If you are holding a Xiaomi Redmi in your hands 7A And you notice a little hole on the top of the body, and you don't have to think it's a defect or a defect in manufacturing, and it's a very normal design solution that many of the brand's budget smartphones have, but what is it for? Can you plug it? What happens if it gets water or dust?
In this article, we will go into detail about the purpose of this hole, its role in the operation of the device, and give practical tips for care, you will learn why the manufacturer did not hide it under the case, how it affects the sound and microphone, and what to do if it is clogged with dirt, and pay special attention to myths and misconceptions that are often found on forums.
Spoiler: It's not a "storage hole," as some users joke, it has a very specific feature that would make it worse without it, but in order.
What is the hole and where is it located?
On the Redmi. 7A The hole is on the top of the body, next to the headphone jack 3.5 mm, it is round, about 1 mm in diameter, and often goes unnoticed until the user begins to look at the device carefully. 6A or Redmi 8A) It is similarly located, but may vary slightly in size.
The hole is visually like a microphone input, but it's actually a barochamber, which is a pressure sensor, and its primary function is to correct altitude readings, which are important for the work. GPS, fitness trackers and some applications (e.g. Google Fit or Mi Fitness) Without this sensor, a smartphone could be mistaken in determining floor in a building or height when tracking.
Interestingly, in more expensive models Xiaomi (for example, Mi 9 or Xiaomi). POCO F3) The barometer is hidden under the body and not visible from the outside, but in budget lines, where every millimeter of the case is accounted for, the manufacturer decided to take it out, which is cheaper and easier to produce.
- 📍 Location: upper end, next to the audio jack
- 🔍 Diameter: ~1 mm (may vary slightly)
- 📱 Analogues: there's on Redmi 6A, Redmi 8A, Redmi 9A etc.
- 🚫 Not to be confused with: microphone (it is usually larger and can be on the bottom edge)
What is the need for a hole: technical functions
The main function of the hole is to provide access to atmospheric pressure to a barometric sensor (barochamber), which measures air pressure and helps the smartphone:
- I'm more accurate at altitude. GPS It could show your location with an error of up to a few floors in a multi-storey building. ±1-2 meters vertically.
- Save battery power, and the BaroCamera makes it easier to catch satellites. GPS, The smartphone already knows how high you are.
- Improve fitness trackers. Apps like Mi Fitness or Strava use sensor data to calculate flights of stairs or elevation when running.
The hole also acts as a secondary microphone for noise reduction. When you're on the phone, the main microphone (usually at the bottom of the case) picks up your voice, and this one picks up background noises. The smartphone analyzes both signals and suppresses extraneous sounds (wind, street noise), making your voice clearer to the interlocutor.
It's important to understand that this is not the main microphone -- if the hole gets clogged, the calls won't go away, but the noise reduction quality will deteriorate, and the pressure sensor won't affect the main camera or the speakers.
| Function | How it works | What happens if the hole is broken? |
|---|---|---|
| Correction GPS high-altitude | Pressure sensor helps to determine floor in a building or height above sea level | GPS It can be wrong by 5-10 meters vertically. |
| Noise suppression on calls | Secondary microphone captures background noises to suppress them | Your partner will be worse at hearing your voice in the wind or in a noisy place. |
| The work of fitness trackers | Applications use sensor data to count stairwells | Inaccurate tallying of height when running or walking |
| Savings in battery charge | Fast-tracking to GPS-satellites at the expense of known altitude | GPS It can take longer to “catch” a signal, expending more energy. |
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If you notice that GPS on the Redmi 7A It's getting worse (e.g., you're jumping between floors on a navigator), check the hole in the barochamber for clogging, and clean it carefully with a soft brush or compressed air.
Can I close the hole and what happens if I do it?
Many users are wondering if it's going to hurt to have a smartphone by taped or sealed, depending on why you want to do it:
- 🚫 If the target is dust/water protection: it's pointless. The hole is too small to get a lot of dirt through it, and sealing will disrupt the sensor. 7A It does not have official protection under the standard IPXX, And sealing one hole won't make it waterproof.
- 🔇 If the goal is to improve sound, some people mistakenly think that the hole is "spoiling" the speaker's sound, but it's not really acoustic, and the taped-up won't do anything.
- 📵 If the goal is to turn off the microphone, this hole is not the main microphone, and the sealing will only make noise reduction worse, but it won't make calls impossible.
Critical information: if you completely block the air access to the pressure chamber, the pressure sensor will stop working, and GPS It's going to make a mistake in determining heights of 10 to 20 meters, and this is especially noticeable in mountainous areas or in high-rise buildings.
What can be done to protect yourself:
- 🧹 Regularly clean the hole with a soft brush (for example, for camera lenses).
- 💨 Use a spray of compressed air (but not blow with your mouth - you can salivate!).
- 🛡️ In case of severe contamination (for example, after repair), gently clean with a toothpick with a cotton wool soaked in alcohol.
What happens if water gets into the hole?
Frequent Problems and How to Solve Them
Despite the simplicity of the design, the opening of the chamber can cause several problems, and let's look at the most common ones and how to fix them.
1.The hole was clogged with dust or dirt
Symptoms: GPS long "catch" satellites, fitness trackers incorrectly count floors, during calls the interlocutor complains of noise.
Decision:
Turn off the phone.|Use a soft brush or compressed air|Do not use sharp objects (needles, pins)|Check the work. GPS post-cleaning-->
2.After the fall, the pressure sensor broke
Symptoms: GPS It shows a height of 0 meters or is very wrong, applications like Google Maps can not determine the floor.
Solution: You can check the sensor using the Sensor Test app (available on Google Play). If the sensor does not respond to pressure changes (for example, when climbing an elevator), you will need to replace the barometer in the service center. The cost of repair is from 500 to 1500 rubles depending on the region.
3. There's a liquid in the hole.
Symptoms: The pressure sensor shows incorrect values or does not work at all, corrosion is possible inside the hole.
Solution: Turn off your phone immediately and dry it for 48 hours in a dry place (such as a silica gel bag). Don't use a hair dryer or heat, it can damage the board. If the sensor doesn't work after drying, contact the service.
⚠️ Warning: Don't try to clear the hole with a needle or pin! this can damage the membrane of the pressure chamber or push the dirt deeper. Use only soft tools.
Myths and misconceptions about the hole on Redmi 7A
There are many myths about this hole on the Internet, and we'll look at the most popular ones.
Myth 1: “It’s a plastic saving hole”
Some users joke that Xiaomi makes holes to save on materials.In fact, the barochamber is a full-fledged sensor that costs more than a milligram of plastic saved. 11T) It's just hidden under the body.
Myth 2: “If you seal the hole, the phone will become waterproof.”
Redmi 7A There is no official protection from water (IPXX), And if you stick a single hole in it, it doesn't make it moisture resistant, it can get through speakers, connectors, or even buttons. If you want a secure phone, consider certified models. IP68, For example, Xiaomi 13 Pro.
Myth 3: “The speaker spoils the sound”
This hole is not connected to the speaker system of the smartphone. The sound of the speaker depends on its design and the setting of the equalizer, not on the drum camera. → Sound or clean the speaker grid.
Myth 4: “Without this hole GPS won't work"
GPS It's going to work without a barometer, but it's going to work with less vertical precision. Horizontal positioning (latitude/longitude) depends on the satellites, and altitude depends on the pressure sensor. In the city, it's not critical, but in the mountains or when you use a navigator for walking routes, you can see the difference.
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A barochamber is not a “hole from poverty”, but a full-fledged sensor that improves the work of the machine. GPS, It's not going to make the phone inoperable, but it's going to make some functions less accurate.
How to check if your Redmi is working on your camera 7A
If you suspect that the pressure sensor is out of order, you can check it with special applications.
- Download the Sensor Test or Physics Toolbox Sensor Suite from Google Play.
- Open the app and find the Barometer tab.
- Look at the current pressure readings, which normally should change when you go up or down (e.g., on an elevator or stairs).
- Compare the readings with the weather station data (you can see in Yandex.Weather). The difference should not exceed 2-3 gPa.
If the sensor does not respond to changes in height or shows clearly incorrect values (for example, 0 hPa), it is likely to break.
- Try rebooting your phone.
- Check if the hole is clogged (see section on cleaning).
- If nothing helps, contact the service center.
You can also use the Xiaomi Engineering Menu to diagnose:
Enter the phone code in the app: ##4636##
Go to the tab "Information about sensors"
Find the line "Pressure sensor" (Pressure sensor)⚠️ Note: Not all versions of the firmware MIUI Support access to the engineering menu through this code. If it doesn't work, use third-party apps to test the sensors.
What to do if the hole is broken or missing
If the chamber fails (for example, after falling or getting water), you have several options:
1. Contact the service center
Xiaomi’s official service centers can replace the pressure sensor. The cost of repairs usually does not exceed 1000-1500 rubles, but the exact price depends on the region and the availability of spare parts. 7A — Sometimes you have to order it.
2. Living without a barochamber
If the sensor breaks down, the phone will remain functional, but:
- 📍 GPS It will be less accurate in height (in the city it is almost not noticeable).
- 🏃 Fitness trackers will no longer count floors correctly.
- 🎤 Noise suppression will worsen (but not disappear completely).
For most users, this is not critical, especially if you don’t use mountain navigation or specialized fitness apps.
3.Buy a new phone
If Redmi 7A It's already outdated, and the barocamera is not the only problem, it makes sense to consider buying a new model. Among the budget smartphones Xiaomi with a good barocamera, you can distinguish between the two:
- 📱 Redmi 10A — improved camera and processor, similar to the hole for the barochamber.
- 📱 POCO M4 Pro – more powerful chipset and 90 Hz screen, the barocamera is hidden under the body.
- 📱 Xiaomi 11 Lite NE — thin body and good cameras, pressure sensor built in.
When choosing a new model, pay attention to the availability of a certificate IP53 (Splash protection) – this will reduce the risk of breaking the chamber due to moisture.