How to Check Your Microphone on Xiaomi: A Complete Guide with Tests and Tips

The microphone in Xiaomi is not just a part for calls, but a key element for voice commands, video recording, streaming, and even working with voice assistants. If your interlocutor complains of poor hearing and voice messages are recorded with noise, it's time to check the microphone's performance. But how do you do it correctly without resorting to a service center?

In this article, we’ll look at 5 reliable ways to test microphones on Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, including built-in MIUI tools, third-party apps and hardware checks. You’ll learn how to detect a malfunction yourself, even if you don’t have a second phone to test. And we’ll reveal the hidden MIUI engineering menu feature that allows you to check the microphone at the level of iron – without root rights and complex manipulations.

1. Quickly check the microphone through standard applications

To start with, we use the software that is already installed on your Xiaomi, which requires no download of additional software and takes less than a minute.

Open the Dictophone app (if you don't have one, download the official Mi Recorder from Google Play), run it for 10 to 15 seconds, then listen to the result.

🔊 The purity of sound – is there no extraneous noise, hissing or echoes.
📶 Volume – Is it too quiet (this may indicate a clogging microphone).
🎤 Distortion – if the voice sounds like “from the barrel”, the problem may be in the microphone membrane.

If the recording was successful, but the interlocutors still do not hear you when you call - the problem can be hidden in the microphone for conversations (it is separate from the main one!). To check it, call another phone or use the feature Speaking - if the sound improves, it is the conversation microphone that is to blame.

📊 Which microphone do you use most often on Xiaomi?

Main (for video/voice messages)

Conversational (for calls)

Both are roughly the same.

I don't know where they are.

Xiaomi smartphones have a hidden engineering menu that allows you to check hardware components, including microphones, which is more accurate than standard applications, since it shows the signal level in real time.

To open the menu:

Open the Phone app.
Enter the combination: ##4636##
Select Phone Information (or Testing on some firmware).
Scroll down to the Microphone or Audio section.

In this section, you'll see a graph or a numerical signal strength, and if you talk to the microphone, if the band is not responding or it's zero, the microphone is malfunctioning, and if there's a reaction, but it's weak, it's probably a problem with the firmware or sensitivity settings.

What to do if the engineering menu is not opened?

On some models (e.g. POCO F5 or Redmi Note 12), the ##4636### combination may be blocked, in which case try the alternative code: ##36446337## or use the Play Market MTK Engineering Mode app (only for MediaTek-based devices).

💡

If the engineering menu displays two microphones (Main Mic and Sub Mic), check both. The first is responsible for the main recording, the second is responsible for noise cancellation and calls.

3. Checking the microphone through a call to an answering machine

One of the most reliable ways to check a conversational microphone is to call a number with an answering machine and leave a voice message, which simulates a real call and helps identify problems that are not noticeable when recording to a voice recorder.

Here's how to do it:

📞 Call any number with voicemail (for example, +7 495 787-37-00 — voice-mailer).
🎙️ After the beep, say a phrase 10-15 seconds long (for example, "This is a microphone test on Xiaomi. One-two-three-four-five»).
🔄 Call back from another phone and listen to the recording.

If your voice is:

🔇 I can't hear it, the microphone isn't working.
🔊 Audible but very quiet - maybe clogged microphone hole or damaged membrane.
🎵 Distorted (robotic, echoed) – a problem in the firmware or audio driver.

💡

If the sound is normal when calling through the headset (earphones with a microphone), and without it - bad, the problem is precisely in the main microphone of the smartphone.

4.Use of third-party applications for deep diagnostics

If standard methods don't give a clear answer, use specialized applications that allow you to test the microphone at different frequencies, test sensitivity, and even compare the indicators with reference.

Top.-3 Apps to check the microphone on Xiaomi:

Annex	Functions	Reference
Microphone Test	Shows the signal level in dB, tests the frequency range, saves records for comparison.	Google Play
Sound Meter	Measures the volume in decibels, helps to detect a weak microphone signal.	Google Play
Audio Test	Full diagnostics of the audio system, including microphone, speakers and headphones.	Google Play

How to use the Microphone Test:

Install the application and open it.
Press the Start Test and speak into the microphone.
Watch the chart: green zone is the norm, red signal is too weak or absent.
Compare your scores with your benchmarks (there are examples in the appendix).

Check the permission to access the microphone|Speak 10-15 cm from the phone|Compare the results with the references in the appendix|Repeat the test in a quiet room-->

5. Hardware check: where are the microphones on Xiaomi

If the software tests didn't show any problems, but the microphone still didn't work, it could be physical damage.

📍 Main microphone – located at the bottom of the phone (near the connector) USB-C). Responsible for recording video and voice messages.
📞 Talk microphone – located at the top (near the front camera or speaker) and used for calls.
🔇 Additional microphone (if any) on the back, next to the main camera.

What to do if the microphone is damaged or clogged:

🧹 Cleaning: Use a soft brush or compressed air (a balloon) to remove dust from the holes.Do not use needles or toothpicks - they can damage the membrane!
🔧 Diagnostics for physical injuries: examine the microphone for dents, scratches or moisture. If the phone falls or gets wet, there is a high probability of breakage.
📱 Check after the screen is changed: if you recently changed the display, you may have damaged the microphone plume.

💡

On Xiaomi 13/13 Pro and Redmi Note 12 Pro+, the microphones are protected by a dust mesh. If the sound gets worse after prolonged use, the mesh can be gently washed with alcohol (without dripping on the microphone itself!).

6. Frequent causes of microphone malfunction and how to fix them

In 80% of cases, the microphone problems on Xiaomi are not due to hardware failure, but to software failures or incorrect settings.

Problem.	Possible cause	Decision
The microphone is not working.	Disabled in settings, firmware failure	Check permissions for applications in Settings → Annexes → Permits → Microphone. Reset network settings (Settings) → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Resetting network settings).
Interlocutor hears an echo	Noise cancellation or failure in the audio driver	Turn off Voice Improvement in call settings. Update the firmware.
The sound is interrupted during recording.	Conflict with other applications that use a microphone	Close all background programs. Check Settings → Battery → Optimize if the microphone is limited to save energy.
The microphone only works in headphones.	The USB-C connector or main microphone is damaged	Try another headphone cable. If there's a problem, the microphone is broken.

If neither of these methods worked, there are two options:

Reset to factory settings (before doing this, make a backup!). Go to Settings → About Phone → Reset settings.
On Xiaomi devices, the microphones are soldered to the motherboard, and replacing them yourself without experience is almost impossible.

💡

Before resetting, check whether Do Not Disturb or Sound Effects are enabled in the audio settings, which may block the microphone for some applications.

FAQ: Frequent questions about microphones on Xiaomi

🔍 Why Xiaomi’s microphone is getting worse after the update MIUI?

Firmware updates sometimes reset audio drivers or make changes to noise reduction algorithms. Try: Reverse to the previous version of MIUI (if available). Reset the sound settings to Settings → Sound and Vibration → Additional → Reset the audio settings. Clear the Settings and Phone app cache. If the problem persists, report the bug through Settings → Phone → Review.

🎤 Can I check the microphone on Xiaomi without a second phone?

Yes, use it: 📱 Recorder (built-in or Mi Recorder). 💻 Voice input in Google Doc or Yandex.Mail (dictate the text and check if it is recognized correctly). 🎵 Testing apps (e.g. Microphone Test) You can also turn on speakerphone while you're calling and hold your phone to your ear -- if the sound gets better, the problem is the conversational microphone.

⚡ The microphone stopped working after the phone fell?

Physical damage is one of the hardest problems. Step-by-step: Check if the microphone plume is moving away (shake the phone carefully, you can hear rattles inside); Check the microphone holes for dents or cracks; if the phone falls into the water, don't turn it on and bring it into service immediately (corrosion can spread to the board); in most cases, after a fall, you need to replace the microphone, which costs 800-2000 rubles (depending on the model).

🔇 How to turn off noise cancellation if it spoils the sound?

Noise cancellation in Xiaomi can work too aggressively, cutting frequencies.To turn it off: Go to Settings → Sound and vibration → Sound quality. Turn off voice enhancement and noise suppression. For calls, in the Phone app, click ⋮ → Settings → Sound quality and deactivate all effects. If these points are not available, your model does not support manual shutdown, in which case only firmware with audio effects disabled (for example, Xiaomi.EU) will help).

🛠️ Can I replace the microphone with Xiaomi?

Theoretically, yes, but: ⚠️ To do this, you need a soldering iron with a thin sting (microphones soldered to the board). ⚠️ Risk of damaging other components (e.g. antenna or speaker). ⚠️ On new models (Xiaomi 14, Redmi Note 13), microphones are often integrated into one module with other sensors. If you do not have experience, you should contact the service.

Now you know how to fully test the microphone on Xiaomi, from software tests to hardware diagnostics. If after all the manipulations the problem remains, do not delay a visit to the service center: a faulty microphone can be a symptom of more serious problems (for example, oxidation of the board after moisture).

And if your microphone works perfectly – share in the comments, which method of checking was the most convenient for you!