Xiaomi smartphone owners, particularly the Redmi 9, often face intrusive system notifications that interrupt work or games. In the background, the MIUI operating system constantly checks for new versions for installed programs, which can lead to imperceptible consumption of Internet traffic. Moreover, automatic downloading heavy updates can significantly reduce battery power if the device is not on charge at this time.
Disabling this feature allows you to fully control the digital device, maintaining the stability of the already installed versions of the software. Many users prefer not to update immediately, as new versions sometimes contain bugs or require more hardware. In this article, we will discuss in detail all available ways to stop the background loading of data for your gadget.
The deactivation procedure does not require root rights or complex flashing of the device. All the necessary tools are already built into the Android shell and the MIUI interface. You only need to carefully follow the steps described below to customize the system to your individual needs.
Set up automatic updates in Google Play Store
The primary source of new software on the Redmi 9 is the standard Google Play store, which stores metadata about all your programs, and it is this service that initiates the download of data packets when a Wi-Fi connection appears, and to stop this process, you need to change the global settings of the store itself.
You need to open the Play Store app and go to the profile menu, which is usually located in the upper right corner of the screen. After clicking on the avatar, you will open a list of options where you should select Settings. Within this section, we are interested in the Network Settings tab, and specifically the subsection "Auto-Applications Update".
By default, the update is selected only via Wi-Fi, but to completely stop the process, you need to switch the switch to the position “Do not update apps automatically”, this action applies to the entire Google account associated with the phone.
After making changes, the system may require confirmation of action, agree to the warning that you will be responsible for the lack of the latest security patches, and now no application from this source will be updated without your direct involvement.
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Periodically check the update list manually to avoid missing critical security patches in banking applications.
Managing Updates through Mi GetApps and System Services
Unlike pure Android, the MIUI shell on Redmi 9 has its own app store called GetApps (or Mi Apps), which often runs parallel to Google Play and can independently update system utilities and preinstalled Xiaomi software.
To disable auto-updates in this service, launch GetApps and go to your user profile. In the settings menu, look for Auto Update and select Never or Only via Wi-Fi if you want to save mobile traffic but leave overnight downloads.
Special attention should be paid to system components such as Security, Themes, and Explorer, which are often updated through MIUI’s own mechanism, ignoring the settings of third-party stores. Go to the settings of a particular system application, find the About section, and turn off automatic updates there.
⚠️ Warning: Disabling system component updates completely may cause some shell features to malfunction, such as task manager or call filtering.
If you use third-party directories, such as the Galaxy Store (when flashing) or Amazon Appstore, the settings must be changed in each of them separately. There is no universal button for all stores at once in the system, which requires manual verification of each source.
☑️ Verification of sources of updates
Limiting background activity and traffic consumption
There is a more radical but effective way to download data that works at the network connection level, and you can prevent a particular application or an entire system from using a mobile network or Wi-Fi for background activities, which is especially true for those who have limited traffic.
Go to Settings → Connections and Sharing → Data Use. Here you will see a list of all programs consuming the Internet. Select a heavy application or system update service and click on it. In the menu that opens, find the Background Connection switch and turn it off.
You can also use Traffic Saving mode. When you activate this feature in Settings → Connections and Sharing → Traffic Saving, the system will block background data transfer for all programs except those added in the exceptions.
| Method of limitation | Impact on work | Difficulty setting up |
|---|---|---|
| Disconnection in Play Store | Stopping software updates | Low. |
| Background locking | No real-time notifications | Medium |
| Savings regime | Limitation of all background processes | Low. |
| Disconnection of MIUI services | Risk of system failure | Tall. |
Using these methods ensures that no program can wake up and start downloading data without your knowledge, but remember that instant messengers and email clients will also stop coming instantly until you open them on the screen.
What happens when you block background data?
Using Developer Mode and ADB Teams
For advanced users who are not enough standard methods, there is the possibility of using debugging over USB and the ADB command line. This method allows you to penetrate deeper into the Redmi 9 system and prohibit the execution of specific service processes responsible for version verification.
First, activate the developer menu. Go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click on MIUI Version seven times. After you have become a developer, go back to the main settings menu and find a new section called “Additional” or “Extended Settings” where the “Developers” option appears.
Turn on the USB Debugging Toggler, then connect your smartphone to your computer. If you have ADB installed, you can execute a command to freeze the service pack:
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.vending (for Play Store)However, a safer option is to use special application managers that work without a computer but require access to usage statistics, which allow applications to be frozen, rendering them inactive until they are manually defrosted.
⚠️ Note: Disabling system packages through ADB Be careful of packages that contain the words "System", "Framework" or "Services».
This method gives you maximum control, but it requires caution. Any wrong action may require resetting the phone to factory settings to return the system to working condition.
Version control and device security
By refusing automatic updates, you take responsibility for the software's relevance. Developers routinely release patches that close security holes through which hackers can access your data. On Redmi 9, which runs on Android, this risk is always present.
It is recommended to manually check for updates for critical applications such as browsers, banking clients and instant messengers at least once a month, and ignoring security updates can lead to passwords or financial data leakage.
In addition, older versions of applications may eventually stop interacting properly with service servers, and you may find yourself in a situation where the program simply refuses to run, requiring an upgrade to the minimum supported version.
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Manually managing updates gives you control over traffic, but requires discipline to keep your device secure.
Xiaomi owners should also consider that some ecosystem features may not work properly if the versions of the applications in the bundle (for example, Mi Home and the device plugin) are too different.