Why Xiaomi Redmi Radio Doesn’t Work: 7 Reasons and Ways to Fix It

You turned on your favorite radio station on your Xiaomi Redmi, but instead of music, silence or error message? The problem with turning off the radio on smartphones of this line is common, and the causes can be hidden in software failures and hardware malfunctions. In this article, we will analyze all possible scenarios, from the banal absence of headphones (which act as an antenna) to deep system bugs that require flashing.

The feature of the radio on Redmi is its dependence on the chipset and version. MIUI. For example, on models with Qualcomm Snapdragon (for example, Redmi Note 10 Pro) the radio can be turned off due to a conflict with energy-saving algorithms, and on budget devices (like Redmi). 9A) — We're not going to just go with general tips like "reset your phone," but we're going to offer step-by-step diagnostics based on the specific model and version of the firmware.

Important: If the radio was working before, but suddenly stopped turning on after the update MIUI Or mechanical damage (for example, a fall), this is a narrow range of causes, which we will highlight separately. For owners of Redmi with custom firmware (for example, LineageOS), we will add a section with unique solutions.

1. Checking the basic conditions: antenna, headphones and geolocation

Before digging deeper, make sure the minimum requirements for the job are met. FM-Xiaomi Redmi radio, 90% of the time, the problem is solved at this stage.

• 🎧 Headphones are like an antenna: FM-The radio on smartphones uses the headphone wire as the receiving antenna, without which the signal will be absent or interrupted. Connect the headphones with a 3.5 mm jack (or USB-C-Adapter if there's no connector. Wireless headphones won't work!
• 📡 Coverage area: FM-It depends on the nearest towers, and in basements, elevators, or remote areas, you may not be able to catch radio at all.
• 📍 Geographical restrictions: In some countries (e.g. the United States) FM-Radio is disabled at the firmware level due to licensing agreements.

If you are using Redmi with USB-C instead of 3.5 mm (e.g. Redmi) K50), The problem may lie in a poor adapter. Xiaomi's original adapters often have an antenna built in, cheap ones don't have one. Also check if the headphone jack is contaminated: contact oxidation can interrupt the signal.

Quick test: try connecting your headphones to another device (like an old phone or player) If the radio is running there, there's a problem with your Redmi. If not, check the headphones or coverage area.

2. Software glitches: from cache to application conflicts

FM-Xiaomi Redmi radio is controlled by a system application FM Radio (or Mi Radio in older versions) is the most common cause of blackouts:

• 🗑️ Clogged cache: A radio app accumulates temporary files that can block it from working.Cache cleaning often solves the problem.
• 🔄 Conflict with energy conservation: MIUI Radio can shut down after 5-10 minutes due to the adaptive battery function.
• 🛠️ Updates MIUI: After major updates (for example, with the MIUI 12 on MIUI (13) the radio may disappear from the menu or give an error "FM unsupported".

How to clean the radio cache:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find it. FM Radio (or Mi Radio).
3. Slip the vault. → Clear the cache.
4. Reboot the phone.

Clear the Radio app's cache

Disable the adaptive battery for Radio

Check the application permissions (access to microphone/geodata)

Update MIUI last-minute-->

If the radio is gone after the update, check if it's hidden in the menu. On some firmware, the path to the radio changes to Settings. → Connections and sharing → Radio. also try to find it through the search by settings (the magnifying glass icon at the top of the screen).

⚠️ Note: On Redmi with custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience), the radio may not work due to the lack of Qualcomm drivers FM. In this case, you will need to install the module. FM Radio Enabler via Magisk.

3. Hardware problems: antenna, connector and chipset

If the software methods did not help, the problem may lie in the iron. FM-Xiaomi Redmi radio is dependent on three key components:

1. Chip. FM-Receiver: Built into the motherboard. 4xx/6xx (Like Redmi. 9) Qualcomm chip is often used WCN3610, which is also responsible for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
2. Antenna Tract: Passes from the headphone jack to the chipset, and damage to the tract (for example, after a fall) leads to complete loss of signal.
3. Connector. 3.5 mm/USB-C: Oxidation or mechanical damage to the contacts interrupts the connection to the antenna (earphones).

How to check the hardware:

• 🔍 Visual inspection: Light a flashlight into the headphone jack. If you see foreign objects, oxidation or bent contacts, this is a potential cause.
• 📱 Test with another device: Connect your headphones to another phone. If the radio is working, your Redmi is a problem.
• 🛠️ Diagnostics via the engineering menu: Enter the code ##4636## and select Phone Information. Check status FM Radio. If Unsupported status, the chip is faulty or disabled at the firmware level.

On models Redmi Note 8 Pro and Redmi K30 Pro radio may be turned off due to overheating of the chipset Mediatek Helio G90T Or Snapdragon 865, above 60.°C the system is forcibly shut down FM-cooling unit. Check the temperature through the app AIDA64.

4. Conflicts with custom firmware and Magisk

If you use an informal firmware (such as LineageOS, ArrowOS) or root rights (Magisk), the radio may not work because of:

• 📦 Lack of drivers: Many custom firmwares do not include proprietary Qualcomm drivers FM.
• 🔧 Magisk modules: Some modules (e.g, ViPER4Android) conflict with radio.
• ⚙️ Selinux Settings: If Enforcing Mode is Replaced with Permissive, the radio may be disabled.

How to restore the radio on custom firmware:

1. Install the module. FM Radio Enabler via Magisk (available on Kitsune Mask repository).
2. Check the selinux status command: adb shell getenforce If the output is Permissive, return Enforcing via Magisk or Kernel Adiutor.
3. For Android-based firmware 12+ You may need to manually copy files. fm_config.xml and libfm_jni.so stock-stack.

If the radio still doesn’t work after installing the module, check the error log through the ADB:

adb logcat | grep -i fm

Look for lines from E/FM QualcommFm – they will point out a specific error (for example, a specific error, FM_HW_UNAVAILABLE).

5. Energy saving and background optimization

MIUI It's known for aggressively optimizing background processes, which often leads to automatic radio shutdown after a few minutes of listening:

• 🔋 Adaptive battery: Disables "unnecessary" processes, including radio.
• ⚡ Deep Optimization: Blocks applications that consume energy in the background.
• 📵 Background Limitation for Apps: Radio may be blacklisted.

How to turn off radio optimization:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Consumption Management.
2. Find it. FM Radio and select Unlimited.
3. Turn off the Adaptive Battery (in the same section).
4. Add Radio to Secure Applications (path: Settings) → Annexes → Permits → Auto-start).

💡

If the radio is turned off when the screen is locked, add it to the exceptions for the Background Lock function (Settings) → Lock screen → Background locking).

On Redmi with Android 11+ Also check your Digital Well-Being settings: limiting the time you use apps can interrupt your radio. → Digital well-being → dashboard → FM Radio.

Updates MIUI and rollback

One of the most unpleasant reasons for the radio shutdown is bugs in updates MIUI. For example, after updating to MIUI 14 Many Redmi Note 10 users face disappearance FM-The radio from the menu, it helps:

• 🔄 Reverse to the old version MIUI: If the radio was running on a previous firmware, return to it via Fastboot or Recovery.
• 📥 Hand-mounted APK Radio: Download the original FM Radio.apk for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware Updater website and install via ADB: adb install FM_Radio.apk
• 🛠️ Resetting: Sometimes resetting through Settings helps → The phone. → Settings reset (select Network Settings Reset if you don’t want to lose data).

How to know if the radio is connected to the update:

1. Check the date of the last update in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
2. Look for information about the bug in the forums (for example, 4PDA XDA-Developers, or XDA-Developers, by requesting Redmi Model + version MIUI + radio not working".
3. If the bug is massive, wait for a patch from Xiaomi or install an alternative firmware.

💡

Before rolling back the firmware, make a backup through Mi Cloud or TWRP. A rollback can result in data loss if you do not follow instructions.

For Redmi models on Android 13+ (For example, Redmi Note 12) may need to unlock the bootloader to roll back:

1. Apply for unlocking through the official Xiaomi website.
2. Connect your phone in Fastboot mode and execute the command: fastboot oem unlock
3. Swipe through the old version MIUI via Mi Flash Tool.

7. Alternative ways to listen to the radio on Redmi

If you restore the built-in FM-Radio failed, consider alternatives:

• 📻 Online Radio: Apps like Radio Garden, TuneIn Radio or Yandex Music (section "Radio") do not require antennas.
• 🎵 Local radios via Bluetooth: Some car radios support transmission FM-signal to the smartphone via Bluetooth (function) FM Transmitter).
• 📡 Outside FM-receiver: USB- Bluetooth receivers (such as Sony) ICF-P26) Connect to Redmi and operate regardless of its hardware limitations.

For online radio, it’s important to consider traffic consumption: 1 hour of broadcasting as 128 kbps consumes ~60 MB With a weak Internet, breaks are possible - in this case, it will help:

• Switch to 2G/3G (more stable signal than 4G moving).
• Use offline mode in applications (for example, download the transfer in advance in Podcast Addict).

💡

Online radio drains the battery faster FM-radio due to constant operation of the module Wi-Fi/4G. To save energy, use the Traffic Saving mode in the settings MIUI.

If you listen to the radio in your car often, consider buying a car. FM-transmitter (e.g. Nulaxy) KM18). He connects to the lighter, broadcasts audio from the phone over Bluetooth to the FM-This bypasses the limitations of the smartphone, but requires setting the free frequency in your area.

FAQ: Frequent questions about radio on Xiaomi Redmi