How to find out traffic on Xiaomi: all ways to check the Internet consumption

Have you noticed that mobile internet on Xiaomi is running out too quickly? Or want to check which apps are eating traffic in the background? In this article, we will look at all the available ways to check Internet consumption on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, from standard MIUI tools to third-party apps and mobile operator services.

Whether you’re using the Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12 or the budget POCO M5, the principles of traffic monitoring are the same for all MIUI-based devices. The key is knowing where to look for the settings and how to interpret them correctly. We’ll also explain why the traffic data on the phone and the operator can differ by 10-30%, and what to do about it.

If you often experience a shortage of gigabytes or suspect that some software is secretly using the Internet, this guide will help identify the culprits and set the limits, starting with the simplest of them all: the built-in MIUI tools.

1. Check traffic through MIUI settings

The fastest way to know mobile Internet usage is to use the standard traffic manager in MIUI firmware, which shows detailed statistics for each application, including background consumption.

1. Open Settings (the gear icon on the main screen).
2. Go to Connections and Sharing (or SIM cards and mobile networks in older versions of MIUI).
3. Select Data Use (or Data Traffic).
4. Click on Mobile Traffic for detail.

Here you'll see:

• 📊 Total traffic consumption for the current period (default - since the last reset of statistics).
• 📱 List of applications sorted by the amount of Internet consumed (from larger to smaller).
• 🔄 Foreground and background – this will help you understand which app is eating traffic even when you’re not using it.
• 📅 Flow schedule by day (available by clicking on the chart icon in the upper right corner).

Note that MIUI resets statistics on the 1st of each month by default. If your rate starts on a different date (like the 15th), remember to manually reset the meter by clicking on the three dots in the upper right corner and selecting Reset statistics.

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To quickly open the traffic menu, swipe down from the top edge of the screen, type “traffic” in the search, and select “Data Use.”

2. Set up alerts and traffic limits

MIUI allows you not only to look at statistics, but also to set limits on Internet consumption, which is useful if you have a tariff with a strict restriction on gigabytes.

1. In the Data Use → Mobile Traffic menu, click on the three dots in the upper right corner.
2. Select the Warning and Limit setting.
3. Activate the switch Set the data limit.
4. Specify the maximum traffic volume (e.g. 15 GB) and the warning threshold (e.g. 12 GB).
5. Press Ready.

Now that your Internet usage is close to the limit, you will be notified, and if you exceed the limit, your mobile Internet will automatically shut down (if you choose this option), which will help you avoid the additional cost of connecting additional packets.

Set a general tariff limit |Set a warning threshold (by 2-3 GB less than the limit) |Enable automatic Internet shutdown when exceeding |Chronicize that the date of resetting statistics coincides with the date of tariff update-->

It is important that you use two SIM-maps, limits are set separately for each, you can switch between them at the top of the screen.

Never, enough with a stock |1-2 times a year |Almost every month |Always exceeding, buying extra GB-->

3. Viewing App Traffic: Who “Eats” the Internet?

If the mobile Internet ends too quickly, it is likely that one or more applications are to blame. In MIUI, you can not only see the list of programs, but also block background traffic for the most voracious.

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Connections and Sharing → Data Use → Mobile Traffic.
2. Scroll down to the app list. Click on the one that consumes the most traffic (like YouTube or TikTok).
3. Activate the option to limit background data.

This will prevent the application from using mobile internet when it is running in the background (for example, when syncing or downloading content).For some programs (for example, messengers), this can worsen the experience of use, but will save traffic significantly.

Tip: If you notice that an app is consuming a suspiciously high amount of traffic (for example, 1-2 GB per day), check it for viruses using Google Play Protect or Dr.Web. Some malware masquerades as legitimate and secretly download data.

4. Check traffic through the operator’s website or application

The data on Internet consumption in the phone and mobile operator can differ by 10-30%, this is due to the fact that:

• 📡 The operator takes into account service traffic (for example, to connect to the network).
• 📱 The phone does not record the flow rate during roaming or in some energy saving modes.
• ⏱️ The time of resetting statistics may not coincide (the operator – Moscow time, in the phone – local time).

To find out the exact rate, use the official channels of your operator:

Example: If you are a subscriber of MTS, send USSD-team *100*1#, And in a few seconds you'll get it. SMS Details of Internet usage, minutes and SMS. Operators’ applications usually have more detailed statistics with day-by-day graphs.

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Operator data is always more important than the phone numbers, so if it's very different, you should look at the information from the provider.

⚠️ Note: some operators (for example, Tele2) reset traffic statistics not at the beginning of the month, but on the day of the tariff connection.

5. Third-party applications for traffic monitoring

If you don't have enough built-in MIUI tools, you can install specialized applications that offer advanced features such as:

• 📈 Detailed flow schedules by hour/day.
• 🔔 Flexible notifications (e.g. at 50%, 80%, 100% limit).
• 🌍 Support for several SIM-separate-statistical.
• 📡 Wi-Fi traffic monitoring (useful for tariffs with unlimited home Internet).

Top.-3 apps:

1. Internet Speed Meter Lite — displays real-time traffic consumption in the notification panel. Lightweight, no ads. 🔗 Download it to Google Play
2. My Data Manager – allows you to set limits for individual applications and shows a consumption forecast. 🔗 Download it to Google Play
3. GlassWire – visualizes traffic as a graph and alerts you to suspicious activity. 🔗 Download it to Google Play

Warning: Some traffic monitoring apps connect spontaneously to the internet to sync data. Check reviews and permissions on Google Play before installing.

6. Resetting statistics and calibration of the traffic counter

Sometimes the traffic counter in MIUI starts showing incorrect data – for example, after updating the firmware or changing SIM-In which case it needs to be reset and calibrated:

1. Go to Settings → Connections and Sharing → Data Use → Mobile Traffic.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select Reset Statistics.
3. Please indicate the current date and time (should coincide with the beginning of the billing period of your tariff).
4. If the counter after reset shows non-zero values, restart the phone.

If the problem recurs, try clearing the Settings app cache:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find the Settings app (or Settings).
3. Click Clear Cache (Do not delete data!).
4. Reset the device.

⚠️ Note: if after resetting the statistics, the phone shows traffic consumption that was not (for example, 100-200 MB), this may be due to background synchronization. MIUI. Turn off automatic synchronization in Settings → Accounts and synchronization.

7. Hidden traffic consumption: what else can the Internet eat up?

Even if you don't use your phone, some processes continue to consume mobile Internet.

• 🔄 Auto Update Apps – Check Google Play Settings: Settings → Network settings → Auto-update of applications → Only through Wi-Fi.
• ☁️ Cloud Backups – Turn off Auto Sync in Settings → Accounts and synchronization → Mi Cloud.
• 📍 Geolocation and weather – Weather widgets and maps (like Google Maps) update data in the background.
• 📧 Mail and messengers – Gmail, Outlook and Telegram can download attachments automatically.
• 🤖 System updates — MIUI Sometimes downloads firmware on the mobile network (disabled in Settings). → The phone. → Updating the system → Settings → Only Wi-Fi).

To completely block background traffic for all applications:

1. Open Settings → Connections and Sharing → Data Use.
2. Activate the option to limit background data (some versions of MIUI called Traffic Saving).

This is a radical measure that can worsen the performance of some services (for example, push notifications), but significantly reduce the cost of the Internet.

FAQ: Frequent questions about traffic on Xiaomi