Mi Coin: what kind of program is it on Android Xiaomi and whether it should be removed

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a situation where an unknown Mi Coin app appears in the list of running processes or in the battery usage statistics. This system notification can be puzzling, especially if the user did not install anything like this himself. The appearance of strange processes is often associated with viruses or miners, which causes users to panic and look for ways to immediately delete.

In fact, Mi Coin is a legitimate system component of the MIUI shell (and HyperOS) that is responsible for operating Xiaomi’s internal reward ecosystem. It is not malware, but its behavior can be intrusive. The process is responsible for collecting data about user activity in system applications for virtual pointing, which can theoretically be exchanged for themes, wallpapers or discounts in the Mi Store.

Despite its legitimacy, many users notice that Mi Coin consumes a significant amount of RAM or is constantly hanging in the background when sending data. In this article, we will analyze the functionality of this service, analyze the privacy risks and provide step-by-step instructions on how to limit its activity or completely deactivate it if you do not need it.

The main purpose of the system process Mi Coin

The app is based on Xiaomi Rewards, a loyalty program that tracks certain user actions, such as installing recommended apps, using built-in services, taking part in surveys, or simply daily activity on the system, and for each such action, points can be awarded to the user’s virtual account.

It is important to understand that Mi Coin is not a traditional cryptocurrency wallet, although the name contains the word “Coin”; it is an internal token of the Chinese giant’s ecosystem, it does not trade on exchanges and has no real monetary value outside the company’s stores and services, and the main task of the process is to synchronize the data about the user’s achievements with Xiaomi servers.

Often users don't even know it exists until they look at permissions or power consumption settings. The process can be activated sporadically, for example, when updating system components or after rebooting a device. In regions outside of China, the functionality of the program is often stripped down or hidden, but background services continue to work, collecting telemetry.

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If you do not use the Mi Store themes store and do not participate in the loyalty program, it is safer to turn off this process to save battery life.

Why Mi Coin is loading the processor and battery

One of the most common complaints is high resource consumption. The Mi Coin process can put a strain on the CPU, which leads to heating of the case and accelerated battery discharge, this is due to constant attempts to synchronize data with the server or collect telemetry in the background.

This is made worse if you have an unstable Internet connection, and the app can endlessly try to send a packet of data, entering a cycle of repeated attempts, and the load increases after major MIUI updates, when the service tries to double-check the status of all installed applications for compliance with the terms of the promotion.

⚠️ Note: If you see that Mi Coin consumes more 10-15% If you charge a battery a day, it's an anomaly (1-2%).

You can use the built-in battery analyzer to diagnose the problem. → Battery → Battery consumption and find the process in the list.-3 Consumers should take measures to limit their activity.

Is it safe to delete Mi Coin on Xiaomi?

The issue of security removal is especially acute, as it is a system application. Deleting or forced stopping Mi Coin will not lead to a breakage of the smartphone or loss of personal data (photos, contacts).

However, since it is part of the MIUI shell, a complete deletion (through ADB or root rights) can lead to errors in the GetApps or Mi Store app store. There may be periodic pop-up notifications asking you to restore system components, so the most reasonable solution is not to delete, but to restrict rights.

If you decide to completely uninstall the package, make sure you have a backup of important data, although the risk of losing it is minimal. For most users, it is enough to simply turn off notifications and limit background activity, which we will discuss in the instructions below.

Step-by-step: how to disable notifications and work

To get rid of intrusive notifications and reduce the load on the system, you need to change the settings of a particular application, which is the most secure method that does not require superuser rights.

First, find the app itself on the menu, it can be hidden under the name "Mi Coin", "MSA" or hidden in the system tool folder, and if you can't find the icon, go through the system settings.

Follow the following steps:

• 📱 Open your smartphone settings and go to the App section.
• 🔍 Click All Apps and search for “Mi Coin” or “Coin".
• 🚫 Select the app and press the Notifications button, then turn off the Allow Notifications switch.
• 🔋 Go back, select Activity Control (or “Battery”) and set No Limits to Background Activity Restrictions.

Once you do this, the process will stop waking the screen and disturbing you, but it can still be triggered periodically by the system, and for a deeper cleaning, you will need to disconnect through the developer menu or ADB.

Comparison of activity restriction methods

There are several ways to combat intrusive service, and each has its pros and cons. The choice of method depends on your technical background and goals.

For the average user, the best choice is to combine disabling notifications and blocking background activity, which gives 90% of the result without the need to connect the smartphone to the computer.

Impact on privacy and data collection

The main reason users are looking to get rid of Mi Coin is (privacy) it collects data about what apps you install, how often you use your phone and what actions you take on the system.

This information is used to target advertising and create personalized offers. Although Xiaomi claims to comply with security policies, the fact that constant monitoring of user activities is not satisfied, you turn off this service, you significantly reduce the amount of telemetry sent to the servers of the manufacturer.

In addition, there are reports that in some versions of firmware, the process could mine cryptocurrency (for example, Electroneum) in the background using the resources of the smartphone. MIUI Such cases are rare, vigilance should not be lost.

⚠️ Note: If after shutting down all Xiaomi services, you still see a high load on the device. CPU If you heat it up, check the phone with an antivirus, maybe the system app masks a real virus miner.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Disabling Mi Coin is a safe procedure that increases the autonomy of the device and protects your privacy without disrupting the basic functions of the smartphone.