How to connect Wi-Fi in the subway on Xiaomi: full instructions with life hacks

Connecting to Wi-Fi in the subway on Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones seems like a simple task — but in practice, users face authorization errors, constant connection breaks or the inability to log into their personal account. The problem is compounded by the fact that networks in the subways of different cities (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Novosibirsk) operate on different protocols, and the MIUI interface has its nuances. In this article, we will examine all the ways of connecting – from the standard through the browser to bypassing locks through the developer’s settings, and also explain why the smartphone can “refol” to save the network.

The thing about Wi-Fi in the subway is that it's not just an open network, it's a secure system with a portal authorization. Many Xiaomi users find that after entering a username / password, the connection disappears after a few minutes or does not set up at all. We tested the connection on Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12 and POCO X5 Pro models - and identified the key cause of 80% of the problems: incorrect DNS settings and conflict with the Smart Connection function in MIUI. Next, step-by-step solutions for all scenarios.

1. Standard connection via browser

The most obvious way is to connect to the subway network through the standard authorization portal, but even here there are pitfalls associated with MIUI.

1. Activate Wi-Fi in the notification panel and select the subway network: 🚇 MT_FREE — Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod 🚇 KazanMetro_Free — Kazan 🚇 Novosibirsk_Metro — Novosibirsk 🚇 SamaraMetro_WiFi — Samara

manually open any website

ya.ru

• 📱 For Moscow / St. Petersburg: login - phone number (without a phone number) +7), the password will come in SMS.
• 📱 For other cities: data are issued when registering on the subway website.

⚠️ Note: If the Internet does not appear after authorization, check whether the connection blocks the built-in connection. VPN (For example, Mi Browser or Private DNS In the settings. Turn it off in Settings. → Connections → VPN.

VPN|Wi-Fi turned on in "Always" |Browser updated to the latest version |No traffic restrictions in SIM-card settings-->

2.Why doesn't Xiaomi keep the subway network?

A common problem: the smartphone connects to Wi-Fi, but after a few minutes automatically turns off or switches to mobile data.

• 🔄 The “Smart Connection” function in MIUI — It prioritizes mobile internet if the Wi-Fi signal is weak.
• 🛡️ Protection against bad networks – the system blocks the connection if the speed is below the threshold.
• 🔒 Captive portal restrictions – some subway networks require a reauthorization every 30 minutes.

Decision:

1. Open Settings → Wi-Fi → Additional → Smart Connection and turn off this feature.
2. In the same tab, find Avoid Bad Networks and deactivate it.
3. For the Metro network, click Change the network → In addition and install: 🔄 Connect automatically - on-line 📶 Switch to Mobile Data – Off

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If the subway network disappears when you switch between stations, turn on the developer settings (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – tap 7 times) option Do not turn off Wi-Fi when you go to sleep.

3. Alternative ways of connecting

If the standard method doesn’t work, try these options:

⚠️ Attention: In case of manual change DNS Some banking applications (e.g. SberBank Online or Tinkoff) may block access for security reasons. DNS in the state of “Automatically».

4. Solving authorization errors

If you see errors like “Incorrect login or password”, “Service temporarily unavailable” or “Error 502” when you try to log in to the subway network, the reasons may be as follows:

• 🔢 Incorrect format of phone number - for Moscow / St. Petersburg enter 9123456789 (without the +7 or 8).
• ⏳ Delay. SMS — Sometimes the code comes in 5-10 minutes. Check the spam folder in the messages.
• 🌐 Lock-in IP — If you often connect / disconnect, the system can ban your device.
• 📵 Dual Apps conflict – if you cloned a browser (such as Mi Browser), authorization may not pass.
• In the battery settings (Settings → Battery → Power Mode), select Performance – this will remove background restrictions for Wi-Fi.
• For models with MIUI 14+, disable Network Optimization in Settings → Connections → Mobile Network → Network Optimization.

⚠️ Warning: These settings increase battery consumption by 10 to 15 percent. If you're more interested in saving charge, leave the default settings and connect to Wi-Fi only when needed.

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The most stable connection is achieved when the Smart Connection and Avoid Bad Networks functions are disabled + manually configuring the DNS to 1.1.1.1.

6. Features for different Xiaomi models

Some Xiaomi models have unique Wi-Fi bugs in the subway.

For devices on MIUI 13 and older, it is also recommended to disable the Mi Wi-Fi Enhancer feature, which may conflict with the captive portal. Find it in Settings → Connections → Wi-Fi → More.

7 Safety when using Wi-Fi in the subway

Public subway networks are a privacy risk, and attackers can intercept traffic or replace login pages to protect themselves:

• 🔒 Use it. VPN (For example, ProtonVPN or Warp from Cloudflare after logging in to the network.
• 🛡️ Turn off automatic login to important accounts (banks, social networks) during your trip.
• 🚫 Do not enter payment data (card numbers, CVV) via Wi-Fi subway.
• 🔄 Enable two-factor authentication for critical services.

⚠️ Attention: Some VPN (For example, built-in Mi Browser can conflict with the captive portal and block authorization. VPN Only after successfully entering the Metro network.

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Create a separate profile in your browser specifically for subway Wi-Fi, without passwords or cookies saved, so you minimize the risk of data leakage.

FAQ: Frequent questions