How to turn off the Internet on Xiaomi: the complete guide

Modern Xiaomi smartphones running MIUI shells or the new HyperOS have a wide range of functionality that can sometimes be redundant. Users often face the need to completely break the network connection, whether to save battery power, prevent background updates or simply to digitally detox. Understanding how to turn off the Internet on Xiaomi is a basic skill to control the flow of data on your device.

The shutdown process can vary depending on which type of connection you want to deactivate: mobile traffic from the operator or wireless Wi-Fi network. In addition, there are more subtle settings that allow you to deny access to the network to specific applications, leaving the rest of the system online. In this article, we will discuss in detail all available methods, from simple switches to hidden engineering menus.

It is important to note that a complete shutdown can affect notifications, contact synchronization and the ability to receive calls via instant messengers, so before making a global change to network settings, it is worth familiarizing yourself with all the nuances so as not to lose touch with the important at a critical moment.

Quick shutdown via control panel

The most obvious and frequently used way to break a connection is to use a notification curtain, or as it is called in the Xiaomi environment, a control center, which requires a finger to swipe from the top right corner of the screen down (or from the entire top edge if the classic style is enabled), and this is where the main toggles (switches) are located to control the wireless modules.

Clicking on the Wi-Fi icon instantly breaks the wireless connection. Similarly, the mobile data icon works, often denoted by up-and-down arrows or the caption "Mobile Data." However, simply clicking only changes the status to "off," but does not give a deep setting. For more detailed management, you need a long press on the corresponding icon, which will take you to the settings menu.

Owners of HyperOS devices may notice a change in visual style, but the logic of the work remains the same: If you want to make sure that the Internet is completely off, make sure that both indicators in the curtain are turned off or changed color to gray, which ensures that no application can use the network resource at the moment.

It is worth remembering that when activating the “Flight” mode (airplane), all wireless interfaces, including Bluetooth and GPS, are turned off, which ensures maximum isolation of the device from the network, but also makes it impossible to receive regular calls and SMS.

Setting up mobile data and choosing a network

For those who want to leave Wi-Fi on but cut off mobile traffic entirely, there are more flexible settings in the system menu. → SIM-And you get to the SIM card control center, and you can not only turn off the data transmission, but you can also choose the preferred type of network.

The network type selection menu recommends choosing Preferably 4G (LTE) mode for maximum speed, but if your goal is to minimize background traffic, switching to 2G (GSM) or 3G can significantly slow down content loading, although it will not stop it completely.

The Traffic Limit feature deserves special attention, and in this section you can set a monthly limit, after which the system will automatically turn off mobile Internet, which is an effective protection against the accidental consumption of packet data in roaming or in case of a bad signal.

If you use two SIM cards, make sure you turn off data transfers for both unless you select a specific internet slot in the settings. In some versions of MIUI, the settings can only apply to the default data card you select.

Managing Application Access to Wi-Fi and Mobile Network

A unique feature of the shell MIUI It's built-in, but not always obvious, network access control for each application installed, which allows you to keep the global Internet on, but prevent specific programs (such as games or heavy social networks) from accessing the network. This function can be found through the "Security" application" → "Transfer of data" → "Connection speed" (or simply "Traffic usage").

The list that opens shows all the programs installed. To the right of each app's name are two columns: one for Wi-Fi (green), one for mobile data (blue), clicking on the corresponding icon changes its status: it is allowed, forbidden or question (to ask when connecting), if you set a ban, you will see a crossed-out icon of the network.

Using this feature saves traffic and battery life, as apps can’t update in the background or send analytics, but if you block access to system services like Mi Cloud or Mi Account, data sync will stop.

Flight mode and its effect on connections

Aviation Mode is a radical way to turn off all the radios on your smartphone, and when it's activated, the airplane icon appears on the screen, and all the communication icons (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Mobile Network) disappear or turn gray, and this is the complete isolation of the device from the outside world at the radio level.

The main advantage of this mode is that it turns off network search, which is one of the most energy-intensive processes, especially in areas of uncertain reception. The smartphone stops screaming at the air, trying to find a tower, which saves battery power. However, unlike a simple Internet shutdown, in flight mode, normal voice calls and SMS stop coming.

Interestingly, the current versions of Android and MIUI allow for flexible configuration of this mode, so by turning on Flight, you can manually re-activate Wi-Fi or Bluetooth while remaining disconnected from the cellular network, which is the perfect configuration for flights that require Bluetooth headphones but do not allow cellular communication.

⚠️ Note: When the flight mode is on, emergency calls (e.g. 112) may not be available because the communication module is completely deactivated software.

Disabling background data transmission and synchronization

Even if you don’t use your browser or apps actively, they can consume traffic in the background. To combat this, Xiaomi’s settings include a section called “Traffic Savings.” You can access it through Settings → Connection and Sharing → Traffic Savings.

You can activate the "Limit Background Data" feature here, and if you turn on this option, applications will not be able to use the Internet if they are curtailed or not in use right now, which drastically reduces traffic consumption, but can delay the arrival of notifications from messengers until the application opens.

Also worth checking is the Google account sync settings and Mi Account, where you can temporarily disable auto sync for contacts, calendars and other services in the Accounts and Sync section, which won’t shut down the internet completely, but will stop the constant exchange of small data packets with servers.

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Expert Tip: If you need to temporarily turn off your child’s internet, use the Parental Control feature in the Google Family Link app or the built-in restrictions in MIUI that allow you to block access to the network on a schedule, not just manually.

Connection problems and their solution

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the Internet does not turn off or, conversely, does not turn on after manipulating the settings. Often the cause is a software failure of the Android network services, in such cases, helps a simple restart of the device, which resets all temporary network configurations.

If the problem persists, you can try resetting your network settings, which will return the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and mobile settings to factory values. Importantly, it will remove the saved passwords from Wi-Fi networks and pairings with Bluetooth devices, but personal files (photos, contacts) will remain in place.

You can reset along the way: Settings → Connection and Sharing → Reset Wi-Fi, mobile networks and Bluetooth. After this procedure, the phone will reboot, and you will need to re-enter passwords from wireless networks. This often solves problems with sticking network modules.

⚠️ Note: Before resetting your network settings, make sure you remember passwords from important Wi-Fi networks, as it will be impossible to recover them from the system after reset without re-entering them.

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Network resets are a secure procedure that does not delete your personal data, but requires reconfiguring Wi-Fi and Bluetooth headsets.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions