Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a situation where the mobile Internet package ends much earlier than planned, which can be caused by background application activity, automatic updates or hidden system processes. Traffic control becomes a critical skill to avoid unnecessary costs or sudden disconnection at the most inopportune time.
MIUI and the new HyperOS provide users with powerful built-in tools to monitor network activity. You don’t need to install third-party programs that can consume resources themselves. In this article, we’ll take a look at how to view traffic consumption on Xiaomi, analyze statistics and adjust restrictions.
Understanding where your gigabytes go helps extend the battery life of your device and optimize network performance. We'll look at the standard system tools, hidden settings and deep diagnostics methods. The main source of hidden expense in 80% of cases is autoplay video on social networks and instant messengers.
Use of the Application Security
The fastest and most affordable way to check how much traffic has been spent is to use the Security app preinstalled, a system control center that combines antivirus, memory cleanup and network connection control. To access the statistics, look for a green icon with a shield on your desktop or in the Tools folder.
Inside the app, you need to select Data Transfer, which shows a general summary of mobile Internet and Wi-Fi usage for the current period, the system automatically summarizes the readings, but for accuracy, it is better to check with your carrier's data, and the interface may vary slightly depending on the version of MIUI.
You'll see a pie chart on the screen showing the ratio of incoming and outgoing traffic, and if you click on a particular sector or list below, you can go into detail, and mobile data and Wi-Fi are separated, which is convenient for analysis.
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Set a traffic limit in the same menu so that your phone automatically shuts down the internet when it reaches the 90% threshold of your tariff.
It is important to note that the Security app can reset statistics when you reboot your device or update your system unless you have strict restrictions, so it is worth checking the data regularly, preferably on the same day of the month when the operator updates the tariff period.
Analysis through system settings
If the system app icon is hidden or you need a more detailed look without unnecessary graphics, use the standard Android settings menu.This method is universal and works even in the event of a launcher interface failure. Go to Settings and select Connect and Sharing (or «SIM-maps and mobile networks»).
This is the Traffic Statistics section, and unlike the Security app, this screen shows dryer but more accurate numbers, and you can see a list of all the applications sorted by the amount of data you consume, and it allows you to instantly identify voracious programs.
Clicking on a particular app on the list will take you to its detailed profile, where you can see the separation between foreground (when you use the program) and background mode, and background traffic often accounts for the lion's share of consumption from social media and email clients.
☑️ Checking traffic settings
The same menu also includes limit setting and warning, so you can set a date for resetting your data to match your tariff period, which eliminates confusion when 30 days are counted in one month and 31 days are counted in the next.
Detailed statistics on annexes
The most interesting thing for users is the detailed application, which Xiaomi not only allows you to see the numbers, but also to control the access of each application to the network, a powerful tool for saving battery power and traffic.
In the statistics list, look at the Mobile Data and Wi-Fi columns. Some apps, such as navigators or streaming services, can consume gigabytes in the background if they don't restrict their rights. Google Photos, for example, often tries to download archives over a mobile network if they forget to enable the restriction.
For each application, switches are available:
- 📱 Mobile data: complete ban or permission to access via SIM card.
- 📶 Wi-Fi: Access only via wireless network.
- 🔄 Background data: Prohibition of activity when the application is folded.
- ⚠️ Unlimited traffic: exclusion from general limits (useful for messengers).
It is recommended to turn off background data for games and video hosting.This will not affect their performance when the screen is on, but will prevent hidden content loading in the background. For instant messengers such as Telegram or Viber, it is better to leave background access on to keep messages from being missed.
Setting limits and warnings
To avoid constantly monitoring the screen, set up automatic control, the system will alert you when the flow will reach a dangerous line, this is especially true for low-pack rates or when traveling abroad.
In the statistics menu, click on the gear icon or the Settings button (usually in the top corner). Here you can activate the Traffic Limit slider. Set a value that corresponds to your tariff, for example, 10 GB or 20 GB.
You can also set the reset date. If your operator resets the counter on the 25th, set that date in the settings, then the statistics will start from zero on that day, and you will always see the current balance.
| Parameter | Recommended value | Impact on work |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic limit | 90-95% of the fare | Prevents paid excesses |
| Date of discharge | Tariff start day | Ensure the accuracy of statistics |
| Background data | Only for messengers. | Saves up to 30% of traffic |
| Data roaming | Off. | Protection from huge bills |
Remember to check the "Limit Background" section in the general settings, and if you activate this feature globally, no application can work in the background without your knowledge, which is a radical but effective method of saving.
Hidden functions and engineering menu
For advanced users who lack standard statistics, there are hidden diagnostic menus that provide more technical information about how communication modules work, but should be used with caution.
One way to access the details is to use the #4636## code in the phone app, and once you enter the last character, the testing menu will open.
⚠️ Note: Do not change the settings in the engineering menu unless you are sure of their purpose. This may lead to loss of signal or incorrect operation of the communication module.
This displays the current network type (LTE, 5G, H+), signal strength and number of packets transmitted/received since the last download, which is useful for diagnosing speed problems, but does not have a date reset function.
What to do if the traffic goes nowhere?
And you can also see the connection time on this menu, and by comparing the activity time and the amount of data you're sending, you can calculate the average consumption rate, and that helps you figure out if the speed is slowing down because of the operator's problems.
Resetting statistics and correcting errors
Sometimes the built-in meter can lie or hang out, showing incorrect data, for example, after updating the system, the numbers may not reset at a given date, in which case manual reset of statistics is required.
In the traffic statistics menu, find the Reset button (usually at the bottom of the screen or in the three-dot menu). Confirm the action. All the accumulated numbers will be reset, and the countdown will go back again. This is useful to do on the day of the change of the tariff period manually.
If the traffic count problem persists, try clearing the Security app cache. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Security → Memory → Clean. This won’t delete your personal data, but will reset the settings of the monitor itself.
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Regularly resetting statistics on the tariff update date is the best way to always have up-to-date data on the traffic balance on the screen.
In the rare cases where nothing works, you may need to reset your network settings completely, which will bring all the Internet and Bluetooth settings back to factory values. → Connection and sharing → Reset Wi-Fi, mobile networks and Bluetooth.