How to unlock the microphone on Xiaomi: the complete guide

The microphone on Xiaomi smartphones can suddenly stop working for a variety of reasons, from accidental blocking of application rights to system failures in the MIUI firmware. If you notice that the interlocutor does not hear you during calls, voice search does not respond, and applications like WhatsApp or Google Assistant do not recognize speech – the problem is most likely related to the restriction of access to the microphone. In this article, we will analyze all possible ways to unlock, from basic settings to hidden functions of the engineering menu.

It's important to understand that locking a microphone doesn't always mean hardware failure. 80 percent of the time, software constraints -- permissions disabled, conflicting applications, even viruses masquerading as system services -- we'll start with the simplest solutions and gradually move on to advanced methods, including working with ADB and resetting. If you're a Redmi Note 12 user, POCO X5 user or any other MIUI 14/15 model, the instructions will be right for you.

1. Check the basic microphone settings

Before you get into the technical details, make sure the problem isn't in the obvious. Start by physically checking the device:

• 🔊 Check the headphone jack: if it got dust or moisture, the contacts can close, and the system will “think” that the headphones with a microphone are connected, blocking the built-in.
• 📱 Reboot your smartphone: press the power button 10 seconds before the menu appears and select “Reboot.” This will reset the temporary driver errors.
• 🔇 Make sure the microphone is not silenced: during the call, click on the microphone icon in the interface - it should not be crossed out.

If you're physically OK, go to software diagnostics, open any application that uses a microphone (like a voice recorder) and check if an access request appears, and if there's no request, permissions are already locked at the system level.

Application Permissions: Where and How to Enable

The most common reason for locking a microphone is that it's an application-specific permission that's disabled. In MIUI, rights management is put on a separate menu, and it's located on the firmware version.

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select an app that doesn’t have a microphone (like Telegram or Zoom).
3. Slip on the Permissions item (or Rights in older versions).
4. Find the Microphone section and switch the slider to the Allow position.
5. If the Ask option is active every time, choose Allow always.

For MIUI 14+, the path may be different: Settings → Privacy → Permissions → Microphone. Here you will see a list of all applications with microphone access and you can manage them centrally.

Open Settings → Applications

Select a problem app (such as WhatsApp)

Go to the "Permissions" section

Click on Microphone and enable access

Restart the application to apply changes-->

Important! Some system applications (like Google or Mi Services) can automatically reset permissions after updates. If the problem comes back, check for updates for those apps on Google Play.

3. Reset application settings and cache

If permissions are on, but the microphone still doesn't work, it could be corrupted app data or cache, and resets won't delete your personal files, but they will return the application settings to the factory.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In the upper right corner, click on three dots and select Reset App Settings.
3. Confirm action. The system will restart.

For individual apps (such as Instagram or Viber), you can manually clear the cache:

1. In the application management menu, select the desired one.
2. Press Warehouse. → Clear the cache.
3. If you have the option to Clear data – use it only as a last resort, as this will delete all your account settings.

Some Xiaomi models (such as Redmi 10 or POCO F3) may require resetting rights for Google Play Services after resetting. Go to the settings of this app and enable all permissions related to microphone and privacy.

4. Checking the MIUI system settings

MIUI has a number of hidden features that can lock the microphone at the system level, such as Do Not Disturb or Confidential Mode, which sometimes restrict access to hardware components.

A critical feature of MIUI 14+: some regional firmware (e.g. India or the EU) has activated “Privacy Mode” by default, which blocks the microphone for third-party applications. To turn it off, go to Settings → Privacy → Additional → Privacy Mode and deactivate the option.

💡

If you’re using Xiaomi.eu or custom firmware, check the “App Lock” settings. Sometimes this module blocks microphone access for “suspicious” apps, even if permissions are enabled.

5. Diagnostics through the engineering menu

If standard methods don't work, you can test the microphone through an engineering menu (also known as CIT or Hardware Test), a tool that allows you to check the hardware health of components.

Instructions for most Xiaomi models:

1. Open the phone app and enter the combination: ##4636##
2. In the menu that opens, select Phone Information (or Hardware Testing for new models).
3. Find the Audio or Microphone section and run the test.
4. Speak into the microphone, you're going to have a sound wave on the screen, and if you don't, it's a hardware problem.

For POCO and some Redmis, a different combination may be required:

##36446337##

or

##6484##

💡

If the engineering menu shows a "Mic Test Failed" error, it means a hardware malfunction, in which case only the service center will help.

On models with MIUI 13+, the engineering menu can be hidden to unlock it:

1. Install Activity Launcher from Google Play.
2. Find com.android.settings →.TestingSettings.
3. Start a CIT or Hardware Test.

6.Using ADB to unlock microphone

If the microphone is locked at the system level (for example, after a failed update or rooting), Android Debug Bridge (ADB) can help.This method requires connecting the smartphone to the computer and basic command line knowledge.

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install ADB Tools on your PC (e.g. Google’s Platform Tools).
2. On your smartphone, turn on Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone. Tap the MIUI version 7 times until the “You’re a developer” notification appears.

Settings → Additional → For Developers

USB debugging

adb devices

(The name of your device should appear).

adb shell pm grant android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO

com.whatsapp

adb shell pm clear com.whatsapp

For MIUI 15, an additional command may be required:

adb shell settings put global hidden_api_policy 1

(Allows access to hidden APIs, including microphone management)

💡

If the microphone is running after ADB commands, but it is blocked again after a while, a problem is in one of the system applications. Try rolling back Google Play Services to the previous version through Settings → Apps → Google Play Services → Remove updates.

7.Extreme measures: reset to factory settings

If none of the methods worked, you have to reset your settings completely. This will delete all the data from your device, so pre-back up via Settings → About Phone → Backup.

How to reset your settings:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Choose to erase all data.
3. Enter a password (if required) and confirm the action.
4. After the reboot, set your smartphone as new and check the microphone.

Attention! Some Xiaomi models (such as the Mi 11 or Redmi K50) may require re-assignment of your Mi Account after a reset. Make sure you remember your username and password!

In this case, the problem is probably hardware.

Damage to the microphone module (for example, after falling or getting moisture).

- Oxidation of contacts on the motherboard.

- malfunction of the audio codec (chip responsible for sound processing).

Contact the Xiaomi service center with a check about the purchase - on most models, the microphone is covered by a warranty.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the microphone on Xiaomi