How to limit the speed of the Internet on the phone Xiaomi: all the ways

Control of mobile traffic consumption on Xiaomi smartphones is becoming more urgent: tariffs with unlimited Internet are getting more expensive, and background applications continue to “eat” gigabytes in the background. Especially acute problem for owners of models Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 or Mi 11 Lite, where by default there are no strict restrictions on download speed. But what if you need to save traffic or artificially slow down the connection for testing?

In this article, we’ll look at 5 working ways to limit your internet speed on Xiaomi, from built-in MIUI features to third-party apps and router settings. You’ll learn how to set limits on mobile traffic, set up “saving mode” for individual applications, and even block background activity. And for advanced users, we’ll give you manual setup instructions via ADB.

1. Built-in tools MIUI: Limitation of mobile traffic

Xiaomi has provided basic tools for monitoring Internet consumption directly in the firmware MIUI 14/15. These features work on all modern models, from the budget Redmi A2 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra.

To activate the restriction:

1. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks.
2. Choose yours. SIM-card (if there are several).
3. Slip on the item "Use of data".
4. Activate the “Set Data Limit” slider.
5. Specify a threshold value (e.g. 5GB) and save the settings.

Once the limit is reached, the mobile Internet will automatically shut down until the next billing period (usually the 1st of the month), and the notification of the exceeding will arrive in advance when 10% of the limit remains.

💡

If you have a two-sim Xiaomi, the limits are set separately for each. SIM-It's convenient if one card is used for calls and the other card is used for the Internet.

⚠️ Attention: Built-in limitation MIUI It doesn't slow down the connection, it blocks traffic completely after the limit is exhausted.

2. Data saving mode for individual applications

If you need to limit your speed not globally, but only for specific programs (for example, TikTok or YouTube), use the Data Savings feature in MIUI.

How to turn on:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Choose the appropriate app (such as Instagram).
3. Go to Data Use.
4. Activate the “Data Saving” option.

This method is particularly effective for social networks and instant messengers, and according to our tests, after activating saving mode, traffic consumption in Telegram decreases by 30-40%, and videos on Facebook are loaded in lower resolution.

Check if the firmware is updated to MIUI 14+

Restart your phone after activating the mode

Make sure the app is not added to the exceptions (Settings → Battery → Optimization)

-->

3. Speed limiting applications: top-3 utility

If the built-in MIUI features aren't enough, use third-party software, and we tested dozens of utilities and selected the 3 most reliable ones for Xiaomi:

• 📱 NetGuard is a root-free traffic blocker that allows you to limit the speed for each application separately (for example, set a limit of 500 KB / s for Google Play Market.
• 🛡️ GlassWire – real-time traffic monitoring with soft limits, shows which programs consume the most data, and sends notifications when exceeded.
• ⚡ Internet Speed Meter Lite is a lightweight status-line speed tracking app that doesn't directly limit traffic, but helps identify voracious processes.

To set limits in NetGuard:

1. Download the app from Google Play.
2. Start and provide access to the VPN (this is necessary for traffic filtering).
3. In the list of applications, tap on the desired (for example, Chrome).
4. Select Limit speed and set a value (e.g. 1 MB/s).

⚠️ Note: Traffic moderator applications may conflict with built-in traffic VPN MIUI. If after installation NetGuard stopped working mobile Internet, turn off the system VPN In Settings → Connections → VPN.

4. Set up a router to limit speed on Xiaomi

If you want to limit your internet speed not only on your phone but also on other devices, set up QoS (Quality of Service) on your router. This method is suitable for owners of Xiaomi Mi Router, TP-Link or ASUS routers.

Instructions for Xiaomi Mi Router 4A/4C/5:

1. Connect to the router via the browser (enter 192.168.31.1 in the address bar).
2. Go to Additional Settings → QoS.
3. Activate “Transmission Control”.
4. Add a rule to MAC-Addresses of your Xiaomi (you can find it in Settings) → The phone. → General information).
5. Set upload/return limits (e.g. 5 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up).

Important: Restriction via router works only on home Wi-Fi network. For mobile Internet (3G/4G/5G), this method is not suitable.

5. Advanced method: restriction through ADB (no root)

For power users willing to work with the command line, there is a way to limit Internet speed through ADB (Android Debug Bridge), a method that does not require superuser rights, but requires connecting the phone to a PC.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on USB Debugging on your phone (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – tap 7 times, then go back to Additional Settings → For Developers).
2. Connect Xiaomi to your computer and confirm the debugging permission.
3. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type:

adb shell settings put global captive_portal_detection_enabled 0


adb shell settings put global tether_dun_required 1




adb shell ifconfig rmnet_data0 txqueuelen 1000




adb shell iptables -A OUTPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -j DROP

These teams:

• Shutdown of portal check (captive_portal_detection), which can release restrictions.
• Set a limit on the packet queue (txqueuelen).
• Locking off part TCP-traffic (replace) DROP on REJECT less restrictive).

⚠️ Attention: Wrong commands ADB You can disrupt the network. Before experimenting, back up your settings through Settings. → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

Alternative methods: “For children” regime and VPN-service

If the previous methods don’t work, consider two non-obvious options:

• 👶 The "For Children" mode. MIUI There is a parental control function (Settings) → Special opportunities → A mode for children that blocks network access for selected applications, does not directly limit speed, but reduces traffic consumption.
• 🌐 VPN with a speed limit. VPN-Services (e.g., ProtonVPN or Windscribe) allow you to set a bandwidth limit. VPN on the phone and set the limit in its parameters.

Minus. VPN-The method: additional battery load (consumption increases by 10-15%), but this method works for mobile Internet and Wi-Fi.

💡

The MIUI's For Kids mode blocks not only the Internet, but also games, and limits the time you use your phone, which is useful if you want to not only save traffic, but also monitor your child's activity.

FAQ: Frequent questions about speed limits on Xiaomi