Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 is a popular model with a balance of performance and price, but even its owners face the problem of fast consumption of mobile traffic, the reasons lie in the background updates of applications, autoload multimedia in instant messengers and hidden processes of the MIUI system. According to research, up to 30-40% of traffic goes to tasks that the user does not even notice – from synchronizing cloud services to advertising banners in games.
In this article, you will find not only standard ways to enable traffic savings through settings, but also hidden MIUI 12/14 features that Xiaomi does not advertise. We will discuss how to limit traffic for individual applications, set up warnings about exceeding the limit, and even block ad domains at the system level.
Why Redmi Note 8 is fast consuming traffic: the main reasons
Before you start saving, it’s important to understand where traffic is going, and Redmi Note 8 has a few key mobile Internet eaters:
- 🔄 Background Synchronization: Apps like Google Play Services, Mi Cloud and social media are constantly sharing data with servers, even when you’re not using them.
- 📥 Autoload multimedia: messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber) by default download photos and videos in the background.
- 🔄 System and application updates: MIUI Checks updates daily, and Google Play may update apps without your knowledge.
- 🎮 Advertising in games and apps: Many free programs load banners and videos that are consumed by the users. 50-100 MB per day.
- 📡 Poor network coverage: with a weak signal, the smartphone is constantly reconnected, which increases traffic consumption 15-20%.
Interestingly, in tests with the Redmi Note 8 on MIUI 12.5, it turned out that even in standby mode (without active use), the device consumes up to 80-120 MB of traffic per day, the main culprits are Google Services Framework and MiuiDaemon (system process Xiaomi).
Method 1: Incorporate built-in traffic savings into MIUI
The easiest method is to activate the standard Settings Savings feature, which limits background traffic for most applications, but leaves the option of manual adjustment for critical services (such as instant messengers).
Step instructions:
- Open the settings (cog icon on the desktop).
- Go to SIM cards and mobile networks → Data transfer.
- Slip on Traffic Saving (in some versions of MIUI it is called Background Limitation).
- Activate the switch at the top of the screen.
- In the list below, select the apps you want to disable the restrictions for (such as WhatsApp or Google Maps).
Note: After enabling this feature, some apps may stop updating content in the background.For example, Instagram won't download new stories until you manually open it.
☑️ Checking the work of traffic saving
Method 2: Manually limiting traffic for individual applications
If the built-in savings seem too tight, you can manually adjust the restrictions for each application, which is useful when you need to leave the background work for messengers, but block traffic for games or social networks.
How to do this:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Select an app from a list (like Facebook or TikTok).
- Tap on the item Data Transfer (or Mobile Data).
- Turn off the switches: 🚫 Mobile data – completely blocks access to the Internet through the mobile network. 🚫 Background data – allows traffic only when you are actively using the application.
Limit the use of data
⚠️ Note: Some apps (such as the Google Play Store or Mi Video) may stop updating if they completely disable mobile data. In this case, leave Background data on, but limit it through the basic savings settings.
What if the app ignores the restrictions?
Method 3: Set up limit warnings
MIUI allows you to set a traffic limit and get notifications when you exceed it, which is useful if you have a tariff with a strict restriction (for example, 10 GB per month).
How to set up:
- Go to Settings → SIM cards and mobile networks → Data transfer.
- Slip on Warning and Data Limitation.
- Turn on the switch Set the data limit.
- Ask: 📅 Reset period (usually coincides with the date of tariff update). 📶 Warning (e.g. 9GB out of 10GB). 🚫 Limitation (maximum limit after which the Internet will be shut down).
Save the settings.
| Parameter | Recommended value | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Period of discharge | 1st day of the month | It coincides with the tariffs of most operators (MTS, Beeline, Tele2). |
| Warning | 80-90% of the limit | Allows you to turn off background processes in time. |
| Limitation | 100% off the limit | Automatically shuts down the mobile Internet when exceeded. |
| Background data | Disabled. | It saves up to 30% of traffic. |
It is important that you use two SIM-maps, you'll have to configuring separately for each!
💡
To manually reset the traffic counter (for example, after changing the tariff), go to Settings → SIM cards and mobile networks → Data transfer → Click on the usage schedule and select Reset statistics.
Method 4: Blocking Ads and Trackers at System Level
Advertising in apps and browser can eat up to 200-300 MB a day. MIUI There's a hidden feature that blocks ad domains, but it doesn't work in all regional firmware. DNS-filter.
Instructions for blocking advertising through DNS:
- Open Settings → Connections and Sharing → Private DNS.
- Select the host name of the private DNS provider.
- Enter one of the addresses: 🔒 dns.adguard.com – blocks ads and trackers (recommended). 🛡️ 1.1.1.3 Cloudflare with protection against malicious sites. 🌍 dns.google is the standard Google DNS (not blocking ads).
Save the settings and restart the smartphone.
Efficiency of the method: according to the tests on the Redmi Note 8, AdGuard DNS reduces the traffic consumption of advertising 60-70%. However, some apps (such as Facebook or Instagram) may bypass DNS-filters – they will require additional settings in the application.
⚠️ Attention: After shift DNS Some banking applications (e.g. SberBank Online or Tinkoff) may stop working, in which case return the standard settings. DNS Add banking domains to the exceptions.
Method 5: Optimize traffic in the browser and messengers
Browsers and instant messengers are some of the biggest consumers of traffic. The Redmi Note 8 has Mi Browser installed by default, which doesn't always compress data efficiently. The alternative is Google Chrome with Traffic Savings enabled or Opera Mini.
Setting up savings in Google Chrome:
- Open your browser and tap on the three dots in the upper right corner.
- Go to Settings. → Saving traffic.
- Activate the Data Compress switch.
- (Optional) Enable Page Preload to speed up loading.
- No notifications are received when the limit is exceeded: Reason: notifications are disabled for system applications. Solution: Check notification settings: Settings → Notifications and status bar → Notification management → Find Data Transfer and enable notifications. Make sure that Do Not Disturb mode is not activated.
⚠️ Note: if after switching on traffic savings, push notifications stopped working (for example, in the VK or Telegram, add these apps to the exclusion list in the Traffic Savings settings. Alternatively, use Web Push via a browser (e.g. Chrome).