Smartphone owners Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco often face intrusive phone spam that is not only distracting but can be dangerous. Fraudsters and advertising agencies use automated call to impose services or lure personal data. Fortunately, the MIUI and HyperOS shell has powerful built-in tools to protect against unwanted contacts that are often more effective than third-party solutions.
In this article, we will take a look at all the available locking methods, from standard system settings to advanced carrier filters, you will learn how to create blacklists, set up automatic screening by mask numbers and use antivirus databases, and the correct configuration of these parameters will allow you to forget about the constant ringing in your pocket and focus on the really important conversations.
Ignoring this problem can lead to you missing an important call from the bank or the courier, as they get lost in the flow of garbage traffic. Modern algorithms for detecting spam work quite aggressively, but require initial user configuration. Let's look at how to turn your smartphone into an impregnable fortress for advertising robots.
Use of the built-in MIUI and HyperOS call filter
The most effective and safe way to fight spam is to use native system features that are already integrated into your device. Unlike third-party applications, the system filter works at a deeper level and does not require additional permissions, which saves the battery and improves performance. To access these settings, you need to go to the Security app, which is preinstalled on all devices of the brand.
Inside the Security app, find the Antivirus section or go straight to the Lock menu, and that's where the master switch for filtering incoming traffic is hidden. Activate the Unknown Number Filter or Label Block option if available in your area. The system will start checking incoming call numbers against the cloud database of user complaints.
⚠️ Attention: When aggressive filters are turned on, there is a risk of blocking calls from courier services or taxis that may use hidden or random numbers.
To fine-tune it, click on the gear icon in the upper right corner of the lock menu, and you can choose a strategy to block only hidden numbers, all unknown contacts or numbers marked as spam by other users. Quiet Mode is also available when the caller does not arrive, but the caller sees the beeps, and you receive a notification of missed.
☑️ Setup of system protection
It is important to understand that databases are updated automatically, but they require periodic Internet connection. If you rarely use mobile Internet, make sure that the Security app has permission for background data transfer, which will allow it to quickly receive information about new fraud schemes and update lock lists in real time.
Blacklisting and manual locking
Sometimes automated systems let persistent spammers through, and then you have to act manually. The blacklist on Xiaomi allows you to enter specific phone numbers from which unwanted calls are coming, and it is the perfect tool to deal with specific organizations or individuals who keep trying to contact you.
To add a number to blacklist, open the call log, click on the desired number and select the option “Block”. The alternative way is through the phone settings: Settings → Apps → System applications → Phone → Locking incoming contacts. Here you will see a full list of blocked contacts and you can add new ones manually, typing the number into the appropriate field.
One of the most useful features is mask locking. If you are called from a number that starts with certain numbers (for example, +7999000...), you can block the entire range. To do this, select "Add on the mask" from the lock menu and enter the initial numbers of the number, adding an asterisk at the end. Now no number starting with this combination will be able to reach you.
| Type of lockdown | How it works | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|
| Single number | Blocks only one specific contact | High for specific individuals |
| Room mask | Blocks all numbers starting with given numbers | High for whole ranges |
| Hidden number. | Rejects calls without a determinant | Medium (blocks and is important) |
| Unknown (from the book) | Only accepts contacts from the phone book. | Maximum but uncomfortable |
What happens to the blocked?
Remember that too much blacklisting can have a slight impact on the speed of processing an incoming call, as the system needs time to reconcile. However, on modern Snapdragon or MediaTek processors, this delay is almost invisible. Regularly clear the list of numbers that are no longer relevant to keep the system clean.
Blocking through the services of the operator
If the built-in smartphone means seem to you not reliable enough, the services of the operators themselves come to the rescue (the “big four”). Services like MTS’s Antispam, Beeline’s Number Definer, or MegaFon’s Spam Filter work at the network level before the call reaches your device, saving your phone resources and ensuring protection even when roaming or when your smartphone is off (in the form of a phone). SMS-report).
The connection of such services is usually paid, but often a trial period is provided. USSD-teams, personal accounts or special applications of operators, for example, to connect protection against the Tele2 It is enough to send a command or activate a service in the application "My" Tele2». The operator then takes over the traffic filtering.
- 📞 MTS: Antispam service allows you to create personal blacklists and receive notifications about blocked calls.
- 📡 Beeline: Service "Number Definition" tags incoming calls from advertising agencies and scammers.
- 🚀 Megaphone: Antispam blocks unwanted calls and sends a report in the app.
- ⚡ Tele2: «Blacklist and Antispam are available in the subscriber’s personal account.
The main advantage of network filters is that they do not depend on the operating system of your phone. Even if you change Xiaomi to another brand, the setup will remain active. However, it is worth considering that the operator can not always identify a new type of spam as quickly as crowdsourcing databases in applications.
Before connecting paid services, carefully study your operator’s tariffs. Sometimes the basic version of filtering is free, but you have to pay for detail or advanced features. In most cases, a free level of protection is enough for the average user, which sifts out obvious advertising spam.
Third-party applications for spam protection
When regular funds are scarce, users turn to specialized applications, such as Kaspersky Who Calls, Yandex (with Alice) and Truecaller, which use vast databases collected from millions of devices around the world, allowing them to identify even new fraud numbers almost instantly.
Installing such an app on Xiaomi requires careful permission settings. To make the filter work properly, the system needs to allow access to contacts, call logs, and most importantly, access to display over other windows. Without the last item, the app won’t be able to show you the caller’s name (“Probably spam”) at the time of the call.
But there is a downside to using third-party solutions: applications like these can consume significant amounts of RAM and battery power, as they must be constantly hanging in the background, and some (like Truecaller) require you to transfer your contacts to their servers to update the database, which may raise questions about privacy.
⚠️ Note: When installing number-defining applications from unofficial sources, you are at high risk of infecting your device with a virus.
If you decide to use third-party software, be sure to set up auto-run and undo the background activity restrictions for this application in the MIUI battery settings. Otherwise, the system can "kill" the filtering process a few minutes after the screen is turned off, and the protection will stop working.
The “Do Not Disturb” Regime as a Radical Measure
In situations where absolute silence is required, but the ability to take an emergency call should remain, Do Not Disturb mode is ideal. Unlike simple locking, this mode does not reset the call, but simply drowns out sound and vibration, or even prohibits the passage of the call, depending on the settings.
You can activate it through the notification curtain or in the Settings menu → Sound and vibration → Don't bother. Here you can create a schedule (e.g., with a 23:00 before 07:00) The most important setting for spam protection in this section is "Repeat Calls." If you turn on this option, a second call from the same number within the same time frame. 3-5 It will take a few minutes to contact you in an emergency.
Also on this menu is the option "Admissible Calls." Select "Contact Only" or "Favorites" here. In this mode, all unknown numbers, including those not in your phone book, will automatically be deflected or drowned out. This is the only way to guarantee that you avoid any unwanted conversations, but it requires that all your important interlocutors be recorded in the contacts.
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Set up an automatic “Do Not Disturb” mode during sleep so that morning spam doesn’t wake you up while you’re watching.
Using this mode is especially relevant on weekends or during vacations when you don’t want to be distracted by work or advertising issues.Don’t forget that with active Do Not Disturb mode, notifications from messengers can also be hidden if exceptions are not configured, so check your phone periodically.
Frequent questions and troubleshooting
Despite the detailed instructions, users often encounter the nuances of how blockers work. Below we will discuss the most common problems and questions that arise when setting up spam protection on Xiaomi devices. If standard methods do not help, perhaps the problem lies in the specific settings of your firmware version.
Often users complain that after updating the system, the settings are reset or changed their location. This is normal practice for MIUI and HyperOS. In such cases, it is recommended to recheck the Security section and make sure that all switches are active, and it is also worth checking whether the antivirus databases themselves have been updated.
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Regularly checking your settings after updating the system is the key to stable protection against a new type of spam.
If you are faced with a situation where an important call has been blocked, be sure to remove the number from the blacklist and add it to Favorites or Contacts. For emergency numbers (112, 102, 103), locking at the system level is not usually applied, but operator filters can sometimes trigger incorrectly.