How to completely disable roaming on Xiaomi: 5 proven ways

Roaming on Xiaomi smartphones can be unexpectedly costly, especially if you travel frequently or live in border regions. Even on a home network, the phone sometimes connects to foreign carriers due to configuration errors or weak signal from a local provider. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to disable roaming on Redmi, POCO and Mi devices with MIUI 12, 13 and 14 firmware, including hidden settings and automatic rules.

Xiaomi smartphones have duplicate network management menus in different versions of the shell. For example, in MIUI 14, the path to mobile network settings is different from MIUI 12, and on some models (for example, POCO F5) options are hidden in additional sections, we took into account all these nuances and collected universal instructions that will work even for devices with custom firmware.

Why does roaming turn on on itself?

Before you turn off roaming, it's important to understand why your phone is connecting to other people's networks.

• 📡 Weak signal from home carriers if your provider's coverage is lower -100 dBm, the device automatically searches for alternative networks, including roaming.
• 🔄 Error in network settings. In some versions MIUI Connection priorities are lost (for example, after software updates).
• 🌍 Geolocation failures: Your phone may mistakenly identify your location as overseas (relevant to border regions of Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus).
• 📱 Firmware with bugs. 12T Redmi Note 11 has been reported cases of spontaneous roaming due to errors in the module Telephony.

Interesting fact: on the POCO X3 Pro with MIUI 13, roaming could be activated when manually searching for networks (Settings → Mobile Network → Network Search), even if the option was disabled in the main menu.

⚠️ Note: If you live in Crimea, Kaliningrad region or border regions (for example, Altai Krai), operators may force you to roam due to the nature of the coverage, in which case, turning off roaming in the settings can lead to complete loss of communication.

Method 1: Standard disabling in MIUI settings

This is a basic method that works on all Xiaomi smartphones regardless of the model and firmware version. MIUI 12–14:

1. Open the Settings app (cog icon).
2. Go to the Mobile Network section (on some models — SIM-maps and mobile networks).
3. Choose yours. SIM-card (if there are several).
4. Find the data roaming or international roaming option and move the slider to the “Off” position.
5. For reliability, also disable Automatic Network Selection and manually select your operator from the list of available networks.

On the Redmi Note 10 Pro and Xiaomi 11 Lite NE The path may be slightly different: → Connections and sharing → Mobile network → Name. SIM-map → roaming.

Data roaming slider disabled"|Manual network search mode selected|In the list of networks selected the home network operator|Rebooted smartphone to apply changes-->

⚠️ Note: At some rates (for example, "All inclusive" from MTS or "Unlimited" from Tele2) roaming can be turned on by default as part of the service package. Before disconnecting, check the terms of your tariff in the operator's personal account - otherwise you risk losing access to the Internet abroad.

Method 2: Disconnect via the engineering menu (for advanced)

If standard settings don’t work, you can block roaming at the communication module level through an engineering menu, a method that is suitable for devices based on Qualcomm chips (for example, POCO X4 Pro, Redmi K50) and MediaTek (Redmi 10C, POCO M4 Pro).

Instructions for Qualcomm:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the combination: ##4636##.
2. In the menu that opens, select Phone Information (or Phone Information).
3. Scroll down to the Set preferred network type block.
4. Select LTE only (if your carrier supports 4G) or GSM only (for 2G) mode, which will limit network search to home frequencies only.

For MediaTek:

1. Enter ##36446337## (or #3644637## on new models).
2. Go to Connectivity → Mobile Network → Network Selection.
3. Turn off the Auto PLMN Selection option.
4. Manually select your network from the Available Networks list.

Important: Changes to the engineering menu can cause communication to be lost if the wrong settings are selected, such as selecting GSM only mode on a 5G-enabled smartphone will shut down high-speed internet.

Method 3: Using applications to manage the network

If you need to manage roaming flexibly (e.g., only disable it in certain countries), you can use third-party utilities. We tested 3 apps that work consistently on Xiaomi:

Example of Network Signal Guru configuration:

1. Install the application and provide access to geodata.
2. Go to the Roaming Control section.
3. Activate the Block Roaming Automatically option.
4. In the Exceptions list, add countries where roaming is allowed (for example, if you have an unlimited tariff for the EU).

💡

If you travel frequently, set up a rule in NetGuard to block social media traffic (Facebook, Instagram) in roaming, which will help avoid the occasional cost of autoloading content.

Method 4: Disable roaming via ADB (for power users)

If none of the previous methods worked, you can block system-level roaming using Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which requires a computer and enabled USB debugging.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on your smartphone: go to Settings → About Phone and 7 times click on the MIUI version.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and activate Debugging over USB.
3. Connect your phone to your PC, install Xiaomi drivers (you can download it on the official website).
4. Open the command line (Windows) or terminal (macOS/Linux) and type:

adb shell settings put global data_roaming 0


adb shell settings put global roaming_guard_enabled 1

The first command turns off data transmission in roaming, the second command activates protection against accidental connection.

adb reboot

💡

ADB commands are reset after resetting or updating MIUI. To keep the changes constant, create a script to automatically execute commands when you boot the system.

Method 5: Block roaming at the operator level

The most reliable way to avoid roaming is to block it from the mobile operator, which ensures that even if the phone tries to connect to someone else's network, the operator will reject the request.

Important: operator-level lockdown can take up to 24 hours, during which time avoid manual network search (Settings → Mobile Network → Network Search) to avoid triggering a roaming connection.

Standard settings MIUI|Engineering menu|Third-party annexes|ADB-team|Locking at operator|Don't turn it off.-->

What if the roaming is still turned on?

If after all the manipulations the phone continues to connect to roaming networks, check the following points:

• 🔧 Update the firmware. MIUI 12.5 and below were bugs that caused roaming settings to reset after rebooting.Update to the latest version in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 📶 Check it out. SIM-Map, damaged or old SIM It can cause network failures. Try inserting the card into another phone and checking it.
• 🛠️ Reset your network settings. Go to Settings. → System system → Resetting settings → Reset network settings. This will delete all stored Wi-Fi networks and mobile connection settings.
• 📱 Check dual-SIM. on dual-sim models (Redmi Note 11 Pro)+, POCO X5 Pro) roaming may be activated on the second SIM. Turn it off or check the settings separately for each card.

If the problem persists, it may be the fault of the hardware failure of the communication module, in which case, contact the Xiaomi service center (addresses can be found on the official website). Diagnostics of the RF module (radio frequency) costs about 1000-1500 rubles.

FAQ: Frequent questions about roaming on Xiaomi