How to turn off the answering machine on Xiaomi: all the ways for different versions of MIUI

The answering machine on Xiaomi smartphones is a useful feature for those who do not want to miss important calls, but it often works at the wrong time, for example, when you are in a meeting, in a movie theater or just can not pick up the phone, as a result, the subscriber receives a standard message “Subscriber is temporarily unavailable”, and you receive a notification by mail or SMS about a missed call with a voice recording. If this feature interferes, it is easy to turn off.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can deactivate your answering machine on Xiaomi, Redmi, and POCO devices, from standard MIUI settings to hidden options for advanced users, cover all firmware versions (from MIUI 12 to MIUI 14) and tell you how to proceed if your phone has Google’s Phone app installed instead of the standard one, and why the answering machine can turn on on on itself and how to prevent it.

What is a Xiaomi answering machine and why turn it off

The answering machine in Xiaomi is a built-in service that automatically answers incoming calls if you can't take them personally.The feature works in two scenarios:

• 📞 Voice greeting – the subscriber hears a message you recorded (for example, “I’ll call you back later»).
• 🎤 Voice recording – the caller can leave a voice message that will be saved in the phone’s memory or sent to your email.

At first glance, the function seems convenient, but in practice it creates several problems:

• ⚡ Battery discharge – the answering machine service runs in the background and consumes additional energy.
• 📱 Extra notifications – after each missed call with a voice message comes SMS push-notification.
• 🔒 Privacy – if you don’t set up a personalized greeting, the subscriber will hear a standard phrase from the operator, which can be misleading (for example, “Subscriber is out of network coverage area»).
• 💰 Additional costs – some operators (for example, MTS or Beeline) charge for storing voice messages.

In addition, the autoresponder can turn on automatically after updating the firmware or resetting settings, due to Xiaomi’s policy of automating the user experience as much as possible, but not everyone likes it when the phone makes decisions for them.

How to disable the answering machine in the standard Phone application (MIUI 12-14)

If your Xiaomi has a standard Phone app installed (green handset icon), follow this instruction.The method is suitable for most models: Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4/X5, Mi 11/12/13 and other devices on MIUI 12, 13 or 14.

Step-by-step:

1. Open the Phone app (the handset icon on the home screen or in the app menu).
2. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select "Settings».
3. Scroll down to the Auto-Inspector section (or Voicemail in some firmware versions).
4. Translate the "Autoresponder" slider to the "Off" position.
5. Confirm the action if a pop-up window appears.

If you don't have auto-responder on your menu, it might be hidden.

• 🔍 Check the “More” or “More” section in your phone settings.
• 📱 Try to enter in the search by settings (Settings) → Searching) “responder».
• 🔄 Restart your phone – sometimes menu items appear after a reboot.

On some models (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T or Redmi K50) The answering machine can be tied to SIM-In this case, its settings are duplicated in the operator menu. To fully deactivate the function, go to your mobile operator's application (for example, "My MTS" or "Beeline") and turn off voicemail there.

Disabling the answering machine in Google Phone (if installed instead of the standard)

Some Xiaomi users are replacing the standard Phone app with Google Phone (for example, after resetting or manually installing), in which case the algorithm for disabling the answering machine will be different.

Instructions for Google Phone:

1. Open the Phone app (the icon with the Google logo).
2. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select "Settings».
3. Go to the Voicemail section (Voicemail).
4. Select your operator from the list (for example, MTS, Beeline, MegaFon).
5. Click "Disable" or uncheck the box from the item "Automatic response".

If yours is not on the list of operators, try:

• 📞 Dial ##4636## and check the status of voicemail in the Phone Information menu.
• 🔧 Install the standard application “Phone” from Xiaomi through MIUI App Store.

⚠️ Attention! Google Phone doesn't have a separate autoresponder switch, it's managed through the operator's voicemail settings. If you turn it off here, but it stays active in the mobile provider's personal account, calls will still be forwarded to autorespond.

How to disable the answering machine through USSD-Teams (for all operators)

If you can’t find the answering machine settings in the phone’s menu, it can be deactivated using the USSD-This method works independently of the Xiaomi model and version. MIUI, As the commands are sent directly to the operator.

USSD-codes for popular Russian operators:

How to use the codes:

1. Open the phone app.
2. Enter. USSD-code for your operator (e.g. ##004# for MTS).
3. Press the call button (green tube).
4. Wait for SMS or notifications of successful shutdown.

If nothing happens after entering the code:

• 🔄 Try restarting your phone and trying again.
• 📶 Make sure you have network coverage (antenna icon in status bar).
• 💳 Check if it's blocked. SIM-card (for example, due to non-payment).

💡

If USSD-If the code didn't work, try to turn off the answering machine through the operator's personal account on the official website. For example, for MTS, you can do this in the "Services" section" → "Voice mail".

Important: some tariffs, operators force the answering machine to activate when connected, in which case, turning it off via the USSD can only work temporarily until the next tariff update.

Why the answering machine turns on on itself and how to prevent it

Many Xiaomi users are faced with the fact that the answering machine is activated without their participation, this happens for several reasons:

1.Update MIUI

After installing the new firmware version (MIUI 13 → MIUI 14), some settings are reset to factory ones. The answering machine can turn on automatically if it is activated in the standard configuration.

2. Resetting network settings

If you reset your network settings (Settings) → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Resetting network settings, this could return voicemail settings to default values.

3.Actions of the operator

Some operators (for example, MegaFon or Tele2) force to connect the answering machine when:

• 🔄 Change of tariff plan.
• 📱 Activation of new SIM-map.
• 🎁 Connecting promotions (e.g., “Free voicemail for 3 months»).

4. Annex conflict

If a phone has third-party calling apps installed (e.g. Truecaller, WhatsApp Business), they can change the settings of a standard call, including the answering machine.

How to prevent spontaneous inclusion:

⚠️ If the answering machine is activated after each update MIUI, This may be due to Xiaomi's policy for your region, in which case only manual shutdown through the USSD personal account of the operator.

Disable the answering machine on Xiaomi through the engineering menu (for advanced)

If standard methods don't work, you can try deactivating the answering machine through an engineering menu, which is suitable for advanced users, as it requires caution.

Instructions:

1. Open the phone app.
2. Enter the code ##4636##.
3. In the menu that opens, select “Phone Information”.
4. Scroll down to the "Turn off Voicemail" section (or similar).
5. Click on “Disable” or “Turn Off”.
6. Reboot the phone.

If there is no direct option in the engineering menu to disable the answering machine, try:

• 🔧 Find the Call Settings section and manually disable Voicemail».
• 📱 Install the application MTK Engineering Mode (for phones running MediaTek processors) and try again.

⚠️ Attention! Changing the settings in the engineering menu can cause the phone to work in an unstable way. Do not change the settings if you are not sure about their purpose. For example, turning off the wrong item can disrupt the mobile network.

💡

The engineering menu is a powerful tool, but you only need to use it if other methods have not worked. Always back up your data before changing hidden settings.

What to do if the answering machine does not turn off

If you’ve tried all of these methods, but the answering machine is still active, the problem may be one of the following:

Operator restrictions

Some operators (e.g., corporate tariffs MegaFon or Beeline) block the voicemail shutdown.

• 📞 Call in support of the operator and ask to turn off the answering machine manually.
• 📧 Write a statement through your personal account on the provider’s website.

2. Conflict with dual-SIM

If you have a phone with two SIM-Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+, POCO F4), The answering machine can only be active on one of these. SIM separately:

1. Open the phone → “Settings” → “Self-responder”.
2. Choose. SIM-map in the top menu (if there is a switch).
3. Turn off the function for each card individually.

3. Viral SOFTWARE

Rarely, malware changes your phone's settings. If the answering machine turns on on its own, check your device for viruses using Google Play Protect or Dr.Web.

4. Hardware failure

If none of these things work, the communication module may malfunction, and then the only thing that will help is:

• 🔧 Reset to factory settings (Settings) → The phone. → Resetting settings).
• 🛠️ Contact the Xiaomi Service Center.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the answering machine on Xiaomi