How to view the Internet consumption on the phone Xiaomi: all the ways (including hidden)

Monitoring mobile traffic on Xiaomi smartphones is a challenge that every user faces, especially for those who use limited plans or travel frequently with roaming. Unlike iPhones or pure Android devices, Xiaomi phones based on the MIUI shell offer advanced monitoring tools, but they are hidden in non-obvious menu sections.

In this article, we will analyze all available ways to check Internet consumption - from standard settings to hidden functions of the engineering menu. You will learn how to track app traffic, reset statistics at the beginning of a new billing period, and even set up automatic mobile data shutdowns when you exceed the limit. Special attention is paid to the differences between the versions of MIUI 12/13/14/15, as the location of some menu items has changed with the updates.

Important: if you use Xiaomi with two SIM- cards, the system allows you to separate traffic statistics for each of them, which we will also discuss in detail. And for owners of devices with Global ROM and China ROM, we will give separate instructions, as the interface in these firmwares may differ.

1. Standard method: MIUI settings

The easiest way to check Internet consumption is through built-in MIUI tools. This method works on all Xiaomi models, from the Redmi Note 4 to the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra. The main advantage is that you do not need to install third-party applications.

To open traffic statistics:

1. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks.
2. Choose an active one SIM-card (if two of them).
3. Tap on the item Data consumption (in some versions – Traffic usage).
4. You will see the mobile internet usage schedule for the current period.

Here you can:

• 📊 View daily, weekly and monthly traffic consumption.
• 🔄 Reset the meter manually (useful at the beginning of a new billing period).
• ⚠️ Set a warning when the predetermined limit is exceeded.
• 📵 Set up automatic shutdown of mobile data when a threshold is reached.

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If your MIUI version doesn’t have data consumption, try the path: Settings → Connections & Sharing → Data Use. This is true for Android 12 and later.

Note that MIUI 14/15 has made the interface more visual, with traffic consumption now displayed as an interactive graph with the ability to detail by day. In comparison, MIUI 12 had only text stats with a diagram.

2. Details by application: who is "eating" your traffic?

It's often the case that mobile Internet is running out too fast, but it's not clear which app is to blame. MIUI has a built-in tool to analyze program traffic, which helps identify voracious services that work in the background.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the upper right corner, click on three dots and select Data Use.
3. The system will show a list of all applications, sorted by the amount of traffic consumed.
4. Tapping on any app to see the details: background traffic, traffic in the foreground, and even spending by data types (like uploading videos to YouTube or updating maps to Google Maps).

It is especially useful to check:

• 📹 Social networks (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook – they often upload videos in the background).
• 🗺️ Maps and navigators (Google Maps, Yandex.Maps – update data even when you are not actively using them).
• ☁️ Cloud services (Google Drive, Mi Cloud) can sync files without you knowing.
• 🎮 Games (many online games download updates in the background).

MIUI 15 has introduced the Smart Traffic Control feature, which automatically limits the background activity of applications if you approach the limit. To turn it on, go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Intelligent Control and activate the appropriate switch.

3 Hidden functions: engineering menu and USSD- codes

If standard settings don’t provide enough data, you can use hidden tools like the engineering menu and the USSD- codes, which are suitable for advanced users and allow you to get more detailed information about traffic flow.

Method 1: Engineering Menu (MTK and Qualcomm)

For devices running Mediatek processors (most budget Redmi) and Qualcomm Snapdragon (flagship models), an engineering menu is available where you can see low-level network statistics.

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After entering this code:

1. Select Phone Information (or Phone Information in English firmware).
2. Scroll down to the Traffic block – this shows the total data consumption since the last reboot.
3. To reset the meter, click Menu → Reset Statistics.

Method 2: USSD- operator codes

Many mobile operators (e.g. MTS, Beeline, Tele2) provide USSD- codes to check the traffic residue. These codes are universal and work on any phone, including Xiaomi:

⚠️ Warning: The engineering menu provides access to low-level device settings. Don't change settings unless you're sure they're intended, which can cause network instability or even loss of communication.

4. Third-party applications for traffic monitoring

If built-in MIUI tools aren’t enough, you can install specialized apps from Google Play.They offer advanced features: limit-excess notifications, detailing by data type (for example, separately for YouTube, Netflix or Telegram), and even spending forecasts based on your habits.

Top.-3 apps:

• 📈 My Data Manager -- it tracks traffic in real time, supports widgets to the home screen, and there's Family Control to monitor the flow across multiple devices.
• 🛡️ GlassWire -- visualizes traffic flow as a graph, shows which apps are connecting to the Internet in the background, useful for identifying suspicious activity.
• 🔍 Traffic Monitor is a minimalist application with limit notifications, which supports setting different limits for mobile data and Wi-Fi.

To set up one of these applications:

1. Install the program from Google Play.
2. When you first start, provide access to the data usage history (this is necessary for correct operation).
3. Please indicate your monthly traffic limit and the date of the start of the billing period.
4. Enable notifications of exceeding the limit in the application settings.

Download from Google Play|Give access to data history |Specify traffic limit |Enable notifications |Add widget to home screen-->

⚠️ Warning: Some traffic monitoring applications (e.g., 3G Watchdog) may conflict with embedded tools MIUI, resulting in double counting. If you notice discrepancies in statistics, disable one of the solutions.

5 Features for two SIM- cards

Many Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 12 Pro+, POCO X5 Pro, Xiaomi 13T) support two SIM- cards, in which case the system allows you to separate traffic statistics for each of them, as well as adjust individual limits.

How to set up traffic control for two SIMs:

1. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks.
2. Select the first SIM- card and set the traffic limit for it (as described in the first section).
3. Go back and select the second SIM- card – reset.
4. The Data Consumption section will now display aggregate statistics for both SIMs, as well as the ability to switch between them.

Important nuances:

• 🔄 If you use the primary SIM for data and the second one for calls only, turn off mobile internet for the second SIM in settings (Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → [SIM 2] → Mobile data).
• 📵 In roaming, automatically disable the data for the second SIM to avoid unexpected costs.
• 🔄 If both SIM are active, the system will switch between them depending on signal strength, which can distort statistics. To avoid this, set priority SIM for the Internet in the settings.

MIUI 15 has a Smart Data Switch feature that automatically selects the SIM with the best coverage. To turn it off (and thereby avoid chaos in traffic statistics), go to:

→ SIM-maps and mobile networks → Smart data switching

6.Resetting statistics and setting up notifications

To keep your traffic flow statistics up to date, you need to reset them at the beginning of each billing period (usually the 1st day of the month or the activation date). the tariff. MIUI This is done manually or automatically.

Manual reset:

1. Open the Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Data expenditure.
2. Slip on the three-point menu in the upper right corner.
3. Choose Reset Statistics.
4. Confirm the action.

Automatic discharge:

Some versions of MIUI (e.g. MIUI 13 Global) have a function to automatically reset the statistics on a schedule.

1. Go to Settings → Data Consumption.
2. Click on the gear icon (⚙️) top-corner.
3. Select Automatic Reset.
4. Specify the date (for example, the 1st day of each month) and the time of the discharge.

Set up notifications about exceeding the limit:

1. In the Data Consumption section, tap on the Traffic Warning.
2. Set a threshold (e.g. 10 GB out of 15 GB).
3. Activate the Switch to Show notification.
4. If you wish, turn on the option to disable mobile data when exceeded.

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If you use a “night limit” tariff, set separate limits for day and night traffic in MIUI, activate the “Separate Time Account” option in the Data Consumption section and specify the unlimited hours (usually from 00:00 to 6:00).

⚠️ Warning: If you manually reset the statistics but do not update the start date of the billing period, the system may show incorrect data. Always check that the date in the settings corresponds to the actual start of your tariff period.

7 Problems and Solutions: Why are the statistics wrong?

Xiaomi users sometimes find that traffic consumption statistics do not match the operator’s data, and consider the main reasons and ways to eliminate them.

Problem 1: Traffic consumption is 0, although the Internet is working.

Possible causes:

• The meter was dropped manually.
• You use a VPN or proxy – some of the traffic may not be properly accounted for.
• The device has an ad blocking application (e.g. AdGuard) that creates a local VPN- tunnel.

Solution: Reboot your phone or turn off your VPN/proxy for 5-10 minutes, then check the statistics again.

Problem 2: The phone and operator data are very different.

This may be due to:

• Background activity of system applications (e.g., com.miui.analytics – Xiaomi analytics service).
• Wi-Fi Calling (Wi-Fi calls can be counted as mobile traffic)
• Firmware errors (especially relevant for custom ROMs, such as xiaomi.eu).

Decision:

1. Turn off Wi-Fi Calling in the SIM- card settings.
2. Check the traffic flow of the applications (as in the second section) and block the background activity of suspicious programs.
3. Update the firmware to the latest version of MIUI.

Problem 3: After the MIUI update, the data expenditure section disappeared.

In some cases, after major updates (for example, from MIUI 12 to MIUI 14), the menu may change.

• Try an alternative path: Settings → Connections and Sharing → Data Use.
• Reset network settings: Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Resetting network settings.
• If nothing helps, use third-party monitoring apps.

FAQ: Frequent questions about traffic consumption on Xiaomi