How to change the melody of WhatsApp on Xiaomi smartphones: all ways

Why is it so hard to change WhatsApp’s sound on Xiaomi?

Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones often face a problem: standard WhatsApp settings do not allow you to choose a custom tune for notifications. It is all about the features of the MIUI shell, which restricts access to system sounds for third-party applications. Unlike “naked” Android, here, even after selecting a file in the messenger menu, the sound may not apply due to a conflict with system permissions.

Another common problem is that once you update MIUI or WhatsApp, the previously installed tunes are reset to standard ones, which is because the app loses access to the /Notifications folder, where user sounds are stored, and you can solve the problem in several ways, but each requires attention to detail, from choosing the right audio file format to manually setting permissions.

In this article, we will discuss all the working methods for changing the tune of notifications, calls and statuses in WhatsApp on Xiaomi devices, including bypassing restrictions. MIUI 12/13/14. We will pay special attention to the nuances for models with Android 10+, Where security policies have tightened.

Preparation: what files are suitable for WhatsApp

Before you change the melody, you need to prepare the audio file itself. WhatsApp on Xiaomi does not support all formats and duration of sounds.

• 🎵 File format: only.mp3,.m4a.ogg..wav or.aac files will not appear in the selection list.
• ⏱️ Duration: optimal 5-30 seconds. Too long tracks will be cut automatically.
• 📁 File size: no more than 5MB. Heavy sounds may not load.
• 🔊 Volume: file should be normalized (without quiet areas). Use audio editors like Audacity or online services.

Where do you get the right sounds?

• 🎼 Xiaomi standard tunes: copy them from the folder /system/media/audio/notifications (You need a root or file manager with access to system files).
• 🌐 Sites with free notifications: Zedge, Notification Sounds, or Freesound (look for license files) CC0).
• 🎧 Create yourself: Cut your favorite track in Audacity or record a voice notification.

⚠️ Warning: If you download audio from the Internet, check it for viruses through VirusTotal. Some sites embed malicious code into audio files that can work when playing back.

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Use the Audio Trimmer service to quickly crop the track to the desired length directly in the browser without installing programs.

Method 1: Change via WhatsApp Settings (Basic Method)

This method works on most Xiaomi devices, but may not work on MIUI 14+ due to new restrictions.

1. Open WhatsApp and go to the ⋮ (three-point) → Settings → Notifications.
2. Select the notification type: 💬 Messages (for regular chats) 📞 Calls (for voice and video calls) 📢 Groups (Separate sound for group chat)

The sound of the notification

Add a sound

Select a file

Downloads.

Music

If your file does not appear in the list, check:

• 🔍 File format (should be.mp3 or.m4a).
• 📂 The folder where the file is located should not be hidden or system.
• 🔄 Restart your phone after adding sound.

File in.mp3 or.m4a| format

The file weighs less than 5MB|

The file is in the accessible folder (not in the system) |

WhatsApp has access to storage-->

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro) POCO X3 Pro) after selecting the user's sound, it can reset to the standard in a few hours. MIUI, So the solution is to use Method 3 to create a system folder.

Method 2: Using a root-access file manager

If the basic method didn't work, and you have root rights, you can manually add a tune to the notification system folder, and this is guaranteed to make WhatsApp see your sound.

1. Install a file manager with root access (such as Root Explorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to /system/media/audio/notifications.
3. Copy your audio file into this folder. Give it a simple name without spaces (e.g., a blank name, whatsapp_custom.mp3).
4. Change the file permissions to 644 (so that the system can read it).
5. Reboot the phone.
6. On WhatsApp, select your sound from the system notification list.

Advantages of this method:

• 🔒 The sound will not reset after the updates.
• 🎧 It will be available for all apps, not just WhatsApp.
• ⚡ It even works on MIUI 14 and HyperOS.

⚠️ Note: Changing system files without root rights can lead to bootloop.If you are not sure about your actions, use Method 3 or Method 4.

Method 3: Create Notifications folder manually (without root)

If root is not available and the standard method doesn’t work, you can trick the system into creating a Notifications folder in the right place, which works on 90% of Xiaomi devices with MIUI 12-14:

1. Connect your phone to your PC or use a file manager (such as Mi File Manager).
2. Create a folder with the exact name Notifications (registration is important!) in one of the ways: /storage/emulated/0/ (internal memory) /sdcard/ (if any)

Put your audio file in this folder.

Reboot the phone.

WhatsApp

The sound of the notification → Add a sound

Notifications

Why does it work? MIUI scans specific folders for user notifications. By creating Notifications at the root of the storage, you mimic the system directory, and WhatsApp accesses the files.

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Notifications should be at the root of the internal memory, not inside other directories (for example, Download/Notifications will not work).

If the sound is not displayed anyway:

• 🔄 Rename the file to Latin (without Cyrillic and characters).
• 📌 Move the file to the Ringtones folder (sometimes) MIUI sounds).
• 🔧 Clear WhatsApp cache in app settings.

Method 4: Applications for customizing notifications

If previous methods have not worked, you can use third-party apps that bypass the limitations of MIUI.

Instructions for Zedge (the most reliable option):

1. Install Zedge from Google Play.
2. In the Notification Sounds section, select the sound you like.
3. Click Set and select WhatsApp Notifications.
4. Confirm the installation in the window that opens.

For Notification Changer:

1. Give the application access to notifications in the MIUI settings (Settings → Applications → Special Access → Access to Notifications).
2. Select WhatsApp from the list of apps.
3. Download or select your sound.
4. Activate notification interception.

⚠️ Note: Apps like Notification Changer can increase battery consumption because they are constantly in the background. – Xiaomi with aggressive optimization (Redmi Note 11, POCO X4 Pro) add them to auto-start exceptions (Settings) → Battery → Optimizing the battery).

Method 5: ADB-Teams for Advanced Users

If you're familiar with ADB, you can manually give WhatsApp access to custom sounds, which works on all versions of MIUI, but requires a PC and USB debugging.

Instructions:

1. Turn on Developer Mode on Xiaomi: go to Settings → About Phone and 7 times click on the MIUI version.

Additional commands for diagnosis:

• Checking current permits: adb shell dumpsys package com.whatsapp | grep "permission"
• WhatsApp cache reset: adb shell pm clear com.whatsapp

Problem Solving: The sound is not changing or resetting

If, after all the manipulations, the WhatsApp melody hasn’t changed or reset, check out these points:

For Xiaomi models with Android 12+ (e.g. Xiaomi 13T, Redmi K60) an additional step may be required:

1. Select Permissions → Storage and give access to all files (not just media).

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On MIUI 14 and HyperOS, be sure to turn off the Adaptive Notifications feature in WhatsApp settings after changing the sound, otherwise the system may return the standard sound.

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing WhatsApp tune on Xiaomi