Xiaomi’s current smartphones, which use MIUI or HyperOS, provide parents with powerful tools to keep their children safe. Parental controls are not just a way to know where a child is, but also a way to manage their digital leisure. The built-in mechanisms allow them to flexibly configure access to apps and track movements without the need to install complex third-party software.
Device owners often underestimate the capabilities that are already in the system. Google’s standard features and Mi Account services can work together to create a robust security ecosystem, but to implement all monitoring scenarios, both parent and child devices must be properly configured.
In this article, we will look at all the available methods, from native features to specialized programs. You will learn how to activate hidden features and avoid typical configuration errors. It is important to understand that Xiaomi places a great emphasis on energy efficiency, so some tracking services can be disabled by the system to save battery.
Built-in MIUI and HyperOS for the family
The shell on Xiaomi smartphones contains a number of features that are focused on family use, primarily deep integration with the Mi Account. This account allows you to connect devices to a single network, which opens up access to the “Find device” function even if the child’s phone is discharged or turned off (if you have an offline search function).
It also offers a Second Space mode, or guest mode, that can be adapted to the needs of the child, and data isolation in this mode allows you to deny access to parents' personal files and limit the list of applications you install, which is not a full tracker, but an effective way to control content.
To fully monitor time spent in games and social networks, Xiaomi is actively promoting integration with Google services. On global versions of firmware, this works out of the box, while on Chinese versions (CN ROM) it may require additional configuration of Google Play Services frameworks.
- 📱 Mi Family Group: allows sharing location between family members in real time through the Security app».
- 🔒 Application blocking: built-in mechanism for protecting specific programs with a password or fingerprint.
- 📡 Activity report: detailed screen usage statistics in the Digital Well-Being section».
⚠️ Note: Some Google services may not work smoothly on Chinese firmware without installation GMS (Google Mobile Services. Before buying the device, specify the region of the software version.
And don't forget the Child Mode feature, which is often found in standard utilities, which creates a secure environment with large icons and a limited set of features, and a parent can remotely control this mode if the devices are connected via the Mi Cloud.
Set up Google Family Link on Xiaomi
The most effective and free way to control remains the Google Family Link app. It integrates perfectly with Android, which is the basis of MIUI. To start, you need to install the Family Link for Parents app on your smartphone and Family Link for Children and Teens app on your child’s device.
The setup process requires you to create a separate Google account for your child, if you don't already have one, and the system will suggest linking this account to yours as a "family group," and once paired, you'll have full access to the security settings, and the geolocation is transmitted through Google services, which ensures high accuracy and minimal energy consumption.
The important thing is to give the necessary permissions. MIUI is known for its aggressive energy saving system, which can kill the tracker's background processes, and to avoid this, you need to manually prevent the system from restricting the application.
Go to Settings → Applications → All Applications → Family Link. Select Activity Control and set “No Limits” and enable autorun. Without these actions, tracking may be interrupted.
What to do if the child has removed the application?
Family Link has a built-in deletion protection, and if a child tries to uninstall the app or stop it, you will receive a notification, and after a while the child’s phone will be locked before unlocking the parent device. However, on Xiaomi, a child may try to turn off the internet, so it’s important to set up change alerts. SIM-Xiaomi Ecosystem offers its own monitoring tool through the Mi Cloud service.This solution is especially useful if you do not want to use Google accounts or if the child’s phone is running without a SIM card (only via Wi-Fi). Find the device allows you to see the location of the gadget on the map. To activate this feature on the child's phone, you need to log into the Mi Account and enable synchronization. In the phone settings menu, find the Mi Cloud → Find the device and activate the switch. It is also recommended to enable the option “Transfer the last location” to see the point on the map even after the battery is discharged. A parent can track the location via the i.mi.com web interface or through the “Mi Cloud” app on their smartphone. The system shows not only current coordinates, but also the history of movements over the past day, if the appropriate option is enabled in the privacy settings. The Mi Cloud Google Family Link feature GPS Precision Maximum Depends on the application No Full Screen Time Control on the Smartphone (There is a half-inered version of the phone). Even with low battery power, the system prioritizes the transfer of coordinates to the cloud. This is critical in emergency situations. Third-party applications for advanced control If standard tools are not enough, the market offers many specialized solutions. Applications like Kaspersky Safe Kids, Life360 or Where My Children provide functionality beyond the capabilities of the OS. They allow you to not only see the location, but also listen to the environment, read messages in messengers and receive notifications about leaving the safe zone (geosons). Installing such programs on Xiaomi requires careful setting of access rights. The MIUI system can perceive the constant operation of the microphone or GPS as a threat to security and it is necessary to manually block these processes, including all the permissions. Many parents choose a combination approach: Google Family Link for basic time control and a dedicated geolocation app, which allows you to distribute the load on the battery and avoid conflicts between programs. ⚠️ Note: Installing apps to covertly listen to or read correspondence without notifying your child may be against your country’s laws, and use such features only as a last resort and ethically. When choosing third-party software, pay attention to the developer’s reputation. Free software often monetizes its services by selling user geolocation data. Paid subscriptions usually guarantee privacy and more stable performance on Xiaomi devices. Solving energy conservation problems MIUI The most common problem when setting up tracking on Xiaomi is aggressive battery optimization. The system can disable itself GPS Or shut down a tracker app if it thinks it's consuming too much resources, and that causes the child to go off the radar for hours, and to fix that, you have to do a series of things. Go to the Security app (green lightning icon), select Battery, and find the control app in the list. Set the "No Limits" mode, which will prevent the system from "sleeping" the program. Open the list of running applications (bottom-up swipe and retention), find the tracker window and pull it down to create a lock icon.Blocked apps won't unload when you clear memory. 💡Enable the option “Always Allow Location” in your child’s phone settings for the parental control app. This will prevent signal loss when switching power saving modes. Also check settings in Settings → Applications → Permissions → Autostart. Make sure the switchboard opposite the desired application is activated. Without this, after restarting the phone, tracking will not resume automatically. Data security and privacy Using tracking tools, you get access to a huge array of personal information. Security of the parent's account becomes critical. If an attacker accesses your Google or Mi Account, he can track the child just like you do. Be sure to use two-factor authentication (2FA) for all the registrations, and check the passwords. Google’s security settings let you see which devices are now authorized and remotely end a session on suspicious gadgets, and it’s important to discuss digital etiquette and security with your child. Open dialogue about why controls are established is often more effective than covert monitoring, and children need to understand that this is a measure of protection, not a tool of total surveillance. 💡Set up parental controls on Xiaomi is a balance between technical literacy (correct permission settings) and trust in the family. Can you track the phone if it's turned off? Standard means — no. However, Xiaomi’s newer models with the “Find Device Offline” feature can transmit the last known signal via Bluetooth of neighboring Xiaomi devices if this option was activated in advance in the Mi Cloud settings. SIM-map? Google Family Link will send a notification to the parent’s phone when changing SIM-If the device is connected to the Internet (even via Wi-Fi), the Mi Cloud can also detect a change of number, but for this the phone must have time to register with the network. Does the parental control enabled affect the speed of the phone? Minimum. The main impact on productivity is the constant work. GPS-To reduce the load, you can select the Charge Savings Location Mode in Family Link settings, which updates the coordinates less often. How to remotely lock a Xiaomi phone? This can be done via the i.mi.com web interface (for Mi Account) or through Google Find My Device.Block Device will display a message on the screen and deny access to the system before entering the owner's password.