Monitoring the Internet traffic on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 is a critical task, especially if you use a limited plan or often connect to public Wi-Fi networks. Without proper monitoring, you can suddenly exhaust your mobile data limit or encounter suspicious activity in the background. In this article, we will analyze all available methods of traffic verification, from standard MIUI tools to third-party applications with advanced analytics.
The Redmi Note 9 (codenamed merlin) is based on MIUI firmware, which offers built-in tools for tracking traffic, but they are not always intuitive. For example, many users do not know that the system shares statistics for mobile data and Wi-Fi, and hides detailed reports on applications. We will show how to get a full picture of the flow, including hidden functions and circumventing the limitations of MIUI.
Integrated MIUI statistics: basic traffic monitoring
The easiest way to check traffic is to use standard settings. MIUI. This method does not require the installation of additional applications and is suitable for quick assessment of data consumption, but it has limitations: for example, reset statistics occurs when you reboot your phone or change your phone. SIM-map.
To open the built-in statistics:
- Go to Settings. โ SIM-maps and mobile networks.
- Choose yours. SIM-card (if there are several).
- Slip on the data expense item.
- Here you will see a consumption chart for the current period, as well as a list of applications sorted by the amount of data consumed.
Note that MIUI is the default for the current month, but you can manually reset the meter by clicking on the three dots in the top right corner and selecting Reset Statistics, which is useful if your plan doesn't start on the 1st.
Detailed report on annexes
The built-in MIUI statistics not only allow you to see the total traffic consumption, but also analyze which applications consume it, which helps to identify โvoraciousโ services that work in the background, for example, social networks (Facebook, TikTok) or instant messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp) can spend gigabytes of data on autoloading media files.
To get a detailed report:
- Open Settings โ Applications โ Application Management.
- In the top menu, select the Traffic tab.
- The system will display a list of all installed applications, sorted by the amount of data consumed (from more to less).
- Slip on any application to see separately the consumption of mobile data and Wi-Fi.
โ ๏ธ Note: Some system applications (e.g. com.android.vending โ Google Play Store) may show inflated traffic due to background updates. If you notice suspicious activity, check your auto-update settings in the Play Store.
For a more accurate analysis, we recommend including the option to Show System Processes in the three-dot menu, which will reveal the full list of services, including those that are usually hidden from the user.
Open โApplication management"|Go to the "Traffic" tab"|Sort by descending.|Check the top-5 "gluttonous|Limit background activity for unnecessary services-->
3. Monitoring Wi-Fi traffic: hidden settings
Unlike mobile data, MIUI Wi-Fi statistics are less visible, and many users donโt even know that the phone keeps track of wireless traffic, which is useful if youโre connected to limited Wi-Fi (such as a hotel or cafe) or want to track which devices on your home network consume the most data.
To view Wi-Fi traffic:
- Go to Settings. โ Wi-Fi.
- Tap the current network name (or click on the gear next to its name).
- Scroll down to the Data Consumption block, and here you'll see the total amount of data transmitted and received over the entire time you've connected to that network.
Unfortunately, MIUI does not provide the details of Wi-Fi applications as it does for mobile internet, and to circumvent this limitation, you can use third-party applications (discussed below) or turn on the developer mode and activate advanced statistics.
How to Reset Wi-Fi Statistics?
4.Use of the Developer Mode for Advanced Statistics
If the built-in MIUI tools arenโt enough, you can activate the developer mode and access hidden traffic monitoring settings, a method that is suitable for advanced users, as it requires changing system settings.
To enable the Developer Mode:
- Go to Settings. โ The phone.
- Find the MIUI version and tap it 7 times in a row. You will be notified of becoming a developer!
- Go back to the main settings menu and open a new section for developers.
- Scroll down to the Network block and turn on the option to Show traffic usage.
Once activated, the notification bar will display the current download/return rate, and additional graphs will be available in the network settings, such as seeing real-time traffic or exporting the consumption log for the past 24 hours.
โ ๏ธ Attention: In Developer Mode, you can accidentally change critical system settings, which will lead to unstable phone operation. Do not edit settings that you do not know the purpose of. For example, disabling the option Restricting background processes can cause excessive battery consumption and traffic.
5. Third-party applications for deep traffic analysis
If you need more detailed analytics, such as hourly reports, limit overdraft notifications or background traffic blocking for individual applications, you should consider third-party utilities. Below are proven solutions that are compatible with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9:
| Annex | Features | Cons | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet Speed Meter | Shows real-time speed in the notification panel, keeps statistics on days | No background traffic blocking | Play Market |
| GlassWire | Traffic visualization in the form of a schedule, alerts about suspicious activity | Paid version for advanced functions | Play Market |
| NetGuard | Blocking the Internet for individual applications without root rights | Requires manual adjustment of rules | Play Market |
| Traffic Monitor | Widget to the main screen, support for several SIM-map | The interface is overloaded with advertising | Play Market |
Important: Some applications (like NetGuard) require activation VPN-traffic monitoring regimes. This does not mean that your data is transferred to third parties โ VPN It's only used to intercept statistics, but it can be in conflict with others. VPN-services (e.g. 1.1.1.1 or ProtonVPN).
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If you use NetGuard, add it to the battery settings exception list (Settings โ Battery โ Battery Optimization), otherwise the system may pause it in the background.
Resetting and calibration of traffic meters
Sometimes built-in counters MIUI may show incorrect data โ for example, after updating the firmware or changing SIM-In such cases, manual resetting of statistics is required, and it is also useful to calibrate the meters at the beginning of each calculation period (for example, the 1st day of the month) so that the data coincide with the operator's reports.
To reset the statistics:
- ๐ฑ For mobile traffic: Settings โ SIM-maps and mobile networks โ Data expenditure โ โฎ โ Reset the statistics.
- ๐ถ For Wi-Fi traffic: Remove the network and connect again (as described in Section 3).
- ๐ For applications: in the Settings menu โ Annexes โ Click on three points and select Reset data.
If the statistics are still incorrect after reset, try the following steps:
- Reboot the phone.
- Clear the Settings app cache (Settings โ Applications โ Application Management โ Settings โ Storage โ Clear the cache).
- Check if traffic restrictions are set in your settings SIM-maps (Settings) โ SIM-maps and mobile networks โ [yours SIM] โ Data limitation).
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If the difference between MIUI data and the operatorโs report is greater than 10%, it is likely that some of the traffic is consumed by system processes or applications with superuser rights (root).
7. How to reduce traffic consumption Redmi Note 9
Even if you monitor traffic regularly, you can optimize it to avoid unexpected costs.
- ๐ด Limit background data transfers for unnecessary applications: Settings โ Annexes โ Application management โ [select the application] โ Data data โ Background mode โ Limit.
- ๐ต Turn off autoplay video on social networks: on Facebook or Instagram, go to the settings and deactivate the option "Autoplay".
- ๐ Configure the update of applications only on Wi-Fi: Play Store โ Settings โ Auto-update of applications โ Only through Wi-Fi.
- ๐ก Use data compression in Google Chrome: activate the option โSaving trafficโ in the browser settings.
- ๐ฑ Activate the data saving mode in MIUI: Settings โ Battery and productivity โ Saving charge โ Saving traffic.
Also note push notifications โ many apps (like news aggregators or games) are constantly sharing data with servers to turn them off:
- Go to Settings โ Notifications and Status bar โ Notification management.
- Select the app and turn off the option to Show notifications.