Exceeded the traffic limit on Xiaomi: how to remove the restriction and reset the counter

Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphone owners regularly face a pesky notification that says, “Mobile traffic limit is exceeded,” which blocks access to mobile Internet even if you have unlimited rates or gigabytes left, and is caused by the built-in MIUI traffic control feature, which works by default and often works incorrectly.

In this article, we will discuss 7 proven ways to remove the excess traffic limit on Xiaomi — from simply resetting the meter to disabling system restrictions through the engineering menu. All methods are tested on current versions of MIUI 14/15 and work on models from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 14 Pro. If you see the words “Traffic is exhausted” despite the remaining gigabytes, read on.

Why Xiaomi is Excessing Traffic When the Limit is Not Exhausted

MIUI uses its own mobile traffic meter, which is not always synchronized with the operator's data, and the main reasons for false positives are:

• 📡 Synchronization error – the smartphone does not update data from the operator in real time.
• 🔄 Network reset – after software update or manual reset, the meter is reset, but the limit remains old.
• 📱 Double-tracking of traffic — MIUI sums up the cost of Wi-Fi and mobile network, although the operator takes into account only mobile data.
• 🛠️ Firmware bug - in versions MIUI 12-14 There was a mistake that caused the limit to be dropped. 100 MB instead of the actual value.

Most often, the problem arises after:

• ⚡ Firmware updates (OTA or through Fastboot).
• 🔧 Manual reset of network settings in Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks.
• 📶 Switching between SIM-cards (for example, when using two sims).

⚠️ Note: If you really run out of traffic (check in the operator’s application), then the restriction in the MIUI It will not return access to the Internet, in which case you need to replenish your account or activate an additional package.

Method 1: Reset the traffic counter in the MIUI settings

The fastest method is to reset the data manually, which will help if the smartphone miscalculated the flow rate or "hang" on the old metrics.

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks.
2. Choose. SIM-map on which the excess occurred.
3. Tapping on “Mobile Traffic Use” (or “Traffic Limit” in older versions of MIUI)
4. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Reset Statistics.
5. Confirm the action and restart the smartphone.

After the reboot, check if the notification has disappeared. If not, proceed to the next method.

Method 2: Disabling Automatic Traffic Limitation

By default, MIUI activates the "Limit background traffic" function, which blocks the Internet when it reaches a threshold, and you can turn it off:

Steps:

1. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → [yours SIM] → Using mobile traffic.
2. Turn off the “Limit background traffic” slider (or “Warn if exceeded”).
3. If there is a "Mobile Traffic Limit" option, set the "No Limits" value.
4. Save the changes and restart the mobile data (plane mode for 10 seconds).

Some firmware (MIUI 13 and below) have this parameter hidden to find it:

1. Enter the phrase "traffic limit" in the search for settings.
2. Select "Settings" SIM-map.
3. Slip on "Advanced" and find the restriction option.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with MIUI Global may be notified that traffic is not controlled after the limit is turned off. This is normal – just ignore it or turn it off in the notification settings.

Method 3: Manual update of operator data

Sometimes the smartphone doesn't sync the data to the operator for months, so you can force the data to update.

Option 1 (through USSD-team):

1. Open the Phone app and type in ##4636##
2. Go to the tab "Phone Information".
3. Scroll down and click “Update Traffic Statistics”.
4. Wait until the process is completed (it can take up to 1 minute).

Option 2 (via engineering menu):

1. Enter the dialer: ##36446337##
2. Select BandMode (for 4G/LTE).
3. Press "Refresh" (update).
4. Go back to the main menu and restart the phone.

After these actions, check if the data has been updated in the Settings. → SIM-map → If the meter shows current numbers but the restriction remains, use Method 4.

💡

If USSD-The commands are not working, so try typing them in through the Engineering Mode app from Google Play. POCO standard codes are blocked.

Method 4: Reset network settings (without data loss)

If previous methods didn’t work, try resetting your network settings, which will delete stored Wi-Fi networks and mobile internet settings, but will not affect personal files.

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks.
2. Go to "Network Settings" (or "Additional").
3. Select "Network Reset" (or "Wi-Fi, Mobile Network, and Bluetooth Reset").
4. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.

After the phone is turned on:

• 📶 Connect to the mobile network manually (it may require input) APN).
• 🔄 Check if the traffic data has been updated in the settings.
• 📱 If the limit is still active, set it again (see Method 2).

⚠️ Note: On some models (Redmi) 9A, POCO M3) after resetting, the option disappears "4G+" In the network settings, to return it, type it into the dialer: ##4636## → "Phone information" → "Establish a preferred network type" → "LTE/4G"

Method 5: Change the date of resetting traffic statistics

MIUI resets the meter monthly, but the reset date may not coincide with the update date of the operator's tariff, which makes the smartphone "think" that the limit is still valid, although the operator already has a new billing period.

How to change the date of reset:

1. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → [yours SIM] → Using mobile traffic.
2. Slip on the "Date of reset" (or "Currency cycle").
3. Set a date that coincides with the beginning of your billing period (usually the 1st day of the month or the activation date of the SIM card).
4. Save the changes and restart the phone.

If the option "Date of reset" is not available:

• 📅 You manually set the date on the phone 1 day in advance, then return the actual date. This sometimes resets the internal meter.
• 🔧 Use Method 6 (Engineering Menu) to Force Zero.

Method 6: Reset via engineering menu (for power users)

If standard methods don't work, you can reset the meter through the hidden MIUI settings. This method requires caution!

Step-by-step:

1. Open the dialer and type in: ##36446337###
2. Go to the Telephony tab (or Connectivity on new firmware).
3. Select "BandMode" → "LTE" → "Refresh".
4. Go back to the main menu and look for the "Network Lock" option (could be called "Traffic Control").
5. Slip "Reset Traffic Stats" and confirm.
6. Reboot the phone.

On some models (Xiaomi 12T, Redmi K50) the path may be different:

• Instead of #36446337##, use #4636###.
• In the Phone Information menu, find Reset Traffic Statistics at the bottom of the list.

⚠️ Warning: Do not change other options in the engineering menu unless you are sure of their purpose. Incorrect settings can lead to loss of network or overheating of the communication module.

Method 7: Extreme measure - reset to factory settings

If none of these methods work, you'll have to reset your phone completely, and it'll delete all the data, but it'll be guaranteed to solve the traffic problem.

How to Reset Xiaomi Without Losing Important Information

1. Make a backup through Settings → About Phone → Backup.
2. Open Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
3. Select “Erase all data” (not “Reset”!).
4. Enter your password (if required) and confirm.
5. After the reboot, set up the phone as new by skipping the recovery from the backup (so as not to move the old traffic settings).

After discharge:

• 📱 Don't restore the settings. MIUI From the cloud, it can bring back old limitations.
• 🔧 Manually set up APN for your operator (options can be found on the provider’s website).
• 📅 Set the correct date for the traffic reset (see Method 5).

💡

Resetting to factory settings is the only way to fix an error if it is caused by damage to MIUI system files. Use it only as a last resort!

FAQ: Frequent questions about exceeding traffic on Xiaomi