How to turn off the answering machine on Xiaomi, if the phone picks up the phone

Have you noticed that your Xiaomi smartphone has spontaneously responded to incoming calls without you being involved? This is not only annoying, but also creates risks, from casual conversations with strangers to leaks of personal information, which can be attributed to both regular MIUI features, software failures or malware actions.

In this article, we'll look at all the possible scenarios for why Xiaomi picks up the phone itself, from the voice assistant turned on to hardware malfunctions. You'll get step-by-step instructions to turn off auto-response through system settings, validate application rights, and even radical methods like factory resets. And for owners of older models, we'll give you alternative solutions if standard methods don't work.

We will pay special attention to the Redmi Note 10/11/12, POCO X3/X4 and Xiaomi 13/14 flagships, where the problem is most often associated with proprietary chips like AI Assistant or Game Turbo. If after reading you have questions, at the end of the article there is an expanded FAQ with answers to typical situations.

Why Xiaomi is picking up the phone: 5 main reasons

Before you start fixing a problem, it is important to understand the source of the problem, and automatic phone response can occur for the following reasons:

• 🤖 Voice assistant MIUI. In new versions of the firmware function AI The Assistant can activate a response to voice commands even if you don’t say them (for example, due to false microphone positives).
• 📱 In some regions (e.g. China) in the MIUI Automatic response to calls from operator or service providers is enabled by default.
• 🔧 Touch screen malfunctions. If the display is damaged or contaminated, the system can perceive the touch as a command to take a call.
• 🦠 Malware: Some viruses mimic screen clicks, including taking calls to collect data or commit fraudulent activities.
• 🔄 Application conflict: Conversation recording software, autoresponders, or optimizers (such as Clean Master) can intercept call management.

In practice, the first two reasons are most often to blame. For example, in the Redmi Note 11 Pro+, users complained massively about spontaneous responses due to a bug in MIUI 14.0.3, which was fixed only in update 14.0.5. If your model is older than 2020, the problem may lie in outdated firmware.

⚠️ Warning: If the phone starts answering itself after falling or getting moisture, there may be a hardware malfunction, in which case, first check the sensor and microphone in the service center.

How to disable the answering machine through MIUI settings

Let's start with the simplest one, which is to check the standard MIUI settings, and in most cases, the problem is solved by turning off one or two options.

Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management and follow the following steps:

1. Find the Phone app (the pipe icon) and open its settings.
2. Go to Autoresponder or Voice Response (the name may vary depending on the version of MIUI).
3. Turn off the sliders opposite the options: 📞 Automatic response to calls 🎤 Voice activation (if any) ⚙️ Allow background work (for models with MIUI 13+)

Special facilities → Universal access

Automatic pressing

Voice control

If your version of MIUI does not have an explicit auto-responder option, check Settings → System & Device → Additional. On some models (POCO F3, Xiaomi 11T), the option is hidden under the name Gesture Answer or Quick Response.

Deactivate "Responder" in the "Phone" app |

Check "Special features" for voice control |

Remove the overlay rights for third-party applications|

Update MIUI last-minute-->

The problem with voice assistant: how to disable the AI Assistant

Xiaomi’s proprietary AI Assistant is one of the most common causes of spontaneous phone responses, designed to control your phone’s voice, but often works falsely, especially in noisy rooms or when talking on speakerphones.

To deactivate the assistant:

1. Open Settings → Google folder → Google Settings → Search, Assistant and Voice.
2. Select Voice Assistant and turn off the Hey Google option (if it is active).
3. Go back to the basic settings and go to Apps → Application Management → AI Assistant.
4. Click Disable (or Remove Updates if the Disable button is inactive).
5. For full deactivation, go to Settings → Accounts and Sync → Xiaomi Cloud and turn off the assistant’s data sync.

To find and disable suspicious programs:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Application Rights.
2. Open the section Other permissions → Overlay of windows.
3. Disable permissions for all applications except system applications (such as MIUI Launcher or Settings).
4. Go back and check the Call Management section. It's just Phone and Contacts.

If you find an unknown application with suspicious rights, delete it and perform virus checks with Malwarebytes or Dr.Web Light. Some malware masquerades as system services (for example, com.android.system.update), so if in doubt, check the list of legitimate MIUI processes.

Resetting and updating MIUI: radical methods

If previous methods did not help, the problem may lie in deep system failures, in which case a factory reset or firmware update will help.

Resetting settings (without data loss):

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Choose Reset All Settings (not to be confused with Delete All Data!).
3. Confirm action. The phone will restart, but the files and applications will remain in place.

MIUI Update:

1. Open Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Click Check Updates and install the latest version.
3. If the update is not found, download the firmware for your model from the official Xiaomi website and install it through Settings → About Phone → System Update → Three dots → Select a firmware file.

For Redmi Note 8/9 and older models, you may need to unlock the bootloader before manual firmware.

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi models with MediaTek processor (e.g. Redmi) 9A, POCO M3) manual firmware via Fastboot can cause a "brick" (completely inoperable) device. OTA-utility SP Flash Tool with Authorized Firmware.

💡

If the phone itself answers calls after updating MIUI - roll back on the previous version of the firmware or wait for a patch from Xiaomi. Most often, bugs with the answering machine are fixed within 1-2 weeks after the release of the new version.

Hardware malfunctions: when it is not the fault of software

If the software methods didn't work, the problem could be the hardware of the phone, and it's often the fault of:

• 📱 Malfunctioning touch screen: Microcracks or plume detachment result in false touches that the system perceives as commands to take a call.
• 🎤 Volume button sticking on some models (Redmi) 7/8) The volume button can activate the response to the call.
• 🔋 Bloated battery, motherboard pressure sometimes causes sensor malfunctions.
• 💧 Contact oxidation: Once moisture is injected, corrosion can disrupt the microphone or speaker, leading to false positives on the voice assistant.

To diagnose a hardware problem:

1. Check the screen for cracks or dead zones with a sensor test (e.g. the Touch Screen Test app).
2. Press the volume buttons – they should be clearly fixed in the pressed and pressed position.
3. Put a flashlight on the battery (if the lid is removable) if it swells, replace it immediately!
4. Try calling your phone from another device and watching it behave, and if the screen spontaneously presses in the area of the answer button, the sensor is to blame.

If you suspect a hardware malfunction, it is better to contact a service center. Self-repair (for example, replacing the sensor) can lead to loss of warranty or aggravate the problem.

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Before visiting the service center, back up your data via Settings → About Phone → Backup or Mi PC Suite, which will save your contacts, photos and messages even if your phone has to be reset.

Alternative solutions: if nothing helps

If standard methods do not work, try the following options:

• 🛠️ Disable all animations. Sometimes auto-response bugs are associated with interface delays. → The phone. → Version. MIUI and press 7 times on the version number line to activate Developer Mode. → Additionally. → For developers, turn off all animations (Window animation scale, transition animation scale).
• 🔒 If the phone itself only responds to specific numbers (such as spam), add them to the blacklist: Phone → Three points. → Blacklist.
• 📴 Temporary shutdown of the mobile network (through the notification curtain) will help to check whether the behavior of the phone is related to the carrier.
• 🔄 Shift. SIM-Some rates will allow operators to activate the auto-responder service (for example, MTS or Beeline). SIM or contact the operator’s support.

For advanced users, there is another way to disable system services through ADB. For example, to deactivate the autoresponse service, do:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.android.phone


adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.miui.voiceassist

But remember, this will not only turn off auto-response, but also some of the telephony functions, and once the device is restarted, you'll have to re-enter the commands.

FAQ: Frequent questions about answering machine on Xiaomi