How to unlock access to the microphone on Xiaomi for Yandex: the complete guide

Xiaomi’s MIUI-based smartphones are known for their strict privacy settings, which sometimes block access to the microphone even for legitimate applications like Yandex.Alice or Yandex.Navigator. If your Redmi, POCO or Mi refuse to recognize voice commands, the problem lies not in the application itself, but in the system permissions. This article will help you understand why the microphone can be locked at the MIUI level even when Android permissions are turned on, and how to fix the situation without resetting.

Many users are faced with a situation where the microphone for Yandex is turned on in the Android settings, but the voice assistant still does not hear the commands, the reason is the multilayer security system MIUI, where in addition to the standard Android resolutions, there are additional restrictions from Xiaomi, for example, the function "Autostart" or "Permissions in the background" can block the microphone from access to the application, even if you gave all the rights manually. Next, we will analyze all possible ways to unlock, from basic to hidden settings of the engineering menu.

The problem is particularly relevant for owners of devices with MIUI 12-14, where privacy policies have been tightened, and if you upgraded your firmware and then stopped working microphone in Yandex.Maps or Alice, most likely, the mechanism of resetting permissions for third-party applications worked, in which case it is not enough just to turn on the microphone in the settings, you will need additional configuration of system parameters.

Why Xiaomi is blocking the microphone for Yandex: the main reasons

It's not an accident that MIUI blocks access to the microphone. It's part of Xiaomi's strategy to protect user data, but sometimes the algorithms are too aggressive. Here are the key reasons why Yandex.Alice or other applications may lose access to the microphone:

• 🔒 Lack of permits in MIUI Security: In addition to the standard Android resolutions, the MIUI There is a separate security center (Settings) → Confidentiality → Permissions where you need to duplicate settings.
• 🚫 Background activity restriction: Battery Optimization or Autostart may suspend applications in the background, including microphone access.
• 🛡️ Locking the system MIUI: In some regional firmware versions (e.g. China), microphone access for foreign applications is limited by default.
• 🔄 Reset permissions after update: After installing the new version MIUI All permissions of third-party applications are reset, but the system does not always notify the user.
• 🎤 Conflict with other applications: If Google Assistant and Yandex.Alice work at the same time, the system can block the microphone for one of them.

Especially often, the problem occurs on devices with MIUI Global or MIUI Europe, where privacy policies differ from the Chinese version. For example, on the Redmi Note 12 or POCO X5 after upgrading to MIUI 14, many users complain about the inability to use voice search in Yandex.Maps, although the microphone is enabled in the Android settings.

Another nuance is permissions for specific functions, such as Yandex.Navigator can request microphone access separately for voice input and separately for recording sound while driving, and if you block at least one of the permissions, the application will stop recognizing voice.

Basic settings: check the permissions in Android and MIUI

Before digging deeper, make sure all the basic resolutions are enabled. Let's start with the standard Android settings:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Yandex (or a specific application, such as Yandex.Alice).
3. Go to Permissions → Microphone and select “Allow”.
4. Check if the Allow System Settings Change switch is enabled (if any).

Now we move on to MIUI settings that are often overlooked:

1. Go to Settings → Privacy → Permissions → Microphone.
2. Find Yandex.Alice or Yandex.Navigator in the list and turn on access.
3. Return to Privacy → Special Permits → Autostart and add the app to the list.
4. In Privacy → Battery Optimization, select “No Limits” for Yandex applications.

If the microphone still doesn't work after this, the problem may lie in the background constraints, for example, the Xiaomi 13 Lite or Redmi K50 has the default "No Sound Change" feature on it, which blocks access to the microphone for third-party applications, to turn it off:

1. Go to Settings → Sound and vibration → More
2. Turn off the "No Sound Change" option (if it's active).

Hidden MIUI settings: unlock through the engineering menu

If standard methods don't work, you'll have to go to the MIUI engineering menu, which is suitable for power users, because incorrect changes can lead to failures.

Instructions for unlocking the microphone through the engineering menu:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the code: ##4636## This will open the Testing menu.
2. Go to Device Information (or Usage Statistics on some firmware).
3. Scroll down and find the "Microphone" item.
4. Click on it and select Enable for all apps.
5. Save the changes and restart the device.

Some models (e.g. POCO F4 or Xiaomi 12T) may require a different code instead of #4636##.

##36446337##

This code opens the CIT (Factory Test Mode) menu, where you can also check the status of the microphone.

If the engineering menu is not available (e.g. on MIUI China), try an alternative method via ADB:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and enable USB Debugging (Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – press 7 times, then go back to Additional → For Developers).
2. Enter in the command line: adb shell pm grant ru.yandex.search android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO (Replace ru.yandex.search with the package of the desired application).
3. Reset the device.

Problems with regional firmware: how to get around the restrictions

If your Xiaomi is running MIUI China or MIUI Global with restrictions on foreign applications, it may require a change of firmware region or installation of MIUI Europe.This is a radical method, but it is guaranteed to solve problems with access to the microphone for Yandex.Alice and other services.

Here’s how to change the region without a complete reflash:

1. Install the MIUI Region Changer app (available on 4PDA or GitHub).
2. Choose the region "Russia" or "Europe".
3. Reset the device.

If this doesn't work, you'll have to install MIUI Europe via Fastboot.

1. Download the MIUI Europe firmware for your model from the official website xiaomi.eu.
2. Unpack the archive and connect the phone to your PC in Fastboot mode (clip Volume Down + Power when the device is off).
3. Run the script. flash_all.bat (for Windows or flash_all.sh (for Linux/Mac).

Once MIUI Europe is installed, all microphone restrictions for Yandex.Alice and other applications will be removed automatically, but please note that this is an informal firmware and some features (such as NFC for Chinese banks) may not work properly.

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Before changing your region or firmware, check model compatibility on the 4PDA forum. Some devices (such as the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G) have boot boot locks that you need to unlock first.

Conflicts with other applications: how to eliminate

Sometimes the microphone doesn't work because of a conflict between applications, for example, if Google Assistant and Yandex.Alice are active at the same time, the system can block access for one of them, and problems can also cause:

• 🎵 Sound recording applications (such as Dolby Atmos or Equalizer) that take up a microphone in monopoly mode.
• 📱 Messengers (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) if they use a microphone for voice messages.
• 🎮 Gaming utilities (such as Game Turbo) that can block background processes.

To resolve the conflict:

1. Close all applications that may use the microphone (double tap on the recent → swipe up).
2. Turn off Google Assistant: Press the Home button → click on the gear icon in the top right corner. Select "Disable Google Assistant."
3. Check the settings of Game Mode (Settings → Special Features → Game Turbo) and turn off the option of “Microphone Optimization”.

If the problem persists, try resetting the app settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Three Points (menu) → Reset application settings.
2. Confirm the action and restart the device.

This will return all permissions to factory settings, but will not delete user data.

Table: Compatibility of Xiaomi models with Yandex.Alice

Not all Xiaomi devices work equally well with Yandex.Alice, and the table below provides information about the compatibility of popular models and possible problems:

If your model is not in the table, check the settings on the 4PDA forum or in the official Xiaomi group in VK. Often, microphone problems are solved by installing the latest firmware version.

What to do if nothing helps: radical methods

If you have tried all the ways, but the microphone still does not work in Yandex.Alice or other applications, there are radical measures:

• 🔧 Reset to factory settings: Back up the data. Go to Settings → The phone. → Setting reset. Select "Erase all data".

⚠️ Warning: After reset, all applications and data will be deleted. Restoring access to the microphone before installing Yandex.Alice to avoid conflicts.

Installation of custom firmware

If the problem is system constraints MIUI, Try the firmware on the base. AOSP (For example, LineageOS or Pixel Experience, look for instructions on the XDA Developers.

Contacting the service center

If the microphone doesn't work in any application, the problem may be hardware (e.g., the plume or the microphone itself is damaged), in which case only repairs will help.

Before you reset or flash it, try another way: roll back to the previous version of MIUI. Sometimes bugs make updates, and going back to the old firmware solves the problem.

1. Download the archive with the desired version of MIUI (for example, from miuirom.org).
2. Go to Settings → About Phone → System Update → Three Dots → Select a firmware file.
3. Install the downloaded archive and restart the device.

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If the microphone does not work only in Yandex.Alice, but functions normally in other applications (for example, in a voice recorder), the problem is precisely in the permission settings or conflict with MIUI.

FAQ: Frequent questions about unlocking the microphone on Xiaomi