Spam calls and SMS-The newsletter has become a real scourge of modern smartphones, and owners of Xiaomi Redmi 9 is no exception. According to Truecaller for 2023, Android users receive an average of 14 spam calls per month, not counting spam calls per month. SMS And it's a very fraudulent offer. MIUI Redmi 9 offers built-in tools to combat this – you just need to know where to look for them and how to set up the right setup.
In this article, you will find not only standard instructions for activating anti-spam, but also hidden MIUI functions that even official guides keep silent about: built-in filters (including regional spammer databases), third-party applications with advanced capabilities, manual settings to block specific numbers and keywords, bypassing restrictions if anti-spam stopped working after an update.
Special attention will be paid to the unique function "Blacklist by templates" - it allows you to block messages even from unknown numbers if they contain suspicious phrases (for example, "your card is blocked").
1. Built-in antispam in MIUI: where to look and how to activate
The MIUI firmware on Redmi 9 (including MIUI 12/13/14) has a built-in spam protection module, but by default it works in a soft mode - skips many suspicious calls so as not to block important notifications. To strengthen protection, you need to manually adjust the settings.
Open the Phone app (Trainer icon) and go to the section: ⋮ (three dots in the upper right corner) → Settings → Blocking numbers and spam.
Here you will see three key options:
- 📞 Blocking spam calls – includes filtering incoming calls through Xiaomi’s database (updated weekly).
- 💬 Filtration SMS — Hiding messages from known spammers in a separate folder Spam".
- 🔍 Number check – shows a warning if an incoming call is marked as fraudulent by other users.
Activate all three switches, and then the system will automatically block the most dangerous numbers, but for full protection will require additional adjustment.
💡
If important SMS (e.g., from a bank) stop coming after activating anti-spam, add the bank service numbers to the Exclusions in the same menu. To do this, click Add Exclusion and enter a number or keyword (e.g., "Sberbank").
2.Setting up a blacklist: how to block specific numbers
The MIUI spammer database is not perfect, it can skip new scams or regional spammers, and manually adding numbers to the blacklist can help in two ways:
Method 1. Through the call log:
Open the Phone app, search the log for an unwanted number, click on it and select Lock. The system will suggest confirming the action — agree. This method is convenient for one-time spammers.
Method 2. Through lock settings (for mass addition):
Go to Phone Settings → Applications → Phone → Lock numbers.
Here you can:
- Add numbers manually (button +),
Import a list from a.txt or.csv file
Set the lock by prefix (for example, all numbers with the code +375).
The number does not belong to the bank or support service|There are no important contacts with similar numbers.|The last 3 digits are checked (spamers often only change them)|A copy of the list is saved in case of resetting settings-->
3. Hidden function: blocking by keywords in SMS
This feature is not in the official MIUI documentation, but it works on Redmi 9. It allows you to block SMS containing specific phrases, even if the sender number is unknown, for example, you can block all messages with the words "you won", "your card is blocked" or "call back the number."
To activate this function:
- Open the Messages app.
- Move to the ⋮ → Settings → Spam filter.
- Activate the Keyword Filtering Switch.
- Click Add a keyword and enter a phrase (for example, blocked).
- Select the action: Delete the message or Move to spam.
Limitations of the method:
- Works only with Latin and Cyrillic alphabet (hieroglyphs are not supported).
Maximum of 20 keywords at the same time.
Does not filter MMS and messages from system applications (e.g. notifications from banks).
4. Third-party applications: when embedded tools are insufficient
If spam is going through all MIUI filters, it is worth considering third-party solutions.
| Annex | Features | Cons | Link (Google Play) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truecaller | A database of 500 million numbers, real-time spam identification, category blocking (fraudsters, telemarketing). | Requires access to contacts, advertising in the free version. | Download |
| Hiya | Geolocation blocking (you can ban calls from other countries), integration with Google Duplex for filtering robots. | Plugins for advanced functions are paid. | Download |
| SMS Shield | Specializes in SMS: analyzes links in messages, blocks phishing attempts. | There is no Russian localization, a complex interface. | Download |
⚠️ Note: When installing third-party anti-spam applications, disable the built-in filtering in the MIUI, To avoid conflict, go to Settings. → Annexes → Phone. → Lock numbers and deactivate all options.
5. Regional settings: how to block spam from other countries
If you don't expect calls from abroad, you can completely block international numbers, a feature that is especially useful for protecting against fraudsters using foreign phones. SIM-On Redmi 9, you can do this through a hidden menu:
Instructions:
- Open the Phone app.
- Enter the code in the search box (loop at the top): ##4636##.
- Select your phone information (first item).
- Scroll down to the Call Management section.
- Activate the option to block international calls.
Once activated, all incoming calls from foreign numbers will be automatically reset, and exceptions can be added manually to the blacklist (see Section 2).
What if the #4636## code doesn’t work?
6 Problems and Solutions: Antispam is not working or blocking important calls
Sometimes, after updating MIUI or resetting the settings, the anti-spam will stop working, and let's look at the typical problems and how to fix them:
- 🔄 Spam calls are blocked despite the activation of the lock. Cause: the spammer database is not updated. Solution: go to Settings → The phone. → Update the system and check the firmware's relevance. If there are no updates, manually download the latest version. MIUI Redmi 9 from the official website.
- 📵 Blocking the right ones. SMS (For example, from a bank, the reason: too aggressive filtering settings. Solution: add bank numbers to the exceptions (see section) 1) or disable keyword filtering for messages from short numbers (usually banks use the 5-6 number).
- ⚠️ After resetting to the factory settings, anti-spam reset The reason: the blacklist is stored in the phone’s memory, not in the Mi Account. Solution: regularly export the list of blocked numbers to the file (export option in the lock menu).
⚠️ Note: If you use two of these SIM-Redmi 9 cards, anti-spam settings are applied separately for each card. Set up filtering for both slots in the Phone menu → Settings → Number locking → Choice SIM.
💡
The most reliable protection scheme is built-in MIUI + Truecaller antispam (for an extended database) + manual blocking of suspicious numbers, which covers 95% of spam calls.
7.Additional measures: how to reduce the amount of spam in principle
Anti-spam filters solve the problem after the fact, but you can reduce the flow of unwanted calls and messages at the stage of their appearance.
- 🔒 Don't publish a number publicly Remove your phone from social media, forums and public profiles. Fraudsters collect numbers using open source bots.
- 📋 Use a "second number" to register on websites and services, use virtual numbers (e.g., via Google Voice or TextNow.
- 🛡️ Subscribe from mailings at the bottom of most advertising SMS There is a sign-off (usually the word) STOP Send this word back, because the operator is legally obliged to remove you from the database.
If spam calls become unbearable, consider changing the number. Operators (for example, MTS, Beeline) offer the service "Replacement of the number with the preservation of the tariff" for a nominal fee (about 100-200 rubles).