Modern smartphones have become an integral part of our lives, which inevitably leads to an increase in the number of hours spent in front of the screen. Device owners Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco often face the need to control this indicator, whether it is concern for eye health or a desire to increase personal productivity. The system MIUIwhich is the shell for Android on these devices provides quite powerful tools for monitoring activity, although they are not always on the surface.
To find out statistics about how much time you spend on your phone, you don’t have to install third-party applications that can collect your personal data. Built-in Android mechanisms and proprietary add-ons from the Chinese manufacturer allow you to get detailed analytics directly from the settings. This helps you understand which apps are taking up most of your day and adjust your digital habits as needed.
In this article, we'll take a closer look at all the ways you can get information about your screen usage, from standard system menus to hidden debugging features. You will learn how to interpret the received graphs and set up restrictions that will help you regain control of your gadget.
Using the built-in Digital Wellbeing service
Starting with Android version 9, the system has a native tool called Digital Wellbeing (Digital Wellbeing). On smartphones Xiaomi with global firmware, this section is the main source of truthful statistics. It aggregates data about device unlocks, the number of notifications received and the operating time of each individual application.
To access this information, you need to go to the settings and find the appropriate item. The interface here is intuitive: a pie chart shows the time distribution, and the list below ranks apps by duration of use. This allows you to instantly identify “time wasters”, which are often social networks or video services.
It is important to note that the accuracy of the data depends on how long ago you started tracking statistics or whether you recently reset your settings. If the graphs are empty, the service may have been disabled or data is not being collected due to background activity restrictions.
For more accurate statistics, make sure that the Digital Wellbeing service has permission to use data in the background, otherwise the timer may stop when you minimize applications.
The functionality of this section is not limited to simply viewing numbers. You can set Application timersthat will block the app from starting after the limit you set yourself has been reached. This disciplines and prevents you from scrolling aimlessly through the news feed for hours.
⚠️ Attention: On some older Xiaomi models with the MIUI 10 shell or earlier versions of MIUI 11, the Digital Well-Being function may not be available by default. In this case, the system relies on third-party solutions or stripped-down versions of statistics.
Analysis through the “Battery and Performance” menu
If for some reason the Digital Wellbeing section is not available to you or seems inconvenient, there is an alternative and often more detailed source of information - the energy management menu. The logic here is simple: the longer the screen and application work, the more charge it consumes. Therefore, battery consumption statistics are an indirect but very accurate indicator of screen time.
To get to this section, use the path Settings → Battery and performance. Here you will see a discharge graph and a list of applications sorted by percentage of energy consumption. By clicking on a specific application, you can see not only the consumption in milliamp-hours, but also the operating time in the background and in the foreground.
This method is especially useful for diagnosing “gluttonous” apps that can run in the background even when you are not actively using the phone. This helps distinguish real screen time from hidden background activity that is also draining your battery.
It is worth considering that the data in this menu is not updated in real time, but with a slight delay. In addition, there is no way to set strict limits on use, as in the previous method, but this section is ideal for analytics.
Parental controls and family settings
The issue of controlling screen time often arises among parents who want to limit their children’s access to games and the Internet. The ecosystem Xiaomi is integrated with Google Family Link services, which allow you to remotely monitor your child’s device. This is a powerful tool that requires preliminary setup on both smartphones - the parent and the child.
After linking accounts in the Family Link application, a full control panel opens on the adult's phone. You can see not only the total time of use, but also details for each application, as well as location history and the number of unlocks.
- 📱 Remote blocking: Ability to lock your child’s device by pressing one button at any time.
- ⏰ Time limits: Setting a daily limit for smartphone use and time off sleep.
- 📊 Weekly reports: Getting a summary of how your child used the gadget over the past week.
It is important to understand that these functions require an active Internet connection on both devices. If a child disconnects the Internet, the data may not be synchronized until the connection is restored.
What to do if a child deleted Family Link?
On devices with administrator rights (issued during setup), it is impossible to delete the application without the parent's password. When you try to delete, the system will ask for confirmation through the parent's account.
Also in some versions of MIUI there is a built-in “Security” application, which has a “Parental Controls” section. It works locally and does not require linking to Google accounts, offering simpler but more effective restrictions on the launch of certain apps.
Third-party applications for detailed analytics
When built-in tools are not enough and deep behavioral analytics are required, specialized applications from the Google Play Store come to the rescue. They often provide more flexible settings, beautiful visualization and the ability to export data.
One of the most popular solutions is ActionDash. This application actually duplicates the functions of Digital Wellbeing, but adds the ability to set limits even on those devices where this function is disabled by the manufacturer. It uses Android accessibility services to track activity.
Another powerful tool is QualityTime. It focuses on the user's motivation by showing how much time you've given to the phone, and how much you could do with that time in real life. The interface is designed in the form of clear dashboards and graphs.
| Application | Main function | Resource consumption | Presence of advertising |
|---|---|---|---|
| ActionDash | Full clone of Digital Wellbeing | Low | Available in the free version |
| QualityTime | Motivation and statistics | Medium | Yes |
| Stay Free | Blocking distractions | Low | Minimal |
| YourHour | Gaming approach to restrictions | Medium | Yes |
When using third-party software, you should be careful about the permissions issued. To work correctly, such apps need access to Usage history and often to special system capabilities.
⚠️ Attention: Installing several applications for time control at the same time can lead to conflicts in the system and a significant increase in battery consumption. It is recommended to use only one main tracker.
Advanced methods: ADB and usage statistics
For users who are not afraid of the command line and want to get “raw” data directly from the Android system, there is a method of using USB debugging (ADB). This method allows you to pull out usage statistics without installing any applications on the phone itself.
First, you need to activate developer mode. Go to Settings → About phone and quickly click on the item MIUI version seven times until a notification appears indicating that you have become a developer. Then, in the advanced settings, enable USB debugging.
adb shell pm get-configHowever, a more useful command would be to display statistics on the use of specific packages. By connecting your phone to your computer and installing the ADB drivers, you can request detailed information about when and for how long each application was launched. This is system kernel-level data that cannot be tampered with or cleared with a regular factory reset.
The method using ADB is suitable only for advanced users, as it requires a PC and basic knowledge of working with the command line, but gives the most objective picture.
The use of this method is justified in situations where you need to check whether there is any hidden malware that masks its activity in standard settings menus. The system records all launches, regardless of application access rights.
Optimizing and reducing dependence on a smartphone
Once you know your screen time, the next logical step is to try to reduce it. Just knowing numbers rarely changes habits, so it is necessary to implement technical restrictions and change interface settings.
First of all, it is recommended to enable the mode Shades of gray (in some versions of MIUI it is called “Reading Mode” or is available through special features). A black and white screen makes the use of social networks less attractive to the brain, as bright stimulating colors disappear.
- 🔕 Disable notifications: Leave only the most important ones (calls, instant messengers), turning off push notifications from news and stores.
- 🏠 Desktop cleaning: Remove entertainment app icons from the home screen by hiding them in folders on the last pages.
- ⏳ Technique Pomodoro: Use timers for work to alternate between focus and rest, without being stuck on your phone during breaks.
It is also useful to set up a Do Not Disturb schedule. For example, automatically turn it on an hour before bed so that the blue light of the screen and notifications do not interfere with the production of melatonin.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that completely abandoning a smartphone is impossible in the modern world, but conscious use is an entirely achievable goal. Regularly checking statistics will help you maintain a balance between digital and real life.
Where exactly is the Digital Wellbeing menu on Xiaomi?
Usually the path looks like this: Settings → Digital Wellbeing and Parental Controls. If the item is not in the main list, use the search in the settings by entering the phrase “Use time” or “Wellbeing”.
Why are the statistics in the battery settings and in Digital Wellbeing different?
The difference occurs due to different calculation methods. Battery takes into account CPU and screen power consumption, while Digital Wellbeing counts the time an app is active in the foreground. Background processes can affect the battery, but are not always counted as “screen time”.
Is it possible to reset screen time statistics manually?
In the standard MIUI interface there is usually no button to reset statistics. The data is reset automatically once a day (at night) or when the device is completely rebooted in rare cases. A complete reset requires clearing the Digital Wellbeing app data through the app settings menu.
Does power saving mode affect the accuracy of time calculation?
Yes, in strict power saving mode, the system may limit background activity and the frequency of statistics updates, which may lead to inaccuracies in the display of time data for some applications.