How to watch the traffic on the phone Xiaomi: full control of the flow

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face the need to control mobile Internet consumption. This is especially true for users with a limited package of gigabytes. Modern Android operating systems and the MIUI or HyperOS shell offer powerful built-in tools to monitor network activity. You do not need to install third-party programs to find out where your data goes.

In this article, we will take a look at all the ways you can track traffic, learn how to set limits, block background data transmission and analyze the behavior of each installed application, and understand the principles of how the network modules of a smartphone will save a significant budget on communications.

We're going to look at both the standard tools and the hidden features that not everyone knows about. So, configuring network settings is the first step to optimizing device performance. Let's go into detail about traffic metering.

Use of the built-in Security application

The fastest and most reliable way to check the traffic consumption on Xiaomi devices is to use the system application Security. It is preinstalled on all smartphones of the brand and has deep integration with the operating system. To start the analysis, you do not need to search for complex settings menus, just open the shortcut with a green shield on the home screen.

Once you start the app, you need to select Traffic, which is usually located in the top widget box or in the tool list, and it shows you a summary of your current data consumption, and it automatically sums up all the traffic of your SIM cards if you have two, but it allows you to switch between them for detailed viewing.

• 📊 Statistics show the total amount of data transmitted and received for the selected period.
• 📅 The reset date allows you to set the day when the counter is reset (usually coincides with the connection date of the tariff).
• 📶 Limits allow you to set a threshold value at which the Internet will shut down.

It is important to note that the data in the Security application may differ slightly from the operator’s readings, due to rounding and the timing of the data packets fixed by the provider’s network equipment, but for day-to-day monitoring, the error is usually minimal and does not affect the overall flow pattern.

⚠️ Note: When manually resetting the statistics, the consumption history will be deleted without recovery.

⚠️ Note: If you change frequently SIM-cards between phones, do not forget to check the reset date settings so that the statistics do not accumulate mistakenly.

The application interface allows you to flexibly customize the information you display, so you can choose to display data in megabytes or gigabytes, and change the frequency of updating statistics, making it convenient for both budget-conscious users and those who use unlimited rates.

Setting limits and warnings in MIUI and HyperOS

The MIUI and HyperOS shells are designed to not only monitor but also actively manage the flow. Set limits are critical to prevent unexpected charges from being charged, and the system can automatically shut down mobile internet when a given threshold is reached.

To activate this feature, go to the traffic section and click on the settings button (usually a gear or three dots in the corner). Here you will see the Traffic Limit field. Set a value that matches your plan. For example, if you have 20 GB per month, set a limit of 19 GB to have a margin.

→ SIM-maps and mobile networks → Traffic → Traffic limit

You can also set up a notification that will appear when you use, for example, 80% of the package, which will give you time to make a decision: buy more gigabytes or limit Internet use until the end of the period.

• 🔔 Notification will appear in the curtain of status bars when approaching the limit.
• 🚫 The blocking will completely stop the transfer of data through the mobile network.
• 🔄 Automatic reset will allow the system to reset the meter on a given day of the month.

You should pay special attention to setting background restrictions, which in the same menu, you can prevent applications from using mobile Internet in the background, which will prevent hidden traffic consumption of programs that you are not currently using, but that are running on the system.

Analysis of expenditure by annex

Users are often surprised at where exactly the traffic is going, and the answer lies in the detailed statistics on the applications, and in the traffic management section, there's a list of all the programs installed, sorted by the amount of data consumed, and this allows you to identify the Internet eaters.

Click on any app on the list to see detailed information, you will know how much data was spent in the background and how much was spent when you actively used the program. For some services, such as navigators or streaming platforms, background consumption can be significant.

Each app has switches in its settings to limit network access, so you can completely deny mobile internet access, leaving only Wi-Fi, or allow it to work only in the background, and these flexible settings help optimize your smartphone.

Some apps can consume traffic even without you, which is called background activity, and if you see an unknown or rarely used application using a lot of data, it's worth checking its permissions or uninstalling.

Control through standard Android settings

If you prefer not to use Xiaomi tools, the standard Android interface also provides full monitoring functionality.The path to these settings may vary slightly depending on the OS version, but the overall logic remains the same for all devices.

Go to Settings → Connections (or Network and Internet) → Data usage. Here you will see a graph of traffic consumption by day. By clicking on specific dates, you can analyze activity on different days of the week.

Traffic Saving is also available in this section, and when enabled, the system limits the background activity of most applications, which can cause delays in receiving notifications from instant messengers, but will save your gigabyte packet significantly.

For advanced users, you can see the data by network type, and you can see the flow through LTE/4G/5G and Wi-Fi separately, and it helps you understand how efficient your home network is compared to your mobile carrier.

• 📉 The schedule visualizes peak loads on the network during the month.
• 📱 List of applications ranks programs by the amount of traffic eaten.
• ⚙️ Network settings allow you to reset statistics or change the cycle of the billing period.

Using standard settings is especially useful if you have switched to Xiaomi from a different brand and are used to a certain menu logic.The functionality here is almost identical to Android stock, which provides a familiar user experience.

Hidden Opportunities and Engineering Menu

For those who want to access technical information, there is an engineering menu, but be careful: changing certain parameters can cause the communication module to work unstable, and we will only look at data that is safe to view.

Enter the code to access the engineering menu via the Phone app. Dial the combination ##4636##. If the menu is opened, select Usage statistics. This displays technical data about the packets sent and received by the modem.

This data is useful for diagnostics, and if you see a phone sending huge amounts of data in the background when you're not using it, it could indicate a virus or a malfunction in system services, and you should check the device with an antivirus.

⚠️ Warning: Do not change settings in the "Phone Information" or "Radio Information" sections unless you understand their purpose.This may result in signal loss or inability to make calls.

Also on this menu, you can see the type of network you're using and the signal level in dBm. This helps you understand why traffic is consumed faster or communication is slow in a certain location. A weak signal makes the modem run at higher power, which affects both the battery and the stability of the connection.

Optimization and saving of traffic

Once you've figured out how to look at and analyze the cost, there's a question of savings, and there are a number of proven methods that can help stretch the Internet packet for a longer time without losing comfort.

First of all, set up auto-update apps. Go to Google Play Store or GetApps, open settings and select "Update Apps Only via Wi-Fi" to prevent heavy updates from downloading over the mobile network.

The second important step is to limit the quality of video on social networks and streaming services, in the settings of YouTube, Instagram or TikTok, you can choose to play video in economy mode or disable autoplay of video in the feed.

• 🗺️ Offline maps: download maps of the desired region in the navigator in advance via Wi-Fi.
• 📧 Email: Set up Mail Sync Only over Wi-Fi or Manually.
• ☁️ Cloud: ban photo gallery from uploading photos to the cloud via mobile Internet.

Regular monitoring and proper setup is key to saving money, so remember to check the list of applications with access to the network periodically and disable those that do not need it, not only saving traffic, but also increasing the security of your data.