How to Enable WhatsApp Notifications on Xiaomi Redmi 9: Full Instruction 2026

WhatsApp notification problems on Xiaomi Redmi 9 smartphones are one of the most common user complaints, and the reasons may lie in the settings of the messenger itself, as well as in the features of the MIUI shell, which aggressively optimizes the background of applications. In this article, we will discuss all possible ways to enable notifications, from basic to hidden settings, and also explain why messages may not come even after you have set up correctly.

Many users mistakenly think that it is enough to turn on alerts in Watsap itself. However, on Redmi 9 (as on other Xiaomi devices), there are three levels of notification management: in the application, in the Android system and in the energy-saving MIUI settings. Missing at least one of them is guaranteed to lead to the fact that you will miss important messages.

If you've tried to turn on notifications in the standard way, but it didn't work out, don't rush to reinstall the messenger. 90% of the time, the problem is solved without resetting, you just need to know where to look. Let's start with the obvious and gradually get to the "secret" features of MIUI, which few people know about.

1. Check notification settings in WhatsApp itself

The first thing to do is make sure that alerts are turned on directly in the messenger, and even if you have previously set them up, app updates or a malfunction can reset settings.

Open WhatsApp and go to the ⋮ (three-point) → Settings → Check the following points here:

• 🔔 Notifications – Any tune must be selected except “No sound».
• 📱 Vibration – turn on if you want tactile recoil.
• 💡 LED light is useful for the Redmi 9, as the model has a LED-lamp.
• 📌 Show notifications - there should be a checkbox.

Note the Notification Tones for Groups section – if you don’t get alerts from group chat only, the problem may be right here, and check if a specific contact has been added to the exceptions (Do Not Disturb in the chat settings section).

💡

If WhatsApp has Do Not Disturb mode (the crescent icon at the top of the chat screen), notifications are blocked completely. Click on it to turn it off.

2. Set up Android system notifications for WhatsApp

Android allows you to flexibly manage notifications for each application separately. On Redmi 9, the path to these settings may differ from “pure” Android due to the MIUI shell.

Open Settings → Applications → App Management. Find WhatsApp in the list and tap it. Next, go to Notifications.

• 📲 Allow notifications (master switch at the top).
• 🔔 Sound – if it is turned off, messages will come without melody.
• 📱 Icons on the lock screen – useful for quick viewing.
• 🔍 Show notifications on the lock screen – sometimes hidden in additional settings.

If any of the items are missing, update WhatsApp to the latest version via Google Play. Older versions of the messenger may not support all notification features on newer versions of MIUI.

3. Disable power saving for WhatsApp in MIUI

MIUI shell is known for its aggressive battery optimization, which often blocks the background of apps including WhatsApp. On Redmi 9, this is especially true because of the budget hardware. To make notifications arrive on time, you need to turn off all restrictions for the messenger.

Do the following:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Application Power Management.
2. Find WhatsApp in the list and select No Limits.
3. Go back and open Settings → Apps → App Management → WhatsApp → Battery.
4. Put the flags in: ⚡ Auto-start (allows work in the background). 🔄 Secondary Launch (for notifications of incoming calls). 📱 Blocking in the background - must be turned off.

After these manipulations, restart your smartphone. On the Redmi 9 with MIUI 12+, you may need to additionally disable the Adaptive Battery function in Settings → Battery → Battery Settings – it often blocks background processes.

Autorun enabled |Secondary run allowed |Blocking in background disabled |No restriction mode in power management |Adaptive battery disabled (for MIUI 12+)

-->

4. MIUI specific settings for notifications

Xiaomi adds unique features to MIUI that can interfere with notifications. On Redmi 9, it is especially important to check the following settings:

1. Do not disturb mode:

• Go to Settings → Sound and vibration → Do not disturb.
• Make sure the mode is turned off or set to skip notifications from WhatsApp (Exclusions → Messages).

System optimization:

• Open Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and tap the MIUI logo 7 times to activate Advanced Settings.
• Return to Settings → More → Optimize and disable Memory Optimization for WhatsApp.

Permits for floating windows:

• In Settings → Applications → Application Management → WhatsApp → Additional → Floating windows, turn on permission. This is necessary to display pop-up notifications about calls.

These settings are often ignored, but they are critical for the stable operation of notifications. For example, without permission to float windows, you will not see an incoming call from WhatsApp, even if all other alerts are working.

5. Checking synchronization and Internet connection

If notifications don’t come even after all the settings, the problem could be account sync or network connectivity. On Redmi 9, this is relevant because of the peculiarities of working with Google Play Services.

Follow the following steps:

• 🔄 Go to Settings. → Accounts and synchronization → Google and make sure that sync is enabled.
• 📶 Check if the mode Saving traffic is activated in Settings → SIM-Maps and mobile networks – it can block background data exchange.
• 🌐 If you use Wi-Fi, turn off Connect automatically in your router settings (sometimes). MIUI Loses connection when switching between networks).

It’s also worth checking if the firewall (if installed) blocks WhatsApp’s internet access, and temporarily disable all third-party antivirus or firewalls.

💡

On the Redmi 9 with two SIM-Notifications may not be received if the main SIM Not the one WhatsApp logged in. SIM Used by mobile data default.

6.Reset notification settings and reinstall WhatsApp

If none of these things work, there are radical measures, and let's start with the safest one, resetting notification settings.

Resetting notifications:

• Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → WhatsApp → Storage.
• Click Clear cache and erase notification data (if there is such a point).
• Reboot the phone.

Reinstall WhatsApp:

• Remove the application through Settings → Apps.
• Download the latest version from Google Play (don’t use APKs from third-party sites!).
• Once installed, don’t restore the chat backup right away – first check if notifications are coming on an empty account.

If the problem disappeared after reinstallation, but returned after recovery of the backup, then the error lies in the damaged chat data, in which case only a clean installation without recovery will help.

💡

Before reinstalling, export important chats: open a dialogue → ⋮ → Chat export. This will save the story as a text file.

7. Diagnostics of hardware problems

If the notifications never work, hardware malfunctions are possible. On Redmi 9, it can be:

• 🔊 Faulty speaker (check the sound in other apps).
• 🔋 Weak battery (at a discharge below 15% MIUI aggressively kills background processes).
• 📡 Antenna problems (unless notifications are only coming to the mobile network).

To check the speaker, use the test:

1. In the phone app, type ##4636##.
2. Select Phone Information → Sound check.
3. If there is no sound, the speaker needs to be replaced.

If the problem is manifested only on WhatsApp, and in other messengers (Telegram, Viber) notifications work, then it is not the hardware, but the settings or conflict with MIUI.

Table: Frequent causes and solutions

⚠️ Attention: Redmi 9 with firmware MIUI Global Stable version below 12.5 may not have "Second Start" in the battery settings. → The phone. → Updating the system.

⚠️ Note: If you use WhatsApp Business, some notification settings may be different, such as the business version, which has default notifications for messages from unsaved contacts.

FAQ: Frequent questions