How to Check Traffic on Xiaomi: A Complete Guide to Hidden MIUI Chips

Have you noticed that mobile Internet on Xiaomi is running out too fast? Or want to understand which app is eating traffic in the background? In this article, we will examine all the ways to check data consumption, from standard MIUI tools to hidden features that are not even written about in the official documentation.

Smartphone manufacturers often hide detailed traffic statistics, but Xiaomi is more transparent than many of its competitors, with built-in monitoring tools, third-party app support, and even the ability to separate traffic from SIM- cards, Wi-Fi and individual programs, and show how to use them to the maximum efficiency β€” including little-known tricks for advanced users.

Important: If you use Redmi, POCO or Xiaomi’s flagship 13/14 series, all the methods in this article will work the same way – the difference is only in the location of some menu items. And owners of Android One devices (for example, Mi A3) will have to do without branded MIUI chips.

1. Standard MIUI traffic statistics: where to look and how to drop

The easiest way is to look at system settings, where Xiaomi provides basic but useful information on mobile data and Wi-Fi consumption.

  1. Go to Settings. β†’ SIM-maps and mobile networks β†’ Using traffic.
  2. Choose the right one. SIM-card (if two of them).
  3. Scroll down to see the spending schedule for the current month.

This section shows:

  • πŸ“Š Total mobile traffic consumption since the last reset.
  • πŸ“± Top applications that consume the most data (with the ability to limit background traffic).
  • πŸ“… Warnings when exceeding the limit (manually configured).

Note that the meter is reset by default on the 1st of each month, but you can do this manually by clicking on the three dots in the upper right corner and selecting Reset Statistics, which is useful if you have a tariff with a non-standard calculation period (for example, 30 days from the activation date).

⚠️ Warning: If the data continues to be misreported after resetting the statistics, check if the date and time settings on the device are lost. Xiaomi links the traffic counter to the system time.

πŸ“Š How often do you check your smartphone traffic?
Once a day.
Once a week.
Only when the internet ends.
I never check.

2.Separate registration of traffic by application: how to find β€œgluttonous”

MIUI has a hidden feature that allows you to see the detailed traffic flow of each application, including system processes, which helps you identify programs that steal the Internet in the background, to get a full picture:

  1. Open Settings β†’ Applications β†’ Application Management.
  2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Traffic Usage.
  3. At the top of the screen, switch between the Mobile Data and Wi-Fi tabs.

Here you'll see:

  • πŸ“² List of all applications, sorted by the amount of data consumed.
  • πŸ“‰ Schedule of use for the selected period (day/week/month).
  • βš™οΈ Ability to disable background traffic for a particular application.

Pay particular attention to system processes like com.miui.system or Android System, and if they consume too much data, it may indicate:

  • πŸ”„ Automatic updates MIUI (can be turned off in Settings β†’ About Phone β†’ System Update β†’ Settings β†’ Auto Update).
  • πŸ“‘ Problems with syncing Mi Account (check Settings β†’ Accounts β†’ Mi Account β†’ Synchronization).

πŸ’‘

If you see an unknown process with high traffic consumption in the list of applications, check it through VirusTotal – it can be malware.

3. Hidden MIUI Tools: Real-time Monitoring

Few people know, but Xiaomi has a developer mode that allows you to track traffic in real time with byte accuracy.

  • πŸ” Catch the moment a particular application starts to eat the internet.
  • πŸ“‘ Check the speed of traffic consumption during streaming or downloading files.
  • πŸ› οΈ Diagnose connection problems (e.g., persistent network reconnects).

To activate this mode:

  1. Go to Settings. β†’ The phone.
  2. Click 7 times on the MIUI version until the notification β€œYou are a developer!” appears.
  3. Return to the main settings menu and open Additional β†’ for developers.
  4. Find the β€œNetwork Traffic” item and turn it on.

Now the notification bar will display the current download/return rate in real time, and if you click on this notification, you will see detailed statistics on:

  • πŸ“Ά Mobile data (separately according to SIM- cards).
  • πŸ“Ά Wi-Fi (with current network indication)
  • πŸ–₯️ Total traffic (sum of all interfaces).

⚠️ Warning: Some Xiaomi firmware (especially on POCO) may not have the "Network Traffic" option, in which case use third-party applications like NetGuard or GlassWire.

How to return the item "Network traffic" if it is missing?
If after updating MIUI the traffic monitoring point in developer mode disappeared, try resetting the network settings: Settings β†’ SIM- Cards and mobile networks β†’ Resetting network settings. After restarting the device, the item should appear again.

4. Third-party applications for deep traffic analysis

If Xiaomi’s built-in tools aren’t enough, use specialized programs that offer advanced features such as:

  • πŸ“Š Hourly and weekly data flow analysis.
  • πŸ›‘οΈ Block background traffic for individual applications.
  • πŸ“± Notifications of exceeding the limit with flexible settings.
  • 🌍 Displaying traffic on a map (for analysis of flow rates in different locations).

The best apps for Xiaomi:

AnnexFeaturesConsReference
NetGuardBlock traffic without root, flexible rules, no advertisingA complex interface for beginnersGoogle Play
GlassWireTraffic visualization, alerts about new connectionsPaid functions in the Pro-versionGoogle Play
My Data ManagerSimple interface, widget on the main screenAdvertising in the free versionGoogle Play
Traffic MonitorReal-time monitoring, minimalist designNo traffic blockingGoogle Play

For maximum accuracy, we recommend using NetGuard, which not only shows statistics, but also allows you to completely block Internet access for individual applications, which is useful if you want to limit the background activity of social networks or instant messengers.

Install the app from Google Play|

Enable VPN mode (required for monitoring)|

Open the list of applications and mark those for which you need to limit traffic |

Set up notifications about exceeding the limit in the "Settings" section-->

5. Checking traffic through the operator: when necessary

Sometimes the data on the smartphone and the mobile operator do not match, this can happen because:

  • πŸ”„ Reset statistics on your phone (you manually reset the meter, and the operator continues to take into account the flow rate).
  • πŸ“‘ Technical errors in the billing system of the operator.
  • πŸ“± Traffic usage in roaming (some tariffs take it into account separately).
  • πŸ› οΈ Firmware problems (in rare cases MIUI miscalculates data consumption).

To check the traffic of the operator:

  1. Send a USSD- request (e.g. *100# for MTS, *111# for Beeline, *105# for MegaFon).
  2. Use the official operator application (My MTS, My Beeline, etc.).
  3. Call the support service (numbers: MTS - 0890, Beeline - 0611, MegaFon - 0500).

If the data is very different (by more than 10-15%), follow the following steps:

  1. Reset your phone traffic statistics (Settings β†’ SIM- Maps and Mobile Networks β†’ Traffic usage β†’ Reset statistics).
  2. Reboot your smartphone.
  3. After 1-2 hours, compare the readings again.

⚠️ Warning: If the difference persists, this may indicate malware that masks its traffic. Check the device with an antivirus (such as Dr.Web or Kaspersky) and remove suspicious apps.

6.How to reduce traffic consumption Xiaomi: 7 working ways

If you find out that traffic is going away too quickly, use these tips to save it:

  • πŸ“± Limit background traffic for apps: Go to Settings β†’ Applications β†’ Application Management, select the desired application, and disable Background Data.
  • πŸ“‘ Enable Traffic Savings: In Settings β†’ SIM- Maps and Mobile Networks β†’ Traffic Use Activate Traffic Savings. This will limit background activity and compress data.
  • πŸ”„ Turn off app auto-update: In Google Play β†’ Settings β†’ App auto-update, select β€œNever” or β€œOnly via Wi-Fi.”
  • πŸ“Ί Limit video quality on YouTube and social media: In YouTube settings, set Play Quality on 480p for mobile data. In TikTok and Instagram, turn off Autoplay Video.
  • πŸ“± Use lighter versions of apps: Install Facebook Lite, Messenger Lite, Twitter Lite β€” they consume 2-3 times less traffic.
  • πŸ“‘ Disable mobile data for backup: In Settings β†’ Accounts β†’ Mi Account β†’ Sync, turn off β€œMobile Data Sync.”
  • πŸ› οΈ Set a traffic limit in MIUI: In Settings β†’ SIM-maps and mobile networks β†’ Traffic usage set a limit and enable notifications.

πŸ’‘

The most effective way to save traffic is to turn off background activity for social networks and instant messengers, which alone can reduce costs by 30-50%!

7. Traffic counting problems on Xiaomi: what to do if data is not reset

Sometimes users find that the traffic meter on Xiaomi is not working correctly: it does not reset, shows inflated values or does not update at all.

Problem.Possible causeDecision
The counter is not reset after clicking β€œReset statistics”Failure of the system application com.android.providers.telephonyClear the cache and data of this application in Settings β†’ Apps β†’ All applications β†’ Telephony Providers
Traffic is considered incorrect (overstated or understated)Conflict with VPN apps or traffic blockingDisable VPN and check the statistics again. If the problem has disappeared, configure exceptions in the VPN- app.
Data not updated in real timeSynchronization error with mobile communication moduleReboot your phone or turn on/off the β€œOn the plane” mode
The meter shows the flow rate when mobile data is turned off.Some apps use Wi-Fi, but MIUI mistakenly attributes it to mobile trafficCheck the statistics separately for Wi-Fi in Settings β†’ Wi-Fi β†’ Additional β†’ Traffic usage

If none of these methods worked, try resetting your network settings:

  1. Go to Settings. β†’ SIM-maps and mobile networks β†’ Resetting network settings.
  2. Confirm the reset (this will remove saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords).
  3. Reset the device.

In extreme cases, reset to factory settings, but pre-back up the data through Settings β†’ Additional β†’ Backup and Reset.

FAQ: Frequent questions about traffic on Xiaomi

Can I check traffic on Xiaomi without installing additional apps?
Yeah, in MIUI There are built-in tools for monitoring traffic. They're available in Settings. β†’ SIM-maps and mobile networks β†’ Using Traffic and Settings β†’ Annexes β†’ Application management β†’ Traffic usage. For most users, it's enough.
Why is Xiaomi’s traffic consumed faster than other smartphones?
This is due to the features of the firmware MIUI: πŸ“± Background activity of system applications (e.g. Mi Cloud, Themes, Security). πŸ”„ Automatic firmware and application updates. πŸ“‘ Synchronization with Mi Account (including backups). To reduce the cost, disable unnecessary features in account settings and limit background traffic for system applications.
How to check traffic on Xiaomi through a computer?
There are two ways: via ADB: Connect your phone to your PC, enable USB debugging, and execute a command: adb shell dumpsys netstats detail This will display detailed traffic statistics across all applications. Through remote management applications: Install TeamViewer QuickSupport or AirDroid on your phone, and on your PC, the desktop version of the program. Then check traffic statistics directly from your computer.
Can you track what content is driving traffic (such as music or video)?
The standard tools MIUI don't do that, but you can use GlassWire. It shows: 🎡 What domains and IP- addresses are connecting to your phone. πŸ“Ή Traffic type (e.g. YouTube, Spotify, Facebook). πŸ“Š The amount of data transmitted in each direction (download/return). For even more detailed analysis, connect your phone to your PC and use Wireshark (network protocol skills will be required).
Why did the MIUI update start to work incorrectly?
This is a known problem in some firmware versions, most commonly caused by: πŸ› οΈ A failure in the system application com.android.providers.telephony. πŸ“± Conflict with updated Google Play services. Solutions: Clear the cache and data of the Telephony Providers app (Settings β†’ Applications β†’ All Applications β†’ Telephony Providers β†’ Memory). Reverse to the previous version MIUI (if the problem arises after the update). Install a third-party traffic monitoring app (e.g. NetGardu).