How to Track Internet Traffic on Xiaomi Phone: Built-in Tools and Third-Party Apps

Monitoring the flow of Internet traffic on Xiaomi smartphones is a challenge for users with limited tariffs and those who want to optimize the operation of applications. The MIUI shell offers built-in monitoring tools, but their functionality often goes unnoticed. Meanwhile, the correct setup will avoid unexpected charges for exceeding the limit or slowing down the network due to background processes.

In this article, we will analyze all available ways to track traffic – from standard options to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks to specialized applications like GlassWire or NetGuard. MIUI 14/15, which allow for the separation of statistics by SIM-And for the owners of dual-devices, for the owners of the dual-devices. SIM Instructions for setting notifications for each card separately.

MIUI built-in tools for traffic monitoring

The MIUI shell contains two main sections for monitoring Internet traffic: general statistics and app detail, the first one shows the total spending for the current month, the second one shows the "gluttonous" programs, and the main menu is opened:

1. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks.
2. Select Data Consumption (on some models – Traffic usage).
3. Click on the gear icon in the upper right corner to access the reporting period and limits settings.

Here you'll see a daily consumption chart. Importantly, MIUI defaults to reset the statistics on the 1st of each month, but you can change this setting manually. For example, if your tariff is updated on the 15th, set that date in the period settings.

For details by annex:

1. In the same section, scroll down to the section Using traffic by apps.
2. Click on any application to see mobile network and Wi-Fi consumption separately.
3. Activate the Background Data Limit switch if you want to block background activity for a particular program.

⚠️ Attention: B MIUI 14 and newer, the Background Limit feature doesn't work for all system applications. For example, Google Play Services may ignore this limitation.

Set up notifications about exceeding the traffic limit

To avoid unexpected write-offs, set up alerts about approaching the limit.

1. Open the Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Data expenditure.
2. Slip the gear icon and select Set a Data Limit.
3. Activate the Slider Set a warning and specify a threshold value (for example, 90% of your tariff).
4. Below, set up Automatically Shutdown Mobile Data when you reach the limit.

Set the date of the reset of statistics|Activate 90% of the cost warning|Set up automatic shutdown when exceeded|Check the division of statistics by SIM-maps (for dual models)-->

For devices with two SIM-Cards (Redmi Note 12 Pro)+, POCO F5 Limits are set separately for each card. Switch between them at the top of the screen.

If your model does not support separate statistics, use third-party apps (see the next section).

Third-party applications for detailed traffic analysis

Built-in tools MIUI They give you basic information, but you need specialized tools to do deep analysis.-3 decision:

• 📊 GlassWire — visualizes real-time traffic consumption by application and server, even short-term bursts of activity.
• 🛡️ NetGuard is a root-free traffic blocker that allows you to completely turn off the Internet for selected applications.
• 📈 My Data Manager is convenient for setting monthly limits with alerts. Supports widgets on the home screen.

To install any of these applications:

1. Download APK from the official website or through Google Play.
2. Give permission to access network usage data (a pop-up will appear when you first start).
3. In the application settings, specify the traffic limit and the reset period.

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If after installing NetGuard mobile Internet stopped working, check whether the system applications com.android.phone or Telephony Provider are blocked in the utility settings.

For users with root rights, advanced features are available:

• 🔍 Monitoring traffic at the level of individual processes (e.g. adb shell netstats).
• 📱 Blocking Advertising Domains through Hosts File.
• 🔄 Redirecting traffic through VPN logged.

⚠️ Note: Apps like GlassWire can show inflated traffic consumption on the Internet 5-10% Due to the nature of data collection through Android API. For accurate measurements, use operator data (USSD-request *100# personal account).

How to Track Traffic on Wi-Fi Networks

The Wi-Fi data flow control in MIUI is less obvious than in the mobile Internet, so to see the statistics:

1. Go to Settings. → Wi-Fi.
2. Tap the name of the connected network and select Data Consumption.
3. This will show the consumption schedule for the current day/month.

Limitations of the built-in tool:

• ❌ No breakdown by app (only total traffic).
• ❌ Statistics are reset when reconnecting to the network.
• ❌ No notifications of exceeding the limit.

For detailed analysis, use:

• 🌐 Router statistics: Go to your router’s web interface (usually 192.168.1.1) and check the Traffic Monitor section or DHCP Clients.
• 📱 Fing App: Scans the local area network and shows traffic consumption for each device.

Hidden Traffic Consumption: How to Identify and Block

Some apps consume traffic in the background, even when you're not using them.

• 📱 Social networks (Facebook, TikTok) – upload content in advance.
• 🎮 Games (PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact – Update data in the background.
• 🔄 Cloud services (Google Drive, Mi Cloud) – synchronize files.

To limit background activity:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the desired application and tap the Data Consumption.
3. Activate the option to limit background data.
4. To block completely, turn off Auto Start and Background Activity.

System applications (such as Google Play Services) may require:

adb shell cmd appops set com.google.android.gms RUN_ANY_IN_BACKGROUND deny

This command disables background activity for Google Play Services via ADB. Be careful: improper use of ADB can disrupt the system.

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Even after the background data is limited, some applications (such as messengers) will consume traffic to deliver notifications, and you can only block them completely through a firewall like NetGuard.

Traffic Display Problems and Their Solutions

Sometimes embedded MIUI tools show incorrect data, common problems and ways to fix them:

If the data consumption section has disappeared after the MIUI update:

1. Check the firmware version in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version.
2. For MIUI 14+, the path has changed to Settings → Connections and Sharing → Data Consumption.
3. If there is no partition, reset the network settings: Settings → SIM-map → Resetting network settings.

Tips for saving traffic on Xiaomi

In addition to monitoring, data consumption can be optimized:

• 📶 Limit Background Sync: Disable Auto Update for Google Photos, Dropbox, and other cloud services in their settings.
• 🎵 Customize streaming content quality: On YouTube or Spotify, select lower resolution for mobile data.
• 🔄 Use data compression: Enable Traffic Saving option in Google Chrome or Opera.
• 📴 Turn off autoplay video on social media (application settings) → Auto-reproduction → Never).

For devices with MIUI 15, the function is available Intelligent Traffic Saving:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Traffic Savings.
2. Activate the slider and select the apps that you want to limit background traffic for.

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If you use navigators frequently (Google Maps, Yandex.Maps), download maps in advance via Wi-Fi. In Google Maps, this is done in the Offline Maps menu.

FAQ: Frequent questions about traffic control on Xiaomi