Constant calls from spammers, scammers and intrusive carriers have become a real problem for owners of modern smartphones. Especially relevant is the question of how to prohibit calls from unfamiliar numbers on Xiaomi, since these devices have a wide range of functionality to filter traffic. Users often lose valuable time answering unnecessary calls, or are stressed by the constant interruption of important business.
Fortunately, MIUI and its newer version of HyperOS provide powerful built-in tools to combat unwanted contacts. You don’t need to install third-party applications that can overload the system or collect personal data. Standard functionality allows you to flexibly configure lock rules, creating a “digital shield” from the outside world.
In this detailed guide, we’ll take a look at all the security options available, from simple caller settings to advanced automation scenarios, learning to block hidden numbers, set up blacklists, and use smart databases to recognize spam, allowing you to take back control of your phone and personal space.
Built-in lock function in the Phone application
The first and most obvious step is to use the standard features of the Phone app, which is pre-installed on all Xiaomi smartphones. The interface of the call may vary slightly depending on the region of the firmware (Chinese or global version), but the logic remains the same.
To access the settings, you need to open the call app and find the menu icon, usually located in the upper right corner of the screen. In the dropdown list, you are interested in Lock Settings or Antispam. This is where the functionality that allows you to prevent calls from unfamiliar numbers to Xiaomi without installing additional software hides.
By activating this mode, you can choose a smartphone strategy for when you receive a call from a number that is not in your phone book. The system will offer several options: to reset the call automatically, send the subscriber a signal "busy" or simply not to issue an audible notification. Locking unknowns is a key switch that you need to activate to achieve the goal.
It's important to understand that this function relies solely on having a number in your contacts. If the caller is saved under the name "Pizza Delivery" or "Courier", the system will miss the call, considering it legitimate, so before activating hard filtering, it is recommended to clear the contact list from temporary records.
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Built-in lock works at the system level and does not require an Internet connection to check the number database, which saves battery power.
Setting up the Security and Antivirus application
In the Xiaomi ecosystem, the security app is the central element of access rights management and protection, and it is integrated deeper than normal programs and has access to system calls. To fine-tune the call filtering, you need to go to this section and select the tab responsible for antispam.
It's a lot more functional than a simple call, and you can set up lockdowns not just by contacts, but by regional codes or prefixes, for example, if you get a lot of calls with codes in certain cities where you don't have business interests, you can add them to the exception list, which is especially true for telemarketing.
One of the most powerful features is the use of cloud databases. The Security app can automatically update lists of scammers and spam numbers. To do this, you need to allow the application to access the network and enable database synchronization in the anti-spam settings, in which case the phone will know about the "bad" numbers before they even try to call you.
Also available in this section is a "Silent Mode" setting for blocked calls, so you can choose whether the phone will vibrate or make a sound when you try to call from a blacklist, or respond with complete silence. For maximum concentration, you better choose complete disregard, so that even visual notifications do not distract from work.
- 🛡️ Do Not Disturb: allows you to create a schedule where all calls, except for the chosen ones, will be blocked.
- 📂 Lock Log: This is where the history of all rejected calls is stored, allowing you to return an important missed call if necessary.
- 🔄 Update of databases: regular checking of the relevance of spam number lists via Wi-Fi.
Use of the "Do Not Disturb" mode
Do Not Disturb is a standard Android tool that comes with additional features on Xiaomi smartphones. Unlike simple locking, it allows you to create flexible exceptions and schedules, ideal for those who want to ban calls from unfamiliar numbers to Xiaomi only at certain times of the day, such as at night or during meetings.
To activate this mode, swipe the notification curtain down and find the appropriate icon, or go to Settings → Sound and vibration → Do Not Disturb. This opens up a wide menu of settings. Particular attention should be paid to the "Calls" or "Allow Calls." This is where you can filter by contacts.
Select Contacts Only or Favorites. In the first case, you can call anyone whose number is saved in the phone book; in the second case, only those you have manually added to the Favorites list. This creates two-tiered protection: ordinary contacts can wait, and important people will get through the lockdown.
⚠️ Warning: When activating Do Not Disturb mode, make sure that the Repeat Calls function is disabled if you want complete silence, otherwise a second call from the same number will be missed within 15 minutes by the system.
Another useful feature is automation, which means you can set your smartphone to do not disturb on a schedule or when you connect to a specific Wi-Fi (such as an office), eliminating the need to turn on and off the security every day.
☑️ Setting up the mode Do not disturb
Blocking of hidden and unknown numbers
A separate category of problems are calls where the subscriber hides his number (defined as "Unknown number" or "Hidden number"). Standard methods of blocking "by contacts" do not work here, since the number is not technically transmitted to the system. However, at the level of the mobile operator and advanced settings MIUI There are ways to fight them.
Some firmware versions have a separate Block Hidden Numbers switch in their call settings. If you find it on your menu (path: Phone → Settings → Lock inbox), be sure to activate it. This will prevent any calls that are not defined by Caller ID.
If there is no software option, you can rely on the services of a mobile operator. Tele2 There are paid or free services like Anti-Detector or Blacklist that block calls at the network level, and there are codes for temporary blocking that can be entered through the network. USSD-request.
For users who need maximum protection, there is a method of creating scripts through the Macrosa application (if available in the region) or third-party automatizers, but this requires root rights or complex ADB settings. For most users, the optimal solution is a combination of built-in anti-spam and operator services.
| Method | Efficiency | Difficulty | We need the Internet. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blacklist of contacts | Low. | Low. | No. |
| MIUI Antispam | Tall. | Medium | Preferably. |
| Don't disturb the regime. | Medium | Low. | No. |
| Operator services | Tall. | Low. | No. |
Third-party filtering applications
When built-in tools are scarce, specialized applications from Google Play come to the rescue, with leaders in this niche being Truecaller, GetContact and Yandex.Definition, using huge crowdsourcing databases where users tag spammer numbers themselves, making them very effective.
Installing an application like Truecaller requires broad permissions, needs to be given call management rights and access to contacts to function properly, and once installed and configured, it takes on the role of incoming call manager, intercepting the call before the standard call.
The main advantage of these solutions is the ability to see who is calling, even if the number is not in your book (for example, "Ivan Petrovich, bank manager"). You can set up an automatic reset for everyone labeled as "Spam" or "Advertising." However, keep in mind the privacy: you share your phone book with the service developers.
Impact on the battery
There are also lighter alternatives that don’t require contact transfers, but only check the number with open databases. When choosing an application, carefully read reviews and privacy policies so as not to install malicious software under the guise of a useful utility.
Frequent problems and their solution
Users may encounter various difficulties in setting up, such as when they upgrade to Android or MIUI, lock settings may reset, and important calls (from couriers, doctors) may be blocked because their numbers are not in the contacts, and these problems require careful attention.
If you miss an important call, be sure to check the lock log in the Security app. All rejected calls are stored there. To avoid blocking important services in the future, create a separate contact group "Services" and add numbers of clinics, schools, delivery services to it, eliminating this group from the lock rules.
Another common problem is calling from different numbers in the same organization, and in this case, only Contacts Only mode, or using a number detector that tags those calls, helps, and you don't have to rely on just one method of protection, you better combine them.
⚠️ Note: If you use third-party calling apps (such as Viber or WhatsApp calls via SIM card), the standard calling lock settings may not apply to them.
To be sure, it is recommended to check the relevance of the settings periodically. Operators and spammers constantly change tactics, and what worked six months ago may be less effective today. Regular updating of databases in the security application is a guarantee of peace of mind.
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Save your operator’s support number to your favorite contacts, which ensures that you can contact them even when the hard lock mode is on.