How to check the microphone on your Xiaomi smartphone: from diagnosis to repair

The microphone in Xiaomi is like an invisible bridge between you and the outside world: it transmits voice during calls, records audio for notes, activates voice assistants and even helps with voice chat games. But what if the person stops hearing you and voice messages are sent blank? The problem can be either a software glitch or a physical microphone breakdown.

In this article, we’ll break down 5 reliable ways to check the microphone on any Xiaomi model, from the budget Redmi Note to the flagship Mi 13 Ultra. You’ll learn how to diagnose a malfunction without special tools, which applications to use for testing, and when to contact the service center. And we’ll reveal hidden Xiaomi service codes that help check the hardware status of the microphone in seconds.

1. Quickly check the microphone through standard functions

Before you get into the technical details, start with the simplest tests that don't require you to install any additional software, and often the problem isn't with the microphone itself, but with the system or application settings.

Here's what we can do right now:

• 📞 Test call: Call another phone (or use a voicemail number) and check if the person is hearing your voice. Ask them to rate the sound quality — whether there is noise, interruption, or no voice at all.
• 🎤 Voice recording: Open the Dictaphone app (or any other app for recording sound) and make a short recording. Play it back — if the sound is missing or badly distorted, the problem is obvious.
• 🤖 Voice assistant: activate Google Assistant or XiaoAI (on Chinese firmware) with a voice command. If the assistant doesn't respond, it may indicate a malfunction of the microphone.

If the microphone doesn't work in all tests, move on to the next section, and if the problem only manifests itself in certain apps (like WhatsApp or Zoom), it's likely that the settings of those programs are to blame, which we'll talk about later.

2.Diagnostics through the engineering menu Xiaomi

Xiaomi smartphones (like many other Android devices) have a hidden engineering menu where you can check the hardware status of the microphone, which is suitable for experienced users, as it requires caution – wrong actions can disrupt the phone.

To open the engineering menu:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the code ##4636##
3. In the menu that appears, select Phone Information (or Testing on some firmware).
4. Scroll down to the Microphone or Audio section.

Here you'll see a graph or a numerical signal strength from the microphone.

• 📊 In silence: ~0-10 dB (background noise).
• 🗣️ When speaking: 30-60 dB (depends on the volume of voice).
• ❌ If the readings are always 0 dB or there is no reaction to sound, the microphone is defective.

⚠️ Warning: Do not change other options in the engineering menu unless you are sure of their purpose! This can cause a mobile network crash or even a "brick" phone.

3. Microphone testing applications

If standard methods don't give a clear answer, specialized applications will come to the rescue, which allow you to not only check the performance of the microphone, but also measure noise levels, frequency range and other parameters.

Top.-3 diagnostics:

How to use such applications:

1. Install one of the applications from the table.
2. Run a microphone test (usually a Start Test or Check Microphone button).
3. Follow the instructions on the screen – usually speaking into the microphone or making noise (like clapping your hands).
4. Look at the results: If the graph stays flat or the app gives an error, the microphone is faulty.

4.Check additional microphones on Xiaomi

Many Xiaomi smartphones are equipped with several microphones:

• 🎙️ Main microphone – located at the bottom of the phone, used for calls and recording.
• 📱 The second microphone, usually next to the main camera, is responsible for noise reduction and stereo recording.
• 🔊 Microphone for conversational speaker - in the upper part (used during calls in hands-free mode).

If one of them fails, problems can manifest selectively (for example, the interlocutor hears you only in hands-free mode).

How to check each microphone separately:

1. Main microphone: Record in the recorder, covering the top of the phone (where the second microphone is located) with your finger. If the sound is recorded, the main microphone works.
2. Second microphone: record video with noise reduction enabled (in a standard Xiaomi camera) If noise cancellation is not working, the second microphone may be faulty.
3. Speaker: Call someone and put on speakerphone. Close the bottom microphone with your finger, and if the person is still listening, the top microphone is in good shape.

On some models (such as the Xiaomi 12 Pro or Redmi K50), microphones are arranged outside the box, so to find out their exact location, check the diagram for your model in the official documentation or on sites like iFixit.

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If you suspect that the second microphone is faulty, try recording the video in a noisy place (for example, on the street). If the recording is too noisy without noise cancellation, the microphone does not work.

5. Hardware causes of microphone malfunction

If software tests show that the microphone is not working, the problem may be physical.

• 💧 Moisture: Even if the phone is not sinking, condensation or high humidity can oxidize the microphone contacts. Signs: the microphone is intermittent or silent after being in a humid environment.
• 🤳 Mechanical damage: Falling a phone, especially on the bottom or top edge, can damage the microphone or its plume.
• 🔌 Microphone hole contamination: Dust, pile, or dirt block sound waves, common in users who carry a phone in their pocket with coins or keys.
• 🔋 Problems after repair: if you recently changed the screen, battery or back cover, the master could damage the microphone plume.

How to diagnose a hardware malfunction:

1. Carefully inspect the microphone holes (usually visible to the naked eye) and use a flashlight to check if there is any debris inside.
2. Blow into the microphone hole – if you hear wheezing or crackling in the speaker, it may have been dust.
3. Check if there have been any recent physical impacts on the phone (bumps, falls, contact with water).

⚠️ Warning: If you suspect moisture, don't use a dryer! hot air can damage the internal components. Instead, put the phone in a silica gel bag (out of the box with new shoes) for 12 to 24 hours.

6. When to contact the service center?

If all previous methods have failed to identify or fix the problem, you will likely need professional repairs, and here are signs that it is time to bring the phone to service:

• 🔇 The microphone doesn’t work in all applications, including the engineering menu.
• 🔧 You are sure that the problem is hardware (for example, the phone fell or got wet).
• 🛠️ Self-cleaning of the microphone hole did not give results.
• 📱 On the screen, there are messages about a microphone error (for example, “Microphone is off” in the settings).

The cost of microphone repair in Xiaomi depends on the model and type of malfunction:

Before you carry your phone to the service, check if the warranty period has expired. If the warranty is still valid, repairs can be free (provided that the breakdown is not caused by mechanical damage). mi.com/ru/service.

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If the microphone stopped working after the MIUI update, try rolling back the firmware or resetting to the factory settings, which solves the problem 30 percent of the time without repair.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi microphones