In modern business communication, it is often necessary to call large organizations, where you first need to dial the main number, and then enter the additional code of the employee or department. Owners of Xiaomi smartphones using different versions of the MIUI or HyperOS shell can face difficulties in maintaining such contacts. Standard digit entry without special dividers will make you manually wait for the operator’s response and quickly press the desired numbers, which is extremely inconvenient.
Fortunately, a standard dial, whether it's a Google Phone or a MIUI Dialer, has special pause and wait symbols, which automate the process: the phone will dial the main number, wait for a certain time or wait for a voice invitation, and then automatically pass the extra number, which saves time and relieves the nervous tension associated with the need to immediately respond to the beeps.
In this article, we will discuss in detail how to enter an additional number from Xiaomi mobile, what is the difference between pause and wait symbols, and also consider the nuances of working with various phone applications. You will learn to create smart contacts that will connect you with the right subscriber in one click, regardless of the complexity of the organization’s telephone network.
Difference Between Pause and Waiting Symbols
Before you start setting up contacts, you need to clearly understand the differences between the two main characters used to automate dialing. In telephony, there are two types of delays: hard pause (Pause) and soft wait (Wait), a hard pause takes a fixed break in dialing, usually lasting 2 seconds, after which the next digits automatically continue dialing.
The second type, which is waiting, causes the phone to wait for a voice signal from the network or operator before continuing dialing, which is more flexible, since response times can vary from 3 to 15 seconds in different companies. If you use a hard pause where you want to wait, the phone can start dialing an additional number before it can be accepted by the automatic secretary, which will lead to a connection error.
Using the right symbol is critical to successful connection: A waiting symbol (coma) requires user confirmation to continue typing, whereas a pause symbol (comaint point) performs an action automatically at a fixed interval. Understanding this difference will help you avoid situations where a call is reset or connected to an incorrect department due to timing.
- 📞 Pause (,): Fixed delay, usually 2 seconds, after which the set continues automatically without user intervention.
- ⏳ Waiting (;): The phone waits for a network response or voice message, then a button appears on the screen to send an additional number.
- 🔢 Combination: Often used mixed method, when after several pauses put the wait for insurance.
Methods of entering special characters on the keyboard of the set
Entering an extra number on Xiaomi requires the use of a hidden part of the phone book keyboard. In the standard dialing interface, which is installed by default on most global versions of smartphones (Google Telephony), these characters are not visible immediately. To access them, you need to click on the key with an asterisk *, which is usually located in the bottom row of the digital unit.
After the first tap of the asterisk, the keyboard will change, and additional characters will appear, including a grille, plus sign and, most importantly, pause and wait symbols. On devices with a MIUI shell from the Chinese manufacturer (MI Dialer), the logic may be similar, but the visual design of the buttons is sometimes different. In some cases, you need to press the asterisk twice or three times to switch to the second or third level of the symbolic keyboard.
⚠️ Note: On some versions of the firmware MIUI For the domestic Chinese market, characters may be called differently or hidden in the call settings menu. If nothing changes after clicking on the asterisk, check if the "numbers only" mode in the keyboard settings is activated.
For users who often work with corporate numbers, it is recommended to remember the location of these characters or even create a template contact in drafts, which will allow you to quickly copy the structure of the number when adding new phones. It is also worth noting that in the Google Contacts app, these characters can be displayed visually differently, but functionally remain identical.
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Keep in touch with the test number (e.g., time service) to practice pauses before adding important work contacts.
Step-by-step: how to save the number with an additional
The process of maintaining contact with an additional number on Xiaomi is quite simple if you know the sequence of actions. First, open the Phone or Contacts app and proceed to create a new record. In the number input field, enter the main city or mobile number of the organization to be added.
Next, without closing the keyboard, press * (star) once or more times until additional characters appear. Select the pause symbol (usually denoted as, or Pause) or the waiting symbol (denoted as; or Wait). Once this character appears in the dial bar, enter the additional subscriber number.
☑️ Algorithm for saving the additional number
Once you've entered the entire sequence, press the save button. Now when you call that contact, the phone will automatically do everything. If you've used the standby symbol, a notification will appear on the screen asking you to send the extra number when the network is ready to accept it, giving you full control over the connection process.
Setting up in the Google Telephony and MIUI Dialer app
The dialing interface may vary depending on which version of the software is installed on your Xiaomi. Global versions of smartphones sold in Europe and Russia most often use the Google Telephony app. In this application, pause and wait symbols are immediately after pressing the + or * key, depending on the interface version.
In devices with the original MIUI Dialer (often found on Chinese versions or older models), the logic is similar, but the visual style of the buttons can be minimalist. Here, the characters can be hidden under the “123” button or caused by prolonged pressing of the # key. It is important to carefully monitor the screen when you first use, so that you do not miss the appearance of the desired icon.
If you can't find characters using standard methods, you can use the copy function. Create a text file with the desired number format, such as +74951234567,105, copy it and paste it into the dialing field. The phone must automatically recognize special characters and convert them into pause or wait control codes.
| Characteristics | Google Telephony | MIUI Dialer | Third-party annexes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location of symbols | Menu after pressing * | Menu after pressing * or # | Depends on the developer. |
| Support for pauses | Complete. | Complete. | Complete. |
| Visualization | Comma and semicolon | Pause/Wait or symbols | Different. |
| Synchronization | Google Account | Mi Account/SIM | Local/Cloud |
Editing and managing existing contacts
Often, there is a situation where the contact is already saved, but without an additional number, or the structure of the organization's telephone network has changed, editing such records on Xiaomi is done through the Contacts app. Find the desired record, press the edit button (usually a pencil icon), and go to the phone number field.
In edit mode, you can add the necessary pause or wait symbols to an existing number. Please note that when editing the number saved on the site. SIM-map, the possibilities may be limited. SIM-The cards have an old storage format and often don’t support special characters other than numbers and plus signs, in which case the phone will prompt you to copy the contact to the device’s memory or Google account, which should be done.
When you change contacts massively, such as when you switch to a new PBX, it is convenient to export contacts to a.vcf file. In a text editor on your computer, you can quickly replace the sequences of numbers or add pause symbols to all numbers at once, and then import the updated file back to your smartphone, which greatly speeds up the process of updating the phone book.
⚠️ Note: When editing contacts synchronized with the corporate Exchange server or Google Workspace, changes may be overwritten by the company's administrative rules.
Solution: if the additional is not dialed
Sometimes users encounter a problem when a saved number is dialed but the extra code is not sent or sent too early. One common reason is to use too short a pause. A standard 2-second pause may not be enough for today's automatic secretaries who say hello for long periods.
In such cases, it is recommended to use several pause symbols in a row. For example, instead of one comma, put two or three. Each comma adds another 2 seconds of delay. So you can adjust the timing to a specific telephone exchange. If the problem is that the phone is not waiting for a response, replace the pause symbol with the waiting symbol.
Why do pause symbols not work on some operators?
Also, check the tone settings in Settings → Sound and Vibration → Dial Tones. Make sure that Constant or Touch mode is on, not App Only. If the tone mode is disabled, the phone will not physically be able to transmit the extra number numbers to the network, even if the pause worked correctly.
Alternative methods and third-party applications
If Xiaomi’s standard tools don’t meet your requirements for some reason, for example, more complex set logic or integration with the company is required. CRM-You can use third-party solutions. There are many call apps in the Google Play store that offer advanced call management functionality.
Applications like Truecaller or independent-developer Dialer often have a more user-friendly interface for working with additional numbers, which can automatically determine whether you need to enter additional code based on your call history or organization database, but it’s worth remembering security: by giving a third-party application access to calls and contacts, you trust it with confidential information.
For enterprise users, Xiaomi often offers a “Second Space” mode or special profiles where you can configure separate dialing rules for work contacts, which allows you to separate personal and work calls using different dialing strategies and different SIM cards for different types of communication.
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Using multiple pause symbols in a row (e.g., ) is the easiest way to increase the waiting time before dialing an additional number without switching to a wait symbol.