Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 remains a popular smartphone among users who value the balance of price and functionality, but many face unexpected costs of Internet traffic. Especially a problem for those who use limited mobile rates or connect to public Wi-Fi networks with limits. In this article, we will analyze all the available ways to track traffic, from standard MIUI tools to hidden features and third-party applications that will help to avoid overpaying for extra gigabytes.
Controlling data consumption is important not only for savings, but also for security: some applications can drain traffic in the background without you knowing. For example, auto-updating apps via Google Play or syncing cloud services (Mi Cloud, Google Drive) can quietly consume up to 500 MB per day, and we will show how to identify such โvoraciousโ consumers and limit their activity.
1. Standard traffic monitoring in MIUI settings
The easiest way to check your Internet traffic on the Redmi Note 9 is to use the built-in MIUI 12/13/14 tools, which allow you to track both mobile traffic and data consumption via Wi-Fi, broken down by application, to open up statistics:
- Go to Settings. โ SIM-maps and mobile networks.
- Choose an active one SIM-card (if there are several).
- Tap on Data Consumption (or Traffic Use in Newer MIUI Versions).
Here you will see the current month's consumption chart, as well as a list of apps sorted by the amount of data consumed. Note the Background traffic section, which often causes unexpected expenses. For example, messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) or social networks (TikTok, Instagram) can consume up to 30% of all traffic in the background.
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If the chart shows a sharp jump in traffic at night, check the app auto-update settings. Turn it off in Google Play โ Settings โ App auto-update, or set a limit on updating only over Wi-Fi.
For a more detailed analysis:
- ๐ Set a traffic limit: in the same section, you can set a warning when you reach a certain volume (for example, 1 GB out of 3 GB at the tariff).
- ๐ Check out Wi-Fi traffic: Return to Settings โ Wi-Fi, tap on the connected network and select Data Consumption.
- โณ Reset the statistics at the beginning of the new calculation period to keep the data up to date.
2. Hidden Traffic Settings: How to Find Advanced Statistics
Not everyone knows that Redmi Note 9 has a hidden section with detailed data consumption analytics, including traffic on system processes.
- Go to Settings. โ The phone.
- Tap 7 times on the MIUI version to activate the developer mode.
- Go back to the main settings menu and open a new section for developers.
- Scroll down and find Network Usage (or Traffic Monitoring in English firmware).
Here you will see a breakdown of traffic across all processes, including system processes (e.g. android.system or com.xiaomi.mipicks) that will help identify hidden Internet eaters that donโt show up in standard statistics. For example, some users have found that mediatek.thermal (the processorโs temperature control) process consumed up to 200MB per month due to firmware bugs.
What to do if the hidden partition does not open?
Important: the data in the hidden partition is updated with a delay of up to 10 minutes. If you need to quickly track traffic flow (for example, if you suspect a data leak), use third-party applications, which will be discussed later.
3. Applications for monitoring traffic: top-5 solutions for Xiaomi
The built-in MIUI tools aren't always accurate -- they may not take into account traffic from some system processes or reset statistics after a reboot, and third-party apps will help in these cases, and we tested 15 popular utilities and selected the best ones for the Redmi Note 9:
| Annex | Features | Cons | Ratings. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet Speed Meter Lite | Shows real-time speed in the notification panel, supports widgets | No breakdown by annex | 4.7 |
| My Data Manager | Tracks mobile and Wi-Fi traffic, sets limits on applications | Advertising in the free version | 4.5 |
| GlassWire | Visualizes traffic as a graph, blocks suspicious connections | A complex interface for beginners | 4.6 |
| NetGuard | Blocks background traffic without root rights, works like a firewall | Requires manual adjustment of rules | 4.8 |
| Traffic Monitor | Minimalist design, shows traffic in the status bar | No data export | 4.4 |
For most Redmi Note 9 users, My Data Manager or NetGuard is the best choice. The first is for basic monitoring, and the second is for blocking background activity of specific applications, for example, using NetGuard you can prevent Facebook or TikTok from using mobile Internet in the background, leaving them access only via Wi-Fi.
Built-in MIUI|My Data Manager|NetGuard|GlassWire|Other |Not tracking traffic-->
Warning: Some applications (e.g. GlassWire) require access to the app VPN It's okay -- they create local. VPN-a tunnel to analyze traffic, but do not share your data with third parties, but if you use a corporate smartphone, installing such utilities may violate the company's security policy.
4 How to check traffic through USSD-operator
If you need to urgently find out the rest of the traffic, but there is no access to the smartphone settings at hand, you can use the USSD-This is the fastest way that doesn't require Internet. Below is a list of commands for popular Russian operators:
- ๐ถ MTS: Dial *100*1# and press "Call." The answer will come in SMS with the remaining traffic, minutes and SMS.
- ๐ถ Beeline: *102# - will show details on the tariff, including the Internet.
- ๐ถ MegaFon: *105*00# โ packet-residue.
- ๐ถ Television2: *107*0# โ check-up.
- ๐ถ Yota: *104# - data on unlimited tariff.
Pay attention: USSD-The commands show the remaining traffic at the rate, not the actual consumption on the device. For example, if you have a tariff with 10 GB, and the operator shows 3 GB in the balance, this means that you spent 7 GB. However, this data may not match the statistics on the smartphone because of the fact that you have spent the data on the device:
- ๐ Delays in updating data from the operator (up to 24 hours).
- ๐ก Traffic consumed outside of a smartphone (e.g., via a modem or other device with the same device) SIM-card).
- ๐ก๏ธ Operator rounding (some providers consider traffic to be megabytes rather than kilobytes).
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USSD-Teams are the most reliable way to check the remaining traffic, but they don't show you which apps were using it. MIUI third-party.
If after checking through the USSD you see discrepancies with data on the smartphone (for example, the operator shows 5 GB in the balance, and the phone โ 2 GB), this is the reason:
โ ๏ธ Attention: Your Redmi Note 9 may be running malware that masks traffic consumption. Check your phone with an antivirus (like Dr.Web Light or Kaspersky Mobile) and remove suspicious apps.
5. Traffic analysis through router (for Wi-Fi)
If you're connected to a home or office Wi-Fi network, you can track your traffic flow directly on your router, which is especially useful if you have multiple devices (smartphone, laptop, smart speakers) connected to the same network and you need to figure out which one consumes the most data.
Instructions for popular routers:
- Open your browser on any device connected to this Wi-Fi network.
- Enter the IP address bar of the router (usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1).
- Log in (the username and password are often admin/admin if you have not changed).
- Find the Traffic Statistics, Bandwidth Control or DHCP Clients List.
In the list of devices, find your Redmi Note 9 (it can be displayed under the name Redmi, Xiaomi or by the name of the Redmi). MAC-Next to it will indicate how much data he consumed per day/week/month. For example, on TP-Link routers, this information is in Advanced โ Statistics โ Traffic Statistics.
Update router firmware|Enable Bandwidth Control in the settings|Install a third-party firmware (for example, DD-WRT)|Use a network monitoring application (e.g. Fing)-->
Importantly, some routers (especially budget models) don't keep detailed statistics, and in this case, you can use network analysis applications like Fing or WiFi Analyzer, which scan the local network and show which devices are active and how much data is being transmitted.
6.How to reduce traffic consumption Xiaomi Redmi Note 9
Even if you regularly monitor traffic, itโs best to take steps to save it in advance.Here are 7 working ways for the Redmi Note 9:
- ๐ฑ Limit background activity: Go to Settings โ Annexes โ Application management, select the application and disable Background data.
- ๐ Turn off auto-update: on Google Play โ Settings set Auto Update only over Wi-Fi.
- ๐ท Set up the camera: in Camera Settings โ Additionally, disable Cloud Autoboot (saves up to 1 GB per month).
- ๐ Use lightweight versions of sites: in Chrome or Mi Browser, enable Traffic Saving mode.
- ๐ก Turn off automatic synchronization: in Settings โ Select Google or Mi Accounts and turn off unnecessary syncs.
- ๐ต Limit streaming: in Spotify, YouTube Music or Yandex Music, set the quality Low or Normal.
- ๐ Set limits on applications: in Settings โ Tap data consumption on the application and activate Limit background traffic.
One of the most effective ways is to compress data, like in Opera or Chrome, with Lite mode enabled, traffic is reduced by 30 to 50 percent, and you can also install Google's Datally app, which blocks background traffic and shows real-time consumption.
How to check which application is consuming traffic in the background?
7. Frequent problems and their solutions
Redmi Note 9 users often face typical traffic monitoring problems, and here are the most common ones and how to fix them:
| Problem. | Possible cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic statistics are reset after rebooting | Mistake in MIUI firmware or system data failure | Update your firmware or use third-party apps (such as My Data Manager) |
| Traffic consumption is 0, although the Internet is working | Disabled statistics collection in settings | Enable Traffic Monitoring in Settings โ SIM-maps and mobile networks |
| Traffic is consumed at night, although the phone is not used | Background activity of applications or viruses | Check your phone with antivirus and disable background information for suspicious apps |
| Wi-Fi spending is not displayed | The function is disabled by default in MIUI | Activate Wi-Fi monitoring in Settings โ Wi-Fi โ Data consumption |
If none of these methods helped, and traffic continues to flow to no one knows where, follow these steps:
โ ๏ธ Note: Reset your network settings on Redmi Note 9 via Settings โ System system โ Resetting settings โ Network resets. This will delete all stored Wi-Fi networks and passwords, but often solves problems with incorrect traffic accounting!