Setup the second incoming call on Xiaomi: how not to miss an important call

Have you ever encountered a situation where during an important conversation, a second call comes in, but the phone just drops it to voicemail? On Xiaomi smartphones, this problem is solved in a few minutes — just set up the call waiting function correctly, but many users do not even know it exists, continuing to lose important calls.

In this article, we will discuss in detail how to activate and configure call waiting on Xiaomi devices, including models based on MIUI 12/13/14 and HyperOS. You will learn what parameters affect the function, how to check its availability with your operator and what to do if the settings are not saved. And for advanced users, we have prepared manual configuration instructions through the engineering menu.

We will focus on common errors: why a second call may not work even after setting up, how to distinguish phone problems from mobile carrier restrictions, and what to do if the function suddenly disappeared after a firmware update. At the end of the article, we will answer frequent questions and a table of compatibility of functions with different versions of MIUI.

What is Call Waiting and How Does It Work on Xiaomi?

Call Waiting allows you to receive a second incoming call when you are already on the phone, and without this setting, the caller trying to reach will hear either the signal "busy" or will be automatically redirected to voicemail, depending on the operator's settings.

On Xiaomi smartphones, waiting for a call works according to the 3GPP standard, but its implementation depends on three factors:

• 📱 Firmware version: B MIUI 12 and later, the feature is available in standard settings, and in older versions may require activation via the engineering menu.
• 📡 Operator support: Not all mobile operators provide this service by default (especially on limited options fares).
• 🔧 Hardware restrictions: Budget models (e.g. Redmi) 9A POCO C31) may not support simultaneous processing of two calls at the modem level.

When the function is active, when the second call arrives, you will hear a short signal (if not disabled in the settings) and see a notification on the screen with the ability to:

• 📞 Accept the second call (the first will be withheld).
• 🔇 Reject him with a shipment. SMS without.
• ⏸️ Put the first interlocutor on hold and switch to the second.

It’s important to understand that waiting for a call is not the same as conferencing; you can only talk to one person at a time, switching between calls. This Xiaomi conference requires a separate setup (we’ll talk about it in one of the following sections).

Checking the support function of your operator

Before setting up your phone, make sure your mobile operator supports call waiting. In Russia and CIS countries, this feature is usually available by default on most tariffs, but there are exceptions:

To check the activation of the service:

1. Call from another phone to your number.
2. Without dropping the call, ask someone to call you from the second device.
3. If the second call passes (you hear the signal or see the notification), the function works. If not, it needs to be activated.

⚠️ Note: On virtual operators (e.g. Tinkoff Mobile, SberMobil), call waiting can be disabled by default.

Step-by-step setting up call waiting in MIUI

If the operator supports the function, move to the phone setup. The instructions are suitable for most models Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO based on MIUI 12-14 and HyperOS. Open the Phone app and follow the steps:

1. Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner → select “Settings”.
2. Go to the section Additional settings → Call → Waiting for a call.
3. Activate the call wait switch (should turn blue).
4. Below, select the notification option: 🔔 "Sound signal – the phone will give a short horn on the second call. 📳 "No Sound – Only Vibration and Screen Notification. ❌ "Disconnect – the second call will be silently ignored.

Save settings and restart your phone (recommended for changes).

Ask a friend to call you from two phones at the same time | Make sure that the notification of the second call appears on the screen | Check if you can switch between interlocutors | Try to put the first person on hold-->

On some models (such as Xiaomi 12 Pro or Redmi Note 11), the path to settings may be different:

Settings → SIM- Maps and Mobile Networks → [select SIM] → Additional settings → Call Waiting

⚠️ Warning: If the function is not working after activation, check whether Do Not Disturb or Traffic Saving mode is enabled in the battery settings.

Customization through the Engineering Menu (for experienced users)

If the standard settings fail, you can try activating the wait for a call through the engineering menu, which is suitable for Qualcomm Snapdragon devices (most Xiaomi models) and requires caution - incorrect changes can disrupt the modem.

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the code: ##4636## Some firmware may require code #86583##.
2. Select "Phone Information" (or "Phone Information").
3. Scroll down to the "Set preferred network type" section and remember the current value (e.g. LTE/WCDMA/GSM auto).
4. Go back to the main menu of engineering settings and select "DSDS Settings” (for two) SIM-maps) or “Call Settings".
5. Find the "Call Waiting" option and set the "Enable" value for the desired SIM-map.
6. Save the changes and restart the phone.

How to set up a conference call instead of waiting for a call

If your Xiaomi doesn’t support waiting for a call or you need to communicate with multiple people at once, configure conferencing, a feature that’s available on most models with MIUI 11 and newer.

Instructions:

1. During the conversation, click the Add Call button (+ icon on the call screen).
2. Dial the number of the second subscriber or select it from the contacts.
3. After the connection, click "Unite" (the icon with two men).
4. Now everyone can hear each other. To add more subscribers, repeat steps 1-3.

Limitations of conference calls on Xiaomi:

• 📞 Maximum 5 participants (depending on operator).
• 📶 Requires a stable network signal (with weak coverage, the connection may be interrupted).
• 💰 Additional charges are possible (check with the operator).

💡

Conference communication and waiting are different functions, waiting allows you to switch between two calls, and conference allows you to combine interlocutors into one conversation.

Compatibility with different MIUI versions and Xiaomi models

Not all Xiaomi smartphones are equally well supported by waiting for a call. Below is the compatibility table for popular models and firmware versions:

If your model is not in the table, check the support for the feature experimentally or check the information on the official forum Xiaomi (c.mi.com).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions