Modern business communication rarely does without the use of corporate PBX, where each employee has his own unique but short extra number. Owners of Xiaomi smartphones working in such conditions often face the inconvenience of manually dialing the main number of the organization, waiting for the beeps and only then entering additional numbers, this is time-consuming and annoying, especially when frequent calls to customers or partners.
Fortunately, the MIUI operating system that underlies the shell of Redmi and Poco smartphones has built-in tools to automate this process. You don't have to search for third-party apps or buy complex headsets. You just need to set up a phone book entry correctly, inserting special pause and waiting symbols into it, which will turn a long procedure into a single touch.
In this article, we will discuss in detail which characters are responsible for signal delay, how to activate them on the keyboard of the set and how to save the ready-made template to contacts. We will also look at the nuances of working with different versions of firmware and answer frequent questions that arise when configuring corporate communication on devices of the Chinese brand.
The principle of operation of additional numbers in telephony
Before you start setting up, it's important to understand the technical side of the process. Standard telephone networks only transmit a digital signal. When you dial a number, the network connects you to the subscriber. However, to switch to an additional number, the system needs to get a "wait" or "press the next number after the beep," which is the function of special symbols that are inserted between the main number and the extra number.
There are two main types of symbols, and confusion between them often leads to errors. The first type is a pause. It causes the phone to wait a fixed time (usually 2 seconds) before dialing the next group of numbers. The second type is waiting. In this case, the phone waits for a reaction from the network (for example, a beep or voice greeting) and proceeds to dial an additional number only after you confirm or an automatic trigger.
On Xiaomi devices, these characters are implemented through standard DTMF telecommunications codes. Visually on a smartphone screen, they appear as a comma or a grille symbol, but for the network, these are call flow control commands. Understanding the difference between them is critical for the proper operation of automatic dialing.
- 📞 Pause (P): fixed delay of 2 seconds before continuing with the digit set.
- ⏳ Waiting (W): Stop dialing until the user clicks the send button or receives a signal from the network.
- 🔢 DTMF-tone: the audible signals that the phone sends to the network to transmit the extra number digits.
- 📱 Automation: the process of dialing the entire number without human intervention after the first horn.
⚠️ Attention: Pause and wait symbols only work at the phone app and network level. If you copy a number with these characters to a messenger (such as WhatsApp or Telegram), they can appear as plain text and will not perform their function when called through Internet protocols.
Where to find hidden characters on the keyboard of the set
The standard dial keyboard on Xiaomi smartphones looks minimal and doesn’t show all the options available at once. To access call management, you need to deploy an additional menu, usually by clicking on an asterisk or tripod icon located in the corner of the dialing screen.
Once the additional menu is activated, the standard numerical series 0-9, * and # will be supplemented with new functional buttons, and this is where the desired "Pause" and "Waiting" characters are located. Depending on the version of the MIUI shell or HyperOS, they may be called differently, but their graphical designation remains unchanged: a comma for pause and a semicolon or a letter W for waiting.
It is important to note that the location of these buttons may vary across models. On some versions of the Redmi Note or Xiaomi Mi, the menu can be hidden under the “More” button or the three-dot icon. If you don’t see the desired characters at once, carefully examine all the tabs available at the bottom of the dial screen.
What if there are no symbols?
For ease of navigation on the interface elements, consider the main designations:
- 🔘 Asterisk (*): Standard symbol for USSD-querying and beginning of code.
- 🔲 Grid (#): Completes code entry or is used to navigate in voice menus.
- ⏸️ Comma (,): pause symbol adding 2 seconds of delay.
- ⏹️ Comma (;): A waiting symbol requiring manual confirmation or network signal.
Instructions: Contacting the additional number
Now, let's get to the practical side and create a full-fledged entry in the phonebook that will automatically dial the extra number, which is universal for most Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco models. First, open the standard Phone app and go to the Contacts tab or click on the new record creation icon.
In the number entry field, first dial the main city or mobile number of the organization. Take your time, make sure that the city or operator code is entered correctly. After the last sign of the main number, proceed to the introduction of a special symbol. Press the menu button (star or tripod) and select the "Pause" symbol (coma).
☑️ Pre-conservation checks
Once the comma appears in the dial line, enter the numbers of the extra number. If the extra number is short (2-3 digits), one pause may not be enough if the operator responds long. In this case, you can add several pause symbols in a row or use the waiting symbol if you want a person to react. After entering all the digits, be sure to keep the contact by assigning a clear name, for example, "Accounting (auto)".
The format of the saved number will look something like this: +74951234567,105. Here the comma is the same program code that causes the phone to take a break before dialing 105. When you call, you will see how after dialing the main number, the phone will freeze for a couple of seconds, and then quickly finish the rest.
⚠️ Note: When using the "Waiting" symbol (;), the phone may not switch to dialing the additional number automatically unless the network transmits the corresponding signal. In such cases, a "Send" button may appear on the screen, which you must manually press after hearing the answering machine greeting.
Setting the duration of pauses and intervals
One of the common problems is that the standard two-second pause is missing. The organization's voice menu can be long ("To communicate with the sales department press 1, for accounting..."), and the phone starts dialing the extra number too early, knocking down the robot's navigation. Unfortunately, there is no slider in the standard MIUI settings to change the duration of one pause.
The solution to this problem lies in the realm of math and sequences. Because one pause is about 2 seconds, you can increase the waiting time by adding several pause symbols in a row. For example, two commas, give a delay of 4 seconds, three commas, 6 seconds, and so on.
This is especially true for large companies with multi-stage greeting systems, and if you know that it takes about 10 seconds for a line to be ready, then you can safely set 5-6 pause symbols to ensure that the extra number is dialed only when the line is ready to accept it.
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Use the comma method for complex menus. If you need to get into a deep nested menu (e.g., 1 -> pause -> 2 -> pause -> 3), you can write the entire chain in one contact, dividing the numbers with pause symbols.
There is also an alternative method for advanced users that involves using call management codes, but it does not work for all carriers.The standard multiple pause path is the most reliable and compatible with all GSM and VoLTE networks.
Comparison of input methods: pause vs. expectation
So that you can choose the best option for your situation, let's compare the two available methods in the form of a table, which will help you avoid confusion and understand which symbol to use in a particular scenario of communication with the organization.
The main difference is the continuation trigger, which is based solely on the time since the call started, and the wait depends on the status of the line, and if you call an organization where a live operator picks up the phone and asks for "dial extra," the waiting symbol may not work automatically without your intervention.
| Characteristics | Pause symbol (,) | Symbol of Waiting (;) |
|---|---|---|
| Designation | Comma. | Comma-point/W |
| Duration | Fixed (~2 seconds) | Infinite (before the signal) |
| Automation | Full (not required to participate) | Partial (may require pressing) |
| Perfect for | Timed auto secretaries | Complex systems with variable response |
| Risk of error | Low (if time is selected) | Medium (you can miss the moment) |
As you can see from the table, for most cases of use of additional numbers on Xiaomi, it is preferable to use the pause symbol. It is predictable and does not require your attention during the dialing process. The Waiting symbol is better left for specific cases where the operator's response time varies greatly.
Solving typical problems and resetting settings
Even a properly configured contact may not work properly due to network features or a malfunction of the Phone application. If you see that the additional number is not dialed, first check whether the "Blocking additional" mode or similar restrictions in the settings are turned on. SIM-Sometimes the carriers block the transmission. DTMF-roaming.
Another common problem on Xiaomi is the conflict between the phone’s standard app and third-party software installed (like Truecaller or enterprise identifiers).If you have multiple calling apps installed, the system may not be using the one you created the contact with. Make sure the default is the standard MIUI Dialer or Google Phone.
In rare cases, cleaning the cache of the Phone app helps. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Phone → Memory and click Clear Cache. This will not delete your contacts, but will reset temporary errors of the program.
⚠️ Attention: When cleaning the phone application data (not only the cache, but the data) can reset the forwarding settings and blacklist. Be careful and choose Cache Clearance if you do not want to reconfigure the blockers.
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If the additional number is not dialed automatically, increase the number of pause symbols or check whether the operator blocks the transmission of tone signals in your tariff area.
Also worth mentioning is the issue with room formatting: Some users try to save the number in an international format with a plus of +7, while others use an eight of 8. On modern Xiaomi smartphones, this does not matter for the operation of pauses, but for order it is better to adhere to a single standard of writing in the entire phone book.