How to change the sound of charging on Android Xiaomi Poco

Personalizing the interface has long since become a pampering necessity for many users who want to make their device unique. Xiaomi gadget owners, including sub-brands Redmi and Poco, often face the desire to change standard system sounds that may seem intrusive or just boring, especially the sound signal, which alerts us to the connection of the charger, as we hear it every time we put the phone on charge.

Unfortunately, the standard MIUI shell or the new HyperOS doesn’t have a direct setting to choose a random file for this event through a regular menu. However, there are proven ways to get around this limitation using built-in theme features or more advanced file system practices. In this article, we’ll take a look at how you can change the charging sound on your device, what risks are there and what tools will be needed to do this.

It should be noted that the process can vary depending on the version of the operating system and regional firmware. Some methods require preliminary preparation, such as installing special applications or even obtaining advanced access rights, although in most cases you can do with regular means.

⚠️ Warning: Any manipulation of system files or installation of third-party themes from unverified sources can cause unstable operation of the device. Always back up important data before starting experiments.

Standard capabilities of the MIUI and HyperOS shell

Before we get to the complex methods, we need to learn the basic functionality that the manufacturer provides. The MIUI shell is known for its deep customization, but paradoxically hides some obvious settings. It is worth checking the sound section in the system settings to start, since the location of elements may differ from one firmware version to another.

Usually, the way to set up is to open Settings, then go to Sound and Vibration, where the user can find settings for calls, notifications and alarms. However, you won't find "Charge Sound" on this list, because it's tightly tied to the current active theme of the design, which means that changing the signal will require changing or modifying the the theme itself.

• 🎵 Standard themes often contain their own sets of sounds that replace the default system sounds.
• 🔊 System sound volume is regulated separately from media and calls, which is important to consider when testing.
• 📱 On some models of Poco with a clean version of Android, the possibilities may be limited compared to the global version. MIUI.

It is important to understand that standard means you can only choose another theme that already recorded the desired charging sound. Upload your own file directly to this section will not work without the use of third-party tools or special applications-themizers.

Using the Themes app to change sound

The safest and easiest way, without having to root or manipulate the code, is to use the official Theme app, which is based on the fact that each theme contains a set of audio files, including the charging sound, so you need to find a theme that you like or create your own modification.

To start, open the Themes app on your smartphone. In the search box, type in a query like "sound mod" or "custom sounds." There are many themes created by enthusiasts specifically to replace system audio files. Once you download and apply such a theme, the charging sound will change to the one that is packaged in the theme archive.

If you want to use your file, it gets a little bit more complicated, you have to find a theme with a similar structure, unpack it, replace the audio torch and pack it back, but for ordinary users, it's easier to download the finished theme with the right sound. Note that after applying the theme, other system sounds (locks, screenshots) can also change.

⚠️ Note: When installing themes from third-party sources (not through an official store), the system may issue a security alert. Install only files from trusted forums or from well-known authors.

Replacement of System Files through File Manager

For more advanced users who want to install a specific MP3 or OGG file as a signal, there is a method of direct replacement of the system file. This method requires access to the root folders of the system, which on modern versions of Android can be difficult without root rights, but in some cases works through a standard file manager with certain conditions.

First you need to find or create the audio file you want to use.It is advisable that it be short (no more than 3-5 seconds) and have a.ogg format, as Android works best with this codec for system sounds. A long track may crop or not play correctly. Save the file in internal memory in a folder that is easy to find, for example, in the root or in the Downloads folder.

Then you have to go down the path where the system sounds are stored. Depending on the version of Android and access rights, the path can look like /system/media/audio/ui/ or /data/resource-cache/. The file that charges you is often called ChargingStarted.ogg or has a similar name. If you don't have root rights, you can't just copy the file there, but use replacement apps that work around system constraints.

If direct access is closed, you can try renaming your file to ChargingStarted.ogg and putting it in the MIUI/sound/ folder in internal memory, although this method does not work on all versions of HyperOS. In any case, before replacing the original file, it is strongly recommended to save a copy of it in a safe place to be able to roll back changes.

Use of specialized substitute applications

There is a category of apps in Google Play that are designed specifically to solve this problem without having to climb into system files. Programs like Sound Picker or various "Custom Notification Sounds" use Accessibility APIs or other system permissions to intercept the charging connection event and play back the track you select.

The principle of their work is to constantly monitor the battery status. Once the system registers the power connection, the application instantly launches the selected audio file. This allows you to use any formats and any duration of sound, which is impossible with a standard replacement of the system file.

• 🔋 Substitute applications can consume extra battery power due to constant background monitoring.
• ⚙️ Special permissions are required, including access to device status and sometimes special features.
• 🎧 The sound can be played through the media channel, rather than the system, which affects the volume and behavior during the "Do not disturb" mode".

When choosing such an application, pay attention to the reviews and installs. You should choose programs that are open source or from well-known developers to eliminate the risk of data leakage. Once installed, be sure to add the application to the battery exceptions so that the Android system does not “kill” its process in the background.

💡

For stable operation of the applications-substitutes of sound, fix them in memory or turn on the "No restrictions" mode in the battery settings, otherwise Android may stop their work to save energy.

Compatibility issues on different versions of Android

Owners of Xiaomi and Poco devices often find that methods running on one firmware version do not work on the other, due to changes in Android security policies that are becoming stricter every year, for example, in Android 13 and 14, access to the system partition /system is completely closed even for some system applications without root rights.

On HyperOS shell devices, the file path structure may have changed from the classic MIUI 12 or 13. Audio files can now be packaged into dedicated resource archives or have hashed names, making manual replacement almost impossible for the average user.

Global ROMs often have more customization restrictions than Chinese ROMs, which are initially designed for deep customization by advanced users. If you use global firmware, the chances of a successful manual file replacement are lower.

⚠️ Warning: Attempting to change system files on Locked Bootloader devices may lead to verification errors and cyclical device reboot.

The impact of sound files on performance

While charging sound seems like a trifle, the wrong file selection can negatively affect the performance of the smartphone.System sounds are processed by priority stream, and if the file is too large or has a complex codec, this can cause a micro-latency in the interface response at the time of connecting the cable.

The optimal is the use of monophonic files with low bitreach (up to 128 kbit / s) and a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz or lower. Stereosound for a short notification of charging is redundant and only takes up excess space in RAM when playing. In addition, too quiet files can be inaudible, and too loud - cause distortion (clipping).

If you notice that after installing custom audio, the phone started to hang when connecting the charging or the sound is played with a delay, return the standard file. This indicates that the selected format is not optimized for system use on your particular hardware.

💡

Use short audio files in OGG format with a bitrate of up to 128 kbps to ensure instant system response and no load on the processor.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)