10), you'll have a manual accounting option, which is laborious, but gives you 100% control.

Use this:

• 📝 Google Tables with Template to Record Time.
• ⏰ Timer on smart watches (if connected to Redmi via Mi Fitness).
• 📱 Widget "Secundamer" (for quick start/stop account).

Example of a table for accounting:

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Attention: Manual accounting requires discipline, so remember to keep time, set up reminders in Google Calendar or use voice notes through Google Assistant.

Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

The choice of method depends on the Redmi model, the MIUI version and your goals:

• 📱 For new devices (MIUI 13–14: Use embedded statistics or digital wellbeing.
• 🔧 For old models (MIUI 11–12: Try an engineering menu or third-party apps.
• 🔋 For devices with stripped firmware: Analyze battery statistics or manually record.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 For parental control: Install Google Family Link or Kids Place.

Table of compatibility of methods with popular models:

FAQ: Frequent questions about time in Xiaomi apps