Xiaomi’s Wi-Fi Prioritization: How to Get Your Phone or Router to Choose the Right Network

Have you ever faced a situation where your Xiaomi smartphone stubbornly clings to the weak Wi-Fi of the neighbor network instead of your powerful router? Or the Mi Router router gives the Internet to the wrong device that needs it? It's a classic problem of misprioritizing Wi-Fi that not only annoys, but also steals speed, battery and nerves. Fortunately, Xiaomi's ecosystem has tools to take control of connections - you just need to know where to look.

In this article, we will analyze all ways to prioritize Wi-Fi on Xiaomi devices – from smartphones to smartphones. MIUI router-to-way Mi/Ax. You'll learn how to make your phone ignore unnecessary networks, how to set up a router to prioritize certain devices, and what to do if standard settings don't work. MIUI, which are not written in the official instructions.

What is Wi-Fi Prioritization and Why You Need It

Wi-Fi prioritization is a mechanism that determines which network to choose if there are more than one in range. By default, Xiaomi smartphones and routers are guided by a simple rule: the signal is closer. = It's a better signal. But it's not always true:

• 📶 Your Xiaomi Mi Router router 4A It gives a stable 300 Mbps, but the phone connects to the neighbor’s 2.4 GHz with delays.
• 🔋 The smartphone spends battery, constantly reconnecting between networks 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz of one router.
• 🎮 Your Redmi Note 12 sticks to your speed limit guest network instead of your home.

Without manual prioritization, the device will select the network by signal strength (RSSI), It's not about real speed or stability:

• 🐢 Slow down file downloads and video buffering.
• 🔄 Permanent reconnection and connection breaks.
• 📉 Unjustified battery consumption for network scanning.

Fortunately, in MIUI And Xiaomi routers have tools for manual priority management, and they have detailed instructions for different devices.

Prioritizing Wi-Fi on Xiaomi smartphones (MIUI 12–14)

On smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO firmware MIUI Prioritization is configured through hidden menus or third-party apps. There are no official settings for this, but there are workarounds.

Method 1: Disabling automatic connection

The easiest way to do this is to deny auto-connection to unnecessary networks, which is not 100% guaranteed, but it will reduce the likelihood of sticking to weak access points.

1. Open the Settings. → Wi-Fi.
2. Tap the name of the unwanted network (don’t connect!).
3. Uncheck the box from Auto Connection.
4. For reliability, click Forget Network (if not in use).

⚠️ Note: If the network is saved but the auto-connection is disabled, the phone can still manually connect to it.

Method 2: Forced Priority through Developer Mode

For advanced users, there is a way to force prioritize through ADB. This method works for MIUI 12-14 but requires a PC connection.

Install. ADB PC (download from [the official Android site](https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools))|

Turn on "Developer Mode" on your smartphone (7 times tap on "Version" MIUI" on the telephone")|

Activate "Debugging by USB" in "Settings → Additional → For developers" |

Connect your phone to your PC and allow debugging|

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Then execute commands in the terminal:

adb shell


su




cmd wifi set-country-code RU # Replace RU with your region (US, EU, etc.)




cmd wifi set-wifi-enabled 0




cmd wifi set-wifi-enabled 1

These commands reset the Wi-Fi cache and force the network list to be updated, and once the phone is restarted, it will prioritize the networks in order of adding them (the last one added is the highest priority).

💡

To keep the network always a priority, delete all other networks from the phone’s memory, then add the last one.

Method 3: Wi-Fi management applications

If manual methods do not help, use third-party utilities:

• 📱 WiFi Priority Manager (Play Market) – allows you to prioritize networks manually.
• 🛠️ Tasker – to automatically switch between networks according to conditions (e.g. time or location).
• 🔍 NetMaster – shows detailed information about networks, including channels and loads.

⚠️ Note: Wi-Fi management applications require rights ROOT or ADB. Without them, the functionality will be limited.

Prioritizing devices on Xiaomi routers (Mi Router, Aiot)

If the problem isn’t with the phone but with the router — for example, it prioritizes older devices or guest connections — set up QoS (Quality of Service) or Band Steering in the control panel.

Method 1: Configure QoS (Traffic Priority)

QoS allows you to allocate bandwidth for certain devices or types of traffic (such as games or video calls).

1. Open the router’s web interface at 192.168.31.1 (or via the Mi Wi-Fi app).
2. Go to Additional Settings → QoS.
3. Turn on QoS and select Device Mode.
4. Add in. MAC-Device addresses that need priority (find) MAC You can use the phone settings or in the list of connected devices of the router).
5. Assign them a higher priority (such as High or Maximum).

⚠️ Note: If the router is enabled Band Steering (automatic switching between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), QoS may not work properly. → Additionally.

Method 2: Relating devices to a specific frequency

If the router supports 5 GHz, but the devices stubbornly connect to 2.4 GHz, force the network to divide:

1. In the router panel, go to Wi-Fi settings.
2. Turn off the option to combine 2.4G and 5G into one network.
3. Give different names (SSID) for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (e.g, MyWiFi_2G and MyWiFi_5G).
4. Connect the right devices to 5G-manually.

Method 3: Update the router firmware

If the QoS settings are not saved or the router ignores priorities, check the firmware version:

1. In the router’s web interface, go to the System → Update.
2. If a new version is available, upgrade.
3. After the update, reset the settings (System) → Reboot. → Reset).

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi routers older than 2019 (e.g. Mi Router 3) may not support QoS. MAC Access control section.

Prioritizing Wi-Fi on Xiaomi smart devices (Mi Band, cameras, lamps)

Xiaomi smart devices (such as Mi Band 8, Mi Home Security Camera, or Yeelight) often connect to Wi-Fi automatically, ignoring router priorities, to manage their connections:

• 📱 For Mi Band and smartwatches: Prioritization is only configured via the smartphone they're connected to.Update the bracelet firmware in the Mi Fitness app.
• 🎥 For Mi Home cameras: in the Mi Home app, go to Device Settings → Wi-Fi and select the network manually.
• 💡 For Yeelight smart lamps: disable autoconnection in lamp settings (Network section).

If a smart device is stubbornly connected to the wrong network:

1. Remove it from the Mi Home app.
2. Reset the device settings (usually by pressing the button for 5-10 seconds).
3. Reconnect by selecting the desired network.

💡

Xiaomi smart devices do not support QoS at the router level; their prioritization depends only on the strength of the signal and settings in the proprietary applications (Mi Home, Mi Fitness, etc.).

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even after setting priorities, users face problems, and here are the most common mistakes and solutions:

• ❌ The network disappears from the list → Make sure that the router settings do not include Hidden SSID. Some Xiaomi devices don’t see hidden networks.
• ❌ The phone doesn't keep priorities → Reset network settings: Settings → System system → Reset → Resetting Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and mobile network settings.
• ❌ QoS does not work on the router → Check if it conflicts with Band Steering or Mu-MIMO. disable these features in Additional Wi-Fi settings.
• ❌ Smart device does not connect to 5 GHz → Some cheap devices (such as the Mi Sensor) only work at 2.4 GHz.

If nothing helps, try alternative router firmware (such as OpenWRT) or custom-made. MIUI It's for a smartphone:

⚠️ Note: Installing unofficial firmware will void the warranty and may result in loss of functionality (e.g., Xiao voice assistant will fail). AI Or the Mi Home Smart Home).

Additional chips for experienced users

If standard methods do not give results, use these techniques:

1.Amendment DNS speed up connection

Sometimes a slow connection to Wi-Fi is associated with DNS - I'll just try to replace it with a router:

• 🌍 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare) - for maximum speed.
• 🛡️ 8.8.8.8 (Google) - for stability.
• 🔒 94.140.14.14 (AdGuard) – to block ads.

Change. DNS You can use the router settings (Network) → DNS) or on the device itself (Wi-Fi settings) → Additionally. → Settings IP → Static → DNS).

2. Use of nvram for forced priority (only for routers)

On Xiaomi routers with OpenWRT firmware or modified MiWiFi, you can manually prioritize the network via the console:

nvram set wl0_bss_maxassoc=10


nvram set wl1_bss_maxassoc=20




nvram commit




reboot

This command limits the number of connections to 2.4 GHz (wl0) and increases it to 5 GHz (wl1), Forcing the router to “prefer” a faster network.

3. Script for automatic reconnection (Android)

If your Xiaomi is stuck on a weak network, use Tasker or Automate to force a reconnection.

1. Condition: Wi-Fi status → Connected to [unnecessary network].
2. Action: Turn off Wi-Fi → Turn on Wi-Fi.
3. Delay: 10 seconds.

💡

For devices without ROOT Use the WiFi Manager (Play Market) app, which can simulate a “bad” connection by making the phone switch to another network.

FAQ: Frequent questions about prioritizing Wi-Fi on Xiaomi