Why it’s important to monitor traffic on Xiaomi and how to do it right
Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi and POCO lines) are known for their energy efficiency, but they are not always careful with mobile traffic. App background updates, autoloading media in messengers and hidden processes of the system can eat up gigabytes unnoticed — especially if you have unlimited free-use or packaged rates. According to J’son & Partners, 68% of MIUI users have experienced an unexpected excess of traffic at least once, and in 40% of cases the fault was system services, not user actions.
In this article, you will find 5 proven ways to track your Internet consumption on Xiaomi – from standard tools MIUI We'll also look at how to set up automatic mobile data shutdowns when you exceed the limit, reset statistics and identify "gluttonous" applications. MIUI 12, 13 and 14 – In newer versions, the traffic counting algorithm has changed, and older instructions may give inaccurate data.
Method 1: MIUI Standard Statistics (the simplest method)
The built-in traffic meter in MIUI shows the flow of mobile network and Wi-Fi separately, with the possibility of detailing by application.
- Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks.
- Choose yours. SIM-card (if there are several).
- Slip on the item Traffic usage.
Here you'll see:
- 📊 Current month expenditure schedule (by day).
- 📱 List of applications sorted by the amount of traffic consumed.
- ⚠️ Warning of exceeding (if the limit is set).
Note that MIUI will, by default, reset the statistics on the 1st of each month. If your tariff period starts on another date (e.g., the 15th), the meter will show the irrelevant data.
- In the same Traffic Usage menu, click on the three dots in the top right corner.
- Select the Cycle Settings.
- Please indicate the date of the beginning of the reporting period.
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If the chart shows abnormally high consumption (e.g. 5GB per night), check the Auto Update app settings on Google Play. Often to blame background traffic from YouTube Music or Netflix, which cache content.
Method 2: Detailing the applications (where exactly the traffic is leaking)
General statistics are useful, but they don't show what exactly caused the cost: Telegram, for example, can eat 1 GB per day -- but it could have been both voice messages and autoloading stickers.
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Select the app you want (such as WhatsApp).
- Go to Mobile Data and Wi-Fi.
Here you'll see:
- 📤 Outgoing traffic (uploading data to the server).
- 📥 Inbound traffic (downloading content).
- 🔄 Background traffic (consumer cost when folded application).
It is especially useful to check:
- 🎵 Music services (Spotify, Yandex Music) – cache tracks.
- 📷 Social networks (TikTok, Instagram) – autoplay video.
- 🎮 Games (PUBG Mobile, Genshin Impact – background updates.
Method 3: Hidden settings of the engineering menu (for advanced)
If the standard statistics seem inaccurate (for example, after upgrading to MIUI 14), you can use an engineering menu that shows raw data from the modem, without processing the system.
Instructions:
- Open the Phone app.
- Enter the combination: ##4636###.
- Go to the Usage statistics tab.
Here you'll see:
- 📡 Exact consumption on mobile network (in bytes).
- 🔗 Wi-Fi statistics (if connected).
- ⏱️ Time of active connection.
⚠️ Warning: Do not change other options in the engineering menu unless you understand their purpose! This can cause modem malfunctions or network loss.
What to do if the engineering menu is not opened?
Method 4: Third-Party Applications for Traffic Monitoring
If you don't like the built-in MIUI tools, you can install specialized tools.
- 📅 Flexible reporting periods (week, day, random interval).
- 🔔 Smart notifications when exceeding the limit.
- 🌍 Support for dual-SIM and eSIM.
Top.-3 apps:
| Annex | Features | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| My Data Manager | Tracks traffic in real time, blocks background data | Advertising in the free version |
| GlassWire | Visualization of flow in the form of a schedule, detection of suspicious activity | Paid for full functionality |
| NetGuard | Blocking network access for individual applications without root | A complex interface for beginners |
When choosing an application, pay attention to:
- 🔒 Offline mode (to keep statistics without the Internet).
- 📊 Possibility of data export to CSV/Excel.
- 🛡️ No collection of personal data (check permissions!).
☑️ Set up My Data Manager for Xiaomi
Method 5: Checking through the operator (most accurate data)
Even the most advanced phone counters can be 5-15% wrong because of:
- 🔄 Network reconnection (traffic lost when changing base station).
- 📡 Systemic services that MIUI does not take into account (e.g, IMS VoLTE).
- 🔄 Background activity of Google Services Framework.
To get 100% accurate data, use:
- 📱 Personal account of the operator (web version or application).
- 💬 USSD-request:
| Operator. | USSD-code | What shows |
|---|---|---|
| MTS | *100*1# | Traffic balance and minutes |
| Beeline | *102# | Detailing the flow |
| MegaFon | *105*00# | Tariff balance |
| Tele2 | *155*1# | Balance and packages |
If the operator and phone data are very different (by more than 20%), this may indicate:
- 🕵️♂️ Viral software that consumes traffic in the background.
- 🔄 Modem malfunctions (try restarting your phone).
- 📡 Problems with settings APN (Check the parameters in the settings → Mobile network → Access points (APN)).
⚠️ Note: Some operators (e.g., Iota) count traffic to within 1MB, and MIUI — This can give discrepancies of up to 0.1% of the total volume, which is normal.
How to Reset Traffic Statistics on Xiaomi
If you change the tariff or want to start the reporting period again, the statistics can be reset:
- Open the Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Using traffic.
- Click on the three dots in the upper right corner.
- Choose Reset Statistics.
Important:
- 🔄 The reset does not affect the real traffic consumption of the operator.
- 📅 The start date of the new cycle can be changed to the Cycle Settings.
- 📱 After resetting, the application expenditure data will also be zeroed out.
If the Reset button is inactive:
- 🔒 Check if there are any restrictions in parental control.
- 📲 Try resetting through the engineering menu (Usage statistics section).
- 🔄 Reboot your phone – sometimes it helps with glitch MIUI.
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Resetting statistics does not eliminate the real traffic consumption of the operator! Use this feature only for easy tracking, not to "deceive" the system.
Frequent problems and their solutions
Even on new Xiaomi smartphones (such as the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ or Xiaomi 13T), users are faced with inaccurate traffic accounting.
1 Traffic 'leaks out' at night, even though phone is not used
Guilty:
- 🔄 Auto-update MIUI (switch off in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system → Settings → Downloading).
- 📱 Background activity of Google Play (limit to Settings) → Annexes → Google Play Store → Mobile data).
- 🌐 Push notifications from social networks (configure in each application separately).
2.The statistics are reset by themselves
Reasons:
- 📅 Incorrectly stated cycle start date (check in Cycle Settings).
- 🔄 Failure after update MIUI (Helps reset network settings in Settings → Memory. → Reset → Resetting network settings).
- 📱 Conflict with traffic saving apps (e.g. Google’s Datally).
3.Roaming expenses are not taken into account
MIUI does not show roaming traffic separately by default, to track it:
- 📡 Turn on Show roaming traffic in settings SIM-map.
- 📱 Install the Traffic Monitor app with roaming support.
- 💬 Request details from the operator (usually a paid service).
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If you travel frequently, set up background limit roaming in Settings → SIM-map → Roaming.This will block the background activity of applications abroad.