How to completely turn off the microphone on the Xiaomi phone: all the ways

The microphone in Xiaomi’s smartphone is not only a convenience for calls and voice commands, but also a potential privacy threat. Even when you’re not talking, some apps can use it in the background to collect data, target ads, or even spy. According to Kaspersky Lab statistics, 68 percent of popular apps request microphone access for no good reason.

In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to turn off the microphone on Xiaomi, Redmi and other phones. POCO — From standard settings to radical paranoid techniques, you'll learn how to lock a microphone for individual applications, how to physically disable it through an engineering menu, and what to do if the phone still eavesdrops. MIUI 14/15 And the new HyperOS firmware.

1. Disable the microphone through privacy settings

The easiest way to restrict access to the microphone is to use built-in MIUI tools. This method does not shut down the microphone completely, but blocks it for unnecessary applications.

To get into the permissions menu:

1. Open Settings → Privacy → Application permissions.
2. Select the Microphone.
3. You will see a list of all the apps that have ever requested access to the microphone.

Here you can:

• 🔒 Prohibit access for specific applications (for example, games or social networks).
• ⚙️ Configure Resolution only during use – the microphone will only work when the app is active on the screen.
• 📊 View Use Log - What apps and when you used the microphone.

Open Settings → Privacy

Find the section "Application permissions"

Select "Microphone"

Disable access for suspicious applications

Check the usage log-->

Note that even after a shutdown, some system applications (such as Phone or Google Assistant) can automatically access the microphone, and to prevent this, you will need to manually shut down via ADB (more about this in one of the following sections).

2. Quickly shutting down the microphone through the notification panel

If you need to temporarily turn off the microphone (for example, during an important conversation or meeting), you can use the Quick Settings Panel, which works on all Xiaomi models with MIUI 12+ and HyperOS.

Instructions:

1. Swipe your finger down to open the notification panel.
2. Find the Microphone icon (usually hidden – pull the panel down to the end to see all the icons).
3. Click on it once to turn off the microphone for all applications.

🔹 Important: This method only turns off the microphone until the next phone restarts or until it is manually turned on, and it does not block system processes (for example, recording voice notes via a voice recorder).

Never turn it off.

Only during important meetings

I keep it off all the time.

I only use certain applications.-->

If the microphone icon is not in the Quick Settings panel, you can add it:

1. Open the notification panel and click on the icon ⚙️ (Edit).
2. Find the Microphone in the list and drag it to the active area.

3. Completely shutting down the microphone via the engineering menu (for advanced)

If you need to physically disable the microphone at the hardware level, you can use the engineering menu, which is suitable for users who want to completely lock the microphone, including system processes. ⚠️ Warning: Incorrect actions in the engineering menu can lead to malfunctions in the phone!

Instructions for Xiaomi:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the combination: ##4636###.
3. In the menu that opens, select Phone Information.
4. Scroll down and find the item Turn off the microphone (or Audio → Microphone Mute).
5. Activate the option and restart the phone.

🔹 Warning: on some models (POCO F5, Redmi Note 12, this method may not work because of manufacturer limitations. ADB physical shutdown (see the following section).

Once disconnected through the engineering menu, the microphone will stop working in all applications, including calls. To return it back, repeat the steps and deactivate the option.

4. Disable the microphone for individual applications via ADB

If you only need to lock the microphone for specific applications (like TikTok, Instagram or VKontakte) but leave it to work for calls, the best way is to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge).

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times on MIUI Version (you will be notified "You've become a developer").

USB debugging

• Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
• Turn on the debugging switch over USB.
• Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell pm revoke android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO For example, for Instagram: adb shell pm revoke com.instagram.android android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO

🔹 List of popular application packages:

⚠️ Warning: Once the application is updated, permissions may reset. To avoid this, use the command:

adb shell pm revoke --user 0 PAKET APPLATIONS android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO

5. Physical shutdown of the microphone (for extremes)

If you're paranoid and want to make sure that the microphone doesn't work 100 percent, you can physically turn it off, which is a method that's suitable for people who don't use voice calls or voice recorders.

Methods of physical disconnection:

• 🔧 The microphone needs to be unpacked, and the soldering iron is disassembled, and on most Xiaomi models, the microphone is located next to the bottom speaker.
• 🛠️ Cutting the plume is a less radical way, but also requires opening the body.
• 🧲 Use a magnetic case – some cases with metal inserts can interfere with the microphone (efficiency) ~30%).
• 🎧 Connect headphones with a microphone and disable the built-in one - in some firmwares you can prioritize the external microphone.

⚠️ Warning: Physically turning off the microphone deprives you of warranty and can lead to problems with the microphone:

• Voice calls (including VoLTE and VoWiFi)
• The work of voice assistants (Google Assistant, Alice).
• Google’s OK and voice search function.

💡

Before you physically turn off the microphone, check if your Xiaomi model has a second (backup) noise-cancellation microphone. On some devices (such as the Xiaomi 13 Pro), there are two main and an additional one.

If you’re not ready to disassemble the phone, the alternative is to use an external Bluetooth microphone and disable the built-in one via ADB:

adb shell settings put global microphone_mute 1

6.Verifying if the microphone is actually off

After turning off the microphone, it's important to make sure it's not really working. Here are some ways to check:

Method 1. Use a built-in voice recorder

1. Open the Dictaphone app (or install a third-party one, such as Easy Voice Recorder).
2. Start recording and say a few words.
3. If the recording is empty or contains only noise, the microphone is turned off.

Method 2: Call another phone

• Make a test call to another number.
• If the person cannot hear you, the microphone is blocked.

Method 3. Check through the Engineering Menu

1. Enter the code ##4636##.
2. Go to Audio. → Microphone Test.
3. If the signal level is 0 dB, the microphone is turned off.

Method 4: Use third-party applications

• 📱 Install Microphone Test or Audio Test from Google Play.
• 🔊 Run the test – if the app doesn’t detect sound, the microphone is inactive.

🔹 Important: Some applications (such as Zoom or Discord) can emulate the microphone even if it's turned off.

💡

Even if the microphone is disabled at the software level, some system processes (e.g. com.qualcomm.qti.telephonyservice) can temporarily activate it. Use a combination of methods: ADB + engineering menu to completely lock it.

7 What to do if the microphone is turned on?

Some Xiaomi users are experiencing a problem where the microphone is automatically activated after a system update or reboot.

• 🔄 Auto-update applications (they can request permissions again).
• 🤖 System Services (e.g. Google Play Services).
• 📱 Firmware with pre-installed “spy” modules (relevant for Chinese versions) MIUI).

Decisions:

1. Turn off app auto-update: Go to Google Play → Settings → App auto-update. Select Do not update automatically.
2. Freeze unnecessary services: Use App Freezer (root rights required) or ADB to disable com.google.android.gms.

Install an alternative firmware:

• Switch to LineageOS or Pixel Experience – they are devoid of “extra” modules Xiaomi.

⚠️ Note: If the microphone is still turned on after all the manipulations, check the phone for viruses using Malwarebytes or Dr.Web. Some spyware (for example, Pegasus) can bypass standard restrictions.

FAQ: Frequent questions about turning off the microphone on Xiaomi