Where does the Internet go on the Xiaomi phone: detailed instructions for tracking traffic

The sudden disappearance of gigabytes of mobile internet or the suspiciously slow operation of Wi-Fi on Xiaomi is a familiar problem? Many users are faced with the fact that traffic “leaks” to unknown places, and the operator sends notifications about exceeding the limit. 90% of cases are not the fault of the network, but background processes, automatic updates or even malicious applications.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can track your traffic on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, from standard MIUI tools to hidden features and third-party utilities, how to identify voracious programs, limit their access to the network, and even set up notifications about exceeding limits, and why sometimes the data on the consumption in the settings and the operator do not match.

If you notice that the Internet is ending faster than usual, don't rush to buy a new tariff. First check where the traffic is going, maybe the problem is solved in two clicks. For example, many people do not know that even in standby mode, a smartphone can download updates for Google Play or sync Mi Cloud data.

Pay special attention to the sections about hidden settings MIUI And third-party monitoring apps, they can help you identify traffic that isn't shown in standard reports. SIM-We will tell you how to divide the statistics for each of them.

Standard traffic monitoring in MIUI: where to look for reports

The easiest way to check internet usage is to use the built-in MIUI tools, which are available on all Xiaomi models, from the Redmi Note 4 to the flagship Xiaomi 14. Reports show spending on both mobile network and Wi-Fi, but there are nuances.

To open up the statistics:

1. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks (or settings) → Connections and sharing → Use of data on new versions MIUI).
2. Select the Traffic Use tab.
3. Scroll down to see a list of apps sorted by the amount of traffic consumed.

Here you'll see:

• 📊 Total expenditure for the current month (or other selected period).
• 📱 Application breakdown – which programs “eat” the most megabytes.
• 🔄 Background traffic – how much data went into updates and sync in the background.
• 📶 Division by SIM-cards (if there are two of them).

Note that MIUI resets the statistics on the 1st of each month by default. If your rate starts on a different date (for example, the 15th), change the period manually by clicking on the calendar icon in the upper right corner.

⚠️ Attention: Reports MIUI No account is taken of traffic consumed by system processes (e.g. updates) MIUI To see them, turn on the system applications in the statistics settings (three dots in the upper right corner). → Showing System Processes).

2. Hidden MIUI settings: how to see full traffic consumption

Standard statistics in MIUI don't always show the real picture, for example, they may not take into account:

• 🔄 Traffic from automatic updates (including security updates).
• ☁️ Sync with Mi Cloud, Google Drive, or other clouds.
• 📡 Background activity of Google Play Services (especially on devices with a Google Play Service) GMS).
• 📶 Data consumption during roaming (if it was included).

To get the full information, use the hidden menu of engineering settings:

1. Open the phone app and enter the combination: ##4636##
2. In the menu that opens, select Usage Statistics.
3. Scroll down to Mobile Traffic, and you’ll find a detailed report, including system processes.

You can also reset your traffic counters (useful if the statistics are “lost”) or turn on warnings about exceeding the limit, for example, if your tariff is limited to 10 GB, set an 8 GB notification to have time to turn off mobile Internet.

Another useful tool is the Network Activity Log, which shows which apps have accessed the Internet in the last 24 hours, even if there's not much traffic, to open it.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Network Activity.
3. Sort the list by the time of last access to the network.

3. How to separate Wi-Fi and mobile network statistics

Many users confuse mobile and Wi-Fi traffic, especially if the smartphone often switches between the two.In MIUI, this data is displayed separately, but it is not always obvious how to interpret it.

To see the detailed report:

1. Open Settings → Connections and Sharing → Data Use.
2. At the top of the screen, select the Mobile Data or Wi-Fi tab.
3. Scroll down to see the list of applications and their consumption for each type of network.

Pay attention to the following points:

• 📶 Mobile traffic is only counted when you are actively connected to the operator's network. If you are connected to Wi-Fi, but it is unstable, the smartphone can "snap" mobile Internet without your knowledge.
• 🌐 Wi-Fi traffic shows the total data flow across all the connected networks. If you switch between different access points often, the statistics will add up.
• ⚠️ If there are unknown high-flow programs on the list of applications, this could be a sign of a virus or adware.

To avoid confusion, set up automatic mobile internet shutdown when connecting to Wi-Fi:

1. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Transfer of data.
2. Turn on the option to turn off mobile data when connecting to Wi-Fi.

💡

If you use public Wi-Fi frequently (in cafes, airports), turn on the option of secure Wi-Fi connection in the MIUI settings (in the Wi-Fi section → Additional settings) to help avoid data leakage through insecure networks.

4 Third-party applications for traffic monitoring: TOP-3 utilities

If the built-in MIUI tools don’t seem informative enough, install one of the specialized applications. They offer advanced features such as:

• 📅 Flexible adjustment of reporting periods (not only by calendar months).
• 🔔 Real-time notifications of exceeding limits.
• 📊 Detailed traffic flow charts by hour/day.
• 🛡️ Block background traffic for individual applications.

We tested dozens of utilities and selected the three most reliable:

For maximum accuracy, we recommend using two utilities: one for monitoring (for example, My Data Manager), and another for blocking background traffic (NetGuard), which will help not only track the flow, but also actively monitor it.

⚠️ Note: Some applications for traffic monitoring (especially with function) VPN) You can consume additional data yourself. Before installing, check reviews and rankings on Google Play.

5. Search for “gluttonous” applications: what to do if traffic flows to unknown places

If you notice that the Internet is going “to nowhere” – statistics show a large expense, but no applications stand out – the problem may be:

• 🔄 Auto-Updates (Applications, Games, MIUI).
• ☁️ Background synchronization (mail, cloud services, social networks).
• 🦠 Malware or advertising modules.
• 📡 Unoptimized messengers (for example, Telegram or WhatsApp in the background).

To identify the culprit:

Limit background traffic for all apps | Check auto-updates in Google Play | Turn off sync of unnecessary accounts |Install antivirus (e.g. Malwarebytes) |Browse the network activity log in MIUI-->

Pay special attention to the following settings:

1. App Auto Update: Open Google Play → Settings → App Auto Update. Choose Never or Only via Wi-Fi.
2. Background data transfer: Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management. Select suspicious application → Mobile data and Wi-Fi → Turn off Background data transfer.

Account synchronization:

• Open Settings → Accounts and Synchronization.
• Turn off automatic sync for unnecessary services (e.g. Mi Cloud if you don’t use it).

For more flexible management, use NetGuard (mentioned earlier), which allows you to:

• 🔒 Block the Internet for individual applications on a schedule (for example, at night).
• 🌐 Allow access only via Wi-Fi or only via mobile network.
• 📡 View detailed logs of connections.

⚠️ Attention: Restricting internet access for system applications (e.g. Google Play Services or Miui Daemon) can cause a smartphone to run in an unstable way.

7.Why the MIUI and operator consumption data are not the same

Xiaomi users complain that the statistics in the smartphone settings show one traffic consumption, and the operator reports another. The difference can be as much as 10-30%.

Here are the main factors that influence the discrepancies:

• 📡 Traffic at the operator level takes into account not only data transmitted to the smartphone, but also service information (for example, ping requests to maintain a connection).
• 🔄 Caching and compression: some operators (for example, MegaFon or Beeline) compress traffic on their side, which makes the real amount of data on the smartphone less.
• ⏱️ Time difference: the operator can reset the meter not at 00:00, but at other times (for example, at 3:00 Moscow time).
• 📶 Switching between 4G/5G: When changing the type of network, some data packets may be lost, which the operator still takes into account.
• 🔗 Double roaming count: If you traveled, domestic and foreign operators could count the same traffic twice.