You call a friend or colleague, but instead of the usual "Hello!" you hear the answer: "Are you on the silencer?" or "I can't hear you!". While you clearly understand the voice of the interlocutor, but your microphone on Xiaomi is stubbornly silent. The situation is familiar? This problem is common with owners of Redmi, POCO and Mi smartphones of all generations - from the budget Redmi Note 10 to the flagship Xiaomi 14.
In 80 percent of cases, a software-level microphone malfunction can be fixed without breaking the phone down. But sometimes it's physical damage, like moisture, dust, or contact failure after a fall. In this article, we'll look at all the possible reasons why you can't be heard on a Xiaomi phone, and give you clear diagnostic and repair instructions. Start with the simplest solutions -- you may not even need to go to a service center.
1. Checking basic settings: why the microphone can be turned off
Before you sin on hardware breakdowns, make sure that the problem is not in the settings of the phone. Often the microphone is "muffled" due to randomly activated functions or software failures.
First, check:
- 🔇 Do Not Disturb mode – it can lock the microphone while making calls. Open the notification curtain and make sure the moon icon (or call with the crossed-out speaker) is not active.
- 📱 Permissions for the Phone app – sometimes after an update MIUI The microphone is reset. Check the settings. → Annexes → Application management → Phone. → Permits.
- 🎤 Active Bluetooth headset – if the phone is connected to headphones or speakers, the sound from the microphone can go there. → Connected devices.
If you use Google Meet, Zoom or other calling apps, check the microphone settings inside them. For example, WhatsApp sometimes resets the input device selection - a secondary (which is used for noise cancellation) can be activated instead of the main microphone.
Diagnostics of the microphone: how to understand which one does not work
Xiaomi smartphones usually have 2-3 microphones:
The main (lower) is for conversations and recording voice.
- Upper (near the speaker) - for noise reduction and video.
Additional (on some models) - to improve the sound quality in streams.
To determine which microphone is broken, do the following tests:
| Type of microphone | How to check | What to do if it doesn't work |
|---|---|---|
| Basic (conversational) | Call another phone and see if the person you are talking to can hear you. | Clean the microphone hole (see section 3) and check the call settings. |
| Upper (noise suppression) | Record the video on the camera and check the sound quality. | If the sound is muffled, the microphone is clogged. Use compressed air to clean. |
| Additional (for streams) | Run a sound recording app (like Voice Recorder) and compare quality from different microphones. | If the microphone is not detected, a diagnosis is required in the service. |
On some models (such as the POCO F5 or Xiaomi 13T), microphones may be disabled due to conflict with the MIUI shell. To rule out this option, try recording voice through a third-party app, such as Smart Recorder. If the sound is recorded normally, the problem is in the system application Phone.
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If the microphone is working in the recordings but does not work during calls, try resetting the network settings in Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Resetting network settings.
3. Cleaning the microphone: how to remove dust and moisture without disassembly
The most common reason for a broken microphone on Xiaomi is clogging holes, and dust, pocket villi, or moisture residues after rain can block the sound, and you can clean the microphone yourself without disassembling the phone.
You'll need:
- Toothpick (plastic or wooden).
- Compressed air (a canister for cleaning equipment).
- Lantern (for lighting holes).
- 🔦 Find the microphone hole – it’s usually located at the bottom of the phone (near the connector). USB-C) or at the top (near the speaker).
- 🧹 Carefully remove visible dirt with a toothpick. Don't push too hard, you can damage the microphone membrane!
- 💨 Blow the hole with compressed air (hold the spray vertically, at a distance of 5-10 cm).
- 📵 Check the microphone after cleaning - call another phone or record your voice.
If the phone has recently come into contact with water (such as falling in a rain or falling in a puddle), don’t dry it with a hair dryer or battery, which can damage the chips.
- Turn off the phone.
- Place it in a silica gel (or rice) bag for 12 to 24 hours.
- Do not turn on until you make sure that the moisture has completely evaporated.
What if the microphone doesn’t work after water is injected?
4. Software failures: resetting settings and software updates
If the microphone doesn't work after you update your MIUI or install a new app, the problem is probably a software conflict.
- 🔄 Restart your phone – a normal restart sometimes helps, especially if the microphone has stopped working after prolonged use.
- 📱 Reset the settings of the Phone app: Open Settings → Annexes → App management. Find the phone and select Warehouse. → Clear the data. Reset the device.
- 🔧 Update. MIUI To the latest version, new builds often fix sound bugs. Check the updates in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
- 🛠️ Reset all settings (without deleting data!): Settings → Additionally. → Resetting settings → Reset network/sound settings