How to completely disable roaming on Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

Why roaming on Xiaomi can cause unexpected expenses

Have you ever seen a situation where after a trip abroad, a mobile bill suddenly came in thousands of rubles? Or noticed that the Internet on Xiaomi has become slower, although the tariff has not changed? The fault often becomes automatic roaming, a feature that connects your smartphone to foreign networks when you travel outside the range of the home operator. Even if you do not plan to use the mobile Internet on the trip, some applications (for example, messengers or cloud services) can automatically synchronize data in the background, consuming expensive roaming traffic.

Smartphone manufacturers, including Xiaomi, often set up devices to turn roaming on by default, ostensibly for “user convenience.” However, in practice, this leads to many owners of Redmi Note 12, POCO X5 or Xiaomi 13T facing uncontrolled costs, especially insidiously working in border areas (for example, in the Kaliningrad region or Altai), where the phone can “jump” to foreign towers without your knowledge. In this article, we will discuss how to completely disable roaming on Xiaomi – from standard MIUI settings to hidden parameters for experienced users.

Method 1: Turning off roaming through the basic MIUI settings

The easiest and most obvious method is to use the built-in MIUI shell options, which are suitable for most models, including the Redmi 10C, POCO F4 and Xiaomi 14 flagships. It is important to note that the path to settings may vary slightly depending on the firmware version (MIUI 12, 13 or 14), but the general logic remains the same.

Step instructions:

1. Open the Settings app (the gear icon on the home screen).
2. Go to SIM cards and mobile networks (or Mobile network in some versions).
3. Choose. SIM-card you want to disable roaming for (if you have dual-SIM).
4. Tap on the item Roaming (can be called data roaming or International roaming).
5. Move the slider to the off position for both parameters: 📶 Voice roaming (calls) 🌐 Data roaming (mobile internet)

Voice roaming turned off|Data roaming turned off|Rebooted smartphone to apply changes|Checked for the absence of the “R” icon in the status bar-->

After this, your Xiaomi will not automatically connect to foreign networks, but there is a caveat: some operators (such as MTS or Beeline) may ignore these settings and force roaming when crossing the border, in which case additional measures will be required, which we will discuss later.

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If after turning off roaming in the settings you still see the icon “R” in the status bar, try manually selecting the network of the home operator in the Settings menu → Mobile Network → Network Selection → Manual.

Method 2: Block roaming through the engineering menu (for advanced)

If the standard settings don't work, you can use the Engineering Mode, which is hidden from ordinary users, and this method requires caution, because incorrect actions can disrupt the mobile network, and we recommend using it only if you are confident in your actions or have already experienced such settings.

How to open the engineering menu and turn off roaming:

1. Open the Phone app and type the combination: ##4636## Some models (e.g. POCO M5) may require a combination of #36446337##.
2. In the menu that opens, select Phone Information (or Phone Information).
3. Scroll down to the Set preferred network type block.
4. Select LTE only or GSM only (this will limit network search to home carriers only).
5. Go back to the previous menu and find Turn off radio – press it, then turn the radio module back on with the Turn on radio button.

To prevent unauthorized traffic consumption:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the app you want to restrict (such as Telegram).
3. Put it on the mobile data item.
4. Turn off the options: 🔄 Background traffic 🌍 Roaming (if there is a separate switch)

Repeat for all "gluttonous" applications.

For maximum protection, you can ban mobile Internet from apps that are unnecessary on the trip, leaving only those that are critical (such as cards or a banking application).

Never |1-2 times a year |Every time I travel abroad |I don't keep track of the costs-->

Method 4: Using In-Aircraft Mode with Selective Network Enablement

One of the most reliable ways to avoid roaming is to activate In-Air mode and then manually enable only the features that are really needed, a method that is suitable for those who want to have full control of connections, but still have the ability to call or use Wi-Fi.

Step-by-step:

1. Activate In-Air mode through the notification curtain or in Settings → Connections → In-Air mode.
2. After activation, open the notification curtain again.
3. Turn on only the switches you need: 📞 Mobile network (if you need calls)/SMS) 📶 Wi-Fi (to access the Internet through local networks) 📍 GPS (navigation)

Don't turn it on.

4G/5G

The advantage of this method is that you completely block any roaming traffic, but still keep the ability to call and use Wi-Fi. For example, in a hotel or cafe abroad, you can connect to the local network and use instant messengers over the Internet without paying for roaming, the main thing is to remember to turn off mobile data after you leave On the plane mode.

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In-plane mode with selective networking is the only way to 100% guarantee no roaming costs if you are not sure about the operator’s settings.

Method 5: Check and reset APN settings (to solve roaming problems)

Sometimes roaming is activated due to incorrect access point (APN) settings, especially if you have used virtual operators (for example, Tinkoff Mobile or Yota) or manually changed the network configuration, in which case the smartphone can connect to the roaming partners of the home operator even without your knowledge.

How to reset your APN settings on Xiaomi:

1. Open Settings → SIM cards and mobile networks.
2. Choose yours. SIM-Map and tap the Access Points (APN).
3. In the upper right corner, press three dots (⋮) and select Reset to default values.
4. Confirm the action and restart the smartphone.

If you travel frequently, consider buying locally. SIM-A card (for example, at the airport or supermarket) or renting a portable Wi-Fi router, which will cost less than roaming, and eliminate the need to constantly monitor the settings of the smartphone.

FAQ: Frequent questions about roaming on Xiaomi