Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco smartphones often face the need to automatically respond to incoming calls, especially when they are in a meeting, driving or in a noisy place. MIUI or the newer HyperOS provides built-in tools for this task, but their location in the menu may not be obvious to the beginner. SMS, but also receive them with the playback of a pre-recorded voice message.
Before you start setting up, it’s important to understand the difference between auto-response with a message and automatic call-taking. The former is most often used to notify the caller of your employment, while the latter turns the phone into a kind of secretary. In this article, we’ll go into detail on both scenarios, focusing on recording personalized voice greetings that sound professional and informative.
It’s worth noting that the interface may vary slightly depending on the version of the Android operating system and regional firmware. However, the logic of the Phone system application remains the same for the entire Xiaomi ecosystem.
Activation of autoresponse function in system application
To get started, you need to open a standard call app, which usually has a green phone icon with a handset and a phone signature. This is where, rather than the general settings of the system, the basic controls of incoming communication are hidden. Click on the three dots in the top right corner of the screen to reveal the context menu, and select Settings.
In the options list that opens, look for the Autoresponder or SMS Autorespond. In some firmware versions, this item may be called Quick Answers. Here the user can turn on the function itself and select scenarios for it, for example, you can set up automatic sending of a message when you first call from a contact or when you call again for a short period of time.
It is important to distinguish between the concepts: voice-mail answering machine often requires support from the carrier (Voice-mail service), while sending SMS-Missed texting is a local feature of the smartphone. To record your own voice in the system responses, you usually use the text template settings section, where you can dictate voice notes instead of text, if this is supported by the version. MIUI, Or set up a redirect to external services.
⚠️ Attention: Automatic call reception without user intervention (when the phone picks up the phone itself) can lead to unintended costs if you are roaming or have incoming charges».
Recording and editing text responses
While voice greetings are often operator-dependent, text autoresponse is completely under your control. From the call settings menu, select Quick Answers or SMS Answers. There are already a few default phrases here, such as "I'll call you back later" or "I'm in a meeting."
To create a unique response, click on editing an existing template or add a new one. In the window that opens, you can enter any text up to 160 characters long. This is the perfect way to tell the caller ID about the reason for your silence. Once saved, the changes take effect immediately.
For maximum convenience, it is recommended to create several variations of responses for different situations. Short and concise phrases are best perceived. You should not write long canvases of text, as they can be cropped on the lock screen or in the notification.
☑️ Checklist of the perfect auto-response
Use of operator voice mail
If your goal is a voice greeting that a caller hears when you don't pick up the phone, 90% of the time it's a SIM card feature, not a phone. On Xiaomi smartphones, the setup is via the call menu. Go to Settings → Voicemail Accounts.
Here you will see the number that is forwarded to when you are busy or not responding. To record a greeting, you usually need to press and hold the "1" key on the on-screen keyboard or call the specified voicemail number. The operator (MTS, Beeline, MegaFon, Tele2) will walk you through the recording menu.
It is also possible to activate this service through USSD-When activated, callers will hear your recorded message instead of the beeps, which is the most reliable way to work even when the phone is turned off or the network is not available (if the call is redirected).
| Operator. | Activation command | Audition number | Cost of service |
|---|---|---|---|
| MTS | *111*157# | 111 | Paid/Tariff |
| Beeline | *110*46# | 46 | Paid/Tariff |
| Megaphone | *105*00# | 0550 | Paid/Tariff |
| Tele2 | *155*00# | 655 | Paid/Tariff |
What to do if voicemail is not working?
Automatic Call Receiving (Auto-Raising)
There is a feature in the MIUI shell that allows the phone to automatically answer a call after a certain number of beeps. This is useful for people with limited motor skills or in specific use cases (for example, the phone is used as a home alarm), and you can find this option by going to: "Phone" → "Settings" → "Auto-lift".
You can choose the delay before answering: 3 seconds, 5 seconds, 10 seconds, or "Switched off." When you turn on this feature, a countdown will appear on the screen, and if you do not interrupt the process, the call will be received with the speakerphone on.
This is different from an answering machine, which says that the connection is fully established, so you can hear the caller and he can hear you and the sounds around you, so using this option in your pocket or bag can lead to awkward situations.
⚠️ Warning: Enabling auto-lift in In Your Pocket mode (if the proximity sensor is closed) can cause the phone to answer the call while lying in your bag and broadcast your conversations to others.
Third-party applications for smart answers
If Xiaomi’s standard functionality isn’t enough, Google Play offers a variety of alternatives, with apps like Auto Answer & Call or Truecaller providing enhanced features such as schedule responses, different messages for different contacts, and more flexible voice greeting management.
Installing third-party software requires permissions to access contacts, microphones and call management, a necessary trade-off for advanced functionality. Read reviews carefully before installing to avoid advertising and malicious code.
Some applications allow you to create complex scenarios, such as “If the boss calls, send an SMS and don’t call”, and “If your mom calls, receive it in 2 beeps”, such scenarios in a standard Xiaomi call are impossible to implement.
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Use Do Not Disturb mode in conjunction with your answering machine. Set your phone so that calls from your favorite contacts go through silence and everyone else is automatically sent to them. SMS-Notification that you are busy.
Problem Solving and Frequent Errors
Users often face a situation where the configured settings do not work. (the most common reason) lies in the aggressive battery optimization characteristic of MIUI. The system can “kill” the background processes of the Phone application, which causes the auto-response to fail in time.
To fix this, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Phone → Battery Savings and select No Limits mode. Also check permissions: the app should have access to contacts and phone.
Another problem is the conflict with SIM-If you have two SIMs, make sure the answering machine is configured for the correct card. In two-symbol Xiaomi, the settings can only apply to the main SIM card for default calls.
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The main reason for the broken answering machine on Xiaomi is the power saving mode. Be sure to add the Phone app to the exceptions and the whitelist of the system.