How to Remove the “Contain Call” Button on Xiaomi Phone: The Complete Guide

The hold button on Xiaomi smartphones often annoys users with its awkward location or random taps during a conversation. Unlike other manufacturers, where the feature can be turned off in two clicks, in the MIUI shell, the path to a solution is not always obvious. The problem is compounded by the fact that in new versions of the firmware (for example, MIUI 14/15), developers move or hide these settings, forcing users to look for workarounds.

In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to remove the retention button - from standard settings to use. ADB-We will pay special attention to the nuances for different models (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Xiaomi 13T) version MIUI. If you’re tired of random taps or just want to clear the screen while calling, read on.

Why the retention button interferes and whether it can be completely removed

The Hold button is originally designed to temporarily suspend a conversation, but in practice it creates more problems than benefits.

• 📱 Accidental taps - when holding the phone with your ear or finger, a call is put on pause, which knocks the interlocutor down.
• 🎯 Inconvenient location – on screens with small diagonals (for example, Redmi) 10A) The button is too close to the volume keys.
• 🔄 Conflict with gestures - in MIUI 14+ The button can block swipes to switch between calls.
• 🚫 Lack of flexibility – unlike Samsung or Google Pixel, where the feature can be turned off in settings, Xiaomi often hides this option.

It is important to understand that the complete removal of the button at the system level is possible only with superuser rights (root) or through ADB. Standard methods only allow you to hide it visually or reassign the action.

Before you start settings, check the firmware version in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. The availability of some methods depends on this.

Method 1: Disable via standard MIUI settings (not working on all versions)

The easiest method is to use the built-in system options. Unfortunately, it only works on MIUI 12-13 and some firmware for the global version. If you have MIUI 14/15 or a Chinese build, move on to the next section.

Instructions:

1. Open the phone application (pipe icon).
2. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner → select Settings.
3. Go to the Call Settings section → Additional settings.
4. Find the option of Hold Button or Hold Button and turn off the slider.
5. Reboot your phone to make the changes take effect.

If this item is not on your menu, the manufacturer has removed it in your firmware version, in which case one of the alternative methods below will help.

Check out the MIUI version in About Phone

Backup your contacts (Settings → Google → Backup)

Close all background applications (especially messengers)

Connect your phone to charge (for long-term operations)

-->

⚠️ Note: On some models (POCO F4, Xiaomi 12 Pro) after disabling the hold button, the switching function between calls may disappear. In this case, use the swipe gesture left / right on the screen during the conversation.

Method 2: Using the Developer Mode and ADB-team

If the standard settings don’t help, the next step is to activate the developer mode and apply it. ADB-This method works on most Xiaomi devices, but requires a connection to a computer.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Click 7 times in a row on the MIUI Version bar until the notification “You’ve become a developer” appears.
2. Allow USB debugging: Return to Settings → Additional settings → Developer. Activate USB debugging and confirm permission.

Connect your phone to your PC

ADB-tools

Mi PC Suite

Open the command line.

adb shell settings put global hide_hold_button 1

Reset the device.

After the command is executed, the retention button should disappear from the call screen. If this does not happen, try the alternative command:

adb shell am start -n com.android.phone/.settings.CallSettings

This command will open a hidden call settings menu where an additional option to turn off the button may appear.

Method 3: Modification of system files (root required)

For users with unlocked bootloaders and root rights, a radical method is available - editing system files, which is guaranteed to remove the retention button, but requires caution.

You'll need:

• 📱 Device with Magisk or other root solution.
• 💻 PC fitted ADB and text editor (e.g. Notepad)++).
• 🔧 Backup of the system (required!)

Instructions:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and open it. ADB-terminal.
2. Copy the system file with the call interface settings: adb pull /system/priv-app/TeleService/TeleService.apk
3. Open the TeleService.apk file in the archiver (e.g. 7-Zip) and go to the res/layout folder.
4. Find the file. incall_screen.xml (or similar in name) and open it in the text editor.
5. Delete or comment (<!--... -->) block with the hold button (look for lines with the hold_button or id/hold).
6. Save the changes, reassemble the APK and return it back: adb push TeleService.apk /system/priv-app/TeleService/adb shell chmod 644 /system/priv-app/TeleService/TeleService.apk
7. Reset the device.

⚠️ Warning: Incorrect editing of system files can lead to loss of functionality of the phone or freeze the call interface.If after the changes, the calls stopped working, restore the original file from the backup or reflash the device.

adb backup -f system_backup.ab -system

This will help to quickly restore the work in case of an error.-->

Method 4: Using Third-Party Applications

If you don't want to mess with ADB or root, you can use third-party apps to customize the call interface.

When using True Phone Dialer or ExDialer, the retention button will disappear automatically, as these applications use their own call interface. However, note that some MIUI features (such as recording conversations or integrating with Mi Account) may not work properly.

Tasker will need to create a profile that will hide the button when an active call is detected.

Profile: Hide Hold


Event: Call state [Type: Outbound/Incoming]




Task:




1. AutoInput → UI Query [Text: Hold]




2. If %ai1 ~ Hold → AutoInput → Press [Text: Hold, Long Press: Yes]




3.Wait: 1 second




4. AutoInput → Press [Coordinates: 500.1000] (Coordinates of the Hide button)

Method 5: Resetting phone settings (extreme case)

If none of the methods worked and the retention button is critically intrusive, you can try resetting your phone to factory settings, which helps in 10-15% of cases when the problem is caused by a system failure.

How to perform the reset:

1. Create a backup of data (contacts, SMS, photos) through Settings → About Phone → Backup.
2. Go to Settings → Additional settings → Restore and reset.
3. Select Resetting → Erase all data.
4. Confirm the action and wait for the reboot.

After reset, check if the hold button has disappeared. If not, the problem lies at the firmware level, and you will have to use ADB or root methods.

⚠️ Warning: Settings reset deletes all data, including installed apps, accounts and files in internal memory.Do not rely on this method unless you have made a full backup.

💡

Resetting only helps if the problem is caused by a software failure, not firmware features. For MIUI system constraints, use ADB or root.

Alternative solutions: how to minimize inconvenience

If you can’t remove the retention button, you can reduce its impact on the user experience:

• 🔕 Use a headset – when connected headphones or Bluetooth headset, the retention button is often hidden automatically.
• 📱 Turn the screen on some models (Xiaomi) 11T, Redmi K50) In horizontal mode, the button moves to a less noticeable place.
• 🎨 Reduce screen sensitivity in Settings → Display. → Touch sensitivity (helps avoid accidental pressing).
• 🔄 Reassign the action – in some firmware, the retention button can be replaced with a silent mode or a recording of a conversation (look at Phone Settings). → Call settings).

It’s also worth checking if the button conflicts with the apps installed, for example, some versions of WhatsApp or Viber can overlay their own controls over the system call interface, in which case:

1. Clean the cache of the Phone application (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Phone → Clear the cache).
2. Disabling overlays for messengers in Special Opportunities → Overlays.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the retention button on Xiaomi