Modern Xiaomi smartphones come with a lot of smart features designed to extend battery life and save the user’s budget. One of these features is the traffic saving mode, which can be activated by default in system settings or applications. This is convenient when you are roaming or using a limited data packet tariff, but in situations where you need fast access to high-quality content, this option becomes a serious obstacle.
Many users are faced with situations where photos in messengers do not load automatically, videos on social networks are low resolution, and some background processes simply do not work. Restricting background data transmission is often perceived as a system error, although in fact it is a regular work of MIUI or HyperOS optimizers. Understanding where these settings are hidden will allow you to instantly restore the full operation of the Internet.
In this article, we will look at all possible traffic blocking scenarios in detail, including the system settings of the smartphone itself, as well as the individual parameters for each application. The MIUI traffic limiter system can completely block network access for selected programs, even if the mobile Internet is globally enabled, an important nuance that is often overlooked when diagnosing communication problems.
System settings for data saving in Android
The first place to look when looking for an answer to the question of how to turn off traffic savings on shaomi is the basic settings of the Android operating system. Google implemented this mechanism several years ago, and shell manufacturers, including Xiaomi, are obliged to support it. This feature is designed to reduce traffic consumption globally for all applications at once.
To access these options, you need to go to your device's Settings section, and then the path may vary slightly depending on the firmware version, but the logic remains the same. You need to find a point that connects and communicates. SIM-Maps and mobile networks or simply a mobile network.
Inside this menu, you should look for a switch called Data Saver. If it's active, the system forcibly restricts the background activity of applications, which means that the email client won't receive new emails until you open it, and the navigator can stop updating the map in the background. Disabling this switch removes global restrictions.
But even with global savings turned off, there may be exceptions: the system allows you to create a whitelist, a list of applications that are allowed to ignore the restrictions, and if your app doesn't work properly, check if it's added to the exception list incorrectly or if it's blocked there.
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If you can’t find the “Saving Traffic” item in the main settings, use the search bar at the top of the settings menu by entering the “Savings” or “Data Saver” request.
Traffic management through the Security App
A unique feature of Xiaomi smartphones is the powerful system application Security, which is where the most aggressive optimization tools are concentrated, which often cause problems with the Internet. Unlike standard Android settings, this module has priority and can block system resolutions.
To get started, run the Safety app with a green shield on the icon. On the home screen, you'll see a few tools that we're interested in, and if you click on it, you'll be taken to the data center, and you'll see the current Internet usage statistics.
At the top of the screen or in the optional settings menu (often hidden behind three dots or a gear) is Settings. Inside you find the Traffic Limit switch, which is responsible for the built-in firewall, and if this mode is enabled, all new applications will ask for permission to access the network when they first install, and the old ones can be blocked.
Also in this section, you can have a detailed setup for each program, and you can pick a specific application from the list and see two switches: Wi-Fi and Mobile Data. If the mobile data slider is turned off, the application will not be able to access the Internet via the SIM card, even if the global economy is turned off, which often happens after a settings reset or system update.
☑️ Checking security settings
Configure restrictions for individual applications
Often the problem is not global settings, but individual permissions for specific services. MIUI and HyperOS allow for flexible network access management for each installed apk file. This is useful for cost control, but requires careful initial setup of the smartphone.
To change the settings for a particular application, the easiest way to do this is to use a long-term click on the desktop icon. In the context menu that appears, select About App Info. Then go to Other permissions or just Permissions.
Here you'll find Mobile Data or Wi-Fi and mobile data. Make sure you check the box or switch in the Allow position. If you're prohibited, the app will only work when you're connected to Wi-Fi or it won't work at all. In some versions of the shell, this item may be called Network Connections.
The messengers and navigators are critical to their background access, and if you deny Telegram or WhatsApp access to mobile data in the background, messages will only come after manually opening the app, a behavior often confused with a bad signal.
⚠️ Note: When you reset your network settings or completely clean your smartphone, the system can automatically apply the Savings profile to all applications at once.
The Impact of Energy Saving on the Internet
The power saving modes in Xiaomi smartphones are very aggressive. When you turn on the charge saving mode (usually the yellow battery icon) or ultra-saving mode, the system automatically limits background activity, synchronization and, as a result, traffic consumption.
In ultra-saving mode, the smartphone becomes a ringer, leaving only basic functions active, in which most applications simply cannot start the network process, and in order to fully use the Internet, you need to exit this mode or add the right applications to the list of energy-saving exceptions.
Battery settings are also in the Security app or the Battery and Performance system menu. There's Background Activity or Background Operation. Make sure that the restriction is selected for important applications No Limits. The standard restriction can "freeze" the network connection if the screen is off for more than 15 minutes.
There's also a feature called "Optimize at Night" or similar automation scenarios, which can include flight mode or shut down data transmission at specific times of the day to save energy, and check the schedule in the battery settings to rule this out.
Why does the battery run out fast when 5G is on?
Comparison of MIUI and HyperOS versions in network management
With the release of the new HyperOS operating system, Xiaomi has changed the logic of working with network connections, the interface has become more minimalistic, and some functions have been renamed or moved, understanding the differences will help you find the right setup faster.
The table below compares the location of key settings in the old MIUI 14 shell and the new HyperOS:
| Function | Location in MIUI 14 | Location in HyperOS |
|---|---|---|
| Global economy | Settings → SIM-map → Saving traffic | Settings → Mobile network → Saving traffic |
| Application limiter | Security → Traffic → Settings | Settings → Applications → Traffic Management |
| Background mode | Safety → Battery → Background activity | Settings → Battery → Background activity |
| Quick setups | Notifications curtain (Data Saver icon) | Control Center (Economy icon) |
As you can see from the table, HyperOS is tending to merge network settings into a single Mobile Network section, removing duplication of functions in a security application. However, the underlying logic of how constraints work remains the same. If you've recently upgraded and can't find a familiar switch, look for it in a new way.
It is also worth noting that new versions of the software have improved the algorithm for predicting user actions, the system can itself suggest turning on traffic savings if it notices that you often go beyond the limit, and keep track of pop-up notifications from the system, since one wrong click on the “Enable” button can activate restrictions.
Additional factors: VPN and DNS
Sometimes users are looking for ways to turn off traffic savings on shaomi, but the problem lies deeper - in third-party network settings. VPN-services or specific DNS-Profiles may conflict with system constraints or create an illusion of their operation. VPN-The tunnel breaks or is unstable, applications may not receive data, simulating traffic blocking.
Check the settings of Private DNS (Private DNS). They are in the Settings menu. → Connection and Sharing (or Wi-Fi) If it says a third-party server address, try switching to Auto or Off. DNS Domain names are not being resolved and the Internet seems to be out of order.
It is also worth checking for cellular network profiles. In rare cases, carriers or corporates are also worth checking. IT-departments can set up special configuration profiles that forcefully include traffic compression. → Password and security → Confidentiality → Special Opportunities (or in the section) SIM-maps can solve the problem.
⚠️ Attention: Use of free of charge VPN-Turbo or Compression services are actually a form of server-side traffic saving. VPN-applications.
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If after disabling all restrictions, the Internet did not appear, the problem may not be in the settings of the phone, but on the side of the operator or in the tariff plan.