Xiaomi White List: How to Add Contacts and Apps to Exceptions

The whitelist on Xiaomi smartphones is a tool that lets you skip notifications, calls and SMS from selected contacts or apps, even if you have Do Not Disturb or energy saving enabled. This feature is especially useful when you need to stay in touch with important people or services without being distracted by spam. However, the whitelist setting in MIUI is hidden in several menus, and the logic of operation depends on the firmware version and device model.

In this article, we'll look at all the ways to whitelist, from standard MIUI 14/15 tools to hidden settings for Redmi Note 12, POCO F5, and more, and explain why some contacts can be ignored despite settings, and how to fix it, and if you're faced with a problem that calls from loved ones don't go through "Do Not Disturb" mode, or notifications from banking apps get blocked, here's the solution.

What is a white list on Xiaomi and why is it necessary?

A whitelist (or exception list) is a mechanism that allows you to bypass the limitations of system modes.

• 📞 Calls: skip a call from your mom or boss when Do Not Disturb mode is activated».
• 💬 SMS: Receive confirmation codes from the bank or services, even if notifications are disabled.
• 🔔 Notifications: see messages from messengers (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) when the power saving mode is activated.

On Xiaomi, the whitelist works in three key scenarios:

1. Do Not Disturb (DND) – Blocks all notifications except for selected contacts/applications.
2. Energy saving – limits the background activity of applications, but exceptions can be added.
3. Spam Blocking – filters out unwanted calls/SMS, but important contacts can be protected.

It's important to understand that whitelist settings don't sync between these modes. For example, adding a contact to the Do Not Disturb exceptions doesn't automatically mean it's on the whitelist for energy saving. This is a common reason why users think the feature isn't working.

How to Add Contacts to Whitelist for Calls and SMS

The most popular scenario is skipping calls and messages from certain numbers in the “Do Not Disturb” mode. The instructions are relevant for MIUI 14/15 on Xiaomi 13/14, Redmi Note 12/13, POCO X5/F5 and others.

Steps to set up:

1. Open the phone application (pipe icon).
2. Tap it on three points (⋮) top-right → Settings.
3. Select Blocking and Spam Protection → Whitelist.
4. Click Add and select contacts from the phone book or enter numbers manually.

If you have a MIUI 13 or older, the path may be different.

Settings → Applications → Phone → Blocking and Spam Protection → White List

- Contact added to the phone book

- The number is saved in international format (+7 for Russia)

- Do not disturb mode for the test is enabled

- Checked lock settings in the application "Messages»-->

⚠️ Note: If you add to the whitelist, you still block your calls, check the operator's settings. Some mobile networks (such as MTS or Beeline) have their own spam filters that override Xiaomi's system settings.

Setting up a white list for app notifications

When power saving or Do Not Disturb mode is activated, the background activity of applications is limited, so that important notifications (for example, from Sberbank, VK or Telegram) come without delay, you need to add them to the exceptions.

Method 1: Through battery settings

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance.
2. Select Battery Optimization (or Power Saving Mode on older versions).
3. Slip on Apps → find what you want (like WhatsApp) → select Without Limits.

Method 2: Through notification settings

• 🔄 Open the Settings. → Notifications and status bar.
• 📱 Select Application Notification Management.
• 🔍 Find an app (such as Gmail) → Turn on the switch Important notifications.
• 🔔 In the "Do Not Disturb" section, add the app to the exceptions.

💡

If notifications from a banking app don’t come even after being added to the whitelist, check autorun settings: Settings → Apps → Application Management → [Bank Name] → Autorun. Without that background, the app won’t be able to receive push notifications.

Whitelist for geolocation and background processes

Some applications (e.g. Yandex.Navigator, Google Maps or Mi Fit Shagomer) require constant access to geolocation and background activity, and if added to energy saving, they may not work correctly: lose GPS signal, do not track steps, or turn off when the screen is locked.

To add them to the whitelist:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the application you want (such as Google Maps).
3. Activate options: AutoRun allows you to start when you reboot. Background activity allows you to work in the background. Precise location for navigators.

Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization

No restrictions.

For Mi Fit (or Zepp Life on new models) you also need:

Settings → Applications → Special Permits → Physical Activity → Select Mi Fit

⚠️ Attention: POCO F4/F5 redmi K50 with HyperOS (replacement) firmware MIUI into 2026 The path to geolocation has changed. Now it looks like this: Settings. → Confidentiality → Permits → geodata → Without it, the navigators can show your location with an error. 500 meters.

Whitelist problems and their solutions

Even after setting it up properly, the whitelist may not work, and the reasons and ways to fix them are:

• 🔋 Energy saving override settings: On some models (like the Redmi Note 11), Super Power Saving ignores the whitelist.Solution: disable it or add the app to exceptions via Settings → Battery → Energy saving regimes.
• 📵 Non-international number: If the contact is saved as 89123456789 instead of +79123456789, the system may not recognize it.
• 🔄 Third-party conflict: Programs like Truecaller or GetContact can block calls before the system whitelist works. Disable them or set exceptions within these apps.
• 📲 Update MIUI Resets: After major updates (e.g., with MIUI 13 over 14) exception lists may be reset.

Hidden whitelist settings for advanced users

MIUI has undocumented features that allow you to flexibly set up a whitelist, such as allowing notifications only from certain categories of applications or setting a schedule for exceptions.

Method 1: ADB-command DND

If you need to add an app to the Do Not Disturb whitelist through ADB (for example, to automatically configure across multiple devices), use:

adb shell cmd notification allow_list add <package_name> 1

Example for WhatsApp:



adb shell cmd notification allow_list add com.whatsapp 1

To check the current list of exceptions:

adb shell cmd notification allow_list list

Method 2: Configure with Mi Home (for smart devices)

If you have Xiaomi smart devices (such as Mi Band 8 or Mi Smart Clock), you can also add their notifications to the whitelist:

1. Open the Mi Home app.
2. Go to profile. → Notification settings.
3. Turn on the option to Show notifications in "Do not disturb".

💡

HyperOS devices (2026) introduced a Smart Whitelist feature that automatically adds frequently used contacts and apps to exceptions. To enable it: Settings → Notifications → Smart Settings → Adaptive Exceptions.

White list differences on different Xiaomi models

The logic of the whitelist may vary depending on the model and firmware version, and the following are key features for popular lines:

POCO and some Redmi also have a Priority Mode feature that works as an extended whitelist.

• 🔔 Vibration for selected contacts.
• 🎵 Individual ringing melodies.
• 📳 Repeat the call if the subscriber does not respond.

To activate it:

Settings → Sound and vibration → Priority mode

FAQ: Frequent questions about the whitelist on Xiaomi