How to see where the Internet traffic on the phone Xiaomi: the full guide

The sudden disappearance of gigabytes of mobile internet is a familiar problem for owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO. Even with minimal smartphone use, traffic is melting before our eyes, and the operator stubbornly writes off money for “extra” megabytes. What is the reason? Most often the fault is background processes, auto updates or hidden “leaks” of data. But how exactly to determine where traffic is going on Xiaomi, and what to do about it?

In this article, we will look at all the ways to monitor Internet consumption, from built-in MIUI tools to third-party applications, learn how to identify “gluttonous” programs, adjust restrictions and save up to 30-50% of traffic without compromising convenience, and also why even in standby mode, a smartphone can “eat” up to 500 MB per day and how to stop it.

Let me warn you right away, it's not always the phone itself, and sometimes it's the operator's settings (like services that are connected without the user's knowledge) or the firmware bugs, but 80 percent of the time, you have to configure the system properly, and you'll see a reduction in traffic.

1. Built-in tools MIUI: Where to look at traffic statistics

Xiaomi has built a MIUI shell with several ways to control Internet traffic, which works on everything from the budget Redmi 9A to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra, with the main advantage of not installing third-party programs.

To open the statistics, go to:

→ SIM-maps and mobile networks → Traffic consumption

This shows the total expenditure for the current period (the default month), as well as the detailing by application.

• 📊 Flow chart: shows peak hours of activity, if you notice spikes at night, background updates are probably to blame.
• 🔍 App list: sorted by downput. Notice the programs you rarely use, but they eat up hundreds of megabytes.
• ⚙️ Period settings: by default, the meter is reset on the 1st, but you can set an arbitrary date (for example, coinciding with the operator's tariff).

Important: MIUI's built-in statistics only take into account mobile traffic. Wi-Fi spending is displayed separately under Settings → Wi-Fi → Data consumption. If you need to track both types of connections at the same time, you'll need third-party software (discussed below).

⚠️ Note: If the statistics show traffic consumption when the phone was connected to Wi-Fi, this may indicate problems with the router (for example, it distributes the Internet through a mobile access point) or a bug in the firmware. → The phone. → Resetting settings → Resetting Wi-Fi, Mobile Network and Bluetooth).

2. Top.-5 Apps that eat up traffic on Xiaomi

Analysis of statistics from thousands of Xiaomi users showed that only a few types of programs consume the lion’s share of traffic.

Special attention should be paid to pre-installed Xiaomi services, such as Mi Video, Mi Browser or GetApps. They often work in the background, downloading ads or content updates, to turn them off:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find an unnecessary service (such as Mi Browser) and tap it.
3. Select Disable or Stop (if the button is inactive, click Remove Updates first).
4. In the Mobile Data section, turn off Internet access.

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If you can’t turn off your system application, try limiting its activity through Settings → Battery & Performance → Battery Management → Application Selection. Set it to Limited mode – this will reduce background traffic consumption.

3. Hidden Traffic Leaks: What to Check First

Sometimes the traffic is not going to the obvious applications, but to the hidden processes.

• 🔄 App Auto Update: Google Play and GetApps can update programs in the background. disable this in Settings → Annexes → Google Play Store → Mobile data → Auto-Update Apps (select Only via Wi-Fi).
• 📡 Mobile hotspot: If you've ever turned on an internet handout, other devices could connect without your knowledge. → Access Point and modem → Mobile access point.
• 📱 Duplicate SIM-Maps: on some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 11 Pro) when activating the second SIM And traffic can leak to it even if you're not using it. SIM In Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks.
• 🛡️ VPN and proxy: some applications (e.g. 1.1.1.1 or Psiphon) can run in the background, consuming traffic. → Connections and sharing → VPN.

Critical vulnerability of some firmware MIUI (version below 13.0.4: Mi Push Service system app can spend up to 1 GB per month sending analytics, even if you have disabled all permissions. ADB (guideline).

Another common case is fraudulent subscriptions, where some operators (such as MTS or Beeline) connect paid services without the explicit consent of the user, to check:

1. Send. USSD-request *111# (for MTS), *105# (for Beeline) or *100# (for MegaFon).
2. Check the list of active services in the operator’s personal account.
3. If you find suspicious subscriptions, disable them with the command *111*0# (universal code for most operators).

4. Third-party applications for traffic monitoring

If built-in MIUI tools aren't enough, use specialized programs that offer advanced statistics, limit notifications, and hour-day analysis.

The best options for Xiaomi:

• 📈 My Data Manager: Tracks real-time traffic, blocks background activity of applications.
• 🛡️ GlassWire: visualizes traffic flow as a graph, shows suspicious connections, useful for detecting spyware.
• 🔍 NetGuard: not only monitors, but also blocks Internet access for individual applications without root rights.
• 📊 Traffic Monitor: Minimalist app with flow notifications. Suitable for beginners.

To set up one of these applications:

1. Install the program from Google Play.


2.Give permission to access the usage data (pop-up window at first start).




3. Set a monthly traffic limit (which coincides with your tariff).




4. Enable exceeding notifications in the application settings.

⚠️ Attention: Some traffic monitoring applications (e.g. NetGuard) require constant background work, which can increase battery consumption by 5-10%. If you notice a quick discharge, add a program in battery optimization exceptions (Settings) → Battery and productivity → Choice of applications).

Open NetGuard | Turn on the switch in the upper right corner |Select applications with high traffic consumption |Switch off mobile data for them (leave only Wi-Fi) |Save settings-->

5. How to limit the traffic consumption of Xiaomi

You find that traffic is going to unnecessary processes, and here's how to cut it.

Method 1: Limit background traffic

Many apps continue to use the Internet even when you're not using them, to stop it:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app (like Facebook or Instagram).
3. Tap the Mobile Data and turn off Background Data Access.

Method 2: Configure traffic savings in MIUI

MIUI 12/13/14 has a built-in saving mode:

→ SIM-maps and mobile networks → Traffic consumption → Traffic savings

Turn it on – the system will limit background activity and compress data.

Method 3: Blocking Advertising

Banners and videos eat up to 20 percent of traffic to turn them off:

• Use a browser with an ad blocker (like Brave or Firefox with uBlock Origin).
• In MIUI, turn off personalized advertising: Settings → Google → Advertising → Turn off ad personalization.

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The most effective way to save traffic is to disable autoplay videos on social media and instant messengers. For example, on Instagram, this is done in Settings → Account → Mobile Data Use → Autoplay (select Never).

6. Advanced methods: ADB and developer settings

If the standard methods don't work, try advanced settings. They require a little more effort, but allow you to completely control traffic flow.

Method 1: Disabling background data transmission via ADB

Some MIUI system processes ignore user restrictions to block them:

adb shell settings put global restrict_background_data 1

This command will disable background traffic for all apps except those you add to the exceptions.

Method 2: Configure the Constraint through Developer Parameters

Activate Developer Options (tap 7 times on the MIUI version in Settings → About Phone), then:

1. Go to the Developer Options → Networks.
2. Enable Limit the background process (limit the number of background tasks).
3. Turn off Automatic Data Synchronization.

Method 3: Change the APN (Access Point)

Sometimes operators set up APNs so that traffic goes through proxy servers (for example, to compress data), which can lead to "leaks." To reset the APN settings:

→ SIM-maps and mobile networks → Access Points (APN) → Reset to default values

⚠️ Attention: Change of settings APN This can lead to loss of access to the mobile Internet if the settings are set incorrectly. Before editing, save the current settings (take a screen picture) or check them with the operator.

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

Many Xiaomi users make the same mistakes when trying to save traffic.

• ❌ Disabling mobile data completely: This is a radical solution, but it makes your smartphone useless outside of Wi-Fi. Instead, set up restrictions for individual apps.
• ❌ Ignoring firmware updates: in older versions MIUI (Below 12.5), there are bugs that cause traffic to be consumed even in airplane mode.
• ❌ Using Google Play’s “traffic optimizers”: Many of these programs consume the internet themselves to serve ads.
• ❌ Mid-cycle reset: If you zero the meter before the end of the billing period, the data will become inaccurate.

Another common problem is misinterpretation of statistics, for example, if you connect to public Wi-Fi and then switch to mobile data, some applications may continue to "think" they're running over Wi-Fi and waste traffic, and to avoid this, always restart programs after you change the connection type.

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If you travel frequently, turn on data roaming only for selected applications. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → roaming → Apps with access to roaming and leave only messengers and cards.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions