Tracing Xiaomi system: where to find logs, how to turn on and read

Have you ever experienced a situation where a Xiaomi smartphone starts to brake, overheat or suddenly reboot for no apparent reason? 80% of these cases are not the hardware, but software failures - application conflicts, kernel errors or incorrect settings. MIUI. Here comes the help of tracing system: hidden logs that record every action of the OS, driver errors and even events from the hardware (processor, memory, battery).

The problem is that Xiaomi is hiding this data by default from the user — it can’t be found in the standard settings. But there are at least 5 ways to access the trace: through the engineering menu, ADB-commands, third-party applications, or even physical connection to a PC. In this article, we'll break down all the current methods for devices on the computer. MIUI 12-14 and HyperOS, including Redmi Note 12 models, POCO F5, Xiaomi 13T And we'll also find out what logs are needed to diagnose specific problems, from camera bugs to sudden shutdowns.

What is a tracing system and why it is needed

Tracing (or Tracing) is a detailed event log that is maintained by the Android operating system, and unlike regular logcats, traces record:

• 🔹 The kernel state – processor load, temperature, tacting frequency (thermal-engine).
• 🔹 Driver errors - failures in the camera, module NFC, sensor.
• 🔹 Application activity – what processes were “hung up”, why closed.
• 🔹 Iron events - battery discharges, overheating, voltage drops.

For example, if your Redmi Note 11 turns off at 30% charge, the tracing will show whether the battery controller is to blame or if it is a software bug. MIUI. And if the camera gives out artifacts – logs will indicate a failure in the mtkcam driver or overheating of the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor.

But there’s a caveat: tracing consumes up to 15 percent of battery power per hour and can slow down a smartphone by 20 to 40 percent (depending on the model), so it’s only worth it for diagnosis, not on a permanent basis.

Where are trace logs stored on Xiaomi

Tracing logs are scattered across multiple folders of the system. Main paths (only available from root or through the system). ADB):

Without root rights, you won't see these folders in a standard file manager, but there are workarounds.

• 📱 Using the engineering menu (code ##4636## or #284##).
• 🖥️ Through ADB (Adb Logcat or Adb Shell Cat /proc/kmsg).
• 🔧 With apps like this. MTK Engineering Mode (for devices on MediaTek) or DevCheck.

⚠️ Attention: Files in /data/log/ They are automatically cleared when you restart. If you want to save logs, copy them to your PC before you turn off your phone.

Method 1: Receiving logs through an engineering menu

The easiest method is to use hidden service codes, which work on most Xiaomi devices, except for models for the Chinese market (there the engineering menu is blocked).

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the code: ##4636## Some firmware (e.g. HyperOS) may run an alternative code: ##284###
2. Select Usage statistics or Battery information.
3. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Refresh (Update).
4. Logs will appear as a text file – copy them to the clipboard or save them to a file.

What can be found on this menu:

• 📊 Battery statistics - which apps discharge the phone, screen time.
• 🔄 Reset logs – causes of sudden shutdowns (for example, thermal shutdown – overheating).
• 📱 Information about hardware - processor model, version MIUI, sensory status.

Non-recharging operating time|Processor temperature|List of “waking-up” annexes|Logs of the last reboot-->

⚠️ Note: On HyperOS devices (e.g. Xiaomi 14 or Redmi) K70) The engineering menu can be blocked. ADB or specialized applications.

Method 2: Tracing through ADB (power-user)

If the engineering menu doesn’t give you the information you need, it’s time to connect Android Debug Bridge (ADB). This method requires a PC and a bit of technical skill, but allows you to get complete system logs, including kernel and driver errors.

What you need:

• 🖥️ Computer with Windows/Linux/macOS.
• 🔌 Cable USB (preferably original).
• 🛠️ Established ADB and Fastboot.
• 📱 Included debugging by USB on a smartphone (in Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI Press 7 times, then return to Settings → Additionally. → For developers).

Log collection teams:

Basic tracing (log of system events)


adb logcat -d > xiaomi_logs.txt




Logs of the kernel (critical errors)



adb shell cat /proc/kmsg > kernel_logs.txt




Energy tracing



adb shell dumpsys battery > battery_logs.txt




Camera Logs (if you have problems with photos/video)



adb shell dumpsys media.camera > camera_logs.txt

After executing commands, files with logs will appear in the folder from where you launched. ADB. You can open them in any text editor (for example, Notepad).++ or VS Code).

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If the logs are too large, use filtering. For example, the adb logcat command | grep -i "Error will only show lines with errors.

Method 3: Applications for tracing without PC

You don't want to mess with ADB? There are several applications that make it easier to collect logs:

For example, DevCheck will show you if you have a POCO X5 Pro overheats due to incorrect operation of Snapdragon cores 778G, Logcat Extreme will help you find the cause of the crash of a particular application.

How to use:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Run and provide access to logs (you may need to enable debugging by USB).
3. Find the Logs or System Info section.
4. Export data to a file (usually a Share or Save button).

⚠️ Note: Apps like Logcat Extreme can collect personal data (phone number, IMEI). Before using, check permissions in Settings → Annexes.

How to Read Track Logs: Deciphering Key Errors

Getting logs is half the battle. Now you have to understand what they say. Here are the most common mistakes and their meaning:

• 🔥 Thermal-engine: overheating of a processor or battery. Common on the Redmi Note 10 Pro when playing Genshin Impact.
• ⚡ Battery: voltage drop: Battery voltage drop: battery wear or controller failure.
• 📵 modem: crash – problems with mobile communication (for example, disappears) 4G). Modem driver's fault.
• 🎥 mtkcam: fail to init - the camera is not initialized.
• 🔄 Reboot: Thermal – Automatic Reboot Due to Overheating.

An example of decryption:

Let's say you saw in the logs:

05-20 14:30:45.123 E/thermal-engine: Temp=95°C, throttling CPU to 1.8GHz


05-20 14:31:02.456 E/battery: Voltage drop from 3.8V to 3.2V, shutdown triggered

That means the phone has overheated to 95.°C, the processor was forced to slow down, and then the battery suddenly lost voltage - which was the reason for the shutdown.

Frequent problems and their solutions to logs

Now let’s look at how to use tracer to diagnose specific problems.

1.The phone suddenly turns off

Battery: Voltage Drop, Thermal: Shutdown, Kernel: Panic

Possible causes:

• 🔋 Battery wear (if voltage drops below) 3.4V).
• 🔥 Overheating (temperature above 85)°C).
• 🛠️ Failure of the power controller (repair required).

2.The camera does not focus or output artifacts

What to look for: mtkcam: init fail, camera: AF error, ISP: timeout.

Decisions:

• 🔄 Reboot your phone (sometimes it helps).
• 📱 Update the firmware (camera bugs are often patched in patches).
• 🔧 If there is hardware: camera disconnected in the logs - the problem is in the plume (repair is needed).

3.The phone brakes and lays

What to look for: CPU: throttling, memory: low, ANR in com.android.systemui.

Reasons:

• 🧠 Lack of RAM (close background applications).
• 🔥 Thermodrossing (processor slows down due to overheating).
• 🤖 Failure in SystemUI (will help reset settings or flashing the firmware).

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If there's a line in the logs ANR (Application Not Responding, which means the application is “hung” and must be closed or reinstalled.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi tracing