Owning a modern Xiaomi smartphone involves constant exchange of information with servers, which inevitably consumes traffic and battery power. Users often face a situation where background processes or unoptimized applications consume gigabytes at the most inopportune time.
MIUI and the new HyperOS shell offer flexible network management tools, which can completely cut off your Internet connection or pinpoint your network access for specific programs, which allows you to maintain privacy and extend the battery life of your device without unnecessary complications.
This guide describes in detail all available methods of traffic management. We will discuss the regular system tools, hidden engineering menus and specific settings for two of the following: SIM-The correct configuration of these parameters will give you complete control over the device.
Basic Mobile Internet Management through a Curtain
The fastest way to stop data transfer is to use a quick access panel, which is universal and suitable for any situation where you need to instantly break the connection, just swipe down the screen from top to bottom to open the notification curtain.
In the menu that opens, you need to find an icon that says Mobile data or arrow icon. Active state is usually highlighted in blue or green. Press it once to deactivate the function. The color of the indicator will change to gray, which indicates that there is no connection.
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Use a long tap on the mobile data icon in the curtain to instantly jump into advanced traffic settings without looking for them in the menu.
And you have to remember that when you shut down through the curtain, all SIM cards lose the Internet, and if you have two carriers on your phone, you'll lose both numbers at the same time, which is convenient for quick savings, but requires attention when you switch between profiles.
- 📱 Instant Internet Shutdown with a Touch.
- 🔒 Blocking background synchronization of all applications.
- 📉 A sharp decrease in battery consumption by modem.
- ⚠️ The shutdown works globally for everyone SIM-map.
Point-Blocking Access for Individual Applications
Xiaomi's operating system allows you to flexibly configure network access rights. You can leave the ability to call and send SMS, but you can prevent specific programs from using the Internet. This is especially useful for games that do not require online mode, or heavy software that consumes traffic in the background.
To set up, go to Security, which is a green-shielded system application. Inside, look for Transfer and select Statistics, and it shows a list of all installed programs with the amount of traffic spent.
Click on the lock icon or dot next to the app name. In the menu that opens, uncheck the Wi-Fi and Mobile Data points. After that, the program will only work offline. The system will warn you about possible functionality limitations.
☑️ Checking access settings
⚠️ Note: Blocking access to system services such as Mi Cloud or Synchronization can result in loss of contacts and photos if they are not stored locally.
The changes take effect immediately. If you try to run a blocked application, you may see a notification that you have no connection, even if Wi-Fi is active, and this is an effective way to combat intrusive advertising in free versions of programs.
Setting up the restrictions for the second SIM-map
Owners of dual-SIM devices often face the need to manage traffic separately, for example, one card can only be used for calls and the other for the Internet, and standard settings allow for clear delineation of these flows.
Go to the Settings menu and select the section SIM-This is the default key for data transfer. Select the SIM card that the Internet is supposed to be using. The second card will automatically shut down the WAN.
You can also activate the Restrict Background Data function, which prevents traffic from flowing into the second SIM card even if the main SIM card is busy or the signal is weak, and this is critical to prevent accidental debits.
| Parameter | Description | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile data | Global switch | Turn off roaming |
| Choice of network | SIM Priority for the Internet | Use the tariff with a large package |
| Background mode | Limitation of background processes | Include for savings |
| Data roaming | Access to networks of other operators | Strictly turn off abroad |
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The right choice SIM-Default data cards eliminate random traffic consumption from the main number intended for calls.
Flight mode and deep energy savings
When you want to completely isolate your smartphone from external networks, including calls and messages, you use flight mode, and unlike simply shutting down data, this method breaks the connection to the carrier's base stations.
You can activate the function through the notification curtain or in the Connection section settings. Once activated, the antenna icon will disappear from the status bar. In this state, data transfer is physically impossible, which guarantees zero traffic consumption.
There is also an Energy Saving mode that automatically limits background activity, which when turned on, can turn off data transmissions for rarely used applications, a useful feature for extending the device in critical situations.
- ✈️ Completely shutting down all phone radio modules.
- 🔋 Maximum battery life savings.
- 🚫 Inability to receive incoming calls.
- 🛡️ Protection against location tracking through towers.
Some users use a trick: turn on the flight mode, and then manually activate only Wi-Fi. This allows you to stay online via the router, but completely blocks cellular traffic, which is ideal for viewing downloaded content.
Hidden function of flight mode
Hidden settings and engineering menu
For advanced users, there are hidden sections in the MIUI shell that allow you to manage network interfaces at a deeper level, accessed through special codes in the call app.
Dial ##4636## on your phone, and you'll see a test menu where you can select Phone Information, and you'll find switches to force you to change the network type or reset your radio, which indirectly affects data transmission.
adb shell settings put global mobile_data 0Using commands via ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is even more powerful, and you can script your computer to turn off data transmission at a specific time or when you connect to a specific Wi-Fi, which requires developer rights.
⚠️ Warning: Changing the settings in the engineering menu without understanding their purpose can lead to unstable communication or complete loss of network signal.
Be careful when experimenting with Preferred network type settings. Choosing the wrong standard (e.g. switching to 2G where there isn’t one) will make the phone temporarily unavailable for voice communications.
Automation of processes through scenarios
HyperOS shell and older versions of MIUI support automatic scripting, so you can set your phone to shut down data under certain conditions without requiring your intervention.
Go to Settings and find Advanced Settings or Scenarios. Create a new automatic mode. Select, for example, When connecting to Wi-Fi or at a certain time as a condition.
As an action, enter Mobile Data -> Turn it off. Now, when you come home and your phone catches the home network, mobile traffic will shut down automatically. This prevents applications from being updated in the background over the cellular network.
- ⏰ Automatic shutdown at night for silence.
- 🏠 Reaction to connecting to home Wi-Fi.
- 📍 Geolocation triggers (arrival at the office).
- 🔋 Reaction to low battery charge.
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Create a "Sleep" script that turns on "Do Not Disturb" mode at 23:00 and turns off mobile data so that nothing interferes with rest.
This approach turns your smartphone into a smart assistant, and you don't have to think about saving traffic every night, it's going to do it for you, and this is especially true for those limited gigabytes.