The appearance of the mysterious letter “R” or “Roaming” in the status bar of a Xiaomi smartphone often takes users by surprise, causing panic about sudden expenses. SIM-Most of the time, this happens when you cross national borders or in border areas, where the signal of the domestic operator is weaker than that of foreign partners.
But it's not always a real journey, and sometimes roaming icons on Android are caused by software failures, incorrect hotspot settings, or the way two of the two work. SIM-Understanding the origin of this symbol is the first step to solving the problem, and if you're at home and the indicator is on, it may indicate that the phone has caught on to another carrier's tower due to the lack of coverage of your ISP.
This signal should not be ignored, especially if you do not have a special plan. Mobile Internet in roaming mode can cost much more than normal traffic, which will lead to unexpected costs. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to eliminate the icon, from simple menu switches to deep customization of network protocols.
Why does the roaming icon appear on the screen?
The main reason for the R indicator is because of the logic of cellular networks, so when your Xiaomi smartphone can't find your carrier's base station, it starts looking for available networks in the area, and if you find a network that your carrier has a cooperation agreement with, the device registers with it, but marks the connection as a guest.
There is also the concept of "internal roaming", which is relevant for some regions with a large area, in which case the phone can switch between regional networks of the same operator, but the system regards this as going outside the home zone. MIUI Sometimes they react too aggressively to a change in signal type, for example, when switching from a signal to a signal. 4G on 3G borderland.
⚠️ Warning: Being in the roaming area with data transfer enabled without a connected tariff can lead to instant write-offs of large amounts from the account.
Another reason may be the failure of the work itself. SIM-If the card chip is damaged or oxidized, the phone may misread the network data, misidentifying the location, in which case it helps simply to restart the device or retrieve and re-installe the SIM card in the tray.
Disabling roaming through the standard settings menu
The most obvious and quick way to remove the icon is to use the built-in features of the MIUI shell or HyperOS. Smartphone manufacturers have provided the possibility of a compulsory ban on working in other networks, which avoids unnecessary costs, and this does not require the possession of superuser rights.
Go to the settings menu of your device, find the partition that connects to the network, depending on the firmware version, it can be called «SIM-Maps and mobile networks" or simply "Mobile Networks" here you will need to select a specific SIM card if there are two of them in the phone, as the settings apply individually for each slot.
In the menu that opens, look for the item “Roaming data”; the switch next to it should be deactivated. If it is active, the phone will try to use the Internet even on other networks, and it is worth checking the item “Roaming on the national network”, which is sometimes hidden in additional parameters.
☑️ Checking network settings
After changing the settings, it is recommended to turn on the flight mode 10-15 It'll force the device to re-register on the network and update its connection status if the icon is gone and changed to a regular one. 4G/LTE, The problem is solved by the software method.
Manual selection of the operator
If the automatic network search results are wrong, it makes sense to switch to manual control. In automatic mode, the phone decides which tower to connect to, and sometimes chooses the wrong option. Manual selection allows you to personally control which operator the device is on.
To perform this operation, open the settings SIM-You can go to Network Selection, turn off the AutoChoice Toggle, and then you can start looking for available operators, which can take anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes, and you can see all the signals available in your current location.
Choose your home carrier from the list. If the phone registers successfully, the roaming icon disappears. If registration is impossible or constantly breaks, then your carrier coverage at this point really does not exist, and the appearance of the letter "R" was natural.
| Action. | The way is on the menu | The result |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-choice | Settings -> SIM-map -> Choice of network -> Automobile | The phone chooses the best network |
| Manual selection | Settings -> SIM-map -> Choice of network -> Manually. | User selects the operator |
| Only 2G/3G | Settings -> Network type | Forced speed reduction |
| LTE is preferred | Settings -> Network type -> 4G | Priority for high-speed Internet |
Setting up APN access points
Often the problem lies not in the fact of connecting to someone else's network, but in the incorrect parameters of the APN access point. If the access point profile is written incorrect data, the phone may mistakenly consider itself in roaming or do not have access to the Internet, despite the presence of a signal.
To fix this, go to your mobile network settings and find “Access Points (APN)” and click on the menu button (three dots or gear) and select “Reset settings.” This will return all settings to factory values, which often solves the problem of mistaken indication.
If the reset didn't work, you can create a new hotspot manually, you'll need your carrier's data, which is usually easy to find on the official website. APN-Any extra letter or space may cause a failure.
Name: MTS Internet
APN: internet.mts.ru
Type of authentication: PAP or CHAP
Type APN: default,suplOnce you have created or edited a dot, make sure to tick it and reboot your smartphone. Check the status bar: if the "R" icon changes to the data rate indicator, then the configuration is successful.
Using an engineering menu to reset the network
For more advanced users, there is the ability to access the hidden settings of the radio module through the engineering menu, a powerful diagnostic tool that allows you to reset network settings at a deeper level than the standard interface. Be careful when changing the settings in this menu.
Open the Phone app and dial ##4636##. If the code fits, the Test menu will open. Select Phone Information, and you can see detailed connection statistics and network type.
In this menu, you can try to switch your preferred network type. For example, if you want to use LTE only, try changing it to GSM/WCDMA/LTE auto. Sometimes forced mode switching helps shake off the roaming status.
⚠️ Warning: Do not change the values in the engineering menu unless you are sure of their purpose. Incorrect setting of the radio module can lead to a complete lack of communication.
The second impact SIM-roaming-card
Owners of two-sym Xiaomi often face a situation where the roaming icon appears on one card due to the activity of the second. The logic of the modem is arranged so that when switching data to the second SIM card, the first one can go to search for the network or register in guest mode if its coverage in a given area is worse.
Check which SIM card is assigned to transmit mobile data by default. If the Internet is running over SIM 2, and SIM 1 is in the area of poor reception, it is the first indicator that can light up the "R." This is the normal behavior of the system, telling you that the card is active but not on the home network.
To remove the icon, you can temporarily turn off the second SIM card in the settings and check the behavior of the first one, so if roaming is gone, then the conflict is caused by the interaction of the two modules, and the limitation of background activity for the second card also helps.