How to See How Much Time You Spend in Xiaomi Apps: 5 Verified Ways

Why it’s important to track time in apps – and how to do it on Xiaomi

Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones based on MIUI collect detailed statistics about how you spend time behind the screen – but not all users know where to find this data. Meanwhile, analyzing time in applications helps not only control digital addiction, but also identify battery devours, optimize device performance and even improve concentration.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can view app usage statistics, from built-in MIUI tools to third-party services like Google Digital Wellbeing and ActionDash, how to check data for a day, week or month, compare activity by category (social media, games, work), and even set limits, and why statistics are sometimes reset and how to avoid them.

Important: features may vary depending on the MIUI (global, Chinese, European) version and smartphone model. We tested the instructions on Xiaomi 13 Pro (MIUI 14), Redmi Note 12 (MIUI 15) and POCO F5 (MIUI 14 for POCO). If you have another firmware, check for menu items on our guide.

Method 1: Integrated MIUI statistics ("Use time")

The easiest and most reliable method is to use the built-in Time of Use tool (or Screen Time in the English version), which is available on all Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 9 and later, does not require installing additional applications and works even without an Internet connection.

To open up the statistics:

1. Go to Settings → Time to Use (or Settings → Screen Time).
2. Click on the graph at the top of the screen – this shows the total time the device is used for today.
3. Scroll down to the "Use of Apps" block - here you will see a list of programs sorted by activity time.

The default statistics are for the current day, but you can switch to the week or month by tapping the date in the upper right corner. Note: if you have never opened this section before, the data can only be collected from the moment of your first visit.

What you can learn from the built-in MIUI statistics

• 📊 Total screen time per day/week/month (including unlocking).
• 🎮 Top.-5 most used applications with an exact time.
• 📱 Number of unlocks (useful for analyzing the habit of "looking into the phone").
• 🔋 The impact of applications on the battery – here you can see which programs consume the most energy.
• 📈 Hours of activity schedule – when you are most actively using your smartphone.

Restriction: Inline MIUI statistics do not show the time of use of system processes (e.g. com.android.systemui) and some service applications, and data is reset after resetting settings or updating the firmware.

💡

If some applications are not displayed in the statistics, check if data collection is disabled for them in the privacy settings (Settings → Privacy → Special Access → Usage Statistics).

Method 2: Google Digital Wellbeing is an alternative for users of Google services

If your Xiaomi has Google services installed (which is typical of global firmware versions), you can use the Digital Wellbeing tool, which offers more detailed analysis and additional features like app timers.

How to open a digital wellbeing:

1. Open Settings → Google → Google Services → Digital Wellbeing.
2. Slip the pie chart at the top of the screen.
3. Select the Control Panel tab to view statistics on applications.

The advantages of Digital Wellbeing over built-in MIUI statistics are:

• 🔍 More detailed breakdown by category (social media, entertainment, productivity, etc.).
• ⏱️ Ability to set time limits for individual applications.
• 🌙 The “Sleep Mode” feature that automatically puts the phone into monochrome mode and blocks notifications.
• 📊 Exporting data to Google Drive for long-term storage.

However, this method has disadvantages:

⚠️ Digital Wellbeing may not work on Chinese versions MIUI without Google Play Services being installed first, it also consumes extra battery due to background activity.

Method 3: Third-party applications for deep analysis (ActionDash, StayFree, App Usage)

If built-in MIUI or Digital Wellbeing tools aren’t enough, look for third-party apps that offer advanced reports, widgets, and even time optimization tips.

Top.-3 application:

Typically, these applications request permission for Usage Access to provide it:

1. Open the phone's settings.
2. Go to Settings → Applications → Permissions → Special Access → Usage Statistics.
3. Find the desired application in the list and turn on the switch.

⚠️ Note: Some time analysis applications (especially the little-known ones) may collect your data for advertising purposes.

Method 4: Watching Time Through Battery and Performance

Few people know, but some of the statistics on app usage can be found in the Battery section, which shows not only the energy consumption, but also the activity time of programs in the background and in the foreground.

How to see it:

1. Open Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Use
2. Slip on any app on the list - you will see a graph of its activity.
3. Pay attention to the lines "On the screen" (foreground) and "In the background" (background).

This method is useful if:

• 🔋 You need to link the use time to battery consumption.
• 🕵️‍♂️ You suspect that the app is working in the background without your knowledge.
• 📉 Statistics at the time of use are reset or not going to.

The limitation is that there's no general statistics for all the apps, you have to check each one manually, but the data is stored longer than Screen Time.

💡

If the app shows high time in the background but you’re not using it, check its autorun settings (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Autorun).

Method 5: Manual timekeeping (for advanced users)

If you want to get the most accurate statistics by task (e.g., time spent in messengers for work and personal purposes), no automatic tracker can do better than manual tracking.

Option 1: Google or Excel tables

• 📑 Create a table with columns: Date, Application, Purpose of Use, Start Time, End Time, Result.
• 📱 Use Google Forms to quickly enter data from your phone.
• 📊 Build graphics through Google Sheets for visualization.

Option 2: Time-tracking applications

• ⏳ Toggl Track – suitable for splitting time by project.
• 📝 aTimeLogger – allows you to keep an activity diary with notes.
• 🎯 ATracker – visual tracker with color tags.

The advantage of manual logging is that it has 100% control over data and the ability to analyze not only time but also context (e.g., "Used Instagram to work on Project X"), but it takes discipline: if you forget to write, the statistics will be incomplete.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Sometimes users find that the statistics of application usage on Xiaomi are not collected, reset or show incorrect data, let’s analyze the main reasons and ways to eliminate them.

Problem 1: Statistics are reset after rebooting or updating

• 🔄 Reason: Resetting the system cache or updating MIUI can clear the data.
• 🛠️ Solution: Install a third-party tracking app (like App Usage) that stores data in its cloud.

Problem 2: Statistics do not show some applications

• 🚫 Reason: The application is disabled from collecting statistics or runs in an isolated environment (e.g., through Work Profile).
• ⚙️ Solution: Check the special access settings (Settings) → Annexes → Special access → Usage statistics).

Problem 3: Use time shows clearly inflated numbers

• ⏳ Reason: The system may take into account background activity (e.g., music playback in YouTube Music with the screen off).
• 📊 Solution: Compare the data to the battery statistics – it shows how long the application was on the screen (foreground).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions