Why Xiaomi doesn’t show incoming calls on the screen – a full analysis of the reasons

Are you missing important calls because Xiaomi's screen isn't responding to incoming calls?The problem of the phone ringing but nothing is displayed on the display (or a black screen appears) is found on Redmi Note 10/11/12, Poco X3/X4/X5, Mi 11/12/13 and even the new Xiaomi 14. The software settings are 80% to blame, but sometimes the root of the problem lies in hardware malfunctions.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible reasons why the call isn’t displayed on Xiaomi’s screen, from banal shutdown of notifications to damage to the display plume. You’ll get step-by-step diagnostic and solution instructions, including hidden settings. MIUI, team ADB, And we'll give you some iron testing tips. AMOLED-screens where the problem is often associated with the Always-On Display mode (AOD).

If your smartphone vibrates or makes a sound when you call, but the screen is turned off, that's one scenario, and if the phone doesn't show any signs of life (no vibration, no sound, no backlight), it's a more serious breakdown, so let's start with simple solutions and gradually move on to complex ones.

1. Check basic notification and call settings

The first thing to rule out is software restrictions that block incoming calls from being displayed. There are several places in MIUI where notification settings may conflict with the phone's standard behavior.

Open Settings → Notifications → Call notifications and check:

  • 🔔 Whether notifications for the Phone app are enabled (should be "Allowed").
  • 📱 Notification type: select "Pop-up" or "Full screen".
  • 🔕 Do Not Disturb: Make sure calls are not blocked.
  • 🎵 Sound and vibration: If they are turned off, the screen may not be activated.

Also look at Settings → Applications → Application Management → Phone → Notifications.

  • 📞 "Incoming calls"
  • 📱 "Pop-up notifications"
  • 🔊 "Notification sounds"
📊 Xiaomi of what generation?
Redmi (until 2020)
Redmi/Poco (2021-2022)
Xiaomi 11/12/13
Xiaomi 14 or newer

An important nuance for MIUI 14+ models: the latest firmware versions have a separate "Show notifications on locked screen" switch, which can be found in Settings → Lock screen → Additional settings → Notifications on the lock screen. If this option is disabled, calls will not be displayed when the phone is locked.

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If you have a third-party launcher installed (like Nova Launcher), try temporarily returning the standard MIUI Launcher.

Conflicts with energy saving and productivity regimes

Aggressive power saving settings in Xiaomi are often the reason why the screen doesn’t turn on when you call, especially for models with a small battery (Redmi 9A, Poco C31) or after upgrading to MIUI 13/14.

Check the following parameters:

  1. Settings → Battery and productivity → Battery mode: 🔋 If you select "Super Energy Saving" or "Ultra Energy Saving", switch to "Balanced". 📵 In some firmware there is an option "Limit background activity" - it must be turned off for the application "Phone".

Settings → Battery and Performance → Application Power Management

  • 🔄 Find the phone in the list and set "No restrictions".
  • 🚫 Make sure that the app does not include "Deep Sleep".

If the problem is gone, it's the AOD bug.

  • 🔄 Update the firmware to the latest version (bug fixed in the MIUI 14.0.5+).
  • 🛠️ Reverse to an older version MIUI (If the update didn't help).
  • 📱 Use third-party applications for AOD (Like always on. AMOLED).

If the problem is only one of SIM-with a map, try it:

  • 🔧 Reinstall SIM In another slot (if the phone supports 2 cards).
  • 📱 Update your operator profile (some Xiaomi does this through Settings) → The phone. → Updating the operator profile).

6. Resetting and flashing: extreme measures

If none of the previous methods worked, there are radical methods: resetting or flashing, and let's start with the more gentle option: reset.

Resetting settings to factory (without deleting data):

  1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
  2. Select Reset All Settings (this won’t delete photos and apps, but will reset network settings, notifications, etc.).
  3. After the reboot, check if the calls appear on the screen.

If this does not work, you will have to make a full reset:

  1. Create a backup of your data (via Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset or Mi Cloud).
  2. Go to Settings → About Phone → Resetting → Delete all data.
  3. After the reset, set up the phone as new and test the calls.

Fastboot or Recovery is the last chance if the problem is the damaged firmware.

  1. Download the official firmware for your model from the MIUI Download website.
  2. Use the Mi Flash Tool (for Fastboot) or TWRP (for custom Recovery).
  3. Follow the instructions for your model (Xiaomi 12/13/14 may require unlocking the bootloader).

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Before flashing, make sure you download the correct version of MIUI for your model!Installing firmware from another modification (for example, for the Redmi Note 11 Pro instead of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+) can turn the phone into a “brick”.

⚠️ Warning: If the problem persists after flashing and the screen is still unresponsive, it is almost certainly a hardware fault (damaged plume, screen controller or motherboard.

7 Hidden MIUI settings you didn't know about

There are a few hidden options in MIUI that can affect the display of incoming calls, which are not found in standard settings, but they are available through ADB or engineering menus.

1. disable "Optimization of notifications"

Some versions of MIUI aggressively optimize notifications, which causes pop-ups to disappear.

adb shell settings put global hidden_api_policy 0

2. Reset Telecom settings (telephony services)

If the calls are not displayed, but the phone is ringing (there is sound / vibration), try resetting the telephony service settings:

adb shell pm clear com.android.server.telecom

After completing the command, restart the device.

Checking the "no sound for calls" mode

Some firmware has a hidden option that turns off all visual notifications for calls to reset:

adb shell settings delete global zen_mode_config_etag

Setting the priority of notifications for "Phone"

With ADB, you can manually set the maximum priority for call notifications:

adb shell cmd notification allow_channel com.android.phone incoming_call all

If you are not familiar with ADB, you can try an alternative method:

  1. Install the App Inspector app from Google Play.
  2. Find the phone app (com.android.phone).
  3. Check if it has any restrictions on displaying notifications.

FAQ: Frequent questions about missing Xiaomi calls

❓ Why Xiaomi doesn’t turn on the screen when you call, but there’s vibration and sound?
This is a typical symptom of proximity sensor conflict or notification service failure. First check the sensor through the engineering menu (#6484##). If it works, reset the phone application settings (Settings → Apps → Phone → Warehouse → Clear data). If it didn't work, the problem may be MIUI Optimization - disable it via ADB (team in section 2).
❓ Xiaomi doesn't show up on just some contacts?
These contacts are likely to have customized notification settings: Open Contacts. Select a problem contact → Edit. Check if it has a special sound or vibration set up (sometimes this knocks down standard notifications). Make sure the contact is not blacklisted (Settings → Lock numbers). Also check if there is a third-party call app installed for these contacts (such as Truecaller or Google Phone) that may conflict with the standard app.
❓ After updating MIUI Incoming calls stopped showing?
If the problem appears after the update, you can: Reverse to the previous version MIUI via Fastboot (instructions are available on the forum) XDA Developers for your model. Install custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience or LineageOS) if the official version gets bugged. Wait for the patch: Xiaomi usually fixes critical bugs within a few minutes. 1-2 weeks after the update release. ⚠️ Warning: Firmware rollback may result in bootloader locking on new models (Xiaomi) 13/14). Before the procedure, check if your Bootloader is unlocked.
❓ Xiaomi screen does not respond to calls, but it works in other cases?
This is a classic sign of damage to the plume of the display or the backlight controller. Do the test: Connect your phone to charging. If the screen does not show the charge indicator, the problem is exactly in the hardware. Try turning on the flashlight through Google Assistant (say "OK Google, turn on the flashlight"). If the screen doesn't respond, but the flashlight turns on, it's the display module's fault. HDMI (If you have an incoming call on TV and you don't have a phone, it's a problem in the screen, and the only solution is repairs at the service center, and the average cost of replacing a plume on Xiaomi is 1,500 to 3,000. ₽ (model-wise).
❓ Can a cover or film interfere with the display of calls?
Yeah, and that's one of the most obscure reasons, because poor-quality covers or thick protective glass can be used: 📵 Block the proximity sensor (the screen does not turn on because it “thinks” you are talking). 🔋 Cover the light sensor, because of which the screen does not adjust the brightness. 📱 Create parasitic pressure on the body, which causes micro-glitches in the sensors. What to do: Remove the case and film, then check if the calls appear. If the problem disappears, replace the accessories with thinner or no notches for the sensors. For the test, temporarily use the phone without the case.