Owning a modern smartphone involves constant communication with the outside world, and a missed message can cost you an important deal or meeting. Users of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices often face aggressive optimization of the MIUI system or the new HyperOS, which by default blocks the background operation of applications to save charge.
In this article, we will take a closer look at not only the basic settings, but also the hidden settings that ensure you don’t miss any important messages.We will look at the standard Messages app, as well as popular messengers, which are often confused with classic SMS. It is critical to understand the difference between system limitations and failures of a particular carrier.
The Chinese manufacturer’s Android alert settings are specific, and you’ll need to check several levels of settings consistently, from global settings to individual permissions for each application, and only a comprehensive approach will ensure instant delivery and audio of incoming messages at any time.
Basic setting of notifications in the Messages app
The first step should always be to check the internal settings of the app itself through which you receive messages. Xiaomi smartphones use the Messages app (often from Google or MIUI's own development) by default. Open the app and find the profile icon or three dots in the corner of the screen to go to the menu.
You need to find the Settings section and select Notifications, make sure the Show Notifications switch is active, if it's turned off, the phone won't physically respond to new data, even if the network is working properly, and also check if the Do Not Disturb mode is worth it, which can hide content.
⚠️ Warning: If you check the “Hide Content” box on this menu, you will only see the name of the app, not the text of the message, until you unlock the screen.
Next, you have to configure notification categories, you can divide incoming notifications into regular, transactional and service numbers, you can set your own audio signal and vibration method for each category, and this is especially convenient to distinguish private messages from advertising mailings without having to read the screen.
System Permits and Battery Management MIUI
The most common cause of alert problems on Xiaomi is not the app itself, but the system’s energy saving. MIUI’s aggressive algorithm Optimizations can kill the SMS manager’s process when the screen goes out. To avoid this, you need to find the Messages app in the installed program list through your phone’s settings.
Go to Battery and Performance (or simply Battery) and find your app there. Set Unlimited mode. This action will allow the app to run in the background continuously without interrupting the system sleep. Without this step, notifications can come with a long delay.
☑️ Checking system settings
You also need to check the AutoStart section. Find Messages in the list and turn on the switchboard. This ensures that the app will start immediately after you turn on the phone or restart, and you will get all the messages accumulated during the downtime. HyperOS may require additional confirmations when you turn on these features.
Customization of sounds, vibrations and LED-indicator
Once the software is set up, you should pay attention to multimedia, the sound of the notification is the main way to attract the user's attention. In the phone's sound settings, make sure that the volume slider "Notifications" (not to be confused with media or a call) is twisted to a sufficient level.
For those who prefer tactile sensations, fine vibration settings are available. From the Sound and Vibration menu, you can select Vibration at Notification. Some Xiaomi models support creating your own vibration rhythms, allowing you to feel the type of event without taking your phone out of your pocket.
| Parameter | Where to find out. | Recommended value |
|---|---|---|
| The sound of a text. | Settings → Sound and vibration | Loud Distinctive (different from the call) |
| Vibration. | Settings → Sound and vibration | Included (long or rhythmic) |
| Light indicator | Settings → Advanced → Light indicator | Included (if available in the model) |
| Lock screen | Settings → Notifications and Status Line | Showing content |
Special attention should be paid to the light indicator (if it is present in your model, as in new flagships it is often replaced by Always-On Display).
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Use different tunes for different contacts in the Contacts app to learn the importance of a message from the sound without looking at the screen.
Work with SIM-maps and operators
Owners of two-symbol smartphones Redmi and Poco often face confusion: which SIM card came from the message or to which to send a response. SIM-Default card for outgoing, but incoming is processed automatically.
It's important to check your network settings. Go to Settings. → SIM-Maps and mobile networks. Make sure both cards have SMS reception enabled. Sometimes, after a firmware update, settings may reset and one card may not receive service messages, such as confirmation codes.
If messages don’t come only from certain numbers (like a bank), they may be in a spam filter. Antivirus built into MIUI can block short numbers. Check the Spam and Lock folder in the messaging app. SMS Center must also be properly spelled out, although it is usually set up automatically by the operator.
⚠️ Note: If you have changed carriers but left the old one SIM-map, message center settings may not be relevant. Try manually re-register the SMS center number or reset the network settings.
Addressing delays and lack of SMS
When SMS arrives a few hours late or not at all, it is often associated with a conflict of applications. If you have several programs installed to work with messages (for example, standard and third-party from Google or Textra), the system can “lose” which program to delegate the processing of the incoming signal.
Try clearing the Messages cache. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Messages → Memory → Clear the cache. This action is safe and will not delete your text messages, but will eliminate temporary files that may have caused the service to malfunction.
What if SMS does not come after resetting?
In rare cases, the problem lies in a crowded phone memory: if the space is less than 100 MB, the system can block the recording of new messages. Regularly clean the storage, removing old chains of correspondence with attachments, photos and videos that occupy a significant amount of volume.
Set up notifications for messengers (Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram)
Although the topic of this article is about classic SMS, many users call “sms” messages from Internet messengers, the setting for them is similar, but has its own nuances in the section “Application Notifications”. For each messenger, you need to individually allow the display on the lock screen.
Pay special attention to prioritizing notifications. Android 12, 13, 14 and above has the ability to classify notifications. Make sure that important chats on WhatsApp or Telegram are given high priority, which will prevent them from being hidden by the system in a general pile of less important notifications.
For instant messengers, permission to work in the background is critical. Without the inclusion of the “No Limits” item on battery consumption, Viber or WhatsApp may not connect to the server until you open the application. This is a common problem on Xiaomi shells.
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For stable operation of messengers on Xiaomi, be sure to turn on auto-start and remove the restriction of background activity in the battery settings.
Additional features and smart notifications
Modern MIUI shells offer smart notifications. The phone can analyze text messages and suggest quick actions. For example, when you receive a text message with a confirmation code, the system will substitute it in the input field. This feature should be included in the keyboard and system settings.
There's also an Advanced Notifications feature that groups messages from a single sender, which helps keep the lock screen clean, but if you need to see each message separately, it's best to turn it off in the status bar settings.
Don't forget to use the Notification Voice feature, which, if you're connected to a Bluetooth headset or headphones, your phone can read incoming messages with a voice, which is configured via Google Assistant or in the Special Features section, and requires a stable Internet connection to process voice.