How to completely disable Wi-Fi Direct on Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

The Wi-Fi Direct feature on Xiaomi smartphones allows you to quickly share files between devices without a router, but often runs in the background, consuming battery power and causing interference with other connections. Many users face a situation where the Mi Phone or Redmi Note is constantly looking for affordable devices for direct connection, even when this feature is not in use. In some cases, Wi-Fi Direct can conflict with the main Wi-Fi, causing problems with the Internet connection.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to turn off Wi-Fi Direct on Xiaomi in 2026, including hidden settings MIUI 14, commands for engineering menus and solutions for cases when standard methods do not work. Separately, we will focus on the features of disconnection on popular models, from Xiaomi 13 Pro to budget Redmi A2. If you notice that the phone has become slower to connect to the network or discharge faster than usual, the problem may lie in the background activity of this protocol.

What is Wi-Fi Direct and Why You Should Turn It Off

Wi-Fi Direct is a technology that allows devices to connect directly to the Wi-Fi standard without a router intermediary, which is convenient in theory for transferring files or streaming to a TV, but in practice, Xiaomi often has this feature that works incorrectly:

• 🔋 Increased battery consumption – Wi-Fi module stays active even when the screen is off, scanning available devices.
• 📶 Main Wi-Fi conflicts – some routers lose connection if the phone tries to use Direct at the same time.
• 📱 Background activity - on MIUI com.android.wifidirect can consume up to 5% of the charge per day.
• 🔒 Security issues – protocol vulnerabilities allow attackers to connect to your device without confirmation.

Disconnection is especially important for owners of devices with MIUI 12-14, where the function is activated automatically when you turn on Mi Share (formerly Xiaomi Share). Even if you have never used direct file transfer, the protocol can be active by default. For example, on Xiaomi 12T and POCO X5, Wi-Fi Direct is turned on when you first connect to any wireless network.

⚠️ Note: Some models (e.g. Redmi Note 11 Pro)+) Disabling Wi-Fi Direct through the standard menu results in a reset of Mi Share settings. If you are actively using this feature, consider alternative methods in the section below.

Method 1: Standard shutdown via Wi-Fi settings

The simplest method works on most Xiaomi devices with MIUI 12 and later. the interface may vary slightly depending on the shell version, but the general logic is maintained:

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to the Wi-Fi section.
3. Swipe on the three dots in the upper right corner (or swipe left on some models).
4. Select option Additional or Advanced settings.
5. Find the Wi-Fi Direct option and move the slider to the off position.

On MIUI 14 (for example, on Xiaomi 13 Lite), the path may be different:

Settings → Connections and Sharing → Wi-Fi → Wi-Fi Direct

If Wi-Fi Direct is not in the advanced settings, then it is integrated into Mi Share on your model.

Wi-Fi settings are open|Found section "Additional"|Wi-Fi Direct slider turned off|Reboot the phone to apply changes-->

Method 2: Disconnect via Mi Share (Xiaomi Share)

Starting with MIUI 13, Xiaomi combined Wi-Fi Direct and Mi Share into a single data exchange system. If there is no separate Direct option in the Wi-Fi settings, try the following method:

1. Open Settings → Connections and Sharing.
2. Choose Mi Share (or Xiaomi Share on older versions).
3. Turn off the main switch at the top of the screen.
4. To completely disable, tap on Mi Share Settings and deactivate the Automatic Device Search option.

Some devices (e.g., POCO F4) may require an additional step:

Settings → Applications → Application Management → Mi Share → Permissions → Disable “Wi-Fi”

⚠️ Note: After disabling Mi Share, you will not be able to enjoy fast file transfer between Xiaomi devices. If you need this feature, consider Method 4 (partially disabling via the engineering menu).

Every day |1-2 times a week | Less than once a month | Never used-->

Method 3: Use of an engineering menu (for power users)

If standard methods fail, you can turn off Wi-Fi Direct via a hidden engineering menu, which is suitable for all Xiaomi devices, but requires caution – improper actions can disrupt the wireless modules.

Instructions for MIUI 12-14:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the combination: ##3646633## (some models may require ##4636###).
3. Choose Wi-Fi Information or Wi-Fi.
4. Find the Wi-Fi Direct or P2P tab.
5. In the P2P Settings section, set the P2P Device Discovery option to Disabled.
6. Save the settings and restart the device.

For Qualcomm Snapdragon devices (such as Xiaomi 11T Pro or POCO X3 Pro), the path might look like this:

EngineerMode → Hardware Testing → Wi-Fi → Wi-Fi P2P → Disable P2P

Method 4: Disconnect via ADB (for advanced users)

If previous methods have failed, you can block Wi-Fi Direct at the system level using ADB (Android Debug Bridge), which requires connecting the phone to a computer and enabling developer mode.

Step-by-step:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (Tap 7 times)
2. Enable USB debugging in Settings → Additional → For developers.
3. Connect your phone to your PC and open the command line (or Terminal on Mac/Linux).
4. Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices (should display your device).
5. Execute the command to disable Wi-Fi Direct: adb shell settings put global wifi_p2p_enabled 0
6. Reset the device.

To get it back, use the same command by replacing 0 with 1. Some firmware (e.g. MIUI 14 on Xiaomi 13) may require an additional command:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.wifidirect

⚠️ Note: Disabling the system component through ADB This can cause Mi Share and other services that depend on Wi-Fi Direct to work in an unstable way.

💡

If after the shutdown through ADB Wi-Fi is no longer working, run adb shell settings put global wifi_on 1, Then restart the device.

Method 5: Disconnect at the router level (for home network)

If Wi-Fi Direct interferes with your home network, you can block it at the router level, which does not disable the feature on the phone, but prevents conflicts with the main connection.

Instructions for most routers (on the example of Xiaomi Mi Router):

1. Open the router’s web interface (usually at 192.168.31.1 or miwifi.com).
2. Go to the Wireless Mode section → Advanced settings.
3. Find Customer Isolation (or AP Isolation) and turn it on.
4. In the section Filtration MAC-Add addresses MAC-Your phone address is blacklisted for P2P-compound.
5. Save the settings and restart the router.

For routers from other manufacturers (such as TP-Link or ASUS), look for options:

• 🔄 WMM (Wi-Fi Multimedia) → Shut down.
• 📡 Beacon Interval → Set 100.+ (reduces the frequency of scanning)
• 🔒 Protected Management Frames → Enable (blocks unauthorized) P2P-linkage)

Frequent problems and their solutions

If you've successfully disabled Wi-Fi Direct, you may have side effects, and let's look at the typical situations and how to fix them:

Problem 1: After the shutdown, Mi Share stopped working.

• 🔄 Restart the device – sometimes functions are restored after a reboot.
• 📱 Check the permissions for the Mi Share app in Settings → Annexes.
• 🔧 If you use the method 4 (ADB), Reset the settings with the command: adb shell settings put global wifi_p2p_enabled 1

Problem 2: Wi-Fi Direct is turned on after the MIUI update.

• 🔒 Set a ban on automatic activation through Settings → Battery → Energy saving regime → Background activity → Mi Share.
• 📵 Use the MacroDroid app to automatically disable the feature when connecting to your home network.

Problem 3: You can’t connect to smart devices (e.g. Xiaomi Smart Band or Mi Home).

• 🔄 Temporarily turn on Wi-Fi Direct to pair, then turn off again.
• 📡 Use Bluetooth to connect smart gadgets instead of Wi-Fi Direct.

💡

If the Internet is lost after Wi-Fi Direct is turned off, check the DNS settings in Settings → Wi-Fi → Additional → IP settings. Sometimes resetting network settings (in Settings → Connections → Network Reset) solves the problem.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions