How to check app traffic on Xiaomi: a full guide with hidden MIUI chips

Have you noticed that mobile Internet on Xiaomi ends too quickly, but you don’t know which app is eating traffic? Or do you want to limit the background activity of messengers to save gigabytes? MIUI has built-in tools for monitoring data consumption — but they are hidden deeper than in pure Android. In this article, we will analyze all the ways to check traffic, from basic settings to hidden functions through ADB and third-party utilities.

Xiaomi has a feature that duplicates functions across menus, such as traffic statistics, which can be viewed in Settings. SIM-The maps, and the security, and even through MIUI Optimization. We'll show you where the data is more accurate, how to reset the counters, and why sometimes the numbers on the menu don't match the operator, and we'll also show you how to catch the invisible users of traffic -- those applications that work in the background but don't show up in the standard statistics.

1. Standard traffic monitoring in MIUI

The easiest way is to use the built-in MIUI statistics, which show the consumption of mobile data and Wi-Fi for a selected period (day, week, month), but has limitations: not all applications are displayed here, and meters are reset when you update the system.

To open up the statistics:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Using traffic.
• 📊 Choose. SIM-map (if there are several) and reporting period.
• 🔍 Scroll down to the list of applications - here is the flow in descending order.
• ⚙️ Click on the app to see the details: background traffic, foreground and system data.

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If the list does not contain the desired application, check the System Processes tab – sometimes the traffic is debited to Android System or MIUI Daemon.

An important nuance: MIUI considers traffic only for user applications. System services (such as weather updates or Mi Account sync) are not displayed here. To see the full picture, you will have to use alternative methods (about them below).

⚠️ Note: If you use two of these SIM-maps, statistics for each are kept separately. SIM-maps, but note that data may be duplicated.

2. Hidden statistics in "Security" (for MIUI 14+)

In the new versions of MIUI 14 and MIUI 15, some of the traffic monitoring functions have been moved to the Security app, which includes advanced graphics and the ability to block background activity for individual applications.

How to find it:

• 🛡️ Open the Security app (Icon with shield).
• 📈 Go to the Data Management or Traffic Monitor tab (name depends on version).
• 📱 Select “Apps” – here is the consumption of both mobile Internet and Wi-Fi.
• ⚡ Click on any application to limit its background activity (Background data slider»).

The advantage of this method is the detailing by data type (for example, the traffic from video, downloads and synchronization is separately shown), but there is no information about system processes here either. If you want accurate data for billing an operator, check it with the personal account of MTS, Beeline or MegaFon - the difference can be as much as 5-10%.

3. View traffic through MIUI Optimization (for advanced)

This is a great way to get to users who have access to hidden MIUI settings, and the MIUI Optimization menu has detailed statistics on all processes, including system processes, but to get there, you have to follow a few steps:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable “OEM Unlock” and “USB Debugging.”
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install ADB, and execute the command: adb shell am start -n com.miui.securitycenter/.optimize.OptimizeActivity

In the menu that opens, select the tab "Traffic Monitor" and it shows:

• 📊 All processes (including system processes) sorted by flow.
• 🔄 Possibility of resetting counters for individual applications.
• 📡 Division into Mobile Traffic and Wi-Fi.

⚠️ Attention: Don't turn off processes at random! Miui.analytics, for example, is responsible for collecting telemetry, and miui.daemon is responsible for running system services.

4. Third-party applications for traffic monitoring

If built-in MIUI tools aren’t enough, use third-party utilities that offer more flexible settings, limit notifications, and data export.

To install any third-party traffic monitoring apps, disable battery optimization for them, otherwise MIUI may pause them in the background. You can do this in Settings → Applications → Permissions → Battery Optimization.

Install an app from Google Play|Disable battery optimization|Permit access to the use of data|Set limits and notifications|Check the statistics once every 2-3 days-->

5. How to Find “Invisible” Traffic Consumers

Sometimes apps consume traffic, but they don't show up in standard statistics.

• 🤖 System services (e.g. Google Play Services or Mi Push Service).
• 📦 Pre-installed apps (Mi Video, Mi Browser, GetApps).
• 🔄 Background synchronization (mail, cloud services).
• 🕵️ Promotional SDK (in games or free utilities).

To detect them:

1. Use ADB and the command: adb shell dumpsys netstats detail It will display a complete list of processes with traffic consumption.
2. Check the permissions of applications in Settings → Applications → Permissions Management → Data.
3. Install NetGuard and turn on Traffic Record mode – it will show all connections.

Note the processes called com.xiaomi. or com.google.. For example, com.xiaomi.midrop is responsible for transferring files over Wi-Fi Direct and may consume traffic without your knowledge.

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If you notice unusually high traffic consumption at night, check your automatic app update and backup settings in Mi Cloud.

6. Traffic Limitation for Individual Applications

Finding a voracious app is half the battle, and now you have to limit it, and there are a few ways MIUI can do this.

• 🚫 Background data prohibition: Settings → Annexes → Select the application → Mobile data → Background data.
• 📵 Restriction through Security: Open the Security app → Data management → Applications and set a limit.
• 🔒 Blocking through NetGuard (requires root or ADB).

For YouTube, TikTok and other video services, you can also:

• ⚙️ In the application itself, select “Low Video Quality” (in playback settings).
• 📶 Disable Autoplay Videos in Mobile Data.

If the restrictions don’t help, check whether the app uses a VPN or proxy. Some messengers (such as Telegram) can mask traffic as system processes, in which case only complete removal or use of NetGuard with manual rules will help.

Resetting of counters and calibration of data

Traffic meters in MIUI Sometimes they get lost, especially after a system update or a change. SIM-To manually drop them:

1. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Using traffic.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Reset Statistics.
3. Please indicate the date of the start of the new period (usually the 1st day of the month).

If the data after the reset does not match the operator, try calibration:

• 📡 Turn off your mobile data and connect to Wi-Fi.
• 🔄 Reboot the phone.
• 📱 Turn on the mobile Internet again and check the counters in 10-15 minutes.

If the difference with the operator is more than 15%, it is possible that the phone is running a virus or spyware. Check the device through Security → Scanner or install Malwarebytes.

FAQ: Frequent questions about traffic on Xiaomi