How to completely disable mobile Internet on Xiaomi smartphones: all ways

Why users want to turn off mobile Internet on Xiaomi

Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi, POCO and Black Shark sub-brands) are known for their flexibility of settings, but sometimes standard network connectivity options leave much to be desired. Mobile Internet can drain the battery in the background, spend traffic without your knowledge or interfere with work through Wi-Fi. Especially a problem for users with limited tariffs or those who often travel abroad, where roaming costs a round sum.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways Xiaomi devices can shut down mobile internet, from basic to hidden, how to temporarily suspend data, fully deactivate 4G/5G, or set up a schedule automatic shutdown, and why the Internet sometimes keeps working even after all the manipulations—and how to fix it.

Important: the instructions are valid for MIUI 12-14 (including global and Chinese firmware versions).If you have an older version, some menu items may differ, we will warn you about this separately.

Method 1: Quickly shut down via notification panel

The most obvious and quick method is to use a control center (notification curtain), which is suitable if you need to temporarily turn off the Internet, for example, to save battery power or avoid traffic consumption.

How to do this:

• 📱 Swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the notification bar.
• 🔍 Find the Mobile Data icon** (usually two up-and-down arrows or an antenna).
• 🔘 Slap it once – the icon should go out (gray), and next to the notification “Mobile Internet is off” will appear».

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro) POCO X3 Pro) the curtain can only display flight mode or Wi-Fi. If there is no mobile data icon, move to the next method.

💡

If the mobile data icon is missing from the curtain, pin your finger on any icon in the notification panel for 2 seconds, the editing menu will open. Drag the desired item to the active zone.

Advantages of the method:

• ⚡ Instant shutdown without switching to settings.
• 🔄 It’s easy to bring the internet back with one tap.
• 📱 It works on all Xiaomi models, including budget (Redmi). A2, POCO C50).

Method 2: Completely disabling in settings SIM-map

If you need to turn off mobile internet for sure (for example, for a child or to avoid accidental connection), use system settings. SIM-map.

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to section. SIM-Maps and mobile networks (or Mobile Network on older versions) MIUI).
3. Choose. SIM-The card you want to disconnect the Internet for (if there are two of them).
4. Move the mobile data slider** to the off position.

The mobile data slider is disabled"|Data roaming turned off|Checked for missing badge 4G/5G status-line|Reloaded smartphone (optional)-->

⚠️ Note: Some firmware (e.g., Chinese versions) MIUI Xiaomi 13 Ultra: VoLTE can remain active after mobile data is disabled LTE). This doesn’t affect internet traffic, but if you want to turn everything off, go to method 4.

How is this method better than the previous one:

Method 3: Flight mode with Wi-Fi enabled

If you only need to turn off mobile internet, but leave the ability to call and use Wi-Fi, use the exception mode of flight. This trick works on all Xiaomi smartphones, including the Black Shark (where the network settings are hidden deeper).

Step-by-step:

• 🛩️ Activate Flight Mode via the Notification Panel or in Settings → Connections → Flight mode.
• 🔄 Return to the notification bar and manually turn on Wi-Fi (and Bluetooth if needed).
• 📞 To enable calls, turn on Allow Calls** in the flight mode settings (not available on all models).

Important: on some firmware (for example, MIUI 13 for Xiaomi 12T) After Wi-Fi is turned on in flight mode, the mobile Internet can automatically activate in 5-10 minutes. To avoid this, first turn off mobile data through the settings. SIM-cards (mode 2).

Advantages of the method:

• 🔋 Maximum battery savings (all radios except Wi-Fi are turned off).
• 🛡️ Reliable blocking of mobile Internet and background activity.
• 📡 The ability to use Wi-Fi Calling (if supported by the operator).

Every day | Several times a week |Only on an airplane |Never-->

Method 4: Engineering menu (for advanced users)

If standard methods don’t help (for example, the Internet continues to work despite outages in settings), you can use the engineering menu, which is suitable for Xiaomi based on Qualcomm processors (most Redmi and POCO models) and requires caution.

Instructions:

1. Open the phone app and enter the combination: ##4636##
2. To completely turn off, select Turn off radio (the radio will turn off completely, including calls).

⚠️ Warning: After changing the settings in the engineering menu, the smartphone may lose the network completely (including calls). To return everything back, restart the device or manually select LTE/NR5G same-menu.

When to use this method:

• 🔧 If the mobile Internet is turned on spontaneously after disconnection.
• 📡 For forced switching to 2G/3G (battery-saving).
• 🛠️ Diagnosing network problems (for example, if you 4G catcherless).

Method 5: Automatically shut down on schedule

If you need to turn off your mobile internet at a certain time (e.g. at night or at work), you can set up an automatic rule, which is suitable for a standard Security application or third-party utilities like MacroDroid.

Instructions through Security:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Security.
2. Go to Battery and Performance → Smart Limitation.
3. Click Add rule → Mobile data.
4. Specify the time of disconnection (for example, from 23:00 to 7:00).
5. Save the rule and activate it.

For flexible settings (such as turning off when connecting to a specific Wi-Fi), use MacroDroid:

• 📱 Install the app from Google Play.
• 🔄 Create a new macro command with the Wi-Fi Connection trigger** (indicate the name of your network).
• 📵 Add the action “Disable mobile data»**.
• 🔒 Save and activate macros.

💡

Automatically shutting down mobile internet on a schedule or when connected to Wi-Fi helps save up to 15% of battery life per day (based on tests on Xiaomi 11T Pro).

Warning: Some operators (such as MTS or Beeline) may ignore the software shutdown if you have an Auto Connection or No Limit at Night service active, in which case contact the operator's support and ask them to disable these options.

What to do if the mobile Internet is not turned off

Sometimes, even after all the manipulation, Xiaomi’s smartphone continues to use mobile traffic, and here are some common reasons and ways to eliminate them:

Problem 1: The Internet is turned on spontaneously.

• 🔄 Solution: Turn off "Autosync"** in Settings → Accounts and synchronization.

Problem 2: The 4G/5G icon is gone, but traffic is still being consumed.

• 🔍 Solution: Some applications (such as Mi Video or Mi Cloud) have rights to use mobile data in the background. → Mobile network → Using traffic.

Problem 3: After the MIUI update, the settings reset.

• 🔧 Solution: Reset network settings in Settings → The phone. → Resetting settings → Resetting Wi-Fi, Mobile Network and Bluetooth.

💡

To check which apps are consuming mobile traffic, go to Settings → Mobile Network → Traffic Usage and sort the list by descending. Common culprits are Facebook, TikTok and Mi Push Service (the Xiaomi system app).

FAQ: Frequent questions about the disconnection of mobile Internet on Xiaomi